The scouts were going on their first operation with the new recruits and Erwin had something to say to Lando so he walked over to him.
Lando raised an eyebrow at Erwin walking toward him; he really didn't want to run errands for him right now.
"Lando," Erwin said.
"Yes?" Lando said.
"Is what happened in Trost true?" Erwin asked.
"Depends on what you're looking for," Lando said.
"About you killing over 30 Titans." Erwin clarified.
"I think so," Lando said.
"I asked if it's true or not," Erwin said.
Lando sighed. "It's true."
"Then you'll be with the support squad until we leave the old city then you'll regroup with Levi squad," Erwin said.
"Why Levi squad?" Lando asked. "Why not signaling rows?"
"Because we need someone Eren is at least comfortable with and is skilled enough to not be a hindrance to Levi squad," Erwin stated.
"Why not Mikasa? She is capable." Lando said.
"Because she is a wildcard if Eren gets put in danger," Erwin said.
"She would ignore orders and put everyone else in danger if it meant keeping Eren safe," Lando said.
"Exactly," Erwin said. "You have your orders."
Erwin then walked away leaving a happy Lando but not that he would show it, he got to be in a squad with his dad and protect him if anything happened. Even though his dad is humanity's best.
Hours later.
The scouts were on their horses getting ready for the operation outside the gate. Lando had his position with the support squad. Everyone was waiting for the gate to open and then it did.
"Forward!" Erwin yelled. "Now commencing the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission! Move out!"
The scouts charged out of the city.
Lando was with the support squad he was sent to the left of the city and there was only one Titan there, so he hooked onto a building getting behind it before killing it.
"They really did lure almost all of the Titans away." Lando thought of making his way back toward the other scouts.
With the Scouts, they were riding through the old city when Hange noticed a Titan approaching that was fat.
"10-meter Titan ahead, approaching from the left! I'm extremely curious to know what's inside its stomach! But I'll let the support squad handle it!" Hange yelled.
Two soldiers from the support squad went to kill the Titan as all of the Scouts watched them get to work, one distracted the other while the other one came through and sliced its nape but it wasn't deep enough to kill it. Then the Scouts watched a spinning blur fly toward the Titan slicing its nape, killing it.
"Commander Erwin!" Hange yelled. "Why is Levi with the support squad?!"
"That isn't Levi," Erwin said.
Hange looked over to see Lando standing on the Titans corpse before he used his ODM to fly away.
"That was that new kid that killed 30 Titans during Trost right?" Hange asked.
"Yes it is," Erwin said.
Lando was supposed to regroup with Levi squad now so he took off and found his horse Hachiman, then he took off toward Levi squad.
With Levi squad.
"Mr. Oruo!" Eren said. "Do you think they can beat the Titans in a fight?"
"Huh? What the hell did you just spend this last month doing?!" Oruo said. "Listen, kid! Outside scouting missions are about fighting Titans as little as poss-" Then Oruo bit his tongue on his horse causing him to be quiet.
Lando was making his way toward Levi squad . It was an easy find; he was in the middle of everyone.
"What are you doing here brat?" Levi asked as Lando rode up to him.
It hurt Lando a little bit to hear his father call him that but he ignored it.
"Erwin ordered me to regroup with you. I'm supposed to be here so Eren is a little more comfortable, as well as I won't be a hindrance to your squad," Lando said.
"We'll be fine, go find Erwin and tell him to give you another position," Levi said.
Lando sighed before riding toward Erwin.
Lando caught up and Erwin took note of his presence.
"Why are you here?" Erwin asked.
"Levi told me to get new orders and that they would be fine," Lando said.
Erwin thought for a second before saying "Regroup with Row 2-4."
"Yes, Sir." Lando said and took off toward Row 2-4
Lando was riding through the plains looking at all the red smoke in the sky, he eventually found Reiner and Armin who were chasing after a huge Titan that was sprinting toward the middle of the formation.
"What's going on?" Lando said as he got there.
"Why are you here Lando?" Reiner asked.
"Regrouped," Lando said. "Is that an abnormal?"
"No, it's a person clad in a Titan's body!" Armin said.
"What?" Reiner said.
"Hold on! We need to fire a smoke signal first!" Armin said. "H..Hurry we have to let them know ... .there is an emergency."
Lando sensed someone coming behind him and saw Jean fire a flare into the air.
"Seems Jean already did." Reiner said.
Lando looked into the sky and saw yellow flares fly all over.
"From the right wing?!" Reiner said. "They've suffered too severe of an attack to continue the operation!?"
"Apparently part of the right win has been wiped out! A whole horde of Titans showed up! I dunno how it happened, though! A bunch of em are too fast, too! We're holding them off for now but no one's on spotting duty now! This is a serious setback; if we're not careful we could all get wiped out!"
"It's her," Lando said looking at the female TItan.
"How?" Jean said.
"First this female Titan is an abnormal or intelligent one. Second, she came from that direction. Third, something tells me it's her." Lando said.
"Lando is right, she is a human in a Titan body. A human who can do the same thing as Eren." Armin said.
"What makes you guys think that?" Reiner asked.
"Armin you got it," Lando said.
"Eating is all Titans do. This results in death of course, but killing isn't their actual goal. But as soon as more experienced soldiers went for her vital spot, she crushed and swatted them down. And she didn't do it to eat them....she did it to kill them. She's unlike any other Titan in that regard. She must've been the one who brought the hordes of Titans when the Colossal and Armored Titans destroyed the wall. Meaning she's had the consistent goal of attacking humankind. Or, actually....I think she might be searching for someone. If so, who?" Armin said.
"Eren," Lando said. "Who else here is worth anything other than a life besides Eren."
"Eren?" Reiner asked. "Eren's with the Levi Squad. They're in charge of the right wing."
"Right wing?" Jean questioned. "My copy of the plan had them in the rear of the left wing."
"My copy placed them at the front of the right wing..." Armin said. "Wait there's no way they'd be put on the front lines like that."
"Then where are they?" Reiner asked.
"They are in the middle," Lando said.
"How do you know?" Jean asked.
"I was supposed to regroup with them after they left the old city, Levi said he didn't need me though so Erwin sent me here," Lando said. "Also the middle is the safest part of the formation."
"Well, then smoke signals aren't enough to explain how much of a threat she poses! At this rate, she'll take out the command squad too. And if that happens the formation falls apart and we all die!" Jean said.
"What are you suggesting?" Reiner said.
"I'm suggesting from this distance we might be able to distract her. We can buy time for everyone to retreat. Maybe, anyway....." Jean said.
"She really does have intelligence. From her point of view, we're literally just like insects. All it takes is one swipe to kill us..." Armin said.
"You don't say...." Jean said. "That's some scary stuff."
"Are you really Jean?" Reiner asked. "The Jean I know only ever cares about himself."
"That's rude," Jean said. "I just don't wanna meet a disappointing end. As a bunch of burnt bones that you can't even tell are mine. I...I know what needs to be done now! Plus, we chose to take this job! Help me!"
Armin and Jean looked at each other before Armin said.
"Put your hoods on! All the way, so she can't see your face! Because she can't risk killing us if she can't tell who we are!" Armin said.
"I get it." Reiner said, putting on his hood. " She can't risk killing anyone who might be Eren. Now that's a relief to know. Here's hoping she has bad eyesight too!"
"Armin... The way you always clung so close to Eren used to creep me out, but I always knew I could count on you." Jean said, putting on his hood.
"He isn't completely useless if he uses his brain," Lando said, putting on his hood.
"Huh? Oh, thanks. But that's mean, thinking I'm creepy....." Armin said.
The four of them split up getting ready to attack, Lando was about to go after the Titan but when he tried to use his ODM gear he heard a clunk.
"My gear is malfunctioning!" Lando yelled. "It won't work!"
"Lando try to fix it! The rest of us stick to the original plan!" Armin yelled.
Armin was stressed out though.
"She's aware of her vital spot on her nape. She is completely different from the other Titans. Killing her is probably out of the question. At least for ordinary people anyway. Only three people could kill it. And we have one of them, but his ODM gear is malfunctioning. Can we hold her off enough for him to get it working if he can even?" Armin thought
Jean jumped off his horse shooting a hook toward the Titan but she dodged the hook by sliding toward the right. She then used her arm to shoot wind toward Jean forcing his hood down. She then sprinted toward Armin slapping his horse causing him to fall off and roll pretty violently. The Titan then squatted and looked at Armin.
"Armin!" Jean yelled, shooting a hook into her backside using gas to fly around her. The female Titan planted her foot before swinging her arm to hit Jean, who flew under the hit used gas to get above her and she covered her nape with her hand. Jean saw this and he didn't try to attack.
"Bad move Jean" , Lando thought. " You gotta be constantly moving, fighting this kind of Titan.
The female Titan began to swing her arm into Jean's wire most likely killing him but Armin yelled.
"Jean! Avenge that suicidal maniac!" he yelled.
Then the female Titan stopped not moving.
"It was her! She killed him! That maniac finally got himself killed as part of the right wing! She killed him!" Armin yelled.
That got Jean the time he needed as he used his ODM gear to shoot into a tree sliding after he hit the ground.
"She crushed my friend! I saw him stuck to the bottom of her foot!" Armin yelled.
Reiner then tried to kill the Titan but she grabbed him.
Lando rode to where Jean was.
"My ODM still isn't working!" Lando said.
"Do something!" Jean yelled. "Smack it or something!"
Lando then pounded his fist as hard as he could into his ODM gear. Lando then tried to shoot his hook out and it finally worked. Lando looked to see Reiner still in the Titan's hand.
Jean was frozen as he watched Reiner get crushed in the Titan's hand, he didn't even notice Lando finally got his ODM gear working until he saw someone fly through the sky with his hood on toward the Titan.
Lando was getting fed up with this Titan she was being a huge hindrance, and his first priority was saving Reiner he started spinning toward the Titan's tendons cutting its wrist tendons. Reiner used that opportunity to slice the Titan's fingers off.
Reiner landed in front of the Titan before yelling.
"Lando get Armin!"
Lando was at a crossroad grab Armin and escape or try to kill this Titan. Against his better judgment, he swung around the Titan grabbing Armin. Lando then sprinted with the others to get away.
"I'd say we bought enough time! Now let's get away from her, quick! She doesn't eat people! I don't think she'll follow us!" Reiner yelled. "Look! The giant wrench is running home with her tail in between her legs!"
"No, she is heading toward the center," Lando said. "She is heading for Eren."
"We'll worry about that later, we need to get help right now!" Jean says.
Eventually, they make their way into a clearing surrounded by trees.
Jean was whistling for the horses and Reiner was patching up Armin, Lando was looking into his ODM gear figuring out what was wrong.
"How is your ODM gear, Amrin?" Reiner asked.
"It's all right. It unclasped properly, so it doesn't seem to be broken." Armin said.
"I see. That's good to hear. But now what? We only have one horse. If Jean's horse comes back all four of us can get moving again, but...." Reiner said.
"Some of us would have to stay behind," Lando said.
Reiner nodded his head as he continued to patch up Armin as Jean continued to whistle for his horse.
"Lando you try your hose I know you use some kind of special whistle with it," Jean asked.
Lando trained his horse Hachiman to respond to a special whistle so he tried it multiple times with no luck.
"My horse is dead, or someone else has it," Lando said, he wouldn't admit it but he would be sad if Hachiman died.
Jean cursed before returning back to trying to get his horse to come back.
Armin had the one thousand-yard stare, before Reiner woke him up.
"Hey, Armin!" Reiner said. "I take it you're still a bit mixed-up?" Reiner asked.
"I'm a little dazed." Armin said.
"I see." Reiner said. "Still, we need to decide now. It's a difficult choice, but it looks like two of us has to stay behind."
"Wait! Let's fire a smoke signal first." Armin said. "If the formation kept moving forward, Row 3, Squad 4 should be nearby now."
Jean then loaded up a purple smoke flare and sent it up into the sky.
"That was an emergency smoke signal," Jean said. "I doubt it's good enough to get our points across, though."
"Armin. We'll only wait three minutes. By then, we need to choose who'll stay." Reiner said
"I'll stay," Armin said. "But, in exchange, I need you to report about something. Only to Commander Erwin if possible."
"I'll stay too," Lando said. "I can probably survive the longest out here out of any of us."
"Armin you can report it yourself, and Lando you don't have to survive out here," Jean says. "Someone's coming. And they've brought three horses."
Lando looked out and saw Christa with all of their horses coming towards them.
"Guys! Are you okay!?" Christa yelled.
"Somewhat," Lando said.
Hachiman walked towards Lando putting his head onto Lando's.
"These things happen in our line of work," Lando said to his horse. "At least you know when to cut and run."
"Did you guys fight a Titan?" Christa asked before noticing Armin's bandages.
"Armin!" Christa said. "You're hurt! Are you alright?!"
"Yes, more or less," Armin responded.
"I'm impressed you willingly came here after seeing that smoke signal," Reiner said.
"I happen to be nearby, plus I'd found Jean's and Lando's horses," Christa said.
"You have a way with horses, not to mention a remarkable sense of virtue. We owe you one." Reiner said.
"I'm just glad..." Christ said as tears fell from her eyes. "So very glad that the worst didn't happen to you guys..."
Lando now was on edge; his distrust of Christa grew after that. No one was that nice for no reason, no one that perfect. He would have to watch out for her, she seemed like a snake in the grass. Lando looked at Reiner, Jean, and Armin; they fell for her trap. They all were looking at her like she was a goddess.
"Well, we better hurry back into formation!" Christa said.
They all took off.
End of Chapter 26.
Who is your favorite anime character? Mine is Hachiman Hikigaya hence where I got Lando's horse name from.