Distance (Aruani - SNK/AOT) ✔

Part Two: Twenty Nine

"Arlert! Stay with Hanji! Don't you even think about moving!" Erwin yelled. I flew my gear towards Hanji, both of us flying on towards Levi.

In the distance, a huge group of abnormals were running wildly down towards us, their naked, ugly bodies coming closer and closer.

This was the first attack I had been a part of without the others, and I was petrified.

"Armin! Stay close! Are you ready!?" Hanji asked, with a grin on her face. I gulped. We moved forward, Hanji faster than me, joining Levi and Erwin, rushing through miles of the open area to where the group of titans were.

Between them, the two managed to kill the first few titans. I rushed forward, flying behind one that tried to grab me, and killing it, slightly messy perhaps, but with enough force to cut through the nape. A few other followed, and I sliced through them with all the anger and pain I felt inside.

A titans hand swung down, pushing me backwards. I fumbled to find balance again, my body facing backwards.

"Arlert!" Erwin yelled from afar. I was quick to dodge another of the titan's hand, flying underneath, while Levi finished the job, landing swiftly on the dead body, before jumping back up again.

I was panting, out of control, my heartbeat racing and my body shaking.

I knew what I was doing, a lot more than last time, but this time I didn't have my friends' guidance for reassurance. I didn't have Mikasa rushing forward to kill them, nor Eren nor anybody else. This time, there was five of us; four fantastically skilled soldiers and I.

I took a deep breath.

Stay alive Armin. Stay alive for Annie

I rushed on, slicing through as much napes as I could reach, with sudden willpower and anger. I wanted them to pay for what they were doing.

This brutal blood bath continued for miles, as we followed the cowardly giants, killing them one by one, until finally, they had all had been wiped out.

We stood in the trees, panting, watching the blood evaporate from our clothes, unable to come to terms with what had just happened.

"They were coming from the north," I said. "Their track was coming from over there." I pointed up towards to North area of the wall.

"Let's go and trace down the source," Erwin commanded. We agreed, continuing on our gear untill there was no longer any more trees to grab onto, and we were forced to continue on foot.

"They'll run out otherwise," said Levi. "Keep an open eye out."

We walked in unbearable silence, looking around cautiously, with our swords in hand.

We continued onwards for some hours, until we heard voices in the distance.

"Commander! What do we do now?"

"There isn't much we can do. There aren't any more titans coming this way anytime soon."

"Hey! What the hell has happened!?"

"Scouts!? Why are you here?"

"We were leaving Stohess from the military legion meeting. Titans attacked. A group of them. We were forced out of our path to Karanese. Where are we?"

"Well, Nedlay is only a few miles from here. We're the city's Garrison. The group of titans cane through the gate as we opened it for the visiting Scouts to enter through. We didn't expect them to be there, but they were. They came running through the city. The Garrison took care of a few, but the rest made it to the other gate that was being opened ready for the Scouts to leave through to get to Stohess."

"That's why some of the commanders weren't there," Erwin muttered to us. We nodded. They were meant to be with Zita, but last minute changes forced her to leave a day earlier.

"Thank you for coming all the way down here. That was brave of you. Have they made any damage to the walls?"

"No, sir. In a way, we were lucky. Extra security will be placed on the walls before anybody opens the gates, we can assure you," the Garrison commander said.

"Thank you. Now, our work is done. You may return," said Erwin. He turned around to us. "Lets move. The rest will be wondering where we are."

We parted with the Garrison and turned back to Karanese.

That was extremely close. Too close.

"Erwin, why does this keep happening?"

"The attack in Stohess last year was an accident. This tine, the city's Garrison overestimated their trust in us at building the wall. We must hurry up. The titans are closer than we thought."

I sighed.

We were under threat. Building a wall with titans close by. They got through a part that we haven't started to rebuild yet. This was a war against time.

Suddenly I remembered something. Annie was yelling at me. She was trying to tell me something. Did she notice the titans before we did? She sounded desperate, and that might have been the reason why.

This war against time wasn't fair. My love for her has been put on holt because of my job. I'm an idiot for leaving her, for letting her move on and have Emilee.

Emilee. A four year old, beautiful and blond, with blue eyes and a sad look to her eyes.

She looks so much like Annie, and in a strange way, as I looked at her in the eyes, I could see myself in her. She could very well be the closest thing to me Annie has.

As my thoughts lingered, I found myself over-thinking about her.

She did look very similar to me. In fact, when I saw her, I saw my eyes, my nose, my face.

Could it be possible?

Is it possible? It cant be, can it?