𝐀 𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐄 | eren yeager

34 | Soldiers Dance

"You damn coward!"

A couple soldiers had gathered around the crystal with him, but instead of joining him they tried to make a wire net around the ball shaped rock for transport purposes. Angrily, they scolded him for his rampage that disturbed their work, "Hey!"

"Take what you got coming!" he kept yelling, slamming his blade on the crystal, "Get out here! Get out here and pay for what you've done!"

Hange quickly intervened after noticing the situation from afar, grabbing him by the wrist as they tried to push him away. "Stop it, Keiji! We don't have time for that!" they yelled, grabbing one of the ropes and shoving it to his chest, "Make a wire net and tie her up! Hurry! We don't know when she's going to wake up... So just focus on getting her underground!"

Keiji hesitantly took a hold of the rope and then kneeled to the ground, a couple others joining to work with the ropes. "Yes, sir..." Keiji muttered, frowning under Hange's demanding gaze until the squad leader moved away.

'Just as we thought we finally had Annie... She surrounded herself with this crystalline substance...' Hange sighed, 'It's harder than steel, at the very least... We don't even know if she's alive.'

Their gaze moved to Annie, who was peacefully lying inside the crystal, 'If... If things stay this way... And we can't get any information out of her... What'll be left...? We've sacrificed so many lives... But we have nothing but mysteries to show for them... So what will we do...?' Hange turned around, frowning at the sight before them, "Still no horses?! Hurry!"

The squad leader was about to walk away, until their ears picked up a strange sound. Glancing over their shoulder, Hange noticed small pieces like rocks falling down from the Wall, following their route with their eyes, "All that rubble looks dangerous... Hm?"

Hange suddenly noticed something strange close to the top of the Wall, their eyes widening. The soldiers around them, confused by their sudden change of demeanor, followed their gaze and noticed the same thing. The soldiers previously occupied with the wire net slowly stood up from their spots, staring at Hange's discovery with wide eyes.

The wind was strong enough to blow away the steam from Eren and Annie's bodies, making the view as clear as day. Slowly, everyone gathered round, their frightened stares on the huge hole on the Wall that revealed what only could be the face of a titan.

"What th-?!"

Someone raised their hand, pointing up at the sight with a trembling hand, "U-Up there..."

"A titan...?!" someone gasped.

"How? Inside the Wall?!"

"I... Is it moving?"

"Squad Leader! Your orders?!" Moblit called for Hange, but his yells went unheard by them. Hange could only stare up at the titan's skinless face with wide eyes, their heartbeat becoming so loud and rapid it was the only thing they could hear.

'Huh... What...? Wait just a... Did that just happen... To be in that spot... And if not, is the whole wall packed full of titans?'

'Titans all through... The inside of the Wall...?'

A sudden touch on their shoulder made the squad leader jump in surprise, bringing them back from their thoughts. Hange whipped their head around, their brows rising in confusion and surprise as they saw the familiar, for some reason out-of-breath man behind them. "Minister Nick?" they queried.