Location:- Wall Maria, South of Trost District.
56th Expedition
It was a bright sunny day. The harsh rays of the sun fell over a ruined Town in Wall Maria, which is site of another battle between the Titans and the brave soldiers of the Survey Corps.
For the Scouts, their mission was to capture this town and use it as a forward base and to make a stable supply line for further future incursions into Titan captured Territory.
The bravest Soldiers of humanity battled the flesh eating giants, completely unaware of the breach in Trost District.
A Soldier groaned in pain, as a 15-meter Class Titan chewed on his body.
"Just... Just you watch... You bastards... Humanity will survive" The Soldier groaned but refused to weep in fear and pain, as he stared at the disinterested Giant which was munching on his body.
"We'll win!" The brave man growled and used the last of his strength, to stab the Titan on his cheek with his broken sword, causing steam to errupt from the wound.
The Titan eyed him uninterested and clenched its teeth, it's sharp canines puncturing through flesh. The Soldier screamed, blood squirting in the air.
"You'll all fall...to Captain Levi!" The man coughed out blood, and just a second later a hook shot past the Titan.
"Captain Levi!!" The Soldier gave a painful grin, as a green blur flew behind the Titan and with a ring of steel, sliced the nape. The man landed on a roof of a nearby building just as the Titan fell dead.
Captain Levi. Humanity's Strongest Soldier looked forward and noticed three more enemies.
"One on the right. Two on the left." Levi muttered, his voice entirely disinterested like fighting Titans is nothing more than a mundane job to him.
"Captain." A beautiful blonde girl with doe brown eyes joined him, following her were two more Soldiers, who stood for orders "I have gathered reinforcements.
"Petra, tend to the soldier below" Levi ordered swiftly pointing at the downed man "Erd, Gunther take the one on the right. I'll handle the ones on the left."
They nodded, swiftly following their given orders.
In another part of the town, a dark brown hair woman squeeled as she dodged an 13 Metre class.
"Yahooooo" Hange Zoe laughed as she landed on the rooftop, turning to face her adversary.
"Don't worry! I won't hurt you!" She winked at the Giant causing it to glare down at her. The Titan brought its hand down on her to catch her but the Squad Leader swiftly dodged the attempt.
"Nice try!" Hange laughed dodging and she used her ODM to climb high in the air before coming up behind the Titan "Now it's my turn!" With a smirk, she sliced the nape before landing softly on the ground.
"See?!" She exclaimed cheerfully as the Titan fell on the ground, causing it to shake "That didn't hurt." The Titan blood splattered on her cloak began evaporating.
"She makes it look so fun and easy" Moblit thought in awe. His Leader may have been reckless but she is undoubtedly the third strongest in the entire Survey Corps after Captain Levi and Mike Zacharias.
Back to Levi, he was casually walking towards his enemies.
"Every single one of you have such funny faces." Levi muttered in disgust as he walked toward the 15-meter, casually shooting his Cable to the left and embedding into a nearby Clock Tower.
The Titan opened its mouth wide and Levi flew to the side. Spinning, he took it out quickly and used the momentum to jump off a ledge and head toward the second Titan.
Seeing his blades had been blunted, he instead used it as throwing knives to hit the Titan's eyes. The 15 metres tall Giant screamed in pain clutching its eyes, as Levi landed on its bald head.
"Whoa, just stay still." He muttered taking out a fresh set of blades "I have to get a clean cut of your flesh."
Releasing Gas from his ODM, he kept high in the air spinning down to cut the nape, killing the Titan with ease. He landed on a roof and checked his sword, coated in blood.
"Hmph, how filthy." He pulled his cloak to clean the blades, even though all the blood would evaporate within a few seconds.
A few minutes later, Levi walked toward Petra, who was holding a cloth to the soldier's wound.
"Captain," She said, her voice wavy "I can't get the bleeding to stop."
Levi didn't said anything but inside guilt churned in his heart. If only he had killed the Titan five seconds earlier.
"One more. I could have saved one more" He thought as the Soldier groaned in pain.
"Captain..." The soldier on the ground rasped.
Levi slowly knelt on the ground "Yes?"
"W-Was I...helpful to...humanity at all?" He weakly raised his hand. "Or will I die...uselessly like this?"
Without hesitation, Levi grabbed his bloodied hand tightly, even though he was wiping out blood from his Swords a few seconds earlier.
"You did great things. And you'll continue to. The resolve you leave behind will give me strength, I promise you! I will exterminate the Titans!" Levi vowed resolutely clutching his hand tightly.
"Captain, he's already..." Petra muttered toneless.
Levi blinked, staring down to see the Soldier had already died. He slowly closed his open lifeless eyes, asking "Did he hear it all?"
"Yes," Petra assured him, "I'm sure he heard you. He's resting with a peaceful look on his face."
"That's good," Levi said standing up, when a Horse raced towards them.
"Levi!" Commander Erwin Smith's Horse stopped before them, his blonde hair shinning like a golden crown under the sunlight. His deep blue eyes looked around analytically for any threat before turning towards them "We're pulling out!"
Petra stood confused and Levi turned to the commander.
"Pulling out?" Levi asked the Commander "But we can still go further! My men will have died for nothing!"
"Maybe some other time" Erwin shook his head "But our reconnaissance Squad had just spotted a swarm of Titans has begun moving northward, towards Trost."
Petra gasped in horror while Levi tensed.
"This is just like five years ago" Petra looked horrified "Something must have happened in the City"
"Do you think that Wall Rose...."
"We don't know. That is why we have to retreat" Erwin interrupted Levi's question. Deep inside he was thoughtful.
"Is this a coincidence?" The blonde Commander thought "The best Soldiers of Survey Corps out on an expedition and tragedy strikes again? What are the chances?"
Shaking his head he began issuing orders to regroup, for their return to Trost.
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Location:- Wall Rose. Near the inner Gates of Trost District.
"I'm not going to repeat myself again! Are you a human or a Titan?!"
Mikasa gritted her teeth as she stared at the Soldiers pointing their muskets at them, with Captain Kitz Wielman at that helm.
Armin is trying in vain to reassure them that they were not a threat while Eren was looking stunned at seeing their own allies turning their weapons at them.
"What is happening? Why are they looking at me with fear and hatred?" Eren wondered in confusion "What have I done to deserve this?"
"Answer me Titan Scum!! Or we would blast you with a Cannon Ball!!" Weilman shouted.
"Titan scum?" Eren clutched his head painfully, as he muttered loudly "I...I don't understand the question, sir!"
"Playing innocent, huh?! Just try that again, monster!" Weilman pointed angrily. "We'll blast you into pieces in the blink of an eye before you can reveal your true form!"
"True form?" Eren parroted still confused
"Everyone saw it! You emerged from the carcass of a Titan! We've allowed an unknown being— you—to infiltrate Wall Rose! Even if you are a member of the Training Corps as sanctioned by the king, it is well within reason for me to eliminate any risk as quickly as possible! I'm not wrong!"
Eren looked up and gulped when he noticed a Cannon pointed towards them.
"The Armored Titan that took down Wall Maria could appear at any moment now!" Weilman continued "As we speak, the very survival of humanity is at stake! Understand?! We can't afford to waste any further manpower or time on you! I will bombard you with high explosives if I have to!" Weilman was trying for bravado but shaking like a leaf in the wind.
Many agreed with this decision too fearful or paranoid.
"But Sir! Shouldn't we wait for Commander Pixis?" A Petite blonde haired woman with glasses, said with worry "He may want information from them"
"While I appreciate your concern Squad Leader Brzenska. But I doubt we will get any information from them" Weilman replied back stubbornly "We should destroy him while he's still in human form!"
Rico sighed in defeat while Jan just shook his head feeling guilty at this.
Mikasa stepped forward, swords at the ready. "My specialty is slicing up flesh. I'll gladly demonstrate it, if need be." She glared with a murderous look on her face. "If anyone wants to experience my technique then please, by all means, step this way."
"Sir" Jan began, once again trying to stall for time "Mikasa Ackerman was assigned to escort duty with us elite soldiers. Her prowess is equal to that of a hundred ordinary soldiers. Losing her would be a great setback for humanity."
Meanwhile Eren was staring at his arm and the destroyed sleeves.
"Does that mean that wasn't a dream?! A memory of him losing his arms came back to him. If that's the case that means I grew an arm where my sleeve is gone!" Eren stared at his hand. "That makes me practically like a Titan! That's impossible. How could I? How...?"
"I'll ask one more time! What are you really?!" Weilman screamed interrupting his thoughts.
Armin looked back at the Garrison captain, scared. The silence was thick in the air. Everyone stood still, waiting for Eren's answer.
"I'm human!" Was Eren's resolute answer.
The wind blew gently, its whistling the only sound audible, cutting through the silence.
"I see. Don't take this personally." Weilman's hand began to rise and Armin gasped in horror. "This is just how it has to be. Because no one can prove that they aren't monsters." He held his arm up high. On the Wall, a soldier raised her hand in reply.
"Eren! Armin!" Mikasa ran back, abandoning her swords. "We're going up the Wall!" She picked him up in one swoop.
"We won't be able to make it in time" Armin looked anxious, as Weilman's arms slowly came down.
But before anything else can happen....
"What in the Distortion World is going on here??!!!!" The Shout paused Weilman's arm, as they all turned to look at who had shouted.
Jan's eyes widened while Armin and Mikasa felt relief washed over them.
"Ash!!"
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And Done!!
Hope you like this chapter, because here we were introduced to three more of Ash's girls:- Petra, Hange and Rico.
As well as certain annoying Weilman, who will be put in his place the next chapter.
I also hope you like Levi. I tried to capture his cold monotonous persona but someone who still cares for his men.
If you liked this chapter then don't forget to leave a comment below because remember reviews are food for a writer's soul.