-Chapter 24: A Little Test Run-

Across the vast plains of Wall Maria

"Oh God…."

The young scout could feel the hairs behind his neck stand up straight as the sounds of rapid footsteps were getting close to their position, only for his attention to turn to the sound of a flare gun going off, and the sight of a black flare flying upward into the sky.

"D-Don't panic, we have to k-keep our focus." Dirk spoke out, trying his absolute hardest to mask his own growing nervousness. Placing his flare gun back into his jacket holster he tried to keep his squad in order, though their resolves only seemed to falter as the figure chasing them was soon beginning to catch up.

"Oh God…."The scout repeated as the sound of their pursuer's footsteps began to grow louder and quicker, to the point where he could almost hear their chaser breath through their nose.

"Remember this is just a practice run, t-to prepare us for such a s-situation!" The squad leader emphasized with stuttered breath, only to hear the near inhuman grunts coming from their pursuer.

"OH GOD…." The scout shouted, his focus absolutely gone as he could feel the pure terror emanating from the one chasing them, to the point where he began to lose control on his horse, as it too began to panic, wanting to get away from the terror close behind them.

"DON'T LOOK BACK DAMMIT!" Dirk shouted, no longer caring for the fear sounding in his voice, at this point everyone's nerves had been shot and their fight or flight instincts had taken over, their primal instincts to flee from the frightening presence and live another day completely taking over their minds.

Almost immediately after Dirk shouted out his order the poor scout lagging behind, for reasons still unknown, had turned his head back, only to be faced with the shocking sight of the glowing eyes of their pursuer looking back at him.

"OH, FUCKING GOD!" The scout shouted in a high-pitched tone. The poor scouts mind was far too frightened to continue and soon both he and his mount separated from the rest of the group in an effort to escape their chaser's grasp.

Maverick let out a snarl as he caused absolute chaos amongst the ranks of the right formation, Dirk's squad being one of the many groups he had scattered and most likely caused a few ruined pants.

But why? For what possible reasons was Maverick, a fellow scout and dear comrade, doing such a thing to his fellow soldiers? Why in the name of the many gods and pantheons above was he committing such acts? What events had caused him to chase down his fellows like the man-eating giants they had fought against?

Well to answer such a question we must turn back time, to about a few hours before this moment.

-oOo-

Strategy Room, inside Survey Corps Headquarters, a few hours before…

It was after breakfast when the commander had gathered everyone into the strategy room, a large classroom which, as its name implied, was meant for the use of strategizing plans and methods to combat their giant foes. Today however the Survey Corps were gathered to learn of the new expedition stratagem that Erwin had conceived for quite some time now, the Long-Range Enemy Scouting Formation.

With the assistance of a large drawing of the formation the commander, with an unusual amount of pep in his voice, had explained the many sections composing the entire formation, and the ones who would make up those sections.

"Our forward teams will be made up of our most experienced and battle-hardened soldiers." With the assistance of a rod the commander pointed at the first row making up the formation, before lowering it to the second row.

"The support teams will be deeper inside the formation, as their name implies, they will provide assistance to the forward teams." He continued.

"Our relay teams will consist of our newest members, you'll be tasked with shooting out signal flares to inform command of any titans sightings and changes in our formations course." Turning to a nearby table he presented the multiple flare canisters towards the gathered regiment.

"As you can see we have a variety of colors, each of them meant for a specific situation. As a refresher let me remind you all of which flare is which…" Taking one marked with a red stripe he held it high so that everyone could see.

"Red for any titans spotted during the expedition, Black for abnormals. Blue for retreats as well as special engagements, Green is for any changes in our formations directions, and Yellow will signify the termination of our mission be it a success or failure." A few scouts in the back whispered amongst themselves, surprised by the many variety of colors at their disposal.

"Lastly is Purple, our newest developed signal. Should your teams face distressing odds, fire this flare and Maverick will be sent out to provide assistance." All eyes turned to the large man sitting on a crate near the corner of the large room. Waving at the scouts he was meet with a few glad voices, only for the commander to squash any hopes conjuring in their minds.

"Let me remind you all, we only have a few of these flares at the moment, so use them wisely. Do not expect you can have him take care of every titan you see." The room went silent once again, and the gleeful looks on the scouts fell back to their more neutral expressions. "Any questions so far?"

No one spoke up for a few seconds, till one hand rose. That being the hand of Tomas, one of Miche's boys.

"So are we going outside the walls to test our new formation Sir?" His question was met with a few nodding looks from those around him, suppose he was the one brave enough to voice out what the novices were thinking. A quick response from Smith culled any worries however.

"No, we'll be performing a trial run across the eastern plains of Maria, wouldn't do us well to loose men before our expedition even begins." He heard a few sighed reliefs, to his slight amusement.

"So, how will we simulate a titan encounter?" Asked Marlene with a raised brow.

"Multiple dummies have been placed in select locations throughout our route. Avoiding titans is the key strategy, as there will be little to no surfaces out in the greater world for our ODM gear." The scouts muttered amongst themselves, taking in the information.

"What if a titan breaks into the formation? O-Or an ambush?" Another scout suddenly asked aloud. Erwin took a moment to respond, his eyes turning to the bespectacled scout seated in the front row, who in turn turned her eyes to him. Her expectant gaze and tapping foot was all he needed to reassure the safety of her research subjects.

"After much….discussion *cough* it was decided we will have Maverick assist in that manner." All eyes turned to the marked man once more, this time he held a rather impassive look on his bearded face, which sent a few shivers up the spines of a few scouts.

"As we all know, he has displayed a variety of unique and supernatural abilities throughout his time in the regiment, one of them being capable of outrunning even our fastest horses." He continued, despite the few mutterings.

"Throughout our route Maverick will chase after us, acting as an abnormal, and try to break the formation. Your task is to remain calm and maintain your focus while your being pursued. The training ends if we either make it to our destination point or if Maverick succeeds in completely routing the formation."

The eyes of many a scout widened. They had all seen what the man was capable of, how'd he often sprint towards the lumbering beasts at breakneck speeds and either tackle or drop kick a titan into the ground. The thought that they would be chased down by one of the strongest individuals in the world sent goosebumps among the regiment.

It would be both an interesting, and more than likely hair-raising experience for everyone. Which was the point of this exercise.

"This will prepare you all in the event that a titan has its sights on your squad, or an abnormal targets you in specific." He eyed the sea of slightly uneasy looks, form both veterans and new bloods alike. They were looks he could sympathize with, for he was in such a situation quite a few times in his early years as a scout. "I understand, having one of them chase you down…with all intents to shove you down their throats, or rip you apart limb from limb, can be a very frightening experience…seen it happen to those I once knew back in my cadet days..." He muttered as his eyes looked downwards, but only for a moment, before he looked to his men once again.

"But you must learn to conquer those fears and continue to push on. Maintaining your focus and nerves will be crucial to your survival in titan territory." The veterans nodded in agreement while their juniors looked to one another, nodding to themselves. They had all chosen this path, they had already faced the enemies of humanity, with some already getting their blades dirty. As Erwin said this was simply another test to reaffirm their resolves, their dedications to retaking what their ancestors had lost to the titan menace.

Besides, Maverick was a fellow comrade in arms, they couldn't imagine him actually trying or committing harm to any of them.

"Any further questions? Right then, now as I was saying…"

-oOo-

Back to the present…

"Another black flare from the right formation Sir!" Peer shouted aloud to the surprise of the mounted scouts around the command squad.

"Thats the fourth one!" Came a shocked remark for Beirer. Erwin didn't respond as he kept his eyes forward. While the disarray in the right flank was very much concerning, he had to maintain control and order among the rest of the formation. With that in mind he aimed and fired his flare gun westward, to notify the rest of the formation of the change in their route.

A small part inside him hoped that they could reach their designated finish line.

Though a greater part inside him knew he wouldn't let them get away so easily, he was making sure of that.

"Another black flare!" A scout shouted, causing everyone to turn to the right once again, with many growing more than a bit uncomfortable by how close this flare was to their position. "He's getting close!"

'That was Miche's position!' Erwin thought. If their pursuer had reached that deep into the formation then it was only a matter of time ti-

"GRAHHHHHHH!"

The roaring voice sent chills down the spines of everyone, even the ever stoic Levi found himself flinching by the sudden shout ringing across the field. Few seconds later a sudden gasp from a nearby rider caught the attention of all.

"Look up!" The scout shouted pointing to the eastern sky.

Turning to the sky their eyes widened at the sight of the marked man glowing figure soaring high above, only for their surprise to turn to alarm as he began to descend, straight towards them.

"Oh Jeez!" Beirer shouted as he tried to increase his mounts speed. The others followed his example and kicked their horses into high gear. Which proved to be the correct course of action, for seconds later Maverick's descending form crashed into the ground, creating a gap between the front and rear formation due to the crater he created.

Jumping out of said crater he wasted no time in continuing his pursuit of the command squad, even resorting to chasing them on all fours, grunting and snarling like some feral wildman.

Despite his hardened look, beads of sweat were streaking down the commander's face. He refused to allow his marked comrade the satisfaction of psyching him out. No, instead he continued to lead the command squad, all the while firing off a black flare, notifying the left flank of the current situation.

"A-Abnormal's aiming for the commander!" Shouted a scout with shaky breath. Couldn't really fault the poor lad for stating the obvious or calling their comrade an abnormal. His mind was completely in flight mode, plus having to keep his horse in control all the while was taxing enough.

All the while the commander's mind was going through every countermeasure he had conjured up throughout his years in the regiment. Thought there was a very clear issue.

Most of his plans didn't account for the titan having human level intelligence and intellect!

Maverick was also very clear on who he was gunning for. While he was certain he wouldn't go as far as to actually harm him physically, psychological harm was another matter entirely.

Whatever he had done to cause disarray among the right flank, was now being done to the command squad. A sudden sharp feeling of dread filled his mind the moment he had pursued them, making it much more difficult to think and concentrate. No doubt some sort of effect from his many godly blessings.

Despite the current chaos in his mind he knew he had to push his men on, and keep some form of order intact. With that he tried to try and think of a way to shake their pursuer off, or at the very least widen the gap between them.

His answer came in the form of an approaching tree line. One of the many forest of giant trees scattered along the plains of wall Maria, and the halfway point of their planned route. With his remaining resolve he steered his white mare straight towards the forest, his scouts and chaser following right behind him.

"Commander! Orders?!" Peer shouted. Erwin eyes simply turned to his alarmed assistant as he took out his flare gun, and prepped it with another round. Peer's eyes looked confused for a moment before he too took out his, though still unsure about what the commander was planning.

"Load black flares and increase speed!" He shouted. He already knew shouting out his orders was a mistake, but he had to take a chance. The scouts followed his orders and unholstered their signal guns, and armed them with their canisters.

As they neared the forest he looked to his aides, who were still very much confused. Gesturing to his flare and the back of the formation seemed to do the trick as their eyes widened before nodding in acknowledgement. Looking to his captain he was met with a similar nod.

With their only ranged weapons armed and ready the scouts made way towards the entrance to the giant forest. With only just a few feet away from the woods the commander shouted out for those near him to hear.

"AIM AND FIRE AT THE TITAN!"

Wasting no seconds the scout aimed their flares and fired at their pursuer, filling his vision with black fumes. Some of the canisters struck his body, though it proved little to actually harm him, though inhaling the flare fumes caused him to misstep, allowing the scouts a bit more breathing room.

"*Cough* *Cough* Clever trick Smith…I'LL GIVE YOU POINTS FOR THAT!"

Spitting out the black-colored fumes he gave chase once again, charging through the forest, dead set on finishing this game of saber cat and mouse.

-oOo-

Meanwhile on the left flank…

Delta squad continued to ride along the field, watching as the last fumes of the massive black cloud faded into the sky, followed by the sight of shaking trees and birds flying away from the giant forest.

"What on earth is he doing over there?!" Harold shouted to be heard, only to be met with silence from the rest of the squad. Wasn't as if they were ignoring the lad, just that everyone else had the same question on their minds at the moment. For as of the last few minutes or so they had seen the right flank fall into chaos, what with the series of black flares sprouting up seconds between one another, and Erwin having directed the rest of the formation away from the clear danger, only for said danger to close in on the central squads.

Then there was the large amount of black smoke that rose into the air just outside the giant forest, which surprised everyone. The sight was quite honestly a first for the regiment, newbies and veterans alike. Either the commander had attempted some wild tactic, or perhaps a series of serious misfires just went off.

Not even ten minutes of watching the birds fly off did the sight of yet another flare attract their attention, and made their eyes widen in surprise.

"Yellow flare…"

Seems that their practice run had come to an end, with the scouts having only just barely making it past the halfway point of their route. With a low chuckle Hange informed the rest of the squad of the news.

"Missions over boys! Moblit!"

"Right!" Taking out his flare gun, he loaded and fired, releasing a yellow flare westward, with the hopes that the others far off in the distance had received the order. "We'll head inside the forest and regroup!"

With that Hange steered her mount in the direction of the forest with the rest of Delta following suit. Their ride towards the forest was rather silent, as the scouts were still processing the events of todays practice run. All that could be heard was their mares clopping along the open field, and the sound of neighs from other horses in the distance.

"To be completely honest, this took longer than I thought!" Abel suddenly spoke. It got a few chuckles from the squad, his friend Keiji being the loudest of the bunch.

"Ha! Against him? Surprised we lasted more than a few seconds!" With that the atmosphere became slightly more jovial, as the junior scouts began to take guesses as to the situation with the command squad's state, as well as the right flank. Meanwhile the two veterans kept their eyes forwards, watching as the yellow fumes began to dissipate.

"What do you think squad leader?!" Moblit asked as his horse caught up to Hange's. The goggled woman placed a finger on her chin for a few moments, before a cheeky grin formed on her face.

"Think Erwin's gonna need to change up his strategy!" A low chuckle escaped the vice-captain's lips as he shook his head in agreement. If they were going to have a chance at completing this training course, then they would most likely have to develop some innovative, shall we say, anti-Maverick strategies.

'Lot of good that'll do us…' He thought. Knowing their otherworldly comrade, they'd be better off using the captured titans as practice, consequences be damned.

-oOo-

Inside the giant forest

Members of the command squad, alongside a few other squads of the forward and rear teams had regrouped and were currently resting from their ordeals. Some had chosen to sit on rocks and logs in order to recuperate themselves, while others choose to pet the manes of their mounts in order to relax themselves.

The commander himself was pacing around the open area, waiting for the rest of the regiment to arrive. He occasionally spoke to one of the squads, checking to see if they were alright, though his greater focus was on one individual.

The seven-foot-tall demigod, the one responsible for ending the practice run prematurely, for practically scaring the living daylights out of everyone, and currently sitting crisscrossed atop a boulder. The moment their eyes met the man gave a smile to the commander, who simply let out a sigh as he gave a nod of acknowledgement.

He should be upset by the large man's actions, yet he couldn't truly find it in himself to feel any ill will. He had done what he was meant to do, to stop the expedition and successfully route the scouts, though he wished he would hold back on his…gifts.

The sounds of distant clopping and neighs brought him out of his thoughts and in just a few moments the remaining members of both the left and right flank had reassembled, all members present and accounted for.

It was here where Erwin and the rest of the regiment had a clear look at the condition of those who were part of the right flank. Based on their appearances alone it seemed like they rode through a violent storm. Disheveled clothing, exhausted looks and postures, and a few scouts, for some reason had their cloaks wrapped around their lower bodies, all the while not making eye contact.

Among the sea of faces he saw that of Zacharius, who's flat look contrasted to that of his squad mates, who looked utterly out of their wits.

"Miche?" Approaching his long time comrade he was met with a firm nod, seemed that the sniffer was made from sterner stuff. Though that thought soon dissipated the moment he dismounted, took a few wobbly steps, and nearly collapsed face down on the dirt. His squad mates attempted to rush to his aid, only to suffer similar states.

"*Sigh* I suppose the evaluation can wait…"

-oOo-

A bit of time, and a few undergarment changes later…

The scouts had encircled the commander, seated on whatever they could find or on the forest floor. All had expectant looks as they waited for the commander to give his evaluation of the practice run, with many already knowing what he was going to say. Taking a deep breath Erwin placed his hands behind his back and addressed the regiment.

"Well then, let's get straight to the point…this trial run ended in failure."

Despite already knowing the answer it still stung a bit to hear him say those words, especially the veterans.

"The right flank was devastated and thrown into disarray due to the sudden appearance of a very abnormal titan. Which proceeded to make its way towards the center of the formation, thus cutting off the left flank from any further communications and orders." All eyes turned to the marked man still seated atop the boulder. He showed no response to the sea of annoyed and slightly apprehensive looks he was receiving from his comrades. Which was understandable.

"Any attempts to counter the titan's efforts were also met with failure as it seemed hellbent on going after the command squad. Which succeeded." He continued.

"Now let's discuss just how we went off course…"

Looking out to the sea of faces he met the eyes of one of his fellow veterans, and one of the many squad leaders part of the right flank. "Darius."

Hearing his name the scout stood up and coughed into his hand before making his statement.

"I believe I speak for everyone sir. Maverick used one of his many…abilities, to cause disarray among the many squads, destroying our focus and scattering the formation." Nodding heads and voices sounded off among the ranks, all in agreement that Maverick was the culprit.

"Indeed." Turning his sight to the goliath once more he pressed on. "Maverick, may I ask why you decided to utilize your gifts?"

All heads turned to him again, with questioning looks. Maverick's expression remained neutral as he remained seated atop the large boulder. Taking a breath he spoke earnestly to his comrades.

"You all know I wouldn't ever dream of harming any of you, right?" The scouts, especially the younger ones looked slightly confused, but he did receive some nods from his fellows, his squad mates included. "Which is why I had to up the ante."

"Explain." Erwin questioned, only to be answered with another question.

"On the day you all first met me, what was your first reactions? What were your first genuine feelings and thoughts?" Almost immediately Hange's voice rang out as she said the first words that came to her head when she first laid her goggled eyes on him.

"Extraordinary!" The sparkle in her eyes brought some humor to the marked man who sent a smile her way, which only made her expression brighten up. The others of his squad shared some similar sentiments. After a few minutes of silence however a few more scouts worked up the nerves to speak.

"W-Well you were pretty intimidating…"

"Honestly thought you might kill us if we looked at you wrong…"

"I kinda thought you were some kind of vengeful spirit from past scouts…"

These were but just a few of the responses by the veterans who saw him that day. The younger scouts were surprised to hear such confessions. Though the one to take the cake came from the one who once held the title as humanity's strongest soldier.

"You were a possible threat." All eyes turned to Levi reclining on a tree, arms crossed, and a sharp look directed towards the marked man, who remained silent as the short statured scout continued. "Your looks, your abilities…wondered for a while when you'd drop the formalities and just go and rule over us with an iron fist…wondered if I might have to jab a blade into your neck at one point."

Many eyes widened at the brutally honest tone in Levi's voice, though for those who had known him the longest this was no real surprise, considering his background. Even more surprising was the reaction form the giant atop the boulder, who seemed nothing but amused at the thought that the halfling had thoughts of murdering him.

"*Chuckles* What about now?" He asked with a smirk under his beard. Levi's look softened back to his usual flat expression as he responded. "We gave you a castle, think that pretty much says it all."

Maverick nodded, for that was just the kind of answer he was looking for. Snapping his fingers he looked to the regiment.

"Exactly, you've all grown used to me. If I didn't act like an utter feral psycho out there, do you honestly think you would have truly taken this exercise seriously?" A few thoughtful looks appeared on the scouts faces, though there were still some wo looked to be somewhat confused or unsure about his reasoning.

"Like the commander said, I had to simulate being a giant in pursuit of the formation, that includes bringing that sensation of fear and panic that you feel when an abnormal rushes you."

Already he could see the looks from the scouts, the commander included, begin to turn more understanding. Though he still heard a few mutterings come from the young bloods, arguing about the sheer difference between getting chased by a mindless man-eater and a towering man with God like powers. Soon though the commander silenced the conversations and spoke in support of Maverick, somewhat.

"As questionable his methods are, Maverick's words hold some truths. Abnormals are one of the prime reasons many an expedition in the past has failed, as well as the leading cause of deaths among the regiment." Erwin's eyes grew slightly distant, as he recalled the faces of friends who were no longer here, all suffering similar fates to one another. Snapping out of it he quickly continued.

"It requires not only steeled nerves, but quick response time to effectively deal with these breeds of titans, especially should one target you specifically." His fellow veterans nodded their heads in agreement, as they too recalled their moments when they had been the targets of certain titans. It was always quite a stressful ordeal, having to evade a lunging giant dead set on eating only you, all the while having to deal with any others near to you.

"Moving on we will head back to headquarters to…recuperate, and will attempt this run once again." Said Erwin. The scouts began to stand back up from their woodlands seats and went for their mounts, though not before the commander had one more thing to say to the large man.

"Maverick, while I may agree with your reasoning, I strongly request you refrain from utilizing whatever that was. I'd rather we didn't suffer any unnecessary accidents during our runs."

Maverick stared at Smith for a few moments before letting out a small sigh and giving him a nod. Suppose he did go a little overboard, after all, he was the only one capable of striking fear into the dim-witted minds of their gigantic adversaries. Suppose he could ease up on them…

-oOo-

And so for the next few days the Survey Corps worked on completing their practice run. While the long-distance enemy scouting formation worked well in directing the scouts away from potential titan threats, its major flaw showed through in the fact it did little when the titan purposely went out of its way to cause mayhem and send them into disarray.

Of course, they could simply kill the titan and move on, but this was a test to see how they would react and act in the event they should ever encounter such an abnormal out in the greater titan territory. There's also the case of their pursuer being on of their own.

Despite not utilizing his more terror inducing abilities Maverick still proved to be a wrench in the formation's gears. The sight of him running on all fours and gaining on them was always quite the intimidating sight. And despite the many attempts it would always end the same.

The scouts begin their run…

Dodge a few of the dummies placed around the route…

Everything goes quiet and smooth…

Then the black flares begin to spring up…

Didn't matter if they were from the left flank, right, rear, they all meant the same thing…

And suddenly the command squad is being pursued by the seven-foot tall, marked man…

They try to outrun him, they fail, practice run ends…

Rinse and repeat…

While some scouts were upset at their constant string of unsuccessful runs, the commander found them eye opening as well as a great learning experience. Having to think of new strategies against Maverick was quite a task, one he found to be quite engaging, something he hadn't felt in quite some time.

Which made it all the more encouraging for him to find a way to outmaneuver him. Despite it sounding next to impossible he at least had to try.

With that he had spent the next few days closed off in the war room, alongside the rest of the regiment, minus Maverick. If they were going to have even a slither of a chance at besting their highly experienced comrade, then they'd have to put their heads together and conjure up whatever countermeasures they could think of, with Hange's notes on their resident superhuman being quite the boon in their upcoming strategy.

All the while Maverick went off to spend some time with some of the Garrison he knew at a local and reopened bar in Shiganshina, with the knowledge that his comrades were racking their brains on how to counter him. He found it quite endearing, seeing them go to such lengths to find a possible strategy against him, after all this would help them in the end. If whatever they thought of could help them reduce the casualties in the future, then he was more than glad to play the act of abnormal man-eater.

-oOo-

Next day, along the practice route…

The regiment was off once again on their practice run, for what seemed to be the tenth time in the last few days, though their hopes were high for this one, for this time things would be different. They had a new game plan, and this time they would succeed in making the entire route.

Spotting one of the titan dummies nearby the left flank fired a red flare, which in turn the commander fired a green one, directing the formation to the right. Minutes later another red flare came from the right, with the other squads in the flank passing the message to the command squad, to which the commander acted in kind.

This would proceed for the next few minutes, which only seemed to increase the overall tension among the regiment. They wondered when he would arrive, would he make another grand appearance? Or would he simply make another beeline for the command squad and end things early again?

They would get their answer when the formation passed by a small, forested area, and a large glowing figure emerged through the woods and began to give chase.

'Here he comes…' Thought one of the scouts, watching from behind as their abnormal titan came running on all fours. Despite seeing it many times it still caused both a feeling of awe and slight horror, for who couldn't feel some nervousness at the sight of a seven-foot man moving and behaving like a feral dog going after a rabbit.

"Titan behind us!" The scout shouted alerting his fellows, the one leading them wasted no time and fired off a red flare, informing the others nearby.

"Increase speed!" Kicking their horses into high gear they attempted to make more space between them and their pursuer. Though they knew this was only delaying the inevitable as soon Maverick was catching up to the squad at a steady pace, an ever determined look on his glowing face.

"Swerve maneuver!" Shouted the squad leader. By his order the squad began to steer their horses in a zigzag like pattern. This maneuver was devised in order to confuse a titan, and have its attention on a certain scout severed. While it may work with the man-eaters, for Maverick this was nothing short of child's play, though he gave his comrades points for effort.

He humored them by slowing down and changing his sights among the scouts, acting as if he were getting confused on which one he should go for. He lunged at one, only for the scout to evade him. Quickly picking himself back up he caught up with them again, and once again made a lunge for the squad leader, only for his vision to go red, as the squad leader managed to pull out his flare gun in time.

'Hah!' He laughed in his head, amused by his comrades' actions, they were certainly trying this time. While that may be enough for any old dim-witted giant to handle, he was remade with much sterner and mightier stuff.

Pushing through the red mist he took a great leap and left the rear squad wide eyed as they watched him soar above them and make his way forwards, straight towards the brains of the formation.

-oOo-

Command squad, front of formation

"Abnormal on our rear sir!" Peer shouted as he watched the red flare rise in the air. Erwin gave a firm nod and aimed his flare gun forwards and squeezing the trigger, releasing a green flare into the air.

"Advance forward and increase speed!" Following his command the squad kicked their mares' sides, making them sprint at a faster pace. The wind blew against their faces as they maintained their course across the field. Suddenly Beirer's vice was heard as he looked back at the rear.

"Black flares rising from the cart teams!" He shouted. Erwin eyes stayed on the path ahead. Things were still going as planned.

"He's picking up speed!" Beirer shouted again. The other turned to see the series of flares rise from the transport squads, the wagon defense squads, and the signaling squads. All at a rapid pace between one another. The commanders face remained hardened at the sight of the black flares. However, turning back his eyes widened as he saw the sights of the forest in the distance. The halfway point.

"Maintain course!" He shouted. The giant forest was in sight. If they could just reach it in time, then they would have a chance of dealing with their abnormal pursuer. Luckily some squads in the rear had taken it upon themselves to try and delay him, if the multi-colored clouds popping up periodically was anything to go buy. A waste of flares sure, but this was a simulated titan ambush, no doubt this would happen with their actual expedition.

"Forest in sight!" Erwin shouted. They were but a few moments away from the relative safety of the woods, only for the voice of Peer to spring up once again, this time with a slightly more panicked tone.

"Abnormal above us!"

Turning his head Erwin was met with the sight of the marked man once again soaring in the air. In that instant their eyes met, with Maverick's narrowing, and a smile forming under his bearded face. He soon began his decent, falling feet first towards the ground.

As this was going on the front of the formation was making it into the giant forest, with some squads from the left and right flanks already inside, as some were ordered to move on ahead while the command squad was dealing with their pursuer.

And as they reached the entrance into the heavily wooded area…

"FLARES!"

A sudden barrage of black flares went off, straight in the trajectory of the descending marked man. Maverick held his breath and shielded himself as the canisters struck him and exploded, releasing a cloud of dark smoke.

This provided the command squad with precious seconds to make it into the giant forest and set the next phase of their plan. However, like before this wouldn't be enough to put the marked man down, as he jumped out of the flare cloud and into the forest to continue his pursuit.

'Cmon Smith, this can't be all you got under your sl-'

He felt the eye shaped marking on his forehead suddenly glowing brighter than before! Knowing the meaning he quickly shifted his body mid-air, dodging a quick strike from the halfling captain, who had been waiting for their abnormal pursuer the moment he popped out of the smoke. Back on the ground Maverick heard the sound of the ODM wires reeling once again and turned to see Levi swinging around for another attack.

Wasting no time he leapt towards a nearby tree to get some distance from the second strongest soldier, only for him to quickly detach and shoot out his anchors on the tree he was on, quite close to Maverick's head. With another burst of gas fueled speed Levi soared across the forest, spinning towards his target.

Once again Maverick leapt to another tree, missing the living beyblade as his attack cut through the trees body. A small chuckle escaped Maverick's lips as he continued to move across the forest, the hunter now becoming the hunted.

'Sending Levi in? Alright…'

And so the game of saber cat and mouse continued with Maverick having to both continue his pursuit of the command squad and having to dodge the attacks of the short statured captain. Nothing he couldn't handle of course, for he had been in many similar situations before. If anything, this little bout was just what he needed, gods above and beyond know the giants didn't provide much of a challenge.

'Quicker than a goddam cazador…'

Levi was certainly putting in the effort, almost like he was actually trying to kill him. Dodging a strike aimed for his neck certainly cemented that feeling. But as much fun as it was, he had a command squad to stop. So, with another great leap he put some distance away from Levi and him and continued on the path that he last saw the rest of the regiment go through.

Only for his third eye to act up again, and another set of blades aimed for him. Bending his body back he successfully evaded the attack, though at the sacrifice of his momentum. Rolling onto the ground he quickly picked himself back up to see the hardened face of his second attacker.

'Oh Ho! Michey-Boy's joining in to?'

Seemed that Erwin had sent humanities second and third strongest soldiers as distractions. He'd have to remember to compliment the commander after this round of practice runs.

Shooting his anchors Miche surged forwards, blades ready to slice and dice the abnormal. Maverick wouldn't give him the chance however as he rolled backwards and set off again, leaving Miche in the dust. The Sniffer though would not give up so easy, for he had his scent, and that was more than enough to continue his pursuit.

Back to Maverick he was breathing in and out through his nose as he jumped towards the branches of a nearby tree and swung about from one branch to the next, in hopes of making himself a little harder to hit.

His little gymnastics session was soon interrupted as the familiar sound of the ODM gear alerted him to his pursuers. Dropping from the branch he let himself go into freefall, evading another strike aimed for his back, courtesy of Levi.

On the ground once more he quickly set off again, with Levi in pursuit. Eventually Miche soon caught up and the two proceed to subject Maverick to a flurry of strikes and slashes, all of which missed their intended target.

This went for the next few minutes, with the two scout taking turns swinging around and trying to strike at Maverick or even team up and attack him from both sides, every attempt failing to even scratch the large man.

'Alright, think I've spent enough time with you two.'

With another burst of speed, he ran across the path, leaving his attackers behind. As he ran through the forest, he sensed another presence coming up ahead, no doubt another trap waiting for him. As tempting as it was to continue this little tussle, he felt it was time to finally let the scout have one victory under their belt. So as he continued his trek, he offered no resistance as the hidden scout revealed themselves.

"YAHHHH!"

Hange Zoë emerged from the bushes and aimed the custom-made restraining device towards him, with time slowing down as she muttered out an apology to her squad mate. He simply gave a smile as she squeezed the trigger.

*B A N G*

The net launched forwards, completely enrapturing, and restraining Maverick. He was left tumbling on the ground, eventually stopping right next to his squad leader. A proud look formed on her face as she stood over her comrade, giggling like the madwoman she was.

"Ha, Ha! Abnormal Titan restrained!" No sooner had she said that did she see Levi and Miche making their way towards the two. She waved at them, only receiving a nod from the tall blonde, while Levi glanced down at their restrained comrade, letting out an amused huff.

"Titans not going anywhere now, mount up!" Nodding her head Hange turned her head and whistled loudly, summoning their horses that were in hiding. Wasting little time they mounted up and headed off to rejoin the rest of the scouts and finally complete this training exercise, though not before Levi loaded and fired off a yellow flare to signify their success.

"I'll come get you later Mav!" Hange shouted to her squad mate, an apologetic look on her face as she said this. Maverick gave a hand wave through the net as the three scouts sed off further into the woods, leaving him there on the dirty ground, with the sounds of nature to keep him company.

"Alright, guess I'll just stay here then…"

-oOo-

Back with the rest of the formation…

"Yellow flare!" Peer shouted as he turned to see the yellow trail fly high into the air. Both shock and relief were heard in his voice, as sentiment shared by the others in the command squad.

"They succeeded!" Beirer shouted with glee. Some in the squad even went far as to raise their blades in the air, causing many others in the forwards squads. Erwin let himself smile at the news, only to harden his look once again and remind the scout that this practice run was still far from over.

"Remain your course, were still at the halfway point!" The scouts did just that as they continued along the path, now unmolested by the abnormal that had caused them trouble. Though a few more dummies were spotted from the left flank it was a welcomed event, seeing as something akin to child's play compared to being chased by their seven-foot comrade.

This would continue for the next few minutes or so as the formation caried on their route, with the occasional detour. Until eventually they saw it, the finish line. Marked by two flags and some scout on watch they saw the formation getting closer and closer, till eventually…

"Objective achieved!" Erwin shouted, his white mare standing on its hind legs and letting out a neigh, seemingly enjoying the victory as well. Raising is flare he fired off his own yellow flare signify the end of the practice run. Looks of relief and feelings of joy filled their hearts, finally having a victory under their belt, and against what was possibly the strongest individual in the world.

"Excellent work everyone. Not only did we arrive at the designated finish line with minimal hiccups, but we've also managed to deal with the abnormal harassing our formation." That earned the commander a few humored looks. "I hope you've all learned some valuable lessons throughout these practice runs."

As he said that the sight of the leader of the Fourth squad and the second and third best soldiers in the regiment entered his vision, watching as they sped towards the gathering. Cheers and claps erupted from the scout, congratulating them on their success. Stopping in front of the commander the three saluted, receiving one from Erwin in kind.

"Congratulations you three, you've quite honestly achieved the impossible today." Hange held a proud and accomplished smile, while the other two simply nodded. "Though I hate to send you out again so soon, if you could-"

Erwin didn't even get to finish as Hange nodded and quickly turned her horse back the way they came. "I'll go get him. Come on boys!" With a kick she set her mare running, with Moblit and the rest of Delta following suit.

"So, are we done for today commander?" Dirk asked. Erwin observed the hopeful looks on his men's faces. Chuckling to himself he prepared to give them his answer.

"Not quite, I wish to have us go a few more times." Just like that their looks fell, now sporting slightly exasperated faces, mixed with a little exhaustion. "Not to worry, Maverick will be with us this time. These next runs will be quite similar to what our real expedition will entail." This seemed to brighten up the mood as many were glad to have their marked comrade back on their side.

"I want everyone restocked and ready, for we begin in a half hour!" A sea of salutes and resounding "Yes, Sir!" filled his ears as the scouts began to resupply themselves, curtesy of some supply crates placed near the finish line, just for the occasion.

As they continued to rearm and regroup Erwin took the time to speak to his two best men, who's sweaty brows betrayed their impassive looks. "So you two, how was it?"

The two scouts remained silent for a few moments, till Levi let out a breath, slouching a little on his saddle as he went first.

"Couldn't get even a single hit on him, it's like he sees our moves before we even make em." He said with a slight hint of frustration. Both Erwin's and Miche's brows raised in surprise at the man's tone. "Just a waste of gas." He emphasized by tapping on his left tank, by the sound it was making it seemed to be a quarter full, at the least. Miche nodded and added his own two cents in, while also pointing at his forehead.

"Seen the mark on his forehead glow brighter, definitely the one that helps him the most." Of course, Erwin thought. His Third Eye, as many had come to call it. It was one of the few blessings he hadn't spoken much about, simply saying that he received it from a reincarnated goddess. While it was clear there was more to it he didn't wish to upset their comrade and dig into anything too personal.

"Probably let himself get caught to be honest." Levi suddenly said, snapping Erwin out of his thoughts. No doubt that was the most likely cause of their victory. While it may sound quite upsetting, to simply having your victory be handed to them by a stronger adversary, Erwin couldn't honestly find it in himself to be agitated.

Their adversary was a living demigod for the Walls' sake. A man whose strength was greater than any titan, and who's speed could outmatch their fastest horses. Not to mention the blessings from multitudes of deities literally etched into his soul and skin.

That's not even to mention the many other foes he claimed to have bested. All sounding far more threatening and challenging than just a few hundred mounted scouts, armed with highly outdated weaponry. Letting out a huff the commander agreed with his captain's claim.

"Not surprised, abnormals have their moments of craftiness, but not smart enough to evade our strikes." The two scouts agreed. No way in hell could a titan, much less an abnormal, perform the acrobatic stunts and maneuvers performed by their glowing comrade. It made them glad, if they were honest.

A titan with human level intelligence, now that was a nightmarish thought…

"Like Mav says, they're feral. No thoughts other than move, kill, and eat." Levi remarked. Adding nothing more the commander sent the two back to their individual squads, leaving him to his own thoughts.

-oOo-

The members of Delta raced across the land, following their squad leader, who seemed quite eager to retrieve their team leader. That wasn't to say that they didn't share similar feelings, but the squad leader was showing a greater sense of urgency.

Though it seemed there was no need as they soon saw their large statured team leader running straight towards them, the net that had restrained him all wrapped up in his hand.

"*Oh Mav I was going to get you!*" She exclaimed, a bit of disappointment in her voice. Maverick laughed off her remark as he slowed down to meet them.

"*Yeah, wasn't really planning on spending another half hour lying on the ground.*" He emphasized by displaying his once clean uniform, now muddled with dirt and grime. "*Sigh* Just look at my pants, I seriously need to have a word with Erwin about the uniforms.*"

The squad chuckled at his remarked. Maverick had previously mentioned he was never quite fond of their standard issue uniforms, especially the white pants.

"*Oh here's the net by the way.*" Handing Hange the bundle of wires she placed it behind her sable, before getting to the topic at hand.

"*You feeling okay?*" She questioned, only getting a smirk in response.

"*Chuckles* You think that little tumble would be enough to do my head in?*" He raised a brow while placing his massive hands on his hips, clearly showing that the events of todays practice run did little to affect him. Hange knew that, though something inside her still showed concern whenever he seemed to get injured, similar to the time when he subdued Caesar.

"*So what's next on the agenda?*" He asked bringing her out of her thoughts. Hange opened her mouth to speak, only to stay silent as she couldn't quite remember if the commander said something.

"*Y'know, didn't stay to hear.*" An apologetic look formed on her face immediately as Maverick gave her a disappointed look.

"*Hanji…*"

"*I know I know, but I…really wanted to come and get you first.*" A small but genuine smile formed on the squad leaders face as she stared into his glowing orbs. Maverick reciprocated in kind, sharing a smile under his bearded face.

"Well…appreciate the thought." Their little moment was soon interrupted by Moblit who approached the two. "We should get going Squad Leader."

"R-Right! Let's regroup Delta!" Wasting no more time the squad turned and rode off back to where the regiment were gathered, with their team leader following in step to their horses as they galloped across the field, ready to begin yet another test run in preparation for the grand expedition beyond the Walls.

-Maverick the Titan Slayer: A Study-

Macabre Presence: One of the Slayer's most unique and rather frightening abilities is that he, based on multiple testimonies, is capable of releasing an aura that completely surrounds him and spreads around, causing absolute primal terror to anyone caught in his sights or around the Slayer. Many attest to feel a sense of fear and dread that leaves one's mind utterly paralyzed. Even more astonishing is that this "gift" affects titans as well, as many in the Scout Regiment claim to see the giants suffer similar effects, or in other cases, causes them to flee. Some other reports from those caught in his gaze claim to see dark figures staring them down as well. The identities of these figures still remain unknown, as the Slayer has yet to reveal whom these figures might be.

Agile Mind: This term alludes to the Slayer's superhuman agility. Despite his massive figure he has displayed and performed acrobatic feats that would be near impossible for a man of his stature and mass. Such abilities include...

Ludicrous Speed: Maverick has shown to be able to move and travers across the land at rapid speeds, which also enhances his already deadly fighting prowess.

Jump Good: Maverick has shown to be able to jump at great heights, even perform what he calls a double jump to provide himself an additional aerial boost.

Quick Response: Testimonies claim that Maverick has shown to have a near perfect quick response time to incoming attacks and threats.

While the Slayer credits numerous trainers and masters for his peak performance, no doubt the greatest of boons comes from the many agile deities that he has earned favor and blessings from, which have elevated him towards his godlike status.

A/N: Another chapter done. Meant to get this done much earlier in the month, but I was dealing with some writer's block, as well as a severe case of an upset stomach that left me completely drained (literally). Hope it was worth the wait though.

Next chapter we'll finally be getting to the next big event in the story, that of course being the Expedition Beyond the Walls. Gonna have to replay a little of the game so I can get a feel for how it would play out, seeing as we pretty much play the role of the best scout in the regiment.

I should also mention that around late July I'll be going on a vacation with my folks, and I'm not sure I'll be able to get good internet while I'm there. So, depending on my progress throughout the month, expect the next chapter to come around mid-August. I'll try to get it out as soon as I can, not making any promises though.

Thats all I wanted to say for now. Like always thanks for reading and hope to see you for the next chapter.

Edit 8/18/22: Changed the second study to make it seem that Maverick didnt earn his agility from only Hermes.

Idea for Season 1 Second Half Closing

Closing Theme: Great Escape (English cover by NateWantsToBattle, since Maverick's bilingual I feel it's appropriate)

Scene begins with a lineup of members of the Order of the Morning Star, with the one in the center holding a blade with glowing markings downwards. As the song begins, he raises the blade, until stabbing the ground, which releases a flashing blue light, with veins flowing through the ground.

Following on glowing trail we see it spread out across the brick floor. Following one trail we see it raise up and surround a framed painting. The painting is a classical work depicting a group of knights fighting in the defense of a city. The one the center, bearing the symbol of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher, is seen about to strike down another warrior with a bloody axe.

We see the main cast of scouts standing around looking at the many pictures and relics from Maverick's past, like a museum exhibit. All have looks of awe and intrigue, especially Hange who is seen trying to touch one of the relics, with Moblit trying to stop her.

Scene changes to a moving view of the many armors, weapons, and other trinkets used by Maverick throughout his lifetimes. Examples include...

A first-generation CMC-660 Firebat armor, decorated with personalized markings, tallies, and multitude of scratch marks…

An aged, stripped set of Onyx armor, decorated with blue markings, tally marks, and phrases, with an equally aged rifle with a chainsaw bayonet displayed by its side. Alongside it is two monstrous looking skulls secured on the armor with rope, each with a name carved into the foreheads. RAAM and SKORGE…

A highly decorated armor of a Roman centurion, adorned with a tunic secured on the left side of the armor, depicting the image of a red rhombus. A necklace with what seems to be numerous pointed ears is hung around the neck of the mannequin. Alongside it is an engraved warhammer, a decorated mace and spiked shield, depicting the image of an enraged dragon…

The shot changes to more framed pieces of artworks depicting Maverick in scenic battles or posing for the painting/picture, wearing a variety of clothing styles based on multiple eras in history...

Scene changes to the scouts continuing to move and observe the exhibit, till they come across many taxidermized and mounted heads of a variety of creatures, as well as some other relics of slain foes. Shots include a head of a xenomorph queen, a full bodied deathclaw matriarch, a broken and punctured set of black armor with a dented helm with three eyes and a set of broken horns, and a massive blade broken in half with a ripped red rag wrapped around it, with what looks to be a faded image of a black dog…

As the scouts take some uneasy steps around the exhibit Hange looks and stares at the decapitated head of a large, monstrous, metal being with great interest. Though as she nears it its eyes suddenly light up and its glowing red optics stare back at her, shocking the scout.

Suddenly she's transported into a dark void, and watches as the now restored metallic monstrosity is seen trying to swat away a much smaller metallic being, glowing a familiar blue light, before it rams into its chest sending it towards the ground. Hange blinks and is now seeing a large red armored man with flaming hair, and spider like appendages dueling a large and familiar warrior, who uses a move that sends the hotheaded titan into the air. She blinks again and now sees a horrific looking amalgamation that is being battered and ripped apart by a warrior armed with their bare hands that are emitting a flaming blue aura.

As Hange tries to get closer the warrior looks back and she is surprised to see the face of Maverick, though looking much older and grizzled. He gives her a smirk with a smile slowly forming on hers, just as the screen flashes.

Scene changes as the song nears its end, with a view of the hallway moving rapidly, passing by many more armors, weapons, and pictures, till the hallway is soon filled with framed children's drawings and family portraits. The camera stops with a view of an old and battle-scarred armored core unit, seated upon an iron throne, surrounded by a multitude of candles, lit with blue flames.

Last shot is of the AC's opened chest, revealing a mummified corpse, wrapped in a royal robe with Skullsmite in its skeletal hands. On its head is an old crown still adorned. The camera stays on it for the last few seconds, just as its hollow eyes light up with a pale blue balefire…