I had planned to update another of my stories, but I knew I had to update this today, not only was this one was the most near finished, but also because of the importance of the day near the end of the month: March 30th.
Yes, today, is the birthday of our very own… Eren Yeager.
#67
Warsaw
Castle Weisswolf
Germany, Europia United
Late September, a.t.b. 2018, r.y. 229
"There, you see?" Claus said, while holding the phone to ear and sitting back at the chair of his desk.
"Was on the edge on my seat but turns out the Commander's gamble paid off. Very well, everyone on her squad including is alive and accounted for."
He pushed through the empty and crumpled beer cans that piled on the top of his desk.
"I'm sure a lot of good is going to come out of this…"
He pulled off a half-empty bag of barbecue chips… from a flat box.
"Don't worry… I'll see to it when we have the Commander back safe and sound here." He flipped a few switches on that turned green on the box. "I'm sure… she'll be fine from where's she at. She already has good company with her."
Warsaw Stadium
Warsaw, Poland, Europia United
The bunker was smaller than Leila would have liked. Not as portable or comfortable as the quarters furnished for squad members back at the castle. Unfortunately, they were only able to get one for all five of them. One of the many mobile bunkers that were stacked inside and outside what was known as Warsaw's Football Stadium.
The stadium had seen better days, and it wasn't likely to host another one of the Nationals anytime soon.
Not with how the city had become an axis point with both the front lines and the population crisscrossing through.
The place was becoming a homegrown base on its own. Energy Turbines had been built and set up to bring another power source to accommodate the military necessities.
For the time being, Leila and the Wyverns had to stay a little while longer in the city… at least until HQ would send word… and also…
The young woman, still her skintight pilot suit, sat on a stool, and glanced again at the figure lying on the cot.
Eren Kruger.
"So… our boss lady still watching over Snow White?" Ayano questioned.
"Wanna check again?" Ryo quipped while leaning against the rail, the three of them hanging around an empty part of the stadium's bleachers.
"She's been going back and forth, watching over him almost nonstop…" Ayano stated. "Does she think that's a good idea?"
"Why not?"
"Don't you think she would be worried if…?" Ayano made a look. "You know…?"
"What?" Yukiya grinned. "That he'll suddenly turn and bust out of the bunker for everyone to see…?"
"Stop treating this is as a joke, Yukiya!" Ayano balled her fists. "You saw it! We all did! He's not just any kind of... of... monster… he's…"
"Quiet, Ayano!" Ryo shushed her. "Don't say it out loud. You don't want anyone around here to get a hint, right?" Ayano paused, before shaking her head.
"Well…" Yukiya sighed as he leaned back into his seat. "The pieces are now coming together…"
"What?" Ayano said.
"C'mon, Ayano, don't tell me you didn't wonder as much about Eren as I have," Yukiya scoffed. "I knew… I knew the moment I set eyes on Eren… flying about and screwing up our brilliant-laid out scheme… I knew there was something about him…"
"Don't leave me out of it, Yuki…" Ryo pointed to himself.
Yukiya hummed at that. "I started to get a hint… when he had our first heart-to-heart chat not too long ago."
…
"I thought it was part of his figure of speech… how he called himself…"
"Called himself what?" Ryo asked.
"Called himself something worse… than an Eleven…" Yukiya stated.
…
"Obvious question…" Yukiya glanced at both… almost seriously. "What's one thing on this world… at least what most people would say… is worse than an Eleven?"
…
…
"The walking fleshbags that had been labeled to carry the man-eating demon's blood in their veins…" Ryo scoffed as he looked away. "And all what their children will come to inher…"
"Shut up, Ryo!" Ayano growled.
"What?" Ryo glanced at her. "You want me say out loud the 'E' word."
"Gotta be specific on which one…" Yukiya said. "E is for Eleven. And E is also for Eldi—"
"Yeah, and that was what Yuuya and Mii-chan were, too!" Ayano yelled.
…
That last line caused both teen boys to fall silent.
The next morning...
"They may be damaged… but we'll make sure your Knightmare Frames will be kept in armory storage for the time being."
"Thank you," Leila responded to the male officer who checked on her tablet. The man seemed to be a decade and a half older than her, and she was dressed in a darker uniform with cap.
…
"Monsieur?"
"Yes, Commander?"
"Has there been any word from HQ in Paris?" she asked, anxious. "We requested for a transport back…"
"I'm afraid that is not possible for the moment, Commander Malcal." He said.
"But why?"
"Almost all of our transports and lanes are busy. Activity in Warsaw is hot now with keeping the newly expanded line against Britannia. At the moment, any visas or flights are not available."
"I… I see. But is there any possible route? One of those on my squad is out, and we're concerned that…"
"As are many here," The officer clarified. "But for now, your squad will have to wait for the time being."
For the time being.
Leila sat in a vacant seat, with her arms on the counter. The open counter of what was… or should have been one of the many food stalls of the Warsaw Stadium. It would have been one of the kinds to be opened and on the clock to serve hotdogs and nachos for the many attendants coming for the ongoing game.
And now…
The kitchen inside was filled with equipment and supplies for the busy army around her, and the seats were vacant.
A place for her to sit down and lay her arms on the open counter. Something to allow her to mull her thoughts and…
"Busy day, Fraulein?"
Leila was brought out of her thoughts when a voice called to her. She realized that it came to her right, and she glanced to take notice of a fellow soldier, coming to sit in the vacant seat next to her.
"I have to ask…" He grinned more. "What's a remarkably, beautiful Fraulein like you… doing in a dilapidated hole like this?"
Leila felt her skin go on edge, and not because of the flattering words the soldier complimented her with… but by how his slow gaze traveled up and down her. She felt the way his eyes sizing up from her leg to her hip to upper portions that showed the outline of her…
"I beg your pardon… sir…" She used every bit of power she had to keep her face straight. "But I am here on the same official business as you and every man and woman here have."
"Oh?" He raised an amused eyebrow. "What business it that?"
"A soldier… as you are."
"Really?" He raised an amused eyebrow. "Sorry… I didn't assume that… well, not at first…"
"I would say she looks otherwise to me, Heinz."
Leila paused and noticed another foreign voice, now coming from the left side. Another soldier, who promptly slouched on the seat next to her, and laid his arm on the table, grinning at her.
"This Fraulein looks too petite to get her hands bloody in the hell of war."
CLICK!
Leila gasped at the sound of a camera shot from the open phone of the newly arrived soldier.
"What…!" Leila glanced at him, now appalled. "What did you just do?"
"Oh, excuse me, Fraulein…" The soldier waved apologetically, while still grinning. "You look straight out from Francesa's Latest Issue. You look very cute in this… HEY!"
The soldier backed away, lest Leila would snatch away his phone.
"It is inappropriate custom for someone to take a picture of another without their permission," She gave a glare. "Let alone a fellow soldier."
"Apologies for that, why not Andre and I make it up to you?" The first soldier got up from his chair and circled next to Leila. "Join us for a round."
"A what?"
"Don't worry, it's on our house," the man grinned as he gestured in a direction towards bunker site. "We have get-together with others for a bit a fun." He grinned her way again. "So, join us, why don't you?"
"I will have to decline at that," Leila said without hesitation.
"Oh, come now…" The first soldier still insisted. "You haven't heard of what else we have to offer. We got a few games to kill the time, and we even a player so we can watch for hours…"
"I said I would have to decline. I have my squadron to get back to…"
"Oh, come on, Fraulein," The second soldier was coming near Leila's side. "Don't be so…"
"HEY!"
They paused, and Leila looked to see with relief who it was.
"There a problem here?" Ryo crossed his arms.
"None of your concern…" Leila noticed the negative sneer Heinz made. "Go hang out with the other Elevens you belong with…"
"I asked…" Ryo stepped between them and Leila. "If there was a problem? I would like an answer to my question."
"You dare…" Andre growled, as both he and his comrade glared with fury towards Ryo. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Who do you think you are?"
"He IS my comrade." Leila said, and she saw the looks on their faces. She felt satisfaction from it. "We're of the same squadron, and I am his Commander."
…
…
"What the hell are you pulling on us?"
"Should we go, boss?" Ryo turned to Leila.
"Yes, I think we should get back. It is getting late."
"Hey!" Heinz growled as he approached Leila with an extended hand. An unwelcome one. "Where do you think you're go—"
SLAP!
The soldier was unprepared not only for Leila's backhand… but also her stern glare.
"I won't tolerate inappropriate customs like what you displayed just recently, but I won't take insults to my comrades." Leila kept her glare. "We are on the same side. We are all soldiers who fight and protect our Republic. And if you keep this behavior or seek to commit any more of the sort, then I will have to report to you the high command here."
…
…
The second soldier, Andre, laughed.
And before long, his partner chuckled.
Ryo next to her rolled his eyes.
"Was there anything amusing about what I said?" Leila asked.
"Give us a break, Fraulein," The first soldier chuckled. "High command doesn't give a damn. We here don't give a damn if you have some respect for these loser monkeys. An Eleven is still an Eleven. Stop pretending they're the same as us, just as you stop deluding yourself as well…"
Leila hardened her gaze.
"Yah… why hang out with them…?" The second soldier tried to lean closer to Leila. "When you can…"
"Easy there, Andre…" Heinz pushed him back before they both turned away. Not far, they could see more EU soldiers waving for them back near the bunkers. "We should head back."
They started walking away, before…
"We're having our celebration hangout in our bunkers." Heinz flashed her a grin. "Change your mind and you are all the more welcome… we would love for you join us!" He made another flash of his eyes looking down and up at her, before he and his friend joined the rest of their group.
"Geez…" Ryo crossed his arms. "I'm surprised… that went smoother than I expected. I thought I would have a black eye about now."
Leila started rubbing her arms, now very anxiously. She couldn't stop replaying the way the soldier gazed at in such a crass manner. The way their eyes traveled up and down her skin-tight uniform… as if they were trying to see right through the fabric. Her skin crawled at the image.
She was reminded that the pilot uniforms they were given… and the only things they were still wearing… barely left much to imagination.
She was feeling an ache at the fact that after travelling through Apollo's Chariot, that her and the rest of the Squadron had no other form of attire to change in. The pilot-uniforms were the only thing they possessed for clothing, and they were only a thin skin of fabric that held tightly to their skin. It outlined the many details of their bodies. Of her body.
Already during their stay at this base, while she tried to ignore it, she could remember the long gazes she was receiving from the majority of the soldiers here. When she would walk past them, she could feel some glancing back to stare more at her, or when she was near the bleachers, she had glanced out to see some catching sight of her.
She liked to think they were a bit bewildered by her type of uniform…
But she couldn't be that naïve and hopeful.
She had to know that possibly, Ayano, the only other woman in the group besides, was perhaps feeling the same.
If only… if just only… they had just brought an extra set of clothes with them during their launch… then they would barely have anything to feel indecent or embarrassed of during their time here.
But no.
Leila only had a skintight uniform, and it was the only layer of clothing she possessed to cover herself. And yet, she felt all the more vulnerable and anxious… having to stay here in this part of the Republic she had never traveled to, surrounded by strangers, with only her squad mates to keep close by.
She crossed her arms over her chest, as if feeling cold.
She would rather spend the rest of the day in their bunker room.
"So, Fight. Just Fight."
…
"So, Fight. Just Fight."
…
…
"Keep on Fighting. Keep on. Keep on to Live. To win."
…
"Fight, so kill!"
…
Get them…
The red Gloucester was speeding down the cobblestone street…
…
Just get them… and kill it…
…
His hand extended and ripped through the buildings and roof…
He roared to get a piece of that that machine…
That red-painted…
…
He felt a shell blew apart through his chest…
…
He crossed his arms over to brace for the shrapnel raining down on him.
…
Just kill them.
Just kill them all…
…
"You little brat… Do you have any clue in that thick skull what put on all of us?"
…
By instinct he felt part of his fist hardened like a crystal… before it slammed down upon the next Gloucester he came upon. The hardened fist flattened the steel-coated suit like flattening a wrinkled ball of paper. He even felt the blood spill out.
…
Just kill them…
He bashed the Sutherland against the floor like a broken doll. The parts and machinery spewed out with every whack.
…
Just…
The soldier in his grip cried… before he curled his finger… and his organs and juice squirted out like a crushed grape.
…
They were all going to die!
…
He climbed through the roof and brick walls to catch the Gloucester getting away.
He crawled in the way a dog would chasing a cat through the streets!
He crawled the same way the abnormals when chasing after his friends on horses on the plain fields!
Where they would catch them in their hands… and they would eat…
…
Eat! Eat!
EAT THEM!
…
BITE!
…
He roared enraged… before brining his fist upon the red Gloucester…
Before something pushed it out of the way…
…
He slammed and bashed the next Gloucester like a broken doll!
"NO! PLEASE! STOP!"
…
…
They were dead!
He killed so many already!
…
"I SAID STOOOOPPP!"
…
Stop? STOP?!
What does it matter if he stopped? Why does it matter?
Why does it matter if he's killing them here with his own hands?!
…
…
THEY ARE ALL GOING TO DIE ANYWAY!
…
…
ALL OF THEM!
…
The Key… was swinging in front of him.
…
ALL OF THEM!
…
A man cried out in agony!
The man was father.
…
WHAT DIFFERENCE WAS THERE TO MAKE?!
…
WHAT ELSE?!
…
The girl with the red scarf… carrying the firewood… looked back with him… with pain in her pleading eyes…
…
WHAT ELSE IS THERE?!
…
"Eren…"
…
He saw a figure standing over him… extending a hand towards him…
…
Eren's eyes shot up immediately…
…and his face contorted with rage.
In an instant, he shot his hand out of the covers and took of hold of the hand before it could reach him… before rose up and pushed his other hand against the chest of the figure.
He pushed the figure off the edge, before they both fell onto the ground.
Eren didn't give time for the figure to rise as he got his body on top of theirs.
He brought his left leg to hold the leg of the figure, before having his knee pressed against their stomach. He grabbed hold of their wrist, restraining it, before he used other hand to slide towards their throat.
He growled… ready to pin and squeeze the figure… but before he would look into their eyes…
…
Their eyes…
…
They… They familiar… very familiar…
…
The pair of eyes now staring back him… now shaking… were a light purple.
…
He paused.
…
He took in the outline of their face. The face of a woman.
Her skin looked smooth and soft.
Her very long hair was piled on the floor, forming a sort of gold halo around her head.
She was staring back at him, with eyes looking shock. Eyes looking back him… almost afraid.
…
It was… Leila.
…
Eren paused… the shock now taking course with him.
He now looked… to see the position they were in.
His left hand had taken hold of her right wrist and had pinned it on the floor above her head. His body was nearly on top of hers. His lower body and legs were trapping her lower half to the floor.
His right hand… was formed flat open palm that laid against her.
He could feel her heart. Her heart was beating faster than before.
Information for Public Disclosure:
Warsaw Stadium
The Warsaw Sports Stadium was where sports events would take place for citizens to gather and celebrate. However, with the war between Europia and Britannia intensifying, the stadium has become a makeshift base for military stationed there. Handling returning soldiers from the front lines and the supply department.
Leila froze almost entirely as she glanced at Eren close face… staring back at her.
She replayed what had transpired less than a minute before…
Eren's eyes shot up, and they contorted with a look of instinctive rage.
He had brushed of the blanket from his body, grabbed hold of her wrist and used other hand to push against her chest before both of them falling off the edge of the cot and unto the floor.
Leila felt her back fall flat to the floor of the bunker with a thud, and before she would rise up in pain… Eren was on top of her.
She felt his first leg over her left leg, while his other was bent, the knee holding over abdomen. She almost gasped when he pinned her right wrist next to her before started to slide his hand across her collarbone towards her throat.
That was when he saw the unmistakable look of rage… and bloodlust… glaring down upon her.
She saw the pair of eyes glaring down at her.
Leila felt shocked… and later fear… upon what was happening.
The man who had been sleeping on the cot just a second ago… suddenly shot up and pounced upon her… like an angry white wolf who had pounced upon his prey during the harsh and unforgiving winter.
His face was close, and he could feel his rabid breath bearing down upon her cheeks and lips.
He glared deep down into her eyes with his own. Two emerald jade orbs… alive… and peering down into hers…
All was silent… before he blinked…
…
And soon… the look of rage on Eren's face… shifted into an expression not dissimilar to hers.
Confusion, along with shock.
…
"L… Leila…?"
…
They were still in the same position while on the floor.
His legs pinning her lower body down, his knee still pressing against her stomach. The grip on her right wrist lessoned, and his right hand…
His hand was upon her chest.
…
Leila started to gasp, her cheeks starting to fluster with heat.
Eren started to register what had happened… and then…
He slowly lifted his body away from her, and he glanced at where his hand was…
…
He gasped before he lifted it away from her, as well as his vice over her wrist, clearly mortified. Leila was still lying on the floor, lifting her head slightly to glance at the confused and mortified expression Eren beheld as he glanced at his hands.
…
Leila placed a hand of her heart, feeling the anxious beating of it, even her breath was starting to quicken.
"M… Monsieur Kruger…?"
…
"Wh… Huh…?" He glanced up and looked both ways. "Wh… What is this? Where is this…?"
…
"You… You were unconscious." He heard Leila speak. "You lost consciousness after… the battle…"
"The battle…?"
"We… we are in Warsaw…" He glanced at her, now confused.
…
"War… Warsaw?" Eren glanced at Leila.
"You… the operation ended, the day before…" Leila started to lift herself in a sitting position. "You… You were unconscious… we laid you to rest when…"
"Rest?" Kruger put a hand on the edge of the cot to rise and stand, holding his head. "But… I remember… I was… in the Knightmare… and…" He put a hand to his chest, as if holding on to a recent wound. "I got hit… and then I…"
His emerald eyes paused, and so did his breath.
Leila from her position, felt herself looking at how the young man… was starting to recollect… when he…
He paused again… before the look of shock on his face… turned into something else. His eyelids lowered, and his brow darkened…
"When I…"
He stared at his hand.
…
"Zeke."
…
Leila paused, almost confused on the sound of that name… before she her mind recollected not too long ago… when she was held in the palm of a hairy hand…
And the abnormal face smiling down at her.
…
And the man who had rose out of the nape of giant being.
The blonde man in glasses.
…
Leila remembered, and realized…
Eren was remembering him, now…
…
And… the conversation… they had…
…
…
She paused when Eren glanced down at her, with narrowed eyes.
Leila realized she was still on the floor… and the way Kruger was staring down at her… made her feel the way a dormouse would shrink at the towering gaze of a housecat.
…
"What's the commotion here?"
Both froze and turned to see the door to the bunker open… and peaking inside was Ayano. The woman's face froze… as his gaze met with that of Leila's… and then with Eren's…
And the position they were in…
…
…
…
"Uh…" She looked like he was frozen in place… looking unable to leave. "I… thought I heard something inside… I just… uh…"
…
…
She glanced at Eren.
"Hey, Kruger… nice to see you awake."
Evening had already fallen, and Leila had found Kruger… leaning towards the rail, in a lonelier part of the bleachers area. The young man was staring out towards the camp with his back to her.
She was already anxious about what to say to him.
She was shocked as well scared… when he woke up… and immediately pounced and pushed her the ground… almost as if he was catching an enemy off guard…
And the look in his eyes.
Those… green eyes of his… the way they glared down… before he realized…
…
And then… there was the look he gave…
She couldn't tell what he was thinking of in that moment… but it was very likely… he was remembering what happened before…
About what happened at Slonim… and…
…
"Uh…"
…
Be careful of this man.
…
Her eyes widened.
Was that a small voice trying to advise her?
Why was she feeling this cautious?
…
This was… This was Monsieur Kruger. She has been around him for weeks now. They had talked, walked, conversed with one another.
Fought alongside one another.
That was supposed to make him her… friend? Ally?
…
She knew there was more to him than met the eye. She wants to respect his privacy. She didn't want to interrogate it out him… even though she had the option to let General Smilas and command do it for her…
But no… it was wrong.
She knew that… she thought… that if being patient with him… and get to know who he was. What he was doing. Then she could… understand him.
…
…
What she didn't expect… was when the bolt lightning erupted from his Alexander. When the giant figure of a human body materialized around it. When she was shocked of what was replaced in front of her…
…
And how it was confirmed when she saw him… alive… rising out of the Titan's nape.
…
And the Britannian Titan opposite of him… who claimed he was his…
…
…
"How long are you going to stand there trying to be invisible?"
…
Leila gasped.
Kruger's back was still to her.
"If you came to say something… then go ahead."
…
…
He was still in place, with his elbows on the railing, and his view still towards the camp.
Leila breathed in and exhaled.
"Monsieur Kruger…"
…
"Are you alright?" Leila asked.
…
…
"Are you angry?"
"What?" Leila asked.
"I attacked you," Eren nearly tilted his head. "I pushed you down and nearly chocked you… I know that counts as harm. Especially to someone who is supposed to be commander."
…
…
Leila paused at that.
Was he… was he feeling awful for what he did?
…
…
"Monsieur Kruger… did you intended to harm me with ill intent?" She asked.
…
…
"No…" He said flatly. "I didn't know… that was you…"
…
Leila started to feel relieved. Of course, it had to be something Kruger was troubled about when he was unconscious. It was only an accident. A misunderstanding.
"I would apologize… but I guess it wouldn't matter to you, would it?"
…
Leila paused. "Wh… What?"
Now the relief was replaced again by confusion.
"Monsieur, why…?"
…
Eren made a frustrated breath. "There's no use hiding it. Not anymore. I think you're smart enough to know what I'm referring to. Unless the visual lens on your Alexander was malfunctioning… or you had seen clearly why I didn't just die was that Gloucester ambushed me in the back."
…
…
"And I saw them…" He finally turned to face. "I'm sure the recruits you were so enthusiastic to work with… saw what they needed to see."
She shuddered now that he was facing her. And he was looking down at her from his height. His pair of eyes almost lowered and almost exhausted… but they were looking right back at her.
Expecting a reaction.
"Tell me… what are you planning to do now?"
"What?" She looked up at him. "Do… what?"
"You now know… what I am." Eren kept his stare. "Don't make me laugh… if you don't know what it was that you saw."
…
…
"You mean…" Leila almost stuttered. "That you're…"
…
She could barely say it… and with the way Kruger was still observing her… as if checking for a mistake.
"I won't…"
"Really?" Kruger asked. "Aren't you supposed to be a Lieutenant Colonel of the Republic? Are you going to tell me you won't disclose this information you found about me… or are you secretly trying to figure out a way to contain me?"
"What?!" Leila said, aghast. "No… no! I… why would I do that? You… You're my… my comrade! You're under my protection!"
"You mean an Eldian."
…
Leila paused.
"There is only one type of people… with one type of blood… who could do what you witnessed. Who can transform… into what you saw…"
"I know who Eldians are!" Leila felt herself exclaim. "But… what does that have to with…"
"It does with everything," Eren said. "If you know what Eldians are… then you know what we have done… and what we are capable of…"
"But… that's…" Leila tried saying. "Monsieur Kruger… are you telling me… that you are a supposed to be an enemy… because of… who you are?"
…
…
"That pretty much is…"
…
Leila paused, unable to understand him.
"Then… if we are supposed to be enemies… then why?"
…
…
"Why during Slonim… Why did you protect me?"
…
…
Eren Kruger stood in place, keeping his gaze on her, as if… he was not willing to answer…
…or that he didn't...
…
…
He finally turned his gaze from and started to walk away.
"Uh… wh…" Leila paused in place too long to see him already walking away from the bleachers.
"Wait…" Leila found mobility in her feet to leave the spot, only to see him somehow gaining farther distance.
"Wait!" Leila called out, but he kept on moving, no doubt ignoring. "I said wait!"
Leila turned as she scanned the numerous soldiers and personnel at the crosspath of the camp. It was evening, and many were still about conversing with one another while several lampposts had been set to light in the dark. A truck passed by carrying both soldiers and supplies. Some soldiers were conversing with drinks at the foot of a rusty Panzer Unit not far off.
Where did he go?
Did Leila really push him off with her question?
Was there something that caused him not to answer? Or because he didn't bother to answer at all?
He wasn't even back in their assigned bunker or even hanging with the others.
She was worried that he may have… wandered off…
No. She shook her head as she walked away from the crowded area to another part. Why would he? Would he run away and desert… just because…
…
Because he is an Eldian.
…
Leila paused at that.
…
"Hey! Look who it is!"
Leila stopped, and she instantly felt a wave of cold pass over her.
"Who's this mouse we found here?" It felt like they appeared from the shadows and now coming close in front of her.
"She's too pretty to be a mouse…" One of them lifted his cap to grin at her.
"I think she's gorgeous," Leila noticed the bottles in their hands.
Not good.
"Excuse me…" She tried to say.
"Oi, there's the Fraulein!"
Leila's eye widened when she noticed the familiar faces joining the group.
"Fancy seeing you up this late…"
Leila did not return the sentiment.
"Yeah, we saw you walk by earlier today…" Another soldier came by her side.
"We thought to call you over. You looked like a nice girl."
"Nice? She looks so hot…"
…
Leila didn't know why she felt frozen in place.
"Oi, chipper… you're making the mademoiselle flush!"
"Looks like she's blushing…"
"That's some uniform you got there, Fraulein…" One grinned near her.
"If you soldiers should know… this is my suit equipped for Knightmare piloting…" Leila almost growled in a low voice. "It wasn't my intention something as inadequate as this…"
…
That caused them to be quiet… before they started chuckling.
"It must be tiring wearing that outfit all day, Fraulein…" The first soldier grinned near her. "You must be quite dirty."
"I manage alright, thank you, sir."
"Hey," Another came to her other side. "Why not you come with us, and we can get you something."
Leila then noticed they were coming from all her sides.
"Yeah, we'll be happy to buy you something from town, Fraulein. Any dresses or little things you like, we'll get you."
"First, why don't you come with us. We have a thing going back at our place."
"I refuse."
…
Leila glared up with defiance. "I am only looking for my squadmate. Now if you would excuse me…"
"Hey there…" A soldier blocked. "Where do you think you're going…"
Leila narrowed her eyes.
"Move aside…"
"C'mon…" The man to her left side came closer. "We just want to have a good time."
"Just share one drink or two with us."
Leila could feel their breath stinking with alcohol rum. "We'll get you out of that outfit—"
"Get away from her…"
Everyone paused at the sound of a foreign voice… but to Leila it was familiar.
They in at the sight of a young man emerging from the shadows…
…
"Who the hell are you?"
…
"Monsieur… Kruger…" Leila said before the Kruger crossed passed the soldiers and came by her side.
"Hey!" The first soldier exclaimed. "What are you doing here? Can't you see were busy?"
…
"I can see that… quite clearly…" He growled.
Leila felt a hand take hers.
…
"She's with me."
…
…
Leila glanced up with widened eyes at Kruger.
The men around… did not looked pleased with this.
There came a chuckle.
"Alright, now that's funny…"
Eren glanced at the soldier next to him.
"Hey, easy there, friend…"
"Yeah," Another soldier said. "It's just that… we have been stationed in this dirt hole for months… and…" He made a chuckle. "We haven't come across a flower like her for a long time…"
A soldier with a mustache came by with a grin. "There's no trouble going on here. C'mon… we just wanted to…"
Leila grabbed hold of the man's hand before it could grab near her waist. She twisted it, causing the man to cry out, before she tripped and flipped them over.
"What the hell?!"
Leila glared.
"Why you… you can't just… ARGH!"
The next soldier didn't have time to finish when his face was slugged by Kruger's sudden fist, knocking him to the ground.
What happened next was…
…
…
"That's it! Grab them!"
Leila quickly blocked an incoming hand from another, before she pulled a quick fist on his check, disorienting him, before she had to move from the other soldier coming for her.
Kruger made a kick to another man trying to grab him. Another place a hand on his shoulder, ready to pull a punch…
But Kruger was faster.
The young man slugged the man to the side, before pouncing on top of him. Pulling back his fist to slug his face to the dirt ground. He repeated it again before there was hard sound, and he was ready to…
BREAK!
Leila turned back in horror… to see Eren Kruger being smashed in the face with a bottle.
"NO!"
The distraction was what was needed for the next soldier knock Leila to the ground, before encircling her frame with his big arms.
"NO! Let me go! Let me…"
"Aw, just relax, Fraulein…" She recoiled by the raspy whisper in her ear.
"How you like that… you meddling bastard?!"
Leila widened her eyes to see a soldier standing over Kruger, who was clutching his face and kneeling on the ground.
KICK!
"NO!" Leila yelled.
"Zej! What are you doing?!" One of the soldiers cried out.
"You got a problem, Franz?!"
"Look at him, Zej! He's bleeding out!"
"He started it when he slugged my face!"
"He's a fellow soldier! This is going too far!" The soldier practically looked like the first one realizing the insanity of what was going on. "This isn't funny anymore… I'm calling the Captain for…"
PUNCH!
Leila gasped when she witnessed the protesting soldier being slugged to the stomach… by his own fellow soldier. It didn't stop when the same soldier started beating him to the ground.
"You keep quiet, Franz, or we'll put in you the ground tonight…"
"How…" Leila stuttered by what she was seeing. "How… could you…?"
"Now where were we?!" Another soldier mocked, before kicking his foot in Kruger's stomach… before brought it up to hit his face. "Now that goes with your new makeover!"
"STOP!" Leila cried out as the man along with another of the recovering soldiers… were joining in and bring their feet down on Kruger.
"I said stop!" Leila cried as she couldn't bring the strength to overpower the strong arms keeping her in place.
"Be quiet, Fraulein… you don't want others to see, right?"
"Here…" Another drunkard came with a full bottle… "Just take a sip of this…" He had the audacity to grin. "And you'll feel relaxed…"
"No, stop!" Leila turned her head away as the grinning soldier lifted his bottle and tried to put it to her lips. He ended up tilting and the blurry contents of spirits soaked down her cheek towards her uniform.
"Aw, look at that!" The soldier exclaimed mockingly. "Look how you just wasted good drink."
The soldiers started giggling, while Leila gritted her teeth.
…
The soldiers suddenly stopped kicking.
"Heh… that'll teach this rat… girls won't be going near him anytime soon." He grinned. "Not with that face."
"Heh!" His partner laughed, turning to Leila. "Especially not this one."
"Aw, look at that. I think my drink got your outfit all wet… why not we help you with that, Fraulein…?"
"Don't touch me!" Leila yelled, trying to recoil as the soldiers were gathering around her, when…
…
"Grrr…."
…
…
Leila turned back her head, and opened her eyes to see… what all the other soldiers had paused to see…
She nearly gasped in horror at what was being displayed.
Rising from the ground, and almost staggering with his feet… his face… was bleeding everywhere. His face was like that of one being close to when a grenade was set off. The cheek was bruised and swollen, and few of his teeth were loose, but they didn't compare to the shards of glass embedded on his face.
He pulled a hand up… near the side of his forehead… leaned down… to pull out a large green shard of glass that had been embedded in his forehead…
…
…
…
"Har… Her…" He breathed out.
…
…
"Wh… What…?" The first soldier's jaw was completely down… stuttering in horror at what he was witnessing.
…
Eren Kruger lifted his beaten face… to glare at the soldiers holding Leila… with a pair of bloody green eyes…
"Al… right then…" He growled… almost inhumanely. "Now… I am angry…"
This was complicated in bringing up to show. This would have been split into two chapters, each including different scenes I thought to put in, but I thought to include all the way to… that messed up fight.
With the revelation that the characters learned from Eren last chapter, there is now a new kind of tension between him and them, and ties to how he knows how the majority feels about Eldians and Titans.
The canon OVA didn't cover or explain thoroughly the Wyvern Squad's time in Warsaw. In canon, by the time the third episode arrived, Ayano complained that they had been staying at the place for a month, yet it looked like they were there for a day. And apparently, they went without any incident of any kind. Another flaw in the plot I found with the canon Code Geass OVA.
As uncomfortable as it was, it was logical that Leila and her squad would face tension from many of the soldiers stationed and packed in the Warsaw Stadium Base.
If they thought they could get away with trying to mess with Leila and Eren… they had not idea… who Eren was…
Several minutes had passed… and the scene was entirely different than what had been occurring not long ago…
…
Only Franz… who didn't have the stomach when his… fellow soldiers started crossing the line… could only lean back against the cold wall… too scared to move after what transpired… when the man… who should have been able to be getting up… and then…
He could only look to see the forms of his fellow comrades… who turned on him as well… lying about on the floor…
Some of them… whining on the ground in agony…
…
One of them clutched his shoulder… where a broken glass was embedded.
Another clutched his sprained leg.
Another held his jaw… worrying it may be broken.
Another was hold his…
"Grr…. He broke it… He broke my f… my hand…"
Franz could only watch… almost petrified.
…
…
Walking far away from the site… while the evening was turning full night… a figure carried something his arms…
…
He made sure to not attract the attention of the remaining personnel and staff still up. His face was no longer as bruised and cut as it had been several minutes ago. If anyone else was present… they would notice the amount of steam rising from his cheeks.
The steam dissolved the swelling bruises and cuts of glass.
Not even the unconscious figure in his arms would have noticed.
The figure of the golden-haired woman. The man had one arm under her back and his other holding under her knees. Her waist-long hair was dangling in the air… but he made sure to hold her close as he carried her.
It was now her time to rest, and it was now his turn to watch over her.
To be continued…