An Ackerman's Journey

Battle for Trost Part 3

Inside Wall Rose

"I want all you Cadets on standby, look sharp!" A garrison soldier shouted out to the Cadets who successfully made it back behind the wall after refueling their tanks. Many were still trying to recover from seeing their friends being eaten in front of them.

Connie, Christa, Ymir, and another Cadet sat around as Connie explained why it took him and so many others longer to withdraw. "If we hadn't found the gas, we'd have never gotten out of Trost. Basically, we got lucky. That's it."

"That sounds terrible. I'm so sorry" Christa apologized as she looked down. "We volunteered to run supplies out to everyone, but the situation was so bad." "We'd even found some gas we were gonna dole out to you guys, but then everything went to hell" Ymir added on to what Christa said.

So, you're saying everyone who isn't here now didn't uh... you know" Christa struggled to speak as she didn't want to believe her friends had died. Connie looked down at the table he was seated at. "Yeah." Seeing Connie react this way shocked both of the girls before Ymir questioned him. "Wait. What about Mikasa?"

Connie's head shot up looking at her. "No, no. She's good. She made it in after us with the group Jean lead" He said answering her question. Ymir turned to the side looking at Jean. "Hey, Jean! Where in the hell is Mikasa?! She get hurt or what!?"

Jean, Annie, Reiner, Bertholdt, and Elias were gathered around a table with any sort of emotion drained from their faces. None of them responded to Ymir, causing Connie to call out to them. "Hey. Talk to us."

Jean looked over before taking a sip from a water pouch and wiping any water that missed his mouth off of his face. "I'd tell you if I could. They slapped us with a gag order" He said looking over to Connie and the others. "Whoa. You're joking right?" Connie asked, followed up by Ymir. "That's nuts."

"They're nuts if they think people aren't gonna talk. Word'll get out, and when it does..." Jean said as he let out a sigh thinking about what might happen once people hear about Eren before he continued. "Well, that is, if we survive."

"Elias!" Mia shouted running over to him. "What took you so long? What happened with that abnormal?" Ymir and Christa looked over at her. "Abnormal?" Christa asked her. "Forget it, we're not supposed to talk about it," Elias said, shocking Mia.

"What do you mean!? With that titan we could fi-" "Mia, leave it" Elias said, cutting her off. "The Garrison Elites gave us orders not to speak about it and we need to follow orders. It's the only way we can be good soldiers."

"Being a good soldier doesn't mean following every order blindly! Why can't you understand that! Ever since we were little all you did was just follow my orders blindly, why can't you just think for yourself?! Elias, just tell me what's going on!"

"I said to just leave it, god damn it!" Elias snapped looking up at her. Everyone's head snapped up looking up towards Elias as he snapped. "I'm so tired... Why did any of this have to happen? I made that promise and now I can't even keep it to him because he's dead. I wasn't fast enough to save him so the only way I can be a good soldier now, other than saving our comrades, is to follow orders. That's how it's always been."

Everyone remained silent looking back down. Elias pushed himself off of the table walking off. "Hey, where are you going, man?" Connie was the first to ask as he watched him move. "I need to stretch my legs and get water. It'll probably help my wound" He responded to him not even stopping to look at him. Soon after the others got up and started to spread out more leaving Connie with Ymir, Christa, Mia and another Cadet.

Elias managed to get a hold of a water sack and drank from it. As he leaned against the wall he saw a cart bringing injured Cadets and garrison members back from the frontline. Across from him he saw Daz shouting at Marco. "Those things, they just kept coming. It's a nightmare!" "Take it easy" He heard Marco trying to comfort him and calm him down.