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Krista stood on a tree branch looking down at the titans trying to climb the trees to reach her "Kh!..."
A titan used its hand to grip the tree tightly causing it to break and slowly climbed up
"Uh its climbing up here!" Krista yelled over to Nanaba "If it makes it this far, maybe I'll get out of its way." Nanaba replied
"But in a few minutes." Nanaba added "I think we'll be ordered to pull out." Nanaba guessed "You think it's got something to do with those explosions inside the forest?" Krista asked
A couple trees beside them Mikasa and Sasha stood on branches next to each other "Mikasa." Sasha called out
Mikasa glanced at her "What do you think those sounds are? Are they firing canons inside the forest?" Sasha asked
Not to far away we're Ymir and Bertholdt standing on a tree branch "So damn noisy back there." Ymir spat "Hey Bertholdt do you know where Krista went?"
"Sorry I don't." Bertholdt answered
"Let's move Armin! That bastard looks like he's figured it out!" Jean put his blade in front of him for protection "Right!" Armin agreed
A titan had climbed up to their branch by holding its body up using both legs and arms and using the trees for support
Flying to another branch Armin and Jean settled "Hey Armin." Jean started "Their obviously doing something deep in the forest, and it just hit me what it possibly is." Jean said catching Armin's full attention
"We lured that Female titan here, so we could capture it, I bet." Jean explained getting Armin to think about it "That's the only reason I can think of for why they only told certain soldiers about this operation." Jean continued
"But...does that mean there are humans in our ranks who are trying to destroy the walls?"
Armin thought about it "Yes I think so, I think the commander is certain of that." Armin agreed
"Eren's existence shows that humans may be controlling the titans. So if we assume that the titans trying to destroy he walls are human and that they're inside the walls...then the first thing we must do is identify them. To prevent any further damage to the walls. Furthermore if we could capture them...we might expect to gain the information the survey corps has long for the truth behind this world!!" Armin explained
The sounds inside the forest continued "Those sounds...that means she's fallen into a trap. With Eren as bait Huh? But how was the commander so sure that titans would come after Eren if he went outside the walls?" Jean asked
"I think it's because their latest incursions didn't completely destroy the wall." Armin said staring down at the ground
Jean blinked "huh?"
"For some reason they suddenly haltered their attack. Surely their objective would have been to destroy the inner gate of wall Rose. They stopped for some reason. They did nothing when the gate they had gone to so much trouble to destroy was fixed. Perhaps something diverted their attention. Something else happened at that time,something more important than destroying the wall...the only thing I can think of would be Eren turning into a titan and going on a rampage." Armin thought
"And if they came from outside the walls, then that would mean they had to get to wall Rose for food and a place to sleep. Miss Y/n was there when everyone was fighting for food, maybe the person is also coming for Y/n because when I yelled at it that she has killed Y/n by accident she froze." Armin explained "But why would they come for Y/n...because of her clan?"
Jean listened "Then you mean...one of the people that know about Eren's transformation at that time is a spy?! One of those people who were watching."
"And the titan coming for Captain Y/n as well? That's so random. There has to be another reason as in why they need her." Jean stated "but I still don't get it. Even if we don't know where the spy is, shouldn't at least a few more soldiers have been told about this operation?"
———
"There had to be some who wouldn't have died if they knew that titan had intelligence." Eren said standing on a tree with the rest of the squad
"Setting aside rookies like us, how could they keep even seasoned veterans of the corps in the dark?" Eren ranted
"Shut up! Would ya'?" Olou yelled at him "What are you trying to say?! That the commander and Captain's don't trust us?!" Petra looked at Eren furiously
"N-no!! But...that's what it adds up to!!" Eren protested "Petra rip that guys teeth then shove them back in backwards!!" Olou suggested
"But think about it, that trap wouldn't have worked if a few people didn't know before hand." Eld said
"I think the only ones that knew were the survivors from five years ago." Erwin, Miche, Hanji, Nanaba, Levi, Y/n. "Or I'd like to think that."
"I get it yeah, that has to be it. See Eren, that's what it is." Olou agreed "Right they had to do it that way!" Petra also agreed
"They must have assumed that the spy started working on the 'inside' when the wall was destroyed 5 years ago, so the commander narrowed it down to everyone he saw on that day." Petra explained
"5 years ago? Is there really a spy?" Eren asked looking up at the sky "I wonder if that's who killed sawney and bean." Eld crossed his arms
"Oh! That's when the commander asked me that question..." Petra repelled
"What do you see? Who do you think the enemy is?
"He asked me too. So that's what that was about?" Eren realized "Maybe if we'd been able to answer, he'd have let us work on the real mission. Though I don't think any of us could have." Eld messed with his sleeve
"Hey! I knew the answer I just didn't dare to say it!" Olou lied "You guys know why?" He asked
"Why?" Petra went with it "What, you really don't know? Well at your level I'm not surprised. Why do you think you don't know? It's because none of you can compare to me." Olou smirked
"You're still trying to copy the way Captain Levi talks? Well he doesn't talk like that." Petra pointed out
———
Back at the trees the titan that was climbing up slipped and fell back down to the ground with a thud
"If they'd already know about that titan... the response would've been different. Even your squad leader was caught off guard." Jean spoke
Armin thought back to the time he first meet squad leader Ness "No he was right."
"Huh? What do you mean 'he was right' how many soldiers do you think died for nothing?" Jean looked at him
"Jean, anybody can make a choice after finding out the results. It's easy to wait and say they should've done this" Armin looked at Jean
"But you can't know the results before making a choice. What's that titans identity? How many of them are there? What can they do? What do they know? What have they found out? We don't know! As always there's so much we don't know! But the flow of time won't stop for us. The time to make a choice always comes,even when we don't know the outcome."
"I've heard the phase outcome accountability I think it's useful and correct. No matter how good the results are it doesn't erase the senseless deaths of those soldiers. The commander may be a cruel evil man but...I...I think that's good!"
"Even if it puts his comrades lives in danger. He has to envision every possible development..and make a choice between the lives of 100 of us and those of humanity behind the walls. He had to choose and he chose to write off those hundred lives."
Back inside the forest Eld started talking again "Eren you don't know it yet, but you'll probably find out soon...why Erwin Smith leads the hope of mankind, the survey corps."
"I'm sure Captain Levi trust you enough to tell you." Petra said "That's if you live long enough." Olou added
"I haven't lived an long live but there's one thing I'm sure of. The people capable of changing things are the ones who can throw away everything dead to them." Armin said back outside the forest
"When forced to face down monsters they can leave behind their humanity. Someone who can't throw away anything,will never be able to change anything."
———
The female stood trapped inside the forest covering her nape with both hands hoping to save herself from death
Hanji kicked another barrow of arrows and they shot to the titans ass cheek "How bout that? Now you can't even scratch yourself if you have an itch!" Hanji laughed
"Not a single muscle of yours will ever move again! probably. Here's how it works the more your wounds close up the more rigid you're joints become." Hanji explained "Seems like that not enough for the one inside to come out. What are those two doing?"
Levi and Y/n jumped down from the tree and in a spinning motion the tried slicing the females hands
Clang!
Clang!
Their blades both broke from the contact they had from the females hands, Y/n hooked back into a tree where Erwin stood
"Broken." She simply said raising her hands and showing off her blades to Erwin, he nodded and looked back down
Y/n went back down onto the females head and stood next to Levi "I could maybe punch her hands and crack whatever was protecting her." Y/n said loud enough for the female to hear
"Yeah, you hear that? I said I could punch it down." She tapped her feet on the titans head "Maybe it would hurt a little because I don't have my gloves but other then that I could break through it."
Erwin raised his hand and called over a soldier "Yes sir?" The soldier asked "Set a charge and blow off our enemies hands." Erwin ordered
"Yes sir. But...there's a chance that they force of the blast would also blow up the person inside." The soldier reasoned
"In that case, try placing the explosives further back so that they server her wrist." Erwin ordered "Then, at my signal detonate all of the charges simultaneously."
"Yes sir!" The soldier used his gear and went back down to the barrows and preparing a new blow
"Hey why not give us a break and come out of there. We don't have all day." Levi said
"What do you think is going to happen? Do you believe you can find a way out of this situation?" Levi questioned "Think about the trouble you're causing. We have to keep thinking of ways to drag you out of there."
"You really had fun killing my clones didn't you? Sure looked like you enjoyed seeing the blood drip from them. You enjoyed it didn't you?" Y/n stepped in
"I'm enjoying this for sure, but it would've been better if you'd show yourself so we could draw some blood. You can understand what I'm saying right? Maybe I could cut off your limbs...they'd grow back right? Oh, and I'm talking about your real body. I'd get in trouble if I could killed you." Y/n stared down at titan
The female's mouth twitched and finally it let out a loud scream "YAAAAAAAAAAA!" The female screamed
Everyone quickly covered their ears and stared down at the female "What? Did I push you to far?" Y/n asked
Everyone from outside the first and the Levi squad all heard it from their positions "Hm?"
"What was that a death rattle?" Moblit asked Hanji
Y/n cleared her throat and laughed "Woah you really scared me there!" Everyone uncovered their ears
Sniff
Miche took a sniff of the air and his nose twitched in response "Erwin!" Miche quickly called out for him
"I smell them coming!!" Miche wanted, Erwin turned his whole body to face him "From which direction?!"
"There's a lot coming from all directions!" Miche answered "At the same time!"
"Huh?!" Armin yelped looking down at the titans "They're all rushing into the first at once!!" Armin and Jean jumped up
"Why are they suddenly ignoring us?! Are they all abnormals?!" Connie asked "Who cares don't let them go!!" A squad leader ordered
"ENGAGE!!!"
"What's this?" Mikasa said pulling her blade out "Wait listen to me Mikasa!" Sasha stopped her
Mikasa looked back at Sasha "Ive heard that scream before! Back in the forest!" Sasha recalled "Its exactly the same! It's the scream a cornered animal makes when it's giving up!"
"I was taught you have to be on guard until the very end of the hunt!" Sasha explained "So your saying be careful?" Mikasa asked
"Please be a hundred times more then usual!! If you underestimate the first you'll die!" Sasha said
"You know I in grew up in the mountains too." Mikasa told her "A girl who only grew vegetables wouldn't understand!" Sasha compared
"TRANSPORT AND EACORT SQUAD INTERCEPT AND DESTROY!!" Erwin ordered
All the Cale's squad immediately jumped into battle and began killing off the titans rushing towards the female
"Awe shit." Y/n sighed "I pushed a button didn't I?" Y/n shook her head "I guess this is my fault."
Y/n pulled out her blades as titan neared the female both her and Levi then began joining in on killing the abnormals
A small titan managed to reach the female and started eating the females leg
This caught Erwin's eye
"Titan in all directions!! All squads!! Defend the female to death!!" Erwin ordered
Everyone jumped into battle and killed titan after titan, but more and more titans came running in
Erwin soon realized that the squads had no chance "All squads pull back!" Erwin said
Levi grabbed Y/n by the arm and forced her to come with him, he took them to the tree near Erwin
"Hey Erwin-"
"She got us." Erwin smiled "Why are you smiling?" Y/n asked
"The enemy was prepared to give up everything. I never thought she would have the titans eat her...to erase all information..."