"Wait Captain!" one of the trainees says as he looks at the leader of the Garrison operation, "if the titans attack, we supply troops won't be able to protect this place on our own. Please stay here!".
"Out of the way" the leader says rudely, "I must organise the reinforcement squads".
"Within the inner gate where it's safe?" the trainee asks as he cocks a brow.
"What are you trying to say?" the leader questions, "this is our procedure! It is our duty as soldiers to follow procedure".
"But if this place falls-" the trainee tries to bargain.
"Silence!" the leader yells as he points his sword at the trainee, "another word and I'll be forced to deem you traitors and punish you right here".
Meanwhile outside, Mikasa continues to glide around as she makes it to a higher advantage point.
I heard the bell sound a temporary retreat. Why does not one try to climb the walls?
Mikasa asks herself as she looks around and spots the titans heading towards the headquarters. Inside the headquarters in the library, some of the trainees and soldiers do their best to hide from the titans. One girl peeks her head over the table and sees a titan looking straight at her through the window.
"It's over" she says as tears spill from her as she sits back down, "it's all over".
One of the other boys pokes ammunition into the gun he has as he turns it on himself, putting into his mouth as he kills himself.
"Hey Jean, what should we do?" Conny asks from outside as the weather starts to clear.
"There's nothing we can do" Jean says as he sits on a rooftop and he looks down, "they finally issued the order to retreat, but without more gas, we can't climb the walls. So we're all going to die because of those cowards".
"The supply team" Conny says as he looks at Jean, "what happened to them? Were they wiped out?".
"They're too terrified to move" Jean explains as he leans his head on his hand, "I can see why. But abandoning their mission to resupply us inside the headquarters? Unbelievable. And sure enough, the titans have swarmed them, so we can't go get more gas.
"Then we must take a chance and try and destroy the titans around the headquarters" Conny shouts as Jean glares at him, "we won't be any worse off than sitting here. The titans will be here before long. And if we keep on running, we'll just waste the gas we have. Without use of our manouver gear, we'll really be done for".
"I'm surprised to see you're using your head for once, Connie" Jean says as his gaze softens, his tone of voice proud, "but do you think we can do that, given our numbers here? Most of the veterans in the vanguard were killed. Which of us trainees could lead a suicide mission like that? Well, even if someone could, we can't fight the titans. I bet the gas supply room is chock full of three to four meter titans. Obviously, we can't refuel with them around".
"So we're doomed?" Conny asks as his shoulders droop.
"What a stupid life!" Jean complains as he sighs deeply, "if I'd known this would happen, I would've told them".
"Let's do it, everyone" Sasha says brightly, "come on, stand up. If we all work together, we'll be fine. I'll take the lead" she says as she looks at everyone and realises how beaten down they are as she spots Armin and runs over to him, "come on Armin. Let's all-".
"Reiner, what should we do?" Annie asks as she, Reiner and Bertolt all stand together.
"Nothing yet" Reiner says calmly, "if we do it, we do it all together".
"It's hopeless" Marco says from next to the three of them, "there's no way any of us can make it out of this town alive. I knew I would die, but what am I dying for?".
All of a sudden, Mikasa comes over as everyone spots her.
"Mikasa, what are you doing here? I thought you were with the rear-guard" Jean says as Mikasa runs by him.
"Annie!" Mikasa calls out to Annie, "I have a basic idea of what's going on. And I'm sorry to involve my personal feelings, but did you see Eren's team?".
"I didn't see them, but no one's made it up the walls" Annie says as she looks at her.
"Actually, Armin's over there" Reiner says as he points to Armin who's leant against the wall, knees tucked to his chest.
"Armin!" Mikasa says as she runs over to him.
Mikasa. No. How am I supposed to face her? I survived for nothing. I wish I'd died back there with him.
Armin tells himself as he squeezes his eyes shut.
"Armin, are you hurt?" Mikasa asks as she kneels down in front of Armin, "are you okay? Where's Eren? Armin?".
Armin looks at Mikasa as he tries to hold back completely losing it as tears slip from his eyes. Mikasa realises what's happened as she looks down.
"The members of trainee corps team thirty four Thomas Wagner, Mina Karolina and Eren Jaeger These three died valiantly in the line of duty!" Armin shouts as everyone looks at him.
"No" Sasha says, not wanting to believe what she's just heard.
"Team thirty four was almost wiped out then" Jean says as he looks down.
"If we try to face the titans, the same will happen to us" Samuel says.
"I'm sorry Mikasa" Armin says as he looks down, "Eren, he sacrificed himself for me. I, I couldn't do anything! I'm sorry".
"Armin" Mikasa says as she grabs his hand, "calm down. This isn't the time to get emotional. Now stand up" Mikasa says as the two of them stand up, "Marco, if we eliminate the titans swarming the headquarters, then we can refuel and climb the walls. Isn't that right?".
"That's right but even with you here, there's still too many" Marco says as Mikasa walks by everyone.
"I can do it" Mikasa says confidently as she readies her swords, "I am strong, stronger than you guys. I was trained by Evelyn Jaeger, one of the top survey corps members, a strong Captain in her ranks. She trained me in how to defend myself in the face of death, so I will do this. I am very strong, so therefore, I can defeat those titans. Even on my own. You are not only weak, but you are spineless cowards. I am disappointed in you. Just stay here, stay here and watch. If I can't fight them on my own, I'll die. But if I win, I'll live. If I don't fight, I can't win".
And with that, Mikasa heads off.
"What's disappointing here is your vocabulary" Jean says as he looks down, "was that supposed to be an inspiration speech? This is your fault, Eren. Listen up!" Jean shouts as he decides to take the lead after Mikasa, "were we trained to let our fellow soldiers fight alone? Do you really want to become cowards?".
"I wouldn't want that" Reiner says as Jean and Conny go after Mikasa as he and Annie go off as well.
Armin wipes his tears as Marco sighs. All of them then head off after Mikasa.
"Follow Mikasa! We do this fast!" Jean orders.
"We need to storm the headquarters before our gas runs out" Conny says, "Mikasa's amazing though. How does she move so fast?".
Armin looks at Mikasa and realises something.
No, she's using too much gas. She'll run out fast. No matter how good you are, without manouver gear, you're helpless. I knew she wasn't her usual calm self. She's trying to ignore her shock by taking action. At this rate, she'll...
Armin tells himself as Mikasa's gas runs out and she hits the rooftops, falling down into an alleyway below.
"Mikasa!" Armin yells as he goes in the direction of where she fell.
"Damn it!" Jean says as he looks over.
"Jean, you take over!" Conny yells as he looks at Jean, "I'll go after Armin".
"I will too" Jean argues.
"What are you doing?" Conny asks as he moves away from Jean, "there are still titans out there. We need your skills".
Mikasa lands on a small trash pile covered by a sheet as she lays there, looking up at the sky.
Again. This again. I lost my family once more.
Mikasa tells herself as she gets down from the trash pile and her legs go out from underneath her. A titan then slowly starts to make its way over to her as she acknowledges its presence but she doesn't do anything about it.
Do I have to remember the pain again? Do I have to start over from here again?
Mikasa asks herself as she looks down at the ground. Meanwhile, whilst heading over to the headquarters, Jean stops on one of the rooftops.
It's hopeless. We can't even get close to the headquarters. Not unless we're willing to risk casualties.
Jean says as he looks down and he watches more of the trainees die after trying to help someone escape the group of titans that swarm below them. Meanwhile, back in the alleyway, Mikasa still hasn't moved, despite the fact that there is a titan slowly heading straight towards her.
This world is cruel. And also very beautiful. It was a good life.
Mikasa tells herself as she closes her eyes, perfectly ready to accept death when something snaps in her brain and she pulls out her swords, cutting off the fingers of the titan that goes to grab for her as she dodges out of the way.
What? Why? I thought I'd given up.
Mikasa tells herself as she continues to dodge the titan's attempts to grab her.
Why do I keep standing up? Why am I struggling? To what end? There's no point in living anymore. What is driving me?
Mikasa asks herself as she turns around to run when another titan comes in the opposite direction. Mikasa hears Eren's words in her head as she's stuck and doesn't know what to do.
"Eren" Mikasa says as she draws her weapons, "I'll fight!".
Mikasa is about to run forwards when the titan behind her steps down heavily and breaks up the ground below her as it steps over her and punches the other titan in the face, making it crash to the ground. Mikasa looks up at the titan before her as it starts to kick the other titan, ultimately killing it. The titan has dark brown hair that reaches the lower parts of its neck, dark green eyes and ears that prick at the end. The titan screams loudly as Mikasa covers her ears.
A titan, is killing another titan.
Mikasa realises.
"Please be safe, Mikasa" Armin says as he continues to look around for Mikasa.
Armin hears a titan scream from his side as he spots the titan and Mikasa knelt on the ground. Armin changes his direction as he goes down to her, picking her up and bringing her to the rooftop.
"Mikasa, are you hurt?" Armin asks as the two of them land.
"Are you two okay?" Conny asks as he lands as well.
"Yeah" Armin says as he looks at him.
"We need to move" Conny says as he spots another titan heading for the other titan already there, "oh no. Two fifteen meter class titans".
"No, that titan" Mikasa says as Armin looks at her, "destroyed that other one".
Conny and Armin look and see the skeleton of the dead titan. The long haired titan screams at the other titan, the titan doing the same back. The long haired titan prepares a fighting stance, much to the three trainees' confusion. The titan screams again as it runs at the long haired titan, only for the long haired titan to take its head off with a single punch, also sacrificing the long haired titan's fist. The headless titan tries to move but the long haired titan starts to stamp on it's neck, killing it.
"He knew where to hit to kill it?" Armin asks in confusion.
"We've got to move before it kills us" Conny says as the long haired titan moves towards the headquarters.
"No. It's showing no interest in us" Armin says as he watches its movements, "even though it should've attacked us by now".
"It appeared to know rudimentary combat skills too" Mikasa says as Conny looks at her, "what is it?".
"We just have to assume it's another aberrant" Conny says as he looks down, "we barely know anything about them. Anyway, let's get to the headquarters".
"Wait a minute" Armin says as he grabs Conny's wrist, "Mikasa's out of gas".
"Hey seriously? What are we supposed to do without you?" Conny asks worriedly.
"There's only one thing to do" Armin says as he kneels down, "I don't have much left either. But we need to exchange the canisters now".
"Armin" Mikasa says as she looks at Armin who gets to work.
"There's no time" Armin says as he takes Mikasa's and swaps them over, "there no use in my having them. But, don't waste it this time. Use it to save everyone".
I led everyone into battle without being willing to protect them. And for a minute, I gave up on living not feeling responsible for them in the least. And all for personal feelings. I.
Mikasa tells herself as she looks away.
"Okay, the starter device still works" Armin says as Conny looks at him, glad Armin paid attention during the construction classes for 3D manouver gear, "I gave you all my blades Mikasa. But please, let me keep this one. I don't want to be eaten alive".
"Armin" Mikasa says as she takes the blade from his hand and throws it away, replacing the blade with her hand, "I won't leave you here" Mikasa says as she helps Armin up and the three of them looks over at headquarters.
At the time, I was filled with confusion. I'd never heard of a titan killing another titan. I also felt a glimmer of exhilaration. I saw the rage of humanity embodied in what I saw.