I had been forced to step down from my duties the moment we had returned, and it was safe to say that I was beyond pissed.
Still, that didn't stop me from perching myself atop the wall to feel like a part of everything.
"(Y/N), for the last time, go to the inner wall!" Connie bonked me on the head with his grip handle, and I stuck my tongue out.
"Hey, I'm behaving! I just wanna watch you guys take this thing down! If things get bad, I'll just swing away!"
After being stitched up and having a quick nap, I had thrown my gear back on and limped to the wall, eager to be involved. Even if I was just moral support.
"No! Bad (Y/N)! Shoo!" Connie wasn't truly mad at me, I knew that, but I still chose to distance myself. Everyone was on edge.
I had been avoiding both Jean and Levi since return, simply because I knew they wouldn't give in to my stubborness so easily. The titan was awfully close to the wall now, having survived several rounds of cannon fire. It was only a matter of time before I would have to mosy on out of there.
Wandering along the wall, I came to where the second group was, working on putting together one of Hange's special weapons. I found it unfair that she was injured too, yet they let her help out. Erwin was busy debating with a ticked off looking Historia, so I just lingered around Eren, who was mumbling to himself, peering over the edge of the wall.
"Whatcha looking at, Jaeger? Want me to take over?" I asked with mock curiosity, hoping to be able to lend a hand before someone caught me.
"N..no, you shouldn't even be up here..." Eren replied, glancing to me before looking right back to what he was seeing. "Those kids down there...they're just like we were, on that day..."
Armin approached us from behind to look too, and I gazed down at a trio of children, sneaking closer to the wall.
"They probably shouldn't be here..." I murmured, the heat from the Reiss titan already reaching us.
"It's different than it was back then. Those kids have soldiers who are ready to protect them. Those kids will have us." Armin announced, moving back to tighten the ropes on the contraption.
"Uh...yeah...that's cool and all, Armin, but they're still way too freaking close for comfort..."
Eren was silent as he turned to look at Mikasa, who had just returned to balance another barrel.
"Eren, come on, we don't have a lot of time here." She lightly scolded, sounding more like a mother than a friend. Out of nowhere, Eren began to punch himself, and I began to back away.
"Uh, yeah, okay, this is my cue to just...yeah...bye..!"
Off I shot from the inner edge of the wall, all the way down to land directly in front of the kids. They startled, but I was sure I would have looked a hell of a lot cooler if I hadn't stumbled and grunted in pain.
"W..we were just taking a closer look! We've never seen a drill before!" Their ringleader, a brunet, puffed out his chest, but I could tell I had spooked him good by my sudden appearance.
A drill?
"So that's what they told you, huh?" I sighed, placing my hands on my hips as I looked down at them. It was all well and good that the others chose to spout lies to the people of Orvud, but I wasn't going to sugarcoat anything. "This is no drill, buddy. There's a titan, and it's real big. Close, too. I'm gonna need you lot to back away."
The smallest, a young girl with a freckled face, shrunk down, shifting to cling to the brunet.
"A t..t..titan..?!" Behind them, a bespectacled boy also seemed concerned, but he was trying to hide it.
"That's not what we were told. You're probably just trying to scare us."
Sighing, I crouched down, wincing as my thigh throbbed. A poor choice, but I wanted to get down on their level. They needed to realise I wasn't like the asshole MPs they were used to.
"Can I ask your names?" Using my softest voice possible, I waited for them to speak.
"I'm Elias! He's Aurick, and she's Sibille!" Mr. Bigshot puffed up more, and he reminded me of a disgruntled owl I had once had the displeasure of meeting years back. Smiling, I gave them all a wave.
"Well, I'm (Y/N). I'm a member of the Scouts. It's nice to meet you guys, but I'm serious. See that steam?" Pivoting a little, I pointed skyward, towards the plumes of steam and smoke those rose into the air. "It's coming from the titan. We're doing our best to take it down, but it'd be best to move away from here."
I could tell the smaller two were convinced, but of course, one of them had to be as headstrong as I was.
"My dad says that the Survey Corps are a waste of oxygen! They don't do anything!" Now, I had never had many interactions with children as an adult, but I still knew I had to resist the urge to dropkick the little shit.
Still smiling, but now much more forced, I stood up.
"Elias, was it? Well, sorry to say, your dad is a piece of crap." I stated in a singsong voice, hands returning to my hips. "Now, come on. Get to walking. I'll take you back myse-"
I was cut short as the wall began to shake and crumble from the top, and the trio of kids screamed in fright. The initial plan had failed, so it was up to Hange's little invention now, and Eren's titan strength. At least I trusted him a little more than I had in the past.
"A titan..?! It's a titan..?!" Elias shrieked, cowering behind me with his companions.
"I literally just told you tha...oh, fuck it..! Haul ass! Now!" Shoving the kids into a run, I cursed myself over and over in my mind as I followed, knowing I'd be limping longer after this.
Looking over my shoulder, my eyes widened as what was once Rod Reiss dragged itself to a stand, body looking like fleshy honeycomb. That was scary enough, but when that hulking head lifted, I kind of wanted to puke. Having dragged its face for miles, there was nothing left. Everything inside was halved and on gory display.
Bastard looks like the king's meat platter..!
Stopping, we couldn't help but stare in disgusted awe as its open stomach began to spill out, coating the wall in blood and steaming gizzard. I definitely wasn't going to be eating meat any time soon. I knew I should have forced the kids to keep running, buy they needed to see what was about to happen.
They all clung to some part of my body when the lightning struck, each gasping as Eren appeared in his titan form, roaring loudly.
"A..another one..?" Elias gasped, his hands tight around one of my straps.
"Yep...and y'know what's cool about that? He's on our side."
I was conflicted, allowing them to watch. People had died. Fallen to their deaths. Explosions popped off and caused the titan to rock and sway, and debris crumbled close, but they needed it. At least, that was what I had taken away with me after hearing what Armin had said.
They need to know that we aren't worthless...
Once Eren had burst forward and thrown the sack of gunpowder down its gullet, I decided enough was enough, just as the titan's body began to ripple and explode.
"Okay, now move it! We don't know what's gonna fall from the sky!"
It took a few shoves to get the kids moving again, but eventually we set off in a sprint, the force of the shockwave giving us a much needed boost. Screams echoed around us, but I tried to tune them out.
Looking above, I saw the chunks of sizzling flesh begin to rain down, and my comrades among them, doing their duty. Leg burning and breath short, I tailed the children, wanting to make sure they stayed out of harms way. Needing to.
In front of me, squealing out, the little girl tripped and fell, and I skidded to an immediate halt. Ahead, the boys stopped to.
"Sibille!" The brunet screeched, the other's eyes widening as he looked skyward.
"G..get out of the way..!"
Following his line of sight, I knew I had to move fast. Though dissipating quickly, the lump of flesh hurdling towards us was still enough to crush us to death instantly. Tearing the girl from the ground, I forced her arms tight around my neck.
"Hold tight! You two, run! Stay safe, and I'll meet you at the inner gate!"
Grabbing my grips, I barely managed to fly out of the way in time, the smack of the chunk sending a shudder down my spine as it hit the pavement.
"P..please don't let me d..die..! I'm sorry..! I didn't mean to tr..trip..!" Sibille sobbed against me as I swung from building to building, probably putting a little too much faith in the hold of a little girl.
"Shhhhhh...It wasn't your fault. We're fine now. Look, your friends are right down there, running. We're all gonna be fine..." I did my best to comfort her as we continued on. Silence had fallen across Orvud by the time we reached the inner gate, and the girl still clung to me, refusing to let go. I could feel her tears soaking the entire upper left of my shirt, but it was fine.
"Sibille! Scout Lady!" After a long time, I heard the pitched voice of a child through the crowd, and the pair of boys squeezed through, panting and teary-eyed. The girl immediately released me, opening her arms as the brunet scooped her up.
"Eli..! I was scared..!" She wailed, hugging him tightly as he tried to soothe her.
Well...at least I managed to do something...
Leaning my back against the wall, I heaved a long sigh, finally able to take some weight off of my leg. My peace was cut short by a tug on my sleeve, and I cracked an eye open to see the troublesome trio.
"Miss, you saved my sister. I'm...sorry...for what I said...and what my dad said...Thank you..."
Chuckling tiredly, I reached over and ruffled his hair, being a little rough, just to get some light payback.
"Don't mention it. Next time, don't go exploring when there's a drill, okay? Just glad you're all safe..." Exhausted, I let myself slide down to sit, squeaking out as Sibille launched herself onto me again, hugging me hard.
"You're my hero! When I get big, I'm gonna be a Scout, just like you!"
My throat tightened, and my stomach flipped, yet I still hugged her back, gently combing my fingers through her ponytail as I peered across the city towards the outer wall, where the steam still climbed to the heavens.
"Kid...that would be the biggest mistake of your life..."
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***Kind of a filler. Just wanted to give the brats more depth.
Do you know the meat face man?
The meat face man?
THE MEAT FACE MAN!
Next Time: Meat face man...oh, I mean, something that isn't meat face man. I just like saying meat face man...***