It had been 5 years since Shigashina district had fallen to the Titans. Within those 5 years, I had risen in my position. Apparently, the higher-ups assumed I was fit to have contact with the rulers within the inner districts and the royal family. We didn't always get along but I was only there to do my job and leave.
I found something strange, however. Whenever I looked through the records in the back section of the castle, it said that the descendants of royalty were all blond yet somehow, the current royalty all had brown hair. When I asked they quickly drove me out.
Today was our first expedition in 5 years. All the branches of the Military had been waiting for the new recruits and today was the day they made their decision. Due to this, we decided that it was a good time to go out and for once the public opinion seemed better and more upbeat about this.
As we rode out of the district, the familiar nausieting feeling found it's way into my throat causing me to frown. I looked around trying to find Levi to warn him only to notice how far away we were. I sped my horse up a bit to catch up with him. As I weaved through the others, I could hear the calls of encouragement.
"The Scout Regiment is back!"
"That's right commander Erwin! You can keep those ugly bastards from trashing you!"
"It's Captain Levi and Y/N! They say they're like an entire brigade apart and like an army together."
I caught up to Levi just in time to hear him bitching. "Tch. Spare me please," Levi said. "Take in the love Levi. Soon it'll be replaced with scorn and hatred." I said glanceing aheat at Erwin who at the front of the procession seemed lonely. I turned my gaze away and back to Levi and Hanji who came up to us.
We rode past the civilians not really looking at them until Levi saluted to a girl who seemed familiar. I stared at the group of people behind her. "Must be the newly graduated cadets," I said to myself.
"If their looks of envy catch sight of how fussy you are, it'll crush them," Hanji said causing me to nod. The gate was opened slowly as they stood at the ready. "Outside wait the Titans...! I wonder what we'll see this time! I hope we find some Abnormals! That'd be great!" I scoffed at Hanji's actions before rolling my eyes.
"I'd say there's already an Abnormal right here," Levi said to her uninterested. "Huh?! Where?!" Hanji asked looked around frantically. Levi grabbed her hair and pulled her face up next to his. "Here."
Behind the two, I stuck her hand out to Mike who sighed before giving me something which I happily pocketed ignoring the suffocating feeling that came with it.
"Move out!"
"Levi, wait!"
The said male turned to look at me, his dark eyes drowning me. I blink and cleared my throat. I looked away trying to seem unbothered. "Be careful out there. Something's bound to happen today." There was a pause before I spurred my horse on leaving Levi behind.
Sometime later, we found ourselves behind the fallen wall, trying to gain some understanding about our giant enemies. The nauseating feeling I felt had disappeared as soon as we left Trost behind.
I stood on the roof of one of the houses, looking at the sky. I reached up clenching my hand int a fist. The sky reminded me so much of- "Y/N?" I blinked out of my stupor. "Huh?"
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah! Yeah. I'm fine." She glanced at my expose forearm dubiously. I quickly brought my arm down and pulled the sleeve to cover it. "We should join the others," I said before quickly leaping away, coming up onto the sight of one of the soldiers getting eaten slowly. A face flashed in my mind causing me to rapidly blink. I can not bring my emotions into my work. That was the only rule I lived by and I wasn't breaking it now. That soldier was a dead man but he wasn't dying quietly.
"Just you watch...! Humanity is...going to destroy you all! The last ones standing... will be us!" The Titan was stabbed with the broken sword startling it. It looked back at the human in his mouth and bit down breaking several bones causing him to scream in pain. "Just you wait... Captain Levi is gonna...!" Call his name and the devil will come. He killed the titan and analyzed his surroundings.
'Two on the right... three on the left.'
"Captain! I've gathered reinforcements." Petra said landing next to him on the roof with me and the rest of the special OPS squad. "Petra. Tend to the soldier below. The rest of you, take the two on the right. I'll handle the ones on the left."
"Captain!"
"Levi!" I followed him.
"Yahoo!" Hanji yelled swinging and then landing on a roof in front of a titan. Opening her arms, she grinned. "It's okay! I won't hurt you! I promise!" The titan bared its teeth at her. Raising its hand and bringing it back down, it tried to grab her but she jumped out of the way laughing. "Nice try! Now it's my turn! Hiyaah!" Going around, she brought her sword down on its nape. The humanoid fell forward.
A soldier on the ground watched bewildered as she landed. "See? That didn't hurt.
'Every single one of you...looks funny as hell'
As Levi took out the one that was coming for him, I dealt with another who kept swinging at me. "Put your hands down goddammit!" Yelling this I finally landed a blow on the nape. The creature fell forward as Levi delivered the killing blow to the last one.
Landing on a nearby roof Levi looked at his blood-stained hands and gave a sound of disapproval. " How filthy..." Taking out his handkerchief he cleaned off the sword and his hands as I landed next to him.
"Of all times you could be a germaphobe, why now?" I said slumping annoyed. I watched him leave and shook my head closing my eyes. Anything he said, I would be able to hear it.
Zoning out almost immediately, I looked up at the cotton-filled sky with the baby blue field behind it. Sighing I admired its beauty but I couldn't admire it for long went I felt a flash of lightning shoot through me. Falling off the roof, I used my ODM gear to land next to Levi who had noticed me just as Erwin arrived.
"Levi! We're pulling out!"
"Huh?"
"Pulling out? But we can still go further! My men would have died for nothing!"
" A swarm of titans has begun moving northward, towards the city." Looks of shock registered on their faces as I groan. Everything tingled causing my vision to go blurry. "Erwin."
He looked at me. "I fear... I fear the city walls have been broken into again. This is just like five years ago."
I heard Levi curse under his breath.
Moving quickly, we retrieved our horses and began riding back. I relied completely on my horses memory as I could barely think straight but I couldn't let anyone see that
We had been riding for hours when the city was just within our sights and just as we feared, it was broken into. We were about to enter when a boulder slammed the entrance shut and we were stranded outside. My head however finally cleared allowing me to understand our situation.
"What the hell is that!" I exclaimed surprised.
"Whatever it is, it's in our way," Hanji said touching it.
"We can go around or send up a flare," I suggested turning to Erwin and Levi.
"If the gate is broken, then there won't be anyone in Trost district," Levi responded with a frown.
"But there just might." I muttered, frowning at the boulder that seemed to be debris.
"Levi, use your ODM to get over the wall and alert the Garrison Regiment. We'll go around and find the closest district." Erwin commanded. With a nod, Levi left us going ahead.
Afterward, thanks to the help of the Scouts and the Garrison's Regiment's Corps of Engineers, Wall Rose once again held the titans at bay.
Taking out the rest of the titans trapped inside Trost took a full day, during which the wall-mounted cannons fired nonstop.
Most of the titans that had gathered by the wall were wiped out by explosive shells. The few that remained we mostly mopped out by us.
During this, one 4-meter titan and one 7-meter titan were successfully captured alive. However, 207 people were dead or missing, and 898 were injured.
Although this was the first time humanity had stopped a titan invasion, far too many people had been lost to celebrate this historic achievement
"Wait, explain this to me again," I said as we walked down the dimly lit hallway. "This kid, Eren, can turn into a titan?"
"He can which is why he is being kept down here," Erwin answered. We stopped in front of the last cell. There was one chair in front of the cell which we let Erwin sit on. Not too long after Eren woke up. He looked startled as he stared at us.
I froze as I stared into his eyes. Something about them were unnervingly familiar and I did not like the unknown. This was pretty ironic considering my life was dedicated to exploring the unknown but no matter how uncertain I was about Eren, he didn't look like a transforming giant cannibal to me.
"Have any questions?" Erwin asked him upon seeing his eyes open.
"U-umm. Where...am !?"
"It should be obvious. Let's just say it's a dungeon. You are currently in the custody of the Military Police. Only just now were we permitted to see you." Eren finally noticed the chains on him. He looked up as Erwin held up a key.
"That key...!"
"Yes. It's yours. I'll return it later. Dr. Jeager's basement in your home in Shigashina. A secret surrounding the Titans is there, correct?"
Eren gasped surprised at Erwin's intuition. "Yes. I think so. That's what my father said."
"And you've lost your memory, and your old man's gone missing. Pretty convenient story, if you ask me." Levi spoke up being the untrusting person he was.
"Levi," I said in a warning tone me and Erwin turned to the male. "We've already concluded he has no reason to lie. You know that."
"There is still so little we know," Erwin said turning back. "But for now, I feel the most important thing is to ask your intentions."
"My...intentions?"
"Although we have Trost now secure, If we want to check your home we'll need to take back Shigashina District along with Wall Maria. Sealing the damaged gate there would be the best way to accomplish that. This means we need your titan ability. Naturally, it's a titan that will determine our fate."
I nodded slightly looking at Eren. He couldn't be older than 15 yet he was involved in something this big. I cleared my throat as I began speaking. "The Colossal Titan and the Armored Titan most likely work the same way you do."
"Your intentions are key. The key to saving humankind from this despair." Erwin finished bringing the key back out.
"Oi. Answer the damn question, you twit. What do you want to do?" I rolled my eyes at Levi. I glanced over at Eren who was trembling on the bed. I frowned thinking he was crying but when he looked up, his eyes were bright but terrifying. They reminded me of Hanji when she got excited and that was a terrifying thing in itself.
"I want to join the Scouts...and slaughter every Titan I can!" Great, we'll also have to get him a therapist. Maybe he could join me and my session with Hanji however I'm not sure how he'll respond towards Hanji's fanatism.
"Ah, not bad." Levi walked forward. "Erwin, I'll take responsibility for him." He walked up to the bars looking at Eren. "Let the higher-ups know. I don't necessarily trust him, though."
"If he betrays us or goes out of control, you'll have to kill him on the spot," I said leaning against the wall. "I know. The top brass won't complain. Because I'm the only one cut out for this." Levi said barely glancing back.
I walked forward standing behind Levi but where I could see Eren. "You're in. We'll make you a member of the scouts-"
As we walked away, I finally finished my sentence. "-If we win anyway."