It was nighttime. The Survey Corps was preparing to go into Wall Rose. Eren was setting his ODM gear in a cart.
"I'm not sure what to make of this." Eren said as he sat down.
"No one knows. But how could Titans break a wall with Titans in them?" Armin asked as he walked toward the cart.
"It wouldn't be the first time. That's how they broke into Shinganshina." Eren said.
"But that was a gate." Armin said.
"Armin, what exactly are you getting at?" Mikasa questioned.
"The walls are different. There are no signs of stress, no cracks, no crevices between the rocks. We can't really tell how they were constructed. I suppose that were built with the same material Annie uses to make her skin impenetrable. It's a versatile material and we know it's virtually indestructible." Armin explained.
"Hm, that's plausible." Eren said as he rested his head on his hand.
Meanwhile, Hanji was examining a fragment of Annie's hardened skin. Moblit was behind Hanji telling her to hurry up.
"Section Commander, what is taking so long?! Please, they are leaving in five minutes!" Moblit stated.
"Hold your horses. I just need another moment-" Hanji said but interrupted herself as she found something.
"Hey, Hanji. Get moving" Levi said.
"Ah, sorry! And our guest?" Hanji asked.
"He's been ready to go for a while" Levi stated.
Hanji picked up the fragment of the crystal and took it with her.
*Time Skip*
"Eren, wear it tight. It's a cold night" Mikasa said as she put a cloak around Eren.
"Thanks" Eren simply said.
Hanji, Levi, and Pastor Nick made their way to the cart Armin, Eren, and Mikasa where at.
"Sorry for the wait." Hanji said.
The three got in the cart and Pastor Nick had to sit across from Eren.
"He's a... He's a priest from the Order of the Walls!" Armin said.
"I know! Ol' Nick and I are as thick as thieves! It's fine. Nick's about as much sense for him to be here than the rest of us, don't ya think!" Hanji said as she wrapped an arm around Nick.
"No, on the contrary. Erwin has thrown us together for a reason" Levi said.
Eren had a bored look on his face.
The gates were then opened, and Commander Erwin gave a speech.
"The status of Wall Rose is unclear. But everything up to Ehrmich is safe. That's the route we will be taking. Move out!" Erwin stated.
"You heard him." Levi said.
The Survey Corps left the walls.
"This whole time, Titans have been protecting us from other Titans" Armin said.
*Time Skip*
"Wait, what?" Eren asked annoyed.
"You knew about this. All this time and you decided to keep your shitty mouth shut?" Eren questioned annoyed.
"Yeah, I'm afraid so. Just about sums up where we are with him. He's coming with us to witness the harsh reality. Will his beliefs be strong enough for him to stay silent? Or will seeing it with his own eyes make him question himself?" Hanji said.
"Tch. You've got this all backwards. If this son of a bitch knows something, he needs to spill it. Humanity is on the brink of extinction and the only thing he cares about is keeping that shitty oath of his?!" Eren stated. He was clearly angered, and his eyebrows were furrowed. Eren then began to feel a headache form and he put a hand on his head.
"Hey, take it easy. You're still not fully recovered." Mikasa said.
Eren doesn't usually get angered like this anymore. But it really pissed him off that Pastor Nick rather keep his mouth shut for his selfish motives than aid humanity. Levi then pulled out a gun.
"There's more than one way to get the truth. I'm genuinely not hoping I have to blow a hole in you to settle this. How 'bout you?" Levi said in a cold tone.
"Threating him doesn't work, Levi. Agree with him or not, there is no denying that our priest here is a man of principle. Which leads me to wonder: If he's so unwilling to talk, then what in heaven's name is more important than the fate of humanity?" Hanji said.
*Time Skip*
Sasha was with a higher-up. The higher-up departed from Sasha so she could raise the alarm to the people of the village nearby. Sasha rode her horse into a forest where her village was at. Sasha saw the footsteps of a Titan heading straight for the village. Sasha went into a village was surprised by all the new buildings. She hasn't visited her village since she joined the Cadet Corps three years ago. Sasha saw a door of one of the houses was open and there was a Titan inside eating a woman with a child inside watching in horror. The woman was still alive and was not screaming in pain. She was whimpering as she was being eaten alive. Sasha picked up an axe and buried it into the Titan's neck, but it did nothing. Sasha began to swing the axe repeatedly into the Titan's neck, but it slipped from her hand which caused it to go straight to the ceiling. Sasha picked up the child and began to run.
Sasha ran with the child and went toward her horse. Sasha was panicking which caused her horse to run away. Sasha screamed and jumped.
"You do this now?! Really!? Wait for us!" Sasha screamed. She began to whistle but it was of no avail. As Sasha was whistling, the Titan that was inside the home came out. Sasha noticed and she picked up a bow and a quiver of arrows that was sitting on top of a crate. She grabbed the child and began to run, the Titan chasing behind them.
"Everything will be fine. I promise!" Sasha said.
"No, we won't. Everyone is already gone. Everyone in the village knew my mother's legs were bad. They knew and none of them came to help her. All I could do is watch." the child said. Her eyes were wide open which held a blank look.
They made it to a bridge that was lifted. Sasha helped the child climb up. Sasha turned around and saw the Titan come toward them. She then climbed over the bridge and once more grabbed the child and began to run.
"Don't look back! Just keep running" Sasha said.
Sasha and the child continued to run until Sasha looked back toward the child.
"Listen, you're gonna be fine. Just keep following the path we're one. Run as far away as you can. There should be someone willing to help. It might take you a little while to find them but keep on. You'll bump into them eventually." Sasha said. She turned around and let go of the child's hand. She then pulled out her bow.
"Run! Don't give up hope!" Sasha shouted. The child began to run away.
Sasha pulled back the string of the bow and shot an arrow straight at the neck of the Titan. Sasha ran back a bit to gain distance from the Titan. Sasha climbed up a hill where she would have a clear view of the Titan's eyes. She pulled out an arrow and shot the Titan, but only scraped the ear.
"Damn it. Only two arrows left. Relax. It's nothing. Just a big, slow-moving target!" Sasha thought.
Sasha pulled back the string of the bow and aimed precisely at the right eye of the Titan. Sasha shot the arrow and successfully shot the Titan's eye.
"Last arrow. If I miss, that will be it. End of story." Sasha thought. Sasha then threw the bow away and charged at the Titan and gouged out its eye with the arrow. The Titan began to squeeze Sasha, but she broke out of its grip and began to run away. She then noticed a group of men on horseback. One of the men was her father and had the child she rescued with her.
*Time Skip*
Sasha was with her father and the others from her village.
"We've been doing what we can. Giving horses to folks who need 'em. That little girl told us that there was someone back behind her on the road. Sayin' they helped her, saved her in fact. Apparently, fought off a Titan single-handedly..." Sasha's father said.
"Nicely done. I'm proud of ya." Sasha's father added.
Sasha was shocked and looked down.
"Thanks, dad...It's good to be home." Sasha said.
*Time Skip*
"Connie, slow down! Get a hold of yourself! There could be Titans at any corner! Wait for us!" Reiner shouted.
Connie was out in front of everyone else. He was in a hurry to see his village. Connie made it to his village and looked around.
"This isn't real!" Connie said. He looked around his village. The only thing he saw were destroyed buildings, but the strangest part was that there was no blood anywhere to be seen.
"Hello! Can anybody hear me!?" Connie shouted. The only thing he could hear were the echoes.
Connie went toward his home. Connie made it to his home and noticed that there was a Titan on top of his house looking at him.
"Cadet, move back!" a higher-up said.
"What the hell! Can it move? But then, I don't understand! How did it get there?" the higher-up said.
Connie's village had been completely destroyed without a single trace of blood. It was completely deserted.