*opening starts*
The dark clouds formed up at the high sky. Armin has lost it as Connie is shaking Armin to wake up back to reality.
Connie: Hey! Hey!! What's wrong Armin?! Pull yourself together! Hey! Armin! Hey, Armin! Hey!
Finally, Armin snaps back to reality as he saw Connie with a mix of worried and fear on his face.
Connie: You with me?! You okay?!
Connie and the rest of his team are here securing Armin's location.
Connie: Are you all right? Where's your squad?
Armin: Squad...?
Connie: Oh, man. Pull yourself together. Why are you all by yourself? Plus you're all wet and slimy... What the heck happened?
But then, Armin starts getting flashbacks of what happened. Mina's "death", Squad's downfall and Eren's last life.
Armin: AAAAAAH! *clutches his head* You're so useless! Just die already!
Connie: Whoa! Calm down, Armin!
Armin: Damn it!
Connie: Where is everyone?!
Ymir: Give it a rest, Connie. They've been wiped out. All but him.
Connie: Shut up! Armin hasn't said anything!
Ymir: Just look around. It's obvious. We don't got any more time to waste on him.
Connie: Why is he the only one who's okay?!
Ymir: Beats me. Maybe they thought he was a corpse? It sucks that they ran into multiple Titans and that only this underachiever made it out alive. Eren and the others worked hard for nothing.
Connie: You...! Want me to make it so you never talk again?!
The argument is going too far as Krista and another voice tries to make them stop the argue immediately.
Krista: Stop it, you two! We're all shaken up here! All our friends are suddenly dying left and right! It's natural!
Ymir: *puts her arm over Krista* That's my Krista! Marry me when this is over! *laughs*
Connie: Yeah, right... *mutters* She is clowning around more than usual.
Connie goes back to Armin.
Connie: Anyways, we can't stay here. Can you stand, Armin?!
Armin just teared up still remembering the dying moment a few hours ago.
Armin: I... I'm sorry for the trouble. *walks away* I'll rendezvous with the rearguard.
Armin walks away and just needs to be alone for now.
Connie: Hey, Armin!
Connie looks even more worried about him.
Cadet (B): Let's go, Connie! We've been ordered to advance!
Connie follows up to his team, taking one last glance of where Armin go to.
Armin now seeing trails of blood on the ground.
Armin: 'This is hell... NO, it hasn't become hell. I was just mistaken until now. This world has always been a hell, from the very start.'
He remembers the beat up from the bullies, at how powerless he is to fight back against it.
Armin: 'The strong prey the weak. It's such a simple, straightforward world. It's just, my friends...'
He also remembers Eren and Mikasa helping him and the cloaked man who warns the bullies to death.
Armin: 'They tried to be strong in this world. They helped me, someone who was weak. I couldn't bear it... *emotional* They saw me as someone who needed to be protected. I wanted to live in this world like them... I wanted to be strong and stand shoulder-to-shoulder with them...'
Until his grapple hook didn't pierce through the wall. He bumps into it, and drops down. He tears up, because he couldn't do anything to save them.
Armin: 'And this is the result... Because of me, Eren wound up...'
But then he saw an imagery of Franz, torn in half and Hannah, trying to use CPR on him, until it was faded by a pixel. He thought they're both dead and he clutched his head from the pain he's having to remember the trauma.
Armin: Please... stop this... I.. I can't take this anymore... I can't...
Meanwhile
At the evac point, people are arguing about the man's cargo which it can't fit through the wall and it's heavier than the other belongings.
Civilian: H-Hey, now! Don't you guys realize how bad the situation is?!
The Vendor who's a real bastard and cold for the civilians as well as he lets only his men do the dirty work
Vendor: Yeah! That's why we're doing this! And if you guys wanna live, you'll give us some damn help!
Civilians: To heck with that!
Civilians: It's gonna get stuck!
Civilians: Letting people through comes first!
Civilians: We're all gonna get eaten, standing here!
They all argue, the Vendor is just trying to scare them off including it's soldiers by saying his position, even though it could not save them at this point.
Inside the ruckus, a mother and a girl child is seen, the child is scared and the mother is comforting her daughter.
Mother: It'll be okay. Your dad's going to use his cannons to make the Titans go away.
Daughter: Mom. *points over* Over there.
The Mother looked behind as the stomping grew louder, and then it suddenly appeared. A fast Abnormal is running and just kicked the small titan without care. The Garrison is trying to catch up and kill it but its speed is exceeding the limited speed of ODM gear.
Vendor: Push! Push if you don't wanna die!
The civilians are starting the panic, and they even tried to suffocate the civilians just to push through. Garrison soldiers are trying to aggravate it. But it doesn't give a care.
Garrison (B): Damn! Why is it ignoring us?!
Garrison (B): It's an Abnormal! No point trying to figure it out!
Garrison (G): It's fast! Not even we elites can catch up to it!
Garrison (B): At this rate...!
Until Mikasa zips through and dealt the killing blow.
She checked the blades, it's getting duller, at any moment it could break. But it's not over yet, as the Garrison screams.
Garrison (B): *points to the 2 titans on the roof * Abnormal!
The two Abnormals jumped so high, and they're about to reach their crash point which is to body slam the whole civilians. Mikasa tries to find a way but she didn't need to as they heard a strange noise coming from above.
They looked and they couldn't believe what they're seeing. The figure slices them off and landed. A huge gust of dust covered them. They covered their faces so they'll protect their eyes from the dirt
Garrison (G): What was that?!
Garrison (B): I don't know! But whatever it is-
But when he saw the smoke fading away, he just gasps in shock at the sudden surprise.
Garrison (B): That's impossible...
They saw it up-close, the 00 has returned. And it's looking at a specific person. Mikasa asked the civilians.
Mikasa: What... are you doing?
Vendor: Oh, perfect timing! Get these guys to help me and kill that monster! I'll make it worth your while!
Mikasa is just surprised as this guy is not doing any contribution for the evac while Y/n is just sighed at the foolish vendor. She pointed her sword to behind her.
Mikasa: My comrades are dying as we speak. They're fighting and dying because the citizens haven't finished evacuating.
Vendor: Of course they are! It's your duty to give your hearts to defend the lives and property of the people! Don't go getting a big head now that you freeloaders have something to do after a century of uselessness!
Mikasa narrowed her eyes at this. She drops down, angrily approaching the vendor. But, Y/n activates his extension coms and stops Mikasa.
Y/n: Hold on a minute...
She turns around and sees the Gundam's eyes that it has a better intimidation plan. She stopped walking but still looking at the Vendor, pissed and about to use violence..
Vendor: What the hell are you-?! *gets grabbed by the 00's hand* AH! AH! LET ME GO!
He's screaming in fear as the men tries to rescue their dear boss but they were stopped when the blades of Mikasa's sword is near their necks.
00: Tell me, now mister. Is your head a big one or is it a size of a small nut bolt?
The Vendor is now scared for his life as he saw its eyes. It's glare that signifying one wrong move and you're dead.
00: Because I just heard about your position in your so called association in this town. Here's the thing, you're using words only to scare them off that you don't know what meaning of it.
Ian and the others are quietly observing the two. Ian is surprised about the eyes that Mikasa and the Gundam is giving away.
Ian: 'What kind of life have they gone through?'
Y/n: Now, I'm a man of my word. Move the wagon, or I will move it and let you and your men get to be... taken care of.
His men and him are scared so badly from his warning that even Mikasa's glare is sending shivers down to their spines. They didn't want to make any wrong moves as the civilians are just quietly observing them.
The vendor is scared and be pissing in his pants as time goes on. But eventually, he gives in.
Vendor: M-Move the wagon.
They moved it and the civilians are now running in relief as they finally got through. Leaving Mikasa, Y/n, and the mother and daughter.
Daughter: Thank you, lady and mister!
Mother: You two really saved the day. You have our gratitude!
Mikasa just salutes and the 00 kneels down and puts his hands on the ground.
00: Child, would you kindly step forward?
The child obeys and the mother is just observing what's happening. The daughter gets on to his hand and the 00 asks a quiestion.
00: Tell me. What is your name?
Louise: Louise, sir.
00: Louise. *lifts his thumb and gently ruffle her hair and whispers* Louise, you're still too young to see this. Once we meet again, I'll guide you to the right path.
Louise has her smile on the 00, but she didn't know that in the future she has been chosen to be at a faction. A faction of where using armed interventions of machines. He puts her down and she returns to her mother. Mikasa flies away to rendezvous with Ian. While 00 flies away the scene as the rain starts to fall on Trost District. Ian is with Mikasa as of now and he compliments her.
Ian: Good work taking it down with the Mechanical Titan, Ackerman. Very impressive.
Mikasa: Thank you, sir. However, I'm afraid I inadvertently dulled my blades during the attack. *detaches the dull blades*I will be more careful next time.
Ian: Just what life have the two of you gone into? *Mikasa turns to him* No, never mind.
But then she covers the bottom half of her face with the scarf. She sees the mother and daughter at that moment as her past life.
Mikasa: Why am I reminded of it at a time like this?
Y/n is now hovering above Trost to scan the situation. While Y/n is doing recon, he reminded himself of the mother and daughter as the same situation when he was scouting in the mountains 5 years ago.
Flashback
Year 845
The rainfall continues to shower down; at a log cabin in the fields, where it's outside the walls, a young gentle Mikasa is doing embroidery with her mother and her father is peeling the skin of a potato.
Mikasa: Finished! Look, Mom!
Mother: Oh, you did a great job, Mikasa! It's very nice!
Mikasa: *giggle*
Mother: This style of embroidery has been passed down in our clan from generation to generation. When you have a child, it'll be your turn to pass it on too!
Mikasa is still an innocent child so, she doesn't know anything about having a child.
Mikasa: Uhm... How can I have a child?
Mother: *nervous* Oh, uh... Err, why don't you ask your father that?
Father: Hm?
Mikasa: Well, dad?
Father: *nervous* Oh, uhh, I don't really know, either!
(A/n: Mikasa, you're too young to know)
Father: *changes the topic* Oh, I know! Dr. Jaeger will be here any minute! Why don't we ask him?
The mother is trying her best not to laugh because of her question. Until a knock was heard at their front door.
The rain continues as Eren and Grisha are waiting a response for the family. Grisha is knocking the door.
Eren: Mikasa?
Grisha: Yes. She's about your age. There aren't many children in these parts, so try to get along.
Eren: That depends on how she acts...
Grisha: Eren... That attitude is why you've only made one friend.
Grisha then doubted that they don't respond anymore.
Grisha: Are they not home? *knocks again* Mr. Ackerman! It's Jaeger! *opens the door* Is anyone home?
But what he saw completely shocked him to the core. He's sweating bullets as he saw what had been the most terrifying of all.
Eren: What's wrong? What is it, Dad?
When he saw what his Dad saw, he completely froze. Grisha checks the pulse of Mikasa's mother.
Grisha: 'No pulse...' Too late. Eren. Have you seen the girl- Mikasa- anywhere nearby?
Eren: *emotionless* No.
Grisha: I see... I'll get the Military Police and have them conduct a search! You'll wait at the foot of the mountain. Is that clear, Eren?!
Eren's face is just emotionless and dark. He didn't respond at Grisha's request.
Grisha: Eren!
Meanwhile somewhere, a hidden abandoned log cabin is place. There they had Mikasa as a hostage.
Thug: Hey. Are you sure she'll actually sell? We even went and killed her parents before running off with her... Take a look at her face.
Thug 2: Looks nice, but she's still just a kid. She ain't for me.
Thug: I'm not asking about your tastes. She's an "Oriental." There used to be different types of humans, you see. Long ago, some people fled a place called the Orient and sought refuge inside the walls. She's the last descendant of that clan. We're gonna take her to the underground market in the capital and auction her off to those old perverts. All the other Orientals have died out, so she'll go for a pretty hefty price.
Thug 2: Her old man didn't look like an Oriental to me. She ain't pure blooded to me.
Thug: That's right! The mom was the really valuable one! But you had to freak out and kill her!
Thug 2: I-I couldn't help it! She put up a fight!
Thug: That's all excuses you got for yourself?! Huh?!
At the forest, Y/n, hooded and has a mask, is scouting the mountains on foot. Until he received heartbeats nearby with his heartbeat sensor.
Y/n: I don't like the look of this. Whatever, it is, they must be keeping something valuable for them. *primes his SP-X with a thermal scope mode and a silencer*
He saw 2 green dots, one is very far and moving and the other is surrounded by two red dots. he moves in and finds a good spot for sniping position.
Eren saw a log cabin. He would be sure that Mikasa is in there. But curses himself as it was heavily guarded.
Eren: Dammit. I can't get in at this point...
But then he saw something moving in the trees on his right, he then saw a blinking light; he would assume its meaning that it's helping him.
Y/n is now in a good sniping position, and kills his first target. It was the 2 thugs guarding the side of the house they're talking to each other. One is facing it's back and the other is not.
Y/n: 'Kyoya Y/n. GBN Guardian 1. Targeted and firing' *fires*
It killed two heads with one bullet. Her signaled the kid with a red light meaning stop first. He still needs to take out the ones who's guarding the front door on the porch. He breathes and counted himself for the right timing.
Y/n: '3... 2... 1... Mark!' *pulls the trigger*
Another two birds with one stone shot. The thug on the outside of the front porch entrance starts to became suspicious. Y/n gives Eren a green light. Eren starts to silently walk closer to the thug to kill it.
When the guard sees someone he tries to move but a bullet hits his leg making him grunt in pain, and then Eren appears to him and stabbed the on its head.
Inside, they clearly have no idea that their henchmen are dead. Mikasa is starting to feel cold.
Mikasa: 'So cold.'
A door was opened a little bit making the two afraid that they're busted. But it turns out it was Eren who opened it a little bit to stall them.
Eren: Oh, I'm sorry.
Thug 2: Hold it, kid! How did you even find this place?!
Eren pretended to be scared when he yells, deep inside he's filled with rage. He's holding his knife behind him with the blood stain from the last enemy on it.
Eren: Err, uhh... I got lost in the forest, and then, umm, I saw a cabin, so...
The thugs saw it like its completely saying a truth but he signals his mate that he should not leave witness. What they didn't know is that, the kid, Eren is their deaths door.
Thug 2: You know kids shouldn't wander around the forest all alone. *ruffles his hair* Scary wolves live in the forest, you know. But there's nothing to worry about now. We'll be happy to take you-
In the end, a stabbed was heard. He's been stabbed by Eren; he's been fooled, resulting his death.
Eren: Thanks, Mister. *shoves the thugs arm away from his head* I already know the score. *eyes filled with rage* So die, you a-hole! *slices his neck*
Thug: Huh?! What the hell?!
The thug starts to be alerted and tries to alert the others. But when he looked out the window. He only saw dead bodies of his henchmen. He looked back to Eren and can only see his creepy eyes while closing the door.
Y/n changes to thermal to see how things would go. Inside the cabin, the thug picks up his axe and opens the door to find him. But when he opened the door, he saw Eren, with a knife attached to a broom stick, acting as a spear.
Eren: GRRAAAAAHHH!!!
He proceeds to stab the thug and dropped to the floor.
Eren: You damn *stab* animal...! *stab* Die! *stab* Die! This is what you get! *stab* This is what you deserve! *stab* Never get up again!
Mikasa saw the brutality that Eren is doing including Y/n who's watching at the vantage point with his scope. Y/n winces and surprised that this kid is brutal when stabbing the thug to the head and face multiple times.
Eren finally stop and breathes after the carnage. He wipes his tears and tells Mikasa.
Eren: You're safe now... You can relax.
Eren helps her get up, and he slices the binds holding her.
Eren: I take it you're Mikasa? I'm Eren. I'm Dr. Jaeger's son. I'm sure you've met my dad before. I was tagging along when he visited your house for a checkup. But then...
Mikasa remembers that there were more than two of them.
Mikasa: There were 3 of them.
Eren: 3?!
When he looked behind, it was the other guy. Y/n is too late to react as he saw the third guy strangling Eren and Mikasa is standing there, shaking. He then felt the wind is getting stronger.
Y/n: Tsk. I can't shoot at this point. The bullet will just missed the guy, either it hits that boy or the girl or even the floor or walls. I'm sorry, kid. You need to create an opportunity for me to get a shot.
Eren is trying to say something to Mikasa.
Eren: F-Fight!
Mikasa: Huh?
Eren: Fight! Fight... or die...! Win... and live!
Thug 3: What the hell are you thinking, brat?!
Eren: The only way to win... is to fight!
Mikasa widens her eyes and picks up the knife, but clearly she's still shaking.
Mikasa: No... I can't do it!
But then time freezes as she remembers something.
Mikasa: 'Just then... I remembered. I had seen this same thing... over and over... all my life.'
She remembered when she and her mother are at the farm near their house. They're talking about something.
Mikasa: 'I'd seen it everywhere I went...'
She saw a mantis killing the life of the butterfly
Mikasa: 'But... I always looked the other way.'
Then she saw her father, returned home from hunting with his rifle. He has a dead chicken holding on his hand.
Mikasa: 'That's right... We live... in a cruel world.'
Back to the recent event where the time stopped, Mikasa lowers her arm a little bit.
Mikasa: 'At that moment, my body stops shaking. I was in full control of myself after that. I thought I could do anything...'
Mikasa: "Fight."
A sudden jolt spreads throughout her body with her eyes and body now in full control of herself.
Mikasa: "Fight!" *grips the knife so hard the handle broke* "Fight!" *steps her right foot forward resulting the wood broke* GRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!
She stabbed him straight through the heart, and it didn't moved. Until...
Thug: 3: You... *screams his finale* You insolent fu-!
Y/n: 'Now!'
But then a shot came form the window piercing his mouth when he screamed. (A/n: Like the AC Unity Robespierre mission) He drops dead, the bullet went through the wooden floor and the bullet is now lodged underneath the cabin and into the dirt soil.
Mikasa breathes and Eren coughs after breaking out of its grip. When they looked at the window where the shot came from but only to be seen that Y/n is disappeared.
Night
7 PM
The Military has arrived and Grisha also. They checked inside only to be found that the 3rd Thug is facing its back to the Military thinking of a assumption that its flawed.
Military (B): Stabbed through the heart form behind.
Military (B): Those kids did this?
Outside Grisha is scolding Eren and Mikasa is just standing near the campfire.
Grisha: Eren. I told you to wait at the foot of the mountain. Do you have any idea what you've done?!
Eren: I got rid of some dangerous animals! They just happened to look like people!
Grisha: Eren!
Eren: They would've been long gone by the time the Military Police arrived! It would've been too late!
Grisha is now angry because of it.
Grisha: *angry* Even so, you were just lucky, Eren! The way you casually threw your life away is what I'm angry about!
Eren: But... I wanted to save her as fast as I could...
Grisha gasps about it and just sighs knowing his son is right. He faces Mikasa now. Eren didn't tell about the mysterious helper because he thought it would only get worse.
Grisha: Mikasa. Do you remember me? We've met several times before, when you were little.
Mikasa is still having a face of regret.
Mikasa: Dr. Jaeger... How do I get home from here?
Mikasa can't move on from what happened especially now her home is destroyed.
Mikasa: I'm cold... I have nowhere to go now...
Eren then gets close to Mikasa and wraps his scarf around her.
Eren: You can keep this. *nervous* Warm, isn't it?
She touches the scarf as it reminded her of bonding time with her mother.
Mikasa: It is...
Grisha then suggests an idea.
Grisha: Mikasa. Come live with us.
Mikasa: Huh?
Grisha: You've been through a lot. You need plenty of rest.
Mikasa then looks at Eren.
Eren: What is it? *grabs her wrist* C'mon. Let's go already. **looks at her* To our home.
Mikasa then tears up, knowing she had a family to live again.
Mikasa: *tearing up* Yeah. Let's go...
flashback end
The rain continues to fall, after she remembered a certain memory when she was a kid. The titan is on the way to somewhere and she killed it instantly at the nape.
She dropped down at the roof and Ian also did.
Mikasa: 'A cruel world in which only the victors are allowed to live...
The bell starts to rang and the gate is closing after the whole evac is completed.
Ian: Time to withdraw, Ackerman! Let's scale the wall!
Mikasa: I'll go assist the vanguard's retreat! *swings away*
Ian: H-Hey, Ackerman!
Mikasa now flies to find Armin and the others.
Mikasa: 'But I do have a place to call home in this world now.'
Mikasa flies faster to find her family member, which unknown to her about his painful demise. All except the person who's with him the whole time, Armin.
Mikasa: 'Eren. As long as I have you, I can do anything.'
TBC