Taryn sat on the top of Wall Rose, looking over the horizon where the sun was beginning to shine. Munching on some salted crackers, she watched how the clouds in the sky moved, slowly floating away, the sight being particularly calming and a distraction from the chaos that had just occurred.
She took another bite, chewing softly on the food. Jean was beside her rummaging for supplies from one of the supply boxes, the noise of metal tins clanging against each other paired with the soft hum of the morning winds made for an interesting harmony.
He found a jug of clean water, opening the lid before offering it to her. "Water?"
She shook her head. "No thanks."
He placed the jug down beside him, turning his attention unto the box again and pulling out another packet of biscuits. "Food?"
She shook her head again. "I'm eating some now."
The boy dug into the box once more, this time retrieving what seemed to be a raincoat of some sort. She furrowed her brows as he handed it over to her, confusion washing over her features as she looked at him and his outstretched hand.
"Um, it isn't raining..."
He shrugged. "If you're cold."
She chuckled, slowly pushing his hand and the raincoat away. She was a bit surprised at his sudden behavior. "I'm fine, Jean."
"Suit yourself, then." He rolled his eyes, frowning as he sat back down on the surface. Ripping open the packet of biscuits he found earlier, he began to munch on the edibles, the two of them eating in silence while staring at the breathtaking scenery that was sunrise.
Chattering could be heard in the background, along with the soft creaking of the lifts and machinery they used to transport materials. Taryn glanced around, hoping to see some familiar faces, and gladly saw her friends making their way over to them, their arms high in the air as they waved at her.
She waved back at them eagerly before looking back down to her crackers, only to find that she had consumed the whole bag. She narrowed her eyes accusingly at the empty wrapper, as if blaming it. She hadn't had a proper meal ever since they arrived at Stohess and now she was bearing the consequences, her stomach growling in hunger.
Jean noticed, of course, sending her a quick glance. He then gave her his share of food without hesitation, something that made Taryn gape at him as if he had just grown two heads.
"What is wrong with you? You're being unbelievably nice today." She mused, shaking her head in disbelief.
"Is it wrong to make sure you're fed and not starving to death?" He snapped back. "Now take it before I change my mind."
She grinned as she took the biscuits from his hold, dragging the flimsy paper packaging towards her. "Thank you, dear sir." Putting a piece in her mouth, she bit into the dough, tasting the flavors. Soft and chewy, a bit plain, but it sufficed to satisfy her hunger for the time being.
Footsteps were heard approaching. They both looked up to see Sasha, Connie and Mikasa, standing side by side and staring down at them. Sasha and Mikasa were clad in their uniforms, full ODM gear strapped on, blades restocked and sharp. Connie, who had been detained along with Taryn, was dressed in his normal clothes, much like her.
Mikasa spoke first, breaking the silence. "You all made it back safely," She said, slightly ducking her head. "I'm glad."
Taryn smiled at the girl, but it faltered once her thoughts wandered to the brunette who was in a far worse shape than the rest of them. "Except for Ymir, though. If it weren't for her...we might've been dead way before you guys even arrived."
"We'll have to thank her later," Sasha began to say. "Still, I can't believe she's actually a Titan..."
"Yeah," Connie replied, his face troubled. "Makes me wonder just how many of them are out there..."
She could sense the change of atmosphere around them, the weight of Connie's question hanging over them thickly. Before, they never would've imagined humans could turn into Titans—but now, they've had revelation after revelation, each one more shocking than the next. With all the chaos that had ensued, it had been easy to lose sight of what was happening, and who they were really fighting against. Who exactly is the enemy?
"Is everyone clear?" Hange's voice snapped them back to the present, alerting them of their arrival. "We'll deal with Ymir later. And Connie," They turned to face the boy. "I'll arrange for a Scout squad to investigate your village later. For the time being, I want you—all of you, to focus on the mission to fix the wall. Got it?"
They murmured back a response of agreement to which Hange received with a curt nod. The Section Commander then walked over to the wall's edge, staring out the endless skies as well, before pausing as they caught sight of a group of soldiers approaching the area. "It's the Garrison's advance squad. They came to tell us where the hole is."
They all watched as a man with blond hair made his way over to them, using his maneuver gear to climb up the steep surface. Eren moved to assist him as he struggled over the edge, giving the man a hand and helping up him on his feet.
He thanked the boy, before turning to the Section Commander, his face serious. "There's no hole anywhere."
His statement left them puzzled, making some of them furrow their brows. There's no hole? Her lips tugged into a frown, confused at what was happening. She saw with her own two eyes that there had been several Titans invading the lands, having fought one and even almost getting eaten in the process. If what the soldier said was true and that the Walls hadn't been breached at all, then the whole situation only seemed to raise more questions than answers. Where did all those Titans come from, then?
The man sighed, appearing very frustrated at the ordeal as well. "We spent all night looking for it, but at least between Trost and Krolva, there's nothing wrong with the Wall."
Hange raised a brow at him. "What'd you say? There's nothing?"
"We bumped into soldiers from Krolva and retraced our steps. We haven't seen any Titans the whole way here either."
"But...we know for sure that there are Titans on this side of the Wall!" Armin exclaimed, taking a step towards the man.
Eren looked frantic as well. "Did you actually look? Are you sure you're not drunk?"
"I didn't drink!" He shot back, and the two then began to bicker back and forth, their arguing temporarily taking over the thick silence. Had it not been for their current situation, Taryn would've found the scene amusing, what with the way Eren tried to win over a grown man. But the tense mood and the now-grey skies that lay over them like a gloomy blanket made everything seem dull, uninteresting and far more depressing.
She could see Hange's jaw clench, her eyes narrowing in determination. "If there's no hole in the Wall, so be it. For now we're falling back to Trost District. Let's go."
They moved at the order, almost all of the soldiers trailing Hange as they made their way down the Wall. Taryn followed suit, walking alongside Jean and Armin, the both of them deep in thought. Her brows knit together in puzzlement as she questioned them. "There's nothing wrong with the Wall?"
Jean frowned at her before casting his gaze down to the ground. "That's impossible. They must've overlooked it or something, there's gotta be a mistake..."
"Maybe the Titans dug a hole somewhere?"
"They can't possibly do that," He countered. He glanced up and tapped Armin on the shoulder, the sudden touch causing the boy to turn and face him, donning a questioning look. "Armin, what do you think?"
The blond's lips curved downward at Jean's inquiry. He appeared to be just as confused as they were. "Right now, anything is possible. At first, we thought that Titans couldn't move in the absence of sunlight. But now it appears they can," He then shrugged, his voice getting smaller with each word he uttered. "I don't know. Everything just seems so...odd."
The three of them stopped exchanging words after them, silence engulfing them as their minds scrambled to get ahold of what was going on. It wasn't until they were nearing the area around the lifts and canons, did she hear something that made her breath hitch in disbelief.
"I'm the Armored Titan, and he's the Colossal Titan."
She stopped right in her tracks, her eyes widening at what she just heard. That had been Reiner's voice, she was sure of it. Craning her neck to glance behind her, she indeed found Reiner and Bertholdt standing a few feet away from them, the two appearing to be in a conversation with Eren.
It must've been a joke, right? She tried to convince herself that it was just that, that it was just Reiner's lowly attempt at lightening the mood, but a small voice in her mind kept telling her that she shouldn't take what he said so lightly.
Eren, Annie and Ymir are Titans. Who's to say that there aren't any more among us?
"Hey," She croaked out and stepped forward, catching the attention of the two boys walking ahead of her. "Did you hear that—"
Before she could even get to finish her sentence, however, Armin suddenly grabbed her arm, pulling her closer and clamping a hand over her mouth to prevent the girl from speaking another word. She struggled in his grip, trying her hardest to pry him off of her, but one look at Armin's wide eyes and urgent expression made her stop moving immediately.
"Just play along," The blond whispered, the nervousness in his voice as clear as day. He slowly lowered his hand from her mouth before gesturing to a spot up ahead, beckoning her and Jean to come with him. "Follow me."
She shared a look with Jean before she started to move, following Armin. The three of them fastened their pace, walking away from everyone to a place far enough for them to have a private conversation. They crouched down close to the ground, huddling next to each other.
The moment they settled down, Taryn instantly attacked him with questions, taking the boy by surprise. "What was that about? What do you mean by 'play along'?"
"Commander Erwin suspected that there were Titans among the 104th, that's why you guys were detained," Armin explained slowly. "We then discovered that Reiner and Bertholdt came from the same place as Annie. And during the expedition, they were part of the groups purposely told that Eren was in the right wing."
She paused, his words sinking in, the gears in her mind working as she put two and two together. "The Female Titan came from the right wing..." She muttered out, before glancing up at Armin to give him a look of disbelief. "But they couldn't have been accomplices, Reiner almost got crushed in her hand—"
"Yet the Female Titan started to change course and head towards Eren, the moment Reiner escaped," He continued to say. "Don't you find that suspicious, Taryn?"
"I..." He was right, she did think it was suspicious. "But that doesn't prove anything. She might've decided not to kill him, since we got out of her way after all."
"When we were running away, she was staring at her palm. Reiner must've written a message when he was grabbed."
As much as she hated to admit it, Armin's explanation made sense. She took in a sharp breath, not wanting to, but eventually coming to terms with the unmistakable truth. "So it's them..."
He nodded at her hesitant words, his eyes flickering with emotions of sadness and betrayal. Armin turned away from the girl and looked down at the concrete ground below them, voice thick with disappointment. "It's them."
As another wave of silence came over them, they were left with their own thoughts. Taryn didn't know whether she felt angry, sad or disappointed. Angry at the truth, furious about the fact that the comrades she fought alongside with, the very ones she had regarded with such respect and admiration turned out to be the monsters who brought destruction and damnation to all of humanity.
Sad, as she thought about their brief, but memorable times at the Cadet Corps. And disappointed, because after everything they've been through together, she truly considered them as friends, as people she can rely on when the situation becomes dire. To be met with the harsh sting of betrayal the moment she least expected it hurt more than she could've ever imagined.
Glancing over her shoulder once again, she didn't know what to expect, but she saw Reiner clutching his broke arm, Bertholdt and Eren by his side, looking alarmed.
Mikasa was right ahead of them, gripping the handles of her blades so strongly, they could all see her knuckles turning white. Jean and Armin were on edge and appeared as if they had already prepared themselves for a battle, their stances cautious. Taryn mirrored them and she knew right then and there that today, things weren't going to end well.
"I've been here too long for my own good," They heard Reiner say, his tone rising with every word. "It's been three long years...we were just kids, we didn't know anything," He had his face buried in his palm and he looked desperate, if not on the verge of breaking down entirely. "If only I never knew that there were people like this, then maybe...maybe I wouldn't have become such a half-assed piece of shit!"
Reiner then began to take a step forward, lifting up his broken arm and unwrapping his bandage, revealing the puffs of steam oozing out from his bleeding wound. He was very much still in his human form, but he might as well have already transformed, as every step he took towards them seemed to shake the ground, causing all of them to be on guard and completely shattering what little trust they had left in each other.
"It's too late now, I don't know what's right anymore. But the only choice for me now is to face the consequences of my actions, and as a Warrior, fulfill my duty to the bitter end!"
"We settle this, right here, right now!"
Small sparks of green lightning made their appearance, causing Mikasa to lunge towards them, fiercely swinging her blades and successfully drawing blood. She still missed, however, as Reiner pushed her away, the girl stumbling back. Armin, who had been watching, caught on to what was happening and immediately broke into a sprint, reaching out towards Eren as he yelled in desperation. "Eren! Get out of there!"
The three of them ran towards the boy in an attempt to pull him back from the inevitable chaos, but had been unsuccessful as strong gusts of wind sent their bodies flying back, the supplies and the canons they brought being whisked away along with them. Flashes of green light and the strikes of thunder reverberated around the place, the sounds deafening, the massive frames of the Colossal and Armored Titans appearing right before their eyes.
Just like on that day in Trost, the burning gaze of the Colossal Titan pierced through her, sending chills down her spine and the feeling of dread pooling inside her. Even as she was suspended in midair, falling closer and closer to the ground below, she still couldn't tear her eyes away from the two Titans towering over her, the anger brought on by their betrayal surging through her once again.
It's them, she thought as her blood began to boil, the reveal of their true identities flashing through her mind repeatedly. It's really them.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around her torso, saving her from her descent. Jean brought her along as he scaled the Walls, his hooks penetrating the steep surface which supported both of their weights. "Hang in there," He panted, his grip on her waist tightening. His breath hitched once he felt her hands snake around his neck, holding unto him, but he chose to dismiss the matter, turning his focus unto getting the two of them to safety. "I'll go now, okay?"
She nodded, and it was his signal to get going. Pulling the trigger, his wires shot off and they plunged into the air, heading to a spot far enough from the Titan currently perched on top of the Wall. They landed harshly on the hard surface, their bodies rolling against the dusty stone ground.
"Those damn traitors," He muttered, feeling his head explode in pain due to the way they crashed. With much effort, he tried to sit upright, forcing his eyes to open and glance around at his surroundings. He saw Taryn right beside him and found that she was gazing at the scene unfolding before them with a fierce intensity. He lifted a hand to nudge her, attempting to gain her attention. "Taryn? You okay?
The girl paid no heed to his attempts and continued to stare ahead, making him sigh. Jean quickly took note of how her pupils dilated in what seemed to be fear. He couldn't blame her, as even he was terrified at the prospect of having to fight the Titans in front of them. Catching Annie was one thing, but to stop those two...
Another roar sounded out from a distance, and this time they both knew whose it belonged it. Eren's Titan could be seen marching towards Reiner, before proceeding to land the other a nasty blow to the jaw. They exchanged punch after punch, until Reiner finally sent Eren flying back with a fierce kick, the strength of his attack enough to severely injure his opponent.
Their eyes widened in shock and they couldn't even afford to tear their gazes off the scene, not until they caught on to the sounds of ODM gear whizzing past them, revealing Connie and Krista arriving along with a few other soldiers. They all had bodies slung over their shoulders, people who appeared to be unconscious, which she and Jean assumed were the ones that had been caught up in the gusts of hot steam the Colossal Titan was currently emitting.
Taryn finally snapped out of her stupor, getting up on her feet immediately to assist them. She helped Krista in laying down the soldiers she had been carrying, carefully placing them on the ground. She noticed how their bodies were littered with burns all over, the painful red spots adorning every inch of their skin, and she couldn't help but let out a gasp at the horrible sight. Bertholdt...he did this.
"Cadets, get further back!" A Scout yelled at them, her expression anxious. "And take care of those injured soldiers!"
"Wait!" Krista went after her, taking ahold of the soldier's arm, her expression pleading. "They took Ymir, please save her!
Connie placed the person he was holding down to the ground carefully, before turning to the Scout to speak as well. "Reiner and Bertholdt too! They don't have their ODM gear!"
"Connie..." Jean called out, catching the boy's attention. "Reiner and Bertholdt...they're the Titans."
They could see the realization seep into Connie's face, his worried expression turning into one of faint surprise, then into one of resentment. He must have been thinking the same things they did—how foolish they all have been, the thought of fellow humans, fellow comrades, their friends being responsible for the deaths of almost half of humanity, making them feel sickened.
A loud roar caused them to turn back to the scene, and they watched in anticipation as Eren pinned Reiner's Titan down, trapping him with his arms and tightening his grasp around the Armored's neck. It didn't take long for the sheets of hardening to shatter, the sight stirring up fleeting flickers of hope within their spirits. He's doing it, Eren's going to defeat him.
A person's figure could be seen flying towards the two, and it had been none other than Mikasa. Aiming for the area behind the Armored Titan's knees, she striked at the exposed flesh, severing it. Reiner then stopped struggling against Eren's tactics, his Titan finally lying limp as the rest of his legs collapsed to the ground with a thud.
"She got it. It's working!" Connie exclaimed in relief.
His relief, however, was short lived, as Reiner gave out one last cry of defeat, their hands instantly flying to their ears at the loudness. It sounded just like the one the Female Titan did at her last moments, calling Pure Titans to her side as a last resort. If Annie had that ability, then it would be safe to say that the other Titan Shifters knew how to do it, too.
"He's calling for Titans!" The Scout with them announced. She unsheathed her blades, her eyes darting around their surroundings in an attempt to spot any approaching threats. "Cadets, prepare to fight!"
But suddenly, the faint sounds of something cracking reached their ears and caught their attention, panic rising in them as they noticed how the cracks progressively got louder and louder. They glanced around their surroundings frantically to get ahold of what was going on, before finally catching sight of the Colossal Titan. He was moving—not towards them, but rather, towards Reiner and Eren currently fighting down below.
"Hey!" They heard Connie yell in alarm, his eyes widening as he took a step back. "Hey, hey, hey, hey—that big bastard's falling!"
He started to descend, taking all of them by surprise, including Eren. They saw how his green eyes widened at the incoming threat and how he attempted to move from his spot, but it was too late as the Colossal Titan collided with him and the ground, causing the whole place to erupt in clouds of hot steam. The fumes burned to the touch, taking away their sight and ability to move.
The smoke fortunately began to clear, yet the only thing they could see was the Colossal Titan's skeleton right before them. Bertholdt then appeared, carrying with him a girl's unconscious body. Ymir.
He attached unto Reiner's now regenerated body, his wires shooting up, his feet landing on the Armored Titan's shoulder. And with that, the two fled from the Walls, the Armored Titan's large frame growing smaller and smaller, until they eventually couldn't spot him with their own bare eyes.
In their hearts, was the bitter taste of defeat once again.
...
"Give me my gear."
Taryn glared up at the boy standing in front of her, his face wearing a smug expression as he held both of her gas canisters above her head. He wasn't that much taller than her, but boy did those little centimeters make a huge difference, judging by how much she struggled to reach the things she needed from his devilish grasp.
After the events back at the Walls, they sent out a few squads to return to Trost and request for backup in the mission to retrieve Eren and Ymir from the Armored and Colossal Titans. She volunteered to go as well, since she was practically useless and would most likely end up being a burden to the others without her gear.
So, she recovered her maneuver gear from the soldier who took it from her back at Stohess, and she might've already been strapped up and ready to go, had it not been for her friend who sneakily snatched both of her gas tanks while she wasn't looking. She didn't know whether it was for something else entirely or if he was just doing it to piss her off, but the latter possibility was certainly working.
He shook his head at her, leaning against the wall and stretching his arms out even further. "No."
"We are going to be late," She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose in exasperation. Opening her eyes again, she fixated on him with a hard glare. "Jean Kirstein, give it to me!"
She tiptoed in an attempt to get to him, but failed once the boy got on the tips of his toes as well. To anyone passing by, they must've looked ridiculous, but he didn't care as long as he managed to keep the gas canisters out of her reach. ODM gear is useless without gas, he reasoned. I'll just have to buy time until the Commander tells us to get going.
He was snapped from his thoughts once he felt her soft breaths against his skin, the sudden sensation almost making him jump in surprise. He stared at Taryn as she continued on trying to snatch the gas from him, the girl paying no mind to how near they were to each other, as her attention was currently focused somewhere else.
Meanwhile, Jean felt his heart skip a beat, his breathing growing more labored at their close proximity. From his view, he could see everything, every detail of her face, from the smooth slope of her nose to the flutters of her lashes whenever she blinked. The subtle flush on her cheeks, the way her lips tilted downward into a small frown. Strands of her ever-so-messy hair falling from her ponytail, framing her jaw.
Then their gazes met, and Jean felt as if the world stopped moving around him. He never really noticed just how beautiful her eyes were until now.
In a panic, he immediately pushed her off of him, ignoring the way his heart was hammering like crazy inside his chest. He didn't know why he was feeling like this all of a sudden, so he just blamed it on the hot summer heat, believing it to be the reason for all of this madness.
Taryn scowled at him before eventually giving up, sitting on the ground and slumping against the wall beside him. He then followed suit, but he still made sure to keep a good distance between them just in case she suddenly decided to go and reach over for her gas tanks.
"Why are you doing this..." She mumbled out, her tone exasperated. She looked towards the door and saw that the outside was bustling with activity, the other squads preparing for their incoming departure. "Everyone's going to be leaving soon."
"Exactly," He countered. "I don't want you going out there again. It's dangerous."
She furrowed her brows at him, her jaw dropping in astonishment. "You can't tell me what to do." She never really understood him and his moods. At times he was nice, sometimes he was annoying, but on some occasions he was just downright infuriating. Just like now.
"I know," He responded, his voice barely more than a whisper. He then raised his head, facing her. "But still. I'm not giving these to you."
"You do know I can just sneak out and steal somebody's gas tanks the moment you leave this room?"
"Then I won't leave. I'll stay here with you, mission be damned."
His statement caused a thick silence to rain on them. She thought he was just doing it to rile her up, but seeing as how far he would go just to make sure she wouldn't be able to leave, led her to think that it was something more than that. She could see it in the way he seemed to avoid looking at her, or in the way he was gripping her gas tanks as if his life depended on it.
She decided to leave him alone for awhile, giving him enough time to immerse himself with his thoughts. Leaning her head against the wall, she listened to the faint sounds of chatter coming from outside, the soldiers moving and marching about in preparation for the mission. If we keep this up, we're really going to be left behind.
Impatience got the best of her and she turned to face him with a frown. "Jean," She spoke up, catching his attention. "Why won't you let me go?"
Taryn could see how he tensed up at her question, the girl noticing the sudden shift in the atmosphere. She caught him staring at his hands, fidgeting with his fingers as if to distract himself from her words. He didn't answer her for a while, leaving the two of them in silence, only the sounds of their breathing being exchanged between the two of them.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he spoke up, the hesitation in his tone obvious. Gulping, he looked down at his lap once again, refusing to meet her eyes. "He died because I didn't try to stop him." He said slowly, choosing his words with caution.
She felt a bitter pang in her heart at what he said, and Taryn already knew who he had been talking about, even before he got to finish his sentence. She expected something, anything, even just some pathetic excuse to come spurting out of his mouth, but she certainly didn't expect this.
Marco's death was something they never talked about, something that the two of them never thought about discussing. It had been like an unspoken agreement between the two of them, which was why she was shocked he had been the one to bring it up now.
She heard him take a sharp breath, before continuing on what he had to say. "Remember? On that day. I heard your conversation. I knew he went to go help the others. I didn't think much of it, because I thought he could handle it," He was shaking now, and it looked as if he was trying his hardest to keep his composure. "And that had been the last time we ever saw him..."
"It haunts me every time. What if I stopped him? What if I pulled the two of you to safety before he could even notice the others were missing? Maybe, I could've prevented it..." He mumbled. "But I didn't, and now he's gone."
Jean's voice was reduced to a whisper at this point, and the boy finally had the courage to look her in the eyes. "So if I'm being selfish right now, I'm sorry," He said slowly. "I just don't want that to happen again. I just...don't want to lose you too, Taryn."
She found herself being left speechless at his sudden confession, the two of them going so silent they could've heard a pin drop in the room. She then saw Jean's face become tinted with a dark shade of red, blushing, before he turned away from her gaze and just resolved to staring straight ahead of him.
And well, she was blushing too. It didn't help that the room they were in was so small, the cramped space only contributing to the weird atmosphere of the situation.
Hugging her knees closer to her chest, she sighed loudly. She needed to say something. She could hear the other soldiers already finishing up with their preparations and keeping her mouth shut wasn't going to help at all.
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, the words forming in her mouth. "I think about that day too," She stammered out, her tone quiet. "I mean, I was talking to him. I could've stopped him, or went with him. I remember blaming myself for letting go that easily, too."
"And yes, the nightmares—they're awful. Every time I close my eyes at night, all I can see are those mangled bodies, the blood, those Titans. The screams, I still hear them," Her voice grew weaker with each statement, the mere memory of it all sending chills down her spine. "Everyday, they get more vivid, more terrifying. So fucking terrifying, that I'll even think about giving up and just hiding in my room forever."
"But he...he said this to me once. Life is unexpected, and nothing ever goes as planned," She sighed. "Sometimes, everything's a success. Sometimes, we screw up. We lose friends, we gain some. That's just how life is—you'll never know what's coming to you."
"But we have to keep going. No matter what life throws at you—whether it be lemons or naked, man-eating giants who come barging in your door trying to kill you—" Jean broke into a chuckle at her words, the two sharing a good laugh. Taryn thought that might've not been the best way to word it out, but it helped to lighten the grim mood they were in. She stared up at the cracked ceiling. "We have to keep fighting, and we can't do that if we just stay holed up in this tiny room while the others are probably dying, struggling for their lives."
Ever since that day, their lives had never been the same again. It was if they were waking up each morning, living through each day, all just to experience a different kind of hell. So much has happened, so many have suffered, in such little time. Betrayal after betrayal, mission after mission, they were never allowed a moment of peace and all of that would've been enough to push someone on the verge of giving up entirely.
But there was still hope. A hope for a new dawn, a brighter future. A future where they didn't have to live in fear of the Titans, where they could be free.
There was hope, and they needed to keep fighting. No matter how difficult it gets.
At long last, she faced him, her hand grazing his forearm lightly. "So Jean," She called out, causing him to turn to her as well. "Let me fight."
She could see the hesitation in his eyes, how he seemed to be having a battle with his inner self. She understood the reasons for him being like this, so she didn't blame him. She was just as afraid to lose him just as he was afraid to lose her.
Finally, after a long moment of holding back, he finally gave in, slowly pushing both of her gas canisters towards her. She received it with a smile, glancing up at Jean to give him a look of gratitude. "Thank you."
He merely rolled his eyes at the girl before moving to ruffle her hair, and Taryn knew right there and then that his snarky persona was back. She sighed and swatted his hand away, standing up, attaching her gas tanks to her maneuver gear and securing it in place. She began walking towards the door and the boy followed suit, trudging behind her wordlessly.
Walking together in silence, the both of them made their way towards the courtyard where they found the other squads in position, all of them ready to get moving. They approached a corner, discovering that a few available horses had been waiting for them.
She tugged on one of the leashes, patting the horse softly on the head. It's mane was a light golden color, resembling those of hers back at the Scouts' Headquarters. She sighed, missing Eros already.
"Hey, mudface."
Her ears perked up at the familiar nickname, feeling a slight twinge of nostalgia, a longing for the good old days as she heard it. And instead of infuriating her like it once did, hearing it again strangely made her heart flutter. It seemed like forever since he last called her that. "Hmm?"
"Promise that we'll survive together?"
Lips twitching into a smile, she turned to face Jean, and found that a hint of chuckle was present on his face as well. "Yeah. I promise."
...
"Let's move." The Commander's voice boomed throughout the area, causing their eyes to land on him, adrenaline coursing through their veins. They were lined up just outside the boundaries of Rose, now entering the territory of the abandoned Wall Maria, their hearts ready and spirits brave.
The winds flew past them, swaying the leaves of the trees. Beyond those trees were vast lands crawling with Titans, salivating and ready to devour.
Taryn glanced around, studying the faces of the soldiers stationed around her. Some were trembling in fear, some were donning stoic expressions. But she knew they were all feeling the same way—terrified, afraid of what was to come.
"Our goal is to rescue Ymir and Eren Yeager. If we reach the forest before nightfall, we might still make it in time!"
Holding unto her horse reins, determination surged through her. Rescue Eren and Ymir, she repeated in her head, so as to not lose sight of their goal. And return back safely.
She knew things might go wrong. They might not even achieve their goal at all, and everything might end up being a total mess. Yet despite that, she swore to herself that she'll live through it and survive. She'll live through hell again and again if it meant fighting for the future, no matter how hard it takes.
"Scouts, advance!"
...