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"Huh, where did he go?" Eren exclaimed in anger; his fists clenched tightly. This had been an excellent opportunity to take out the enemy once and for all, and yet, the Colossal Titan had vanished without a trace. No matter how hard he squinted his eyes, Eren couldn't even catch a glimpse of where his foe had gone.
"Eren!" Connie's voice echoed across the Wall Rose, reverberating off its towering heights as he bellowed down to Eren, who clung precariously to the side of the wall with the aid of his trusty ODM Gear. His hands cupped around his mouth to amplify his voice; Connie's eyes scanned the area below, frantically searching for any sign of the colossal Titan. With bated breath and a pounding heart, he turned back to Eren and yelled, "Eren, did you catch him?" The wind whipped through his nonexistent hair as he waited for a response.
Eren's eyes followed Connie's gaze as he tilted his head back to look up at him, who was standing at the top of the Wall. The wind was blowing at Eren's hair, but he paid no attention to it as he was filled with a mixture of sarcasm and anger. "Do you see his giant corpse anywhere, Connie?" Eren shouted, his voice echoing across the Wall.
"...N-No." Connie stuttered out, rubbing his head with embarrassment; Eren's ODM Gear whirred as he propelled himself upwards with incredible velocity. As he reached the top of the wall, Sasha appeared as if from nowhere, her eyes scanning the area for any signs of danger.
Jaime looked down, frustrated; he couldn't understand how someone could vanish in thin air like that.
Without hesitation, she strode over to Eren, her hand outstretched to assist him in his climb. Eren, grateful for the aid, grasped Sasha's hand tightly. He heaved himself up and over the edge of the wall. As he stood, panting and sweaty, he turned to thank Sasha.
She noticed the slight burns that marked his face and hands, and without skipping a beat, she reached into her backpack and pulled out a skin bottle filled with cool, refreshing water. "Here," she said, handing him the bottle, "wash your face. You have burns." The urgency in her voice made it clear that she would not take no for an answer.
"Thanks, Sasha." Eren reached for the bottle skin she handed him. As he carefully poured the cool water on his slightly burned face, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief washing over him, although the pain was still present.
"Sorry about that. I almost had him." Eren apologized to his friends with clenched teeth.
"Don't worry, Eren. You almost got him, but look at the bright side. Now we know he can release steam and make himself disappear, even though I still don't understand how a giant like him could vanish like a puff of smoke." Jaime said as he looked over his shoulder. The bells around the city were already ringing, and he could almost hear the shouts of people. He swallowed, hoping that Krista, Ymir, and Annie weren't crushed by any of the rocks that fell on the city.
"Jaime, did you know he was coming?" Daz asked with an uneasy smile; his question caused the others to look at Jaime.
"Yes! You warned before he appeared." Connie pointed out with a gasp.
"I don't know, but I got this...feeling. I don't know how to explain it, but I knew danger was near. I didn't know the Colossal would appear out of...nowhere." Jaime answered with a narrowed gaze, a thoughtful look on his face as he looked down again at the footprints left on the ground. There wasn't even a skeleton left. Jaime remembered the golden lightning right before he appeared.
"Guys, we need to think about the gate. It's destroyed; we need to do something." Connie quickly reminded them before pointing at the destroyed gate at the bottom of the wall; before Eren could tell them they needed to regroup in the Headquarters, a Garrison Soldier walked up to them.
"What are you doing here?" he barked, his eyes scanning the wall for any other slackers who might be lurking around. "Get to the Headquarters right now; The Colossal Titan Response Operation has already started." The Garrison soldier addressed the cadets with authority, and they all saluted accordingly.
The garrison soldier, with a stern expression on his face, commanded in a loud voice that anyone who has had a direct encounter with the Colossal Titan must immediately report it to the higher authorities without delay. His sharp eyes scanned the cadets but then settled on Eren, whose face still bore the faint scars of his recent battle with the Titan.
With a crisp salute, Eren and his comrades bellowed in unison, "Yes, sir!" Their resounding affirmation echoed throughout the walls. As they propelled themselves toward the edge of the towering wall, the wind whipped past them, a harbinger of the perilous journey ahead.
Later
Annie's questioning gaze was as cold as the winter wind, piercing through Reiner with the force of a thousand icicles. Despite the frosty reception, Reiner stood his ground, refusing to back away or retreat. Meanwhile, Bertholdt stood awkwardly to the side, looking on with a mixture of unease and confusion as he watched the two engage in yet another heated argument.
It was a familiar scene, one that had played out many times before, but this time there was something different. Annie's eyes never left Reiner's, as if daring him to challenge her, to prove her wrong. "Are you sure this was a good idea?" she asked, her words hanging in the air like a heavy cloud.
Reiner's voice trembled with exhaustion as he addressed Annie, "It was the only idea, Annie. Once enough Titans gather in Trost, I will turn and destroy the gate of Wall Rose, just like we did last time. We'll wait for everyone to take shelter inside Wall Sina, and then the King will make his move. And when he does, we'll be ready to capture him." The weight of their plan had been wearing on Reiner for some time now.
Reiner couldn't shake the feeling they were in over their heads, but he knew there was no turning back now. They had come too far to give up on their mission, no matter the cost.
His exhaustion was a result of constantly maintaining a façade of lies to all his friends, pretending that he was one of them. The weight of his secrets was suffocating, and he felt the burden of guilt and shame bearing down on him relentlessly.
Reiner knew that he was sleeping with a bunch of corpses, and the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. He was aware that his friends would soon die, and the fact that he would be the one responsible for their deaths was a heavy burden to carry.
The weight of his impending actions weighed heavily on his conscience, and he felt like he was drowning in a sea of guilt. Reiner couldn't help but wonder how he had gotten to this point. How had he become so entangled in this web of lies and deceit? He knew he had made terrible choices along the way, and now he was paying the price for them.
His headache was growing stronger by the second as he pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to make sense of everything he needed to do. This world is cruel, Reiner thought; he couldn't forget all the faces he had encountered along the way, but Eren's face reminded him of himself the most. Eren had the same determination and drive that Reiner possessed when he was a young fool. It was a bittersweet feeling for Reiner as he realized he had lost that spark somewhere along the way.
We both are the same, two stupid kids way over our heads, thinking we could make any change in the world. In reality, we were never able to change anything, Reiner thought with melancholy, remembering his mother hugging him for becoming a Warrior and his father's words to him.
Reiner's world had crumbled under the weight of his father's hateful words, which had convinced him that he was powerless to change anything. His spirit was broken, and he had resigned himself to a bleak fate. However, when Marcel revealed that he was not even meant to be a Warrior, Reiner's world was turned upside down once again. At that moment, he knew the bitter truth: he was not a Warrior, he was not a Hero, but rather, he was a Mass Murderer.
Reiner escaped his dark thoughts when Annie spoke. Annie gazed out the window at the clear sky, her mind racing with fear as she listened to the panic-stricken screams of people outside, all running to safety. Her heart was pounding, and she murmured under her breath, "Let's hope he makes his move as soon as possible," her eyes flicking away from Reiner and towards the chaos outside. Despite the closed window, the sounds of the terrified masses reached her ears, making her shiver with apprehension.
The Three Marley Warriors had taken refuge in the basement of their Headquarters to discuss. The silence in the underground chamber was only interrupted by the faint echoes of footsteps of the people frantically running around on the floors above as if their lives depended on it. The sound of their pounding feet was so loud that it reverberated through the foundation of the building and seemed to shake the basement's ceiling.
As Annie stood beside her fellow warriors, she could hear the distant sound of people crying. Even so, she couldn't blame them for their fear and despair - after all, the Titans were approaching and would soon swarm the city. However, as a member of the elite corps of soldiers tasked with protecting the city, it was their duty to stand firm and hold the line until all the civilians could evacuate safely. Not that it would matter much, knowing Reiner would bust down the gate the moment enough Titans gathered.
At the very least, Annie hoped Jaime would survive this brutal battle against the Titans. She hoped Jaime would make it out alive. She knew she couldn't bear to see him get eaten by a Titan. The memories of the countless lives that had been lost to the Titans flooded her mind, making her feel sick to her stomach, especially knowing it was her fault.
Reiner's eyes were heavy with exhaustion as he urged his companions to move quickly, "Let's go back upstairs before anyone notices anything." He knew the risks of being caught, but the thought of staying in this eerie place any longer was unbearable.
"We know what we should do," he reminded them, his voice barely above a whisper. The warriors had been trapped in this nightmare for what felt like an eternity, and the idea of returning home seemed like a distant memory.
"Soon, we all will return home," Reiner continued, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. "All of us." He repeated the words to himself as if trying to convince himself they were true. "Soon, this nightmare will end," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"To the End, Reiner," whispered Bertholdt, his voice barely audible over the footsteps above. He looked at his friend with a mixture of determination and fear in his eyes. Reiner nodded slowly, his jaw set in a grim line as he braced himself for what was to come.
Suddenly, Bertholdt's unease melted away, replaced by a fierce sense of camaraderie as he slapped his friend's shoulder with a resounding thud. A small smile tugged at the corners of Reiner's mouth. It was a small gesture, but it meant everything.
Bertholdt placed his hand on Reiner's shoulder. It was as if he was saying, "I've got your back," without needing to say a word. Reiner felt a surge of gratitude towards his friend, knowing he could count on him no matter what.
Annie was the only one who said nothing; she followed them behind, her mind going to the annoying Jaime, hoping at the end of this day, he was still alive, so she could kick his ass for worrying her so much. Annie knew it was selfish, but she did not care if anyone else from the Training Corps survived. She cared for Mina to a degree, but it was Jaime, the one Annie wished would survive.
Later
Where are they? Gods, please tell me they are fine!! Jaime pleaded as he looked through the crowd of cadets, all waiting for orders. Many were puking their guts out, but he didn't care to stop and confront any of them. He kept looking around, trying to find them face after face. He was growing more desperate, but suddenly, he noticed the familiar blonde hair far away; he could recognize her hair, and near the blonde hair was...Ymir, standing above others like a giant statue.
Jaime had never felt happier that Ymir was so tall. Before he knew it, he was running towards them, quickly pushing through the crowd.
"Ymir, Krista!!" The two girls turned around just in time to receive the biggest hug of their lives; Jaime lifted both of them up above the ground as if they weighed nothing, hugging them both, feeling the biggest relief of his life.
"Thank the Gods, you two are safe," Jaime exclaimed with relief. As he kept hugging them, Krista turned bright red, as did Ymir, until he finally let them go, landing back on the ground.
"Jaime, I'm so happy to see you. I was worried that—" Jaime hugged her again, and she hugged him, too, her face resting against his chest. She felt her eyes burn out of joy, and she giggled when he started caressing her blonde hair before messing them up, much to her amusement, and not so much to the amusement of Ymir, who cleared her throat loudly. It seemed neither Krista nor Jaime had heard clearing her throat.
"We were worried the Colossal Titan had..." Krista's words trailed off, making it clear that she, too, had been worried for his well-being until Ymir snarled.
"Speak for yourself; I couldn't care less," Ymir said with a hint of annoyance as she rubbed the part of her waist that Jaime had hugged. She couldn't understand how someone so small could give a bear hug. Jaime merely chuckled, knowing she was just trying to act tough like she always did. He let his hands rest on the blonde's shoulder. Suddenly, his purple eyes glittered.
"I'm fine. Historia. I promised you at the farm that I would never leave you alone."
Krista's mouth fell open as she quickly pulled away from him before looking at him with a hint of caution and suspicion, while Ymir stopped rubbing her shoulders, wondering what Jaime was talking about.
"How do you know that name?" Jaime looked at her strangely, blinking repeatedly, as if he didn't know what she was talking about.
"What name?" Krista knew him; she knew he had no reason to lie to her and wasn't one to play the fool when things were serious.
"Historia." She said the name with a hint of bitterness in her mouth, but instead of looking at her with understanding, Jaime furrowed a brow, growing even more confused.
"Who is Historia?" Krista couldn't tell if he was really messing with her, but she knew Jaime wasn't one to mess with her unless it was just a harmless joke. But before she could ask more questions, suddenly Jaime's eyes widened as if he remembered something.
"Have you seen Annie? Do you know if she's alright?" Jaime asked urgently, looking between Ymir and Krista. The latter shook her head and kept quiet, still trying to process how her friend knew that name.
"I saw her walking to the basement with Reiner and Bertholdt," Ymir answered with a growing smirk as she drew closer, dipping her head to whisper in his ear. "It seems your little girlfriend likes more than one, and knowing your height. I doubt you have anything down there to satisfy her." Ymir's smirk grew, her voice low enough only for the three of them to hear her, not at all bothered by the look he received from Krista, while Jaime looked more annoyed than anything.
"Very funny, Ugly Freckles. I didn't know you spent time thinking about my friend down there. I would have introduced him to you, but I'm not into Titans." Jaime said with a smug smirk. Ymir snarled, ready to say something; she could not let him insult her like this and walk away, but before she could swat at him like the fly that he was, he was already on his way, most likely to find Annie.
Ymir growled and only now noticed that Krista was still quiet. "That little toddler. Do not listen to a word he says, Krista. I do not think about his... I only think about you." Ymir expected her to fluster like she always did, but for the first time, Krista was staring blankly forward. Ymir wondered if Krista had even heard a word she had just said. She quickly nudged her shoulders, remaining impassive. Ymir nudged her again, this time with more force.
"Oi, Krista. Are you alright?" Ymir asked with growing concern, but Krista remained unmoving. Instead, she muttered.
"How did he know my name?"
Jaime
It took a little while for him to find the stairs that led to the basement. At the back of his head, he wondered why Annie would be in the company of Bertholdt and Reiner, of all people. He was sure Annie really didn't like Reiner for some reason, and Berholdt, well, Annie never spent time with him. Jaime wondered if Annie even knew Bert existed.
But as he was walking downstairs, he noticed the basement was completely empty. Cursing his luck, Jaime quickly rushed upstairs. He looked around, trying to find her. He looked around, his walking pace quickening, but then he almost slammed against someone.
If it weren't for his reflexes, he would have hit..."Mikasa, it's good to see you. Have you seen Annie?" Jaime quickly asked her. He knew sooner or later they all would be deployed out there, and he wanted to see her one more time in case he did not-- No, No. I'm strong now. It's not like with Arthur—my strength. I can save them now. I will not let them die, Jaime thought determinedly, but at the back of his head, he knew how foolish that was; he knew he couldn't be in many places at once. All he could hope for was for his squad to survive and pray that the others live.
Mikasa looked a little ejected. He asked only about Annie but quickly regained her composure. "I saw her over there." Mikasa's answer was short and with a hint of bitterness, but Jaime didn't seem to have noticed as his face brightened up like fire. "Thank you, Mikasa. You are a lifesaver." He was already too far away to hear her before Mikasa could even tell him to take care of himself out there. She couldn't help but look down at her feet. She didn't know why, but she didn't like the way Jaime was around Annie.
*
*
"Annie!!" The short girl barely had time to process that it was Jaime calling her name. She spun around as Jaime gave her a big hug. She turned bright red, especially with the many cadets around her. Thankfully, Reiner and Bertholdt weren't with her right now; she didn't feel like explaining that Jaime was her boyfriend.
"Thank god, you are safe. I thought—who cares!" Jaime brushed it off, feeling her arms around him, returning the hug. He knew this might as well be the last time they saw each other, so he pulled away from the hug and pulled her into a passionate kiss. Annie's eyes widened. The kiss was breathtaking, as always, but they had never done this out in public. She quickly reminded herself that it mattered little and quickly returned the kiss.
The kiss didn't last as long as the two of them wanted. The need for air made them pull away from one another. His purple eyes looked down at her blue eyes as if trying to memorize everything about them.
"I'm happy to see you alive. I heard from Bertholdt that you tried to fight against the Colossal Titan," Annie said, fixing him with a scolding look as if trying to tell him what he had done was foolish.
Jaime wondered how Bert knew that since he hadn't been there, but quickly figured that the word that he and Eren had tried to fight the Colossal had spread around, and somehow, the tall guy had heard about it and told Annie for whatever reason.
"Well, I needed to try and kill it," Jaime defended himself, but Annie's look made it clear she wasn't pleased.
"And if you had died. What then?" Annie reminded him with a scolding tone, but he knew she was simply worried for him.
"I'm not going to apologize for this, Annie. You know me. The Colossal Titan is our biggest enemy, if we can't stop him, it's all over for all of us. But I understand it was a little foolish attacking him without knowing everything about it." Jaime knew that attacking The Colossal or the Armoured without valuable information was risky. They still didn't know all their abilities, but he knew there was simply no other way. He placed his hands on her shoulders, bringing her closer to him.
"Annie. Please be careful out there." Jaime almost pleaded, looking down at her with tenderness.
"I'm not the hothead here, Jaime." With a hint of teasing, Annie remarked that she did only with him. He chuckled. He could only hope that by the end of the day. He and his loved ones would still be alive.
I will not let them die. I will not fail again. Jaime thought determinedly.
Later
The once serene city of Trost had now turned into a chaotic mess, overrun the entire place by panic-stricken citizens, desperately fleeing towards the inner gate in search of refuge and safety from the impending danger that loomed over the city. The deafening sound of bells echoed throughout the city, serving as a warning signal for all the civilians to evacuate immediately and to leave everything behind in order to save their lives. The streets were jam-packed with people, all trying to get to the inner gate before it was too late.
As the Garrison prepared for the inevitable attack by the Titans, the soldiers split into two main squadrons. The first squadron, comprised of battle-hardened veterans, was tasked with halting the Titan threat for as long as humanly possible.
They knew the gravity of their mission, and the fate of the entire city rested on their shoulders. As they stood at the ready, their eyes fixed on the horizon, they knew this could be their last stand.
On the other hand, the second squadron was focused solely on evacuating the civilians. They were tasked with escorting the residents to safety and ensuring that every man, woman, and child was accounted for.
They knew that every second counted and that their actions would determine the fate of the citizens they were sworn to protect. At the same time, a group of newly graduated recruits prepared for the upcoming Trost headquarters battle.
The newly graduated soldiers stood at attention, their backs straight and their eyes focused on the Garrison soldier who stood before them. He looked at them with a stern expression, but there was a glimmer of pride in his eyes. "Now that you have graduated from the Training Corps," he bellowed, his voice echoing across the parade ground, "you have become full-fledged soldiers!"
"The Survey Corps that have the best soldiers to deal with Titans are unfortunately absent. We are short of soldiers, so it is your duty to ensure the safety of the civilians and ensure all of them get evacuated. Once you finish refilling your gas supplies and blades, head to the plaza to receive instructions on your duty!" The Officer spoke, his eyes filled with fear; he looked on the verge of losing it.
The sun was high over the Trost District, and the sound of soldiers rummaging through their equipment bags filled the air. Many of them found themselves busy refueling their gear or filling their boxes with sharp blades, eagerly preparing themselves for the upcoming battle.
However, not all soldiers were as confident and fearless as their peers. Some could be seen huddled in the corners, their faces pale and their hands shaking with fear, dreading the thought of facing the Titans.
Despite their varied reactions, all the soldiers had one thing in common: they were recent graduates ready to embark on their first mission. As they gathered in the headquarters courtyard, their eyes fixed on the captain of their unit, Kitz Weilman, who stood tall before them.
With a sense of urgency in his voice, the captain barked out orders for everyone to divide into groups of five members. The tension in the air was palpable as the soldiers scrambled to form their groups, each one knowing that their lives may depend on how well they worked together. The captain's shrill voice seemed to rise in pitch as he gave his final command, placing each group under the command of the Garrison Troop.
"Your main task will be to help supply, transmit information and eliminate the Titans! The first line of defense will be the vanguard! In the second line, the squads of recruits commanded by the Garrison Troop! And in the rear, the elite squad of the Garrison Troops will take care of the evacuation of civilians! Furthermore, we have been told that the advance squad has been annihilated!" The captain said.
As soon as the news reached the ears of the recent graduates, their hearts began to race with panic and fear. A sense of impending doom began to take hold of everyone present as they realized the gravity of the situation.
Captain Weilman's voice boomed through the air, cutting through the chaos like a knife. "Be quiet!" he ordered, his eyes darting from soldier to soldier. "The Vanguard is fighting right now. Your mission is clear - kill as many Titans as possible to ensure the safe evacuation of our fellow citizens from the city. Your duty is of utmost importance, and failure is not an option. Remember, the fate of humanity rests on our shoulders." The captain's words hung heavy in the air.
The new soldiers in front of him felt his knees weaken as the reality of the situation set in. "You must obey my orders without question," the captain continued, his voice rising in intensity. "If you disobey or attempt to flee, you will be charged with treason and executed immediately. We cannot afford any weakness in our ranks. Now, to your positions! The fate of humanity rests on your shoulders."
"Yes, sir!" All the cadets responded in unison, making the regulation salute with military precision. The cadets quickly began to organize with their respective squads, each one taking their assigned position with a sense of purpose and urgency.
However, as they prepared for the task ahead, there were some who couldn't control their fear and began to panic. The sound of retching filled the air as a few cadets started vomiting despite having empty stomachs.
"Why did it happen today?" Jean murmured, fear and despair in his voice, as he looked around the hallway of the Headquarters. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he envisioned the Titans.
"Tomorrow, I was going to go inside!" he thought, wishing he could turn back time and avoid this mission altogether. But it was too late now; he had to push forward. As he walked further down the hallway, his footsteps echoing loudly against the concrete walls, Jean couldn't help but notice that he wasn't the only one expressing his complaint. Many cadets huddled against the wall and began sobbing, while others even vomited due to the fear and nerves they felt.
Without hesitation, Eren reached out and grabbed Jean by his jacket, causing the latter's expression to transform from one of confusion to one of pure fury and indignation. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"I hope you're happy, Eren. This is exactly what you wanted, isn't it? Fighting Titans on your first day, this is better than you had hoped." Instead of countering him, Eren pinned him against a pillar.
"So what, are you going to give up like this?" he asked, his eyes still filled with the determination that had driven him for years.
"You said you would become an MP, for what have we suffered for three long years? We suffered through worse through Blood and Sweat. You survived that, you can easily survive this, and tomorrow you will go to the interior. Remember what you're fighting for? Do you not have a mother waiting for you?" Eren's words echoed through the place, leaving a tense silence in their wake.
Jean looked away; his shoulders slumped in defeat. But Eren was not finished yet. With a sudden burst of energy, he shoved Jean away, his eyes blazing with fury.
"You can't give up now," he said, his voice low and urgent. "Not after everything we've been through. We've fought tooth and nail to get this far, and we're not going to back down now. You have the strength and the skill to become an MP, and you know it. You just need to find that fire again, that drive that pushed you through the toughest of times."
As the latter looked at Eren with shock written all over his face, he couldn't believe that Eren, of all people, was the one encouraging him to keep moving forward. Eren, who was about to walk away, felt a sudden grip on his shoulder and turned around to see Jean staring at him with a determined look. "I know you have a lot on your mind, Suicidal Bastard, but you also have people waiting for you. So, no matter what happens, promise me one thing - Do Not Die yet," Jean spoke with conviction, making sure that Eren understood the weight of his words. Eren, taken aback by Jean's sudden concern, was left standing there feeling a little lost and caught off guard that Jean, of all people, was the one telling him not to die.
Jaime and Mikasa watched them with satisfaction, but unlike everyone else, the two didn't seem afraid. He watched the way all of them were shaking, and their faces were paler than snow, but not him. He looked at Mikasa and could see she was just like him. She seemed ready to go after Eren as she always did, but he quickly grasped her shoulder, stopping her.
"Mikasa." She turned around to face him. "I know we don't really know each other as well as I would have hoped, but I consider you a friend of mine, and I know there's something between you and me. A connection. Now, no matter what happens, watch over yourself and the idiot back there, and I will watch over all of you. I want to have a talk with you after this day is done, so Mikasa." He leaned closer to her, looking at her grey eyes. "Survive," Jaime said, smiling at her sincerely.
Mikasa looked at him with a pleased look. She scolded herself for not trying to get to know him from the beginning, but she couldn't turn back the clock; she could only make up for the time lost between them. "Yes. We are friends, Jaime. So, take care of yourself." With that, the two shook hands before going on their way.
Later
"Well, who would have thought we would be on the same team?" Jaime asked with amusement. Ymir slared, rolling her eyes. Krista seemed like she wanted to clap, while Connie looked relieved to see Jaime on his Team.
"We have the bald head." Connie puffed out his chest, no longer offended by his words about his shiny head. "It's a perfect distraction. We just have to reflect the sunlight, and it will probably blind all the Titans." Jaime added. Ymir burst out laughing while Connie used a napkin to clean his head and tried to see if that would really work.
"We have a Titan of our own as well," Jaime said with a growing smug smirk. Ymir stopped laughing and growled at the toddler, but Jaime didn't seem fazed by her; this time, it was Connie laughing.
"And we have a Princess with us. Perfect combination." Jaime finished in a light-hearted tone, and Krista turned bright red.
"And we have you, Jaime. The Top One. We will be unstoppable." Connie added with a look of relief and determination on his face. Jaime felt grateful that Connie was willing to put his trust in him. He could only hope that he would be able to live up to his trust and not fail him. At a time like this, his mind went back to Arthur, the one he had failed. Will I fail again? No, not this time. By the end of the day. They all will be safe, Jaime told himself, trying to get rid of such thoughts.
Jaime looked at the gate in the distance. The Titans were approaching, and the time for fun was over. His expression changed, his eyes turned serious, and the purple in his eyes seemed to darken as the clouds engulfed the sky.
"Listen well. Once the fight starts, I want you all to be on your guard all the time. This is offically a Titan Territory, and we have our orders. We don't really need to kill as many Titans as possible, we only need to keep them busy until the civilans are evacuated, once the bells ring, then we can go back on the safety of Wall Rose. Until then, while we are here. I want you all to listen to my orders. As Captain of Squad Nine, you are my resposibility. I will take care of you, and in return. I want you to trust me." Jaime shouted with a commanding voice.
"We trust you, Captain Jaime." Krista and Connie were quick to say in union, with Ymir rolling her eyes and nodding at him.
"Very well, Squad Nine. Let's do this." Jaime quickly shot a grappling hook from the box attached to his waist. The grappling hook shot through the air before attaching itself to the side of a building. With a burst of gas, he flew through the air and felt the wind against his face, and he heard his squad following behind. Getting closer and closer to the gates, they soon saw the first Titan, who walked into a square clearing surrounded by buildings.
"Holy Shit!!" Connie cursed under his breath; his eyes widened in fear at the sight of the ten-meter Titan, especially when he turned to look at them with his hungry eyes.
"Connie. Do not lose focus. You are a soldier. Remember your family. You are fighting for them. Remember that." Jaime's order made him escape his state of panic that had started to grow, and he quickly followed them behind.
Connie reminded himself that his family would be heartbroken if he didn't make it. "Thank you, Jaime." He shouted, the fear fading from his eyes as he followed the captain of their Team.
"I will distract him. Connie, Krista, take the knees, Ymir kill the bastard." Jaime ordered with a roar as he saw the giant hand getting closer while he was in mid-air. He quickly pulled the trigger, shooting the grappling hook, but this time, the hooks came out from behind; his body was pushed away from the giant hand as it closed around the empty air. Connie and Krista jumped from the roofs, his sword slicing through one knee and hers through the other knee. The Titan fell on his knees, and with Ymir from behind rushing through the air, her sword cutting through the nape easily, the Titan let out a scream before crashing down on the cobbled street.
"WE DID IT!!" Connie celebrated as they all gathered on the rooftop, but their celebration was cut short.
"Do not let your guard down. More Titans are approaching." Jaime ordered, and they all turned to see at least two of them walking towards them. One was only six meters tall, and the other was thirteen meters tall, tall enough to reach the rooftop with his hands.
"Krista, distract the short one away from the big one. His reach is much smaller, but he is faster; once you have the opportunity, Ymir, you will cut through his eyes, and Connie, you will kill him when he is blind. I will take care of the big one." Jaime ordered. His crew seemed ready to protest as their footsteps grew louder.
"But Jaime-"
"We don't have time for this. The small one is much faster. Take out his eyes and kill him. The people depend on us." Jaime ordered them as they got closer. The tall one was already reaching out towards them.
"You heard him, Jump!" Ymir shouted as the three of them jumped from the rooftop. The tall one quickly got distracted by Jaime, while the small one looked at them with glee.
"Over here, come and take me little head," Krista shouted at the small Titan. The small one reached out, but despite his speed, his reach was too small. With another burst of speed, she rushed below his legs, causing the small Titan to completely pay attention to her, letting Ymir free to slice through his eyes. Blood flew through the air as Connie shot a grappling hook on his back. With a burst of gas, Connie sliced through the nape.
Ymir watched as the Titan fell to the ground, with Krista quickly running up to them. "What about Jaime?" The moment those words left her mouth, the ground shook as the tall Titan fell on the ground, with two blades sticking out his eyes, his body decomposing, and Jaime walked out of the steam, two blades missing from the eight blades they kept on the blade holder they carried with their ODM Gear.
Krista was ready to run towards and hug him, but Jaime suddenly shouted in a slight panic. "On the Roof NOW!" Without thinking, Ymir grabbed Krista and pulled the trigger; both propelled through the air, and Jaime rushed forward towards Connie, who was frozen in place as a massive hand rushed towards him.
Jaime quickly pushed him away, but the hand was already closing around him; without thinking, he moved his hands a certain way and made a spin with his swords; the giant fingers were sliced off, unable to grab. Jaime glared at the Abnormal, whose tongue was sticking out of his mouth like a dog; with a burst of gas, he quickly sliced through his eyes before rushing towards his back and, with a slash, cutting his nape. The Titan stopped moving; steam started emitting from his body.
Jaime's face remained stoic as he looked down at Connie, who was still frozen in place from what had happened, his body shaking. Without waiting for a moment, Jaime jumped down from the corpse and walked up to Connie, who closed his eyes, expecting him to strike him. Instead, Jaime grabbed his hand and pulled himself and Connie towards the roof. Once landing there, he let go of the bald boy, who only now seemed to have regained his composure.
"I'm So Sorry, Jaime. I don't know why I froze--" "Connie." Jaime interrupted him, looking at him as tears ran down his cheeks, his face still pale from the near-death experience, and he was still breathing heavily.
"I know you are afraid, but if it were anyone else. They would have died. Connie, I want you to understand. One single mistake, and you are dead. There's no second chance. Do not ever freeze like that again. No matter what, either run or fight back, do not freeze." Jaime said firmly and with a commanding voice. Connie nodded right away, still trying to get his heartbeat under control.
"Jaime. I'm glad you are safe." He accepted her hug, but he knew they weren't out of the woods yet; they still needed to wait until the bells started ringing--
"NOOOOO!!" Everyone quickly looked in the distance and saw Franz and Hannah two buildings away. The latter was screaming as a Titan grabbed Franz.
"Hey, Wait!" Jaime quickly rushed forward without thinking, using his gas to fly as fast as possible, hoping he would save him. As Franz got closer and closer to the giant mouth, Jaime was aware of his friends calling out his name, telling him to wait, but his body moved on its own; he wouldn't let his friends die. He wouldn't fail again...
Suddenly, his entire body tensed without thinking. Jaime spun around with his blades, blood splattered everywhere as giant fingers flew over him; he looked down to see another abnormal whose hand could no longer grab him.
Jaime roared in fury as he shot his grappling hook right at his right eye; with a burst of gas and another spin, he quickly cut through the fingers of his other hand before slicing the nape, but just as he turned his attention towards Franz and Hannah, his eyes widened to see his upper body falling off the jaw of the Titan, with a trail of blood and guts following behind.
The nape of the Titan chewing on legs burst in blood as Ymir cut through the nape, but it was already too late. Jaime knew that as he rushed towards them, he could hear her cries and someone gasping. As he ran and turned to the right, he saw why they had gasped.
Hannah was applying CPR on Franz, pushing on his chest with her hands before breathing in his mouth, but Jaime's eyes slowly looked at his stomach; the guts had burst out, and the blood splattered out each time Hannah applied pressure on his chest, his blood turned the cobbles red. They all remained staring at her in shock as she kept trying to revive what was a corpse.
"H-Hannah, he is--" "HELP ME PLEASE!!" She cried out, sobbing loudly, lifting her head up to look at them before she started pushing on his chest once again.
"Come on, Franz. You promised me we would build a house together. We would have two children. Come On." Jaime's eyes burned, but before he could say anything to her, he heard the sound of loud footsteps approaching.
As if a bolt of electricity had just hit him, Jaime escaped his shock right away. "Everyone to the Rooftop," Jaime ordered before grabbing Hannah by the arm, forcefully pulling her away as she struggled against his grip while letting out sobs of anguish, trying to return to Franz.
"No, Franz is—" "Hold on to me," Jaime ordered as he pulled the trigger and, with a burst of gas, pushed himself off the ground as a Titan reached them. However, he was only seven meters tall and couldn't follow them on the rooftop. Once they landed, the roof tiles cracked, but he knew they couldn't stay here.
Without waiting for her permission, he quickly grabbed her in his arms and flew away with his ODM Gear.
Once they were far enough away from where Franz's body was left, only then did he let go of her. Hannah spun around to face him with fury in her eyes, tears all over her face; he saw it coming but made no movement to stop her.
A slap rang through the air, and Jaime's cheek turned red. He felt a trail of fire on his face; it burned, and she screamed, ready to slap him again, but Ymir quickly got hold of her and pulled her away.
"What the hell do you think you are doing?"
"He let Franz DIE. You Monster!!"
"He was already dead, you foolish girl!!"
"YOU ARE WRONG. FRANZ WOULD NEVER LEAVE ME!!!"
"IF YOU WANT TO REJOIN HIM SO BADLY THEN GO AHEAD-"
"ENOUGH!!" Jaime shouted before looking at Ymir, who held Hannah in a headlock. Silence fell over; all they heard were the loud footsteps of Titans far enough away.
"Let her go." Ymir did so, and Hannah sank to her knees before letting out sobs of anguish; she started punching the tiles, and all they could do was watch in silence.
Jaime felt the cold rain falling on his face. The droplets of rain soon turned into hundreds. He could see him once again. Arthur was staring at him, but it wasn't just him. Franz was there, too, staring at him with disappointment. One more was dead. Jaime wanted to apologize for not saving him, but he knew he had no time to mourn; they were still in Titan Territory; if they decided to just stay here and drown in grief, they all would die here.
For the first time ever, Jaime looked away from Arthur. He was a captain now, Jaime reminded himself. Connie, Ymir, Krista, Hannah, and anyone else who was still alive needed him, and he didn't have time to mourn the loss of friends. No, right now, he needed to keep moving forward, gather back his composure, and act like a proper Captain. To make sure no more of his friends would die. He would take charge and make sure as many of them survive this day.
"We shouldn't stay here," Jaime said firmly, turning to address everyone. Hannah lay still on her stomach, crying.
The bells started ringing on the other side of the Wall.
"We are Saved!!" Connie shouted in happiness. He seemed ready to jump over the rooftop and go straight over the wall.
"Wait, Connie—" Jaime stopped him. The bald boy turned around, his mouth open, ready to protest, when he checked his gas tank, and it was just as he had thought.
"It's nearly empty; we don't have enough gas to get to the walls," Jaime said, quickly checking everyone else's gas tanks. Krista and Hannah had the most gas left.
"What are we going to do?!" Connie cried out in panic while Ymir cursed their rotten luck.
Jaime knew they were stuck. The supply depot was supposed to refill their gas tanks, but he hadn't seen a single one since they started fighting the Titans.
"Oii is that--is that Armin?!" Ymir said incredulously. They all turned their heads in the direction she was pointing, and resting his back against a chimney was Armin, holding his head and not moving an inch.
"Don't use the ODM Gear, save the gas," Jaime ordered. Instead, they took a longer route, jumping through rooftops when the space between buildings wasn't big enough. Occasionally, the others used the gas to close the gap, but not Jaime, who easily jumped from one rooftop to the next until they finally reached Armin, who remained unmoving.
His face had gone pale, and his eyes had turned red like blood. He didn't even acknowledge their presence as if they weren't there. Jaime didn't have to ask to know what must have happened, but he remembered that Eren was the Captain of his squad and Mina was on his team. Hannah simply sat down, her back against a chimney like Armin. It was a miracle she even decided to come with them and not stay alone on that rooftop.
"Armin, are you okay? Where are the others?" Connie asked, looking around as if trying to find the rest of his team.
"Look at him. They are all dead. He most likely--" "Ymir." She stopped talking when Jaime fixed her with a hard glare; she huffed before looking away from him as he approached Armin, kneeling to his level and nudging his shoulder.
"Armin, where is Eren? Where is the rest of your team?" He looked up at Jaime's purple eyes, his lips trembling as more tears rolled down his face.
"Eren--he is Dead." Jaime's eyes widened. He was expecting that answer, but still, hearing it. He closed his eyes and said a small prayer for him. He wanted to say something, but he knew they could not stay here. They needed to leave.
"Armin, come with us, you cannot stay here." But Armin remained unresponsive to his words as if he couldn't hear him.
Suddenly, he heard the sound of gas; he quickly turned around to see many other cadets joining them, including Sasha, whose eyes widened and sighed heavily in relief when she landed and ran up to him.
"Jaime, ohh, you are alive." Sasha quickly embraced Jaime. He caressed her back, trying to make her feel better while looking around, trying to see who else was still alive. He felt a stab in the heart when he couldn't see Annie. Where are you? Please, be alive, Jaime thought, swallowing thickly.
Some tried to talk with Hannah, but she remained as silent as a mute. When they asked what was wrong with her, Connie told them that Franz was dead,
"Armin, are you alright?"
"AAAHHH! I'm dead weight! I should just die!"
"Hey, calm down, Armin!" Connie tries to reason with him.
"Hey, have you seen Annie, Sasha?" Jaime quickly asked with growing concern, looking down at the potato girl who opened her mouth to answer.
Suddenly, they heard even more approaching with their ODM Gear, and Jaime quickly recognized her. They made eye contact, and he knew she said that she wanted their relationship to be secret, but at this point, he couldn't care less. He ran up to her and quickly hugged Annie the moment she landed on the rooftop.
"I missed you," Jaime said with joy and relief; Reiner and Berholdt were taken aback by this, especially when Annie returned the hug instead of kicking Jaime in the face or something.
"I'm glad you are still alive." Annie whispered with affection as they pulled away from one another, but their little reunion was cut short when Jean and Marco soon landed.
"I see you are are still kicking." Jean japed, trying to lighten up the mood as Jaime quickly shared a hug with them.
"I hope you are not too disappointed. You have to bear me for a bit longer." Jaime japed as they pulled away. But the light humor could only go so long when they all realized that they all were stuck here with nowhere else to go.
"Hey, Jean! What do we do now?" Connie asks Jean, who is sitting with a horrified and defeated look.
"What can we do? We finally received the order to retreat, but we can't get over the wall because we're out of gas. We're all going to die. Thanks to those fucking cowards..." Jean said.
"You mean the support squad? What happened to them? Are they all dead?" Connie said.
"They probably lost their will to fight. I understand how they feel. But I doubt they've abandoned their mission and barricaded themselves away in the HQ. I'm guessing the Titans have them surrounded, which is why they can't supply us with gas." Jean added.
"That's exactly why we have no choice but to go all in on these Titans! Sitting here and waiting to die isn't going to make a difference! The Titans are going to surround us too! If we keep running away from them, we'd just end up wasting the little gas we have left. Once we lose our agility, it'd really be over!" Connie says.
"I never thought I'd hear you make an intelligent comment, Connie. But how do you propose we do that with the forces we have left? The vanguard has nearly been wiped out. Moreover, which one of us cadets could possibly take command of such an operation? Not that we could do anything about the Titans even if someone took command. The gas storage is probably crawling with 3-4 meter class Titans by now. And of course, we can't fight them inside the storage."
"So it's hopeless?"
Jean sighs. "I had such a boring life. If someone told me beforehand... tch, for once, I really wish Jaime was here..." Jean mutters the last part.
"Let's do it!" Sasha said. "Stand up! If we all work together, we can do it! I'll be in front!" She said this but was met with silence. She looked down but then spotted Armin. Walking over to him, she spoke.
"Armin! Let's go together and—" She cut herself off as she saw his expression. She quietly sighs.
Jaime kept quiet and looked at the HQ, trying to devise a plan to reach that building, but the only one he could think of involved all of them rushing towards their death. This is not the end, not yet, Jaime thought, already making up his mind.
"Annie!" Mikasa says, getting her attention as she lands on the roof. "Have you seen Eren's unit?" She asks with growing concern. She noticed that Jaime was still alive, but now she is more concerned for Eren.
"No, and I haven't seen anyone climbed the wall either."
"Armin's over there, though." Reiner points in the direction of Armin.
Mikasa makes her way toward Armin. "Armin!" She calls out.
Armin's eyes widen. 'Mikasa?! I don't even deserve to be alive. If I knew it'd come to this...' Armin thinks, keeping his eyes down and not daring to look up as Mikasa comes.
"Armin, are you hurt?" Mikasa kneels in front of him, speaking softly. " Are you feeling okay?" she asks concerned.
Armin doesn't respond. Mikasa stands back up, asking, "Where's Eren?"
Armin grits his teeth.
"Armin?" Mikasa calls out.
With all his guts, he looked up at her with tears in his eyes. They both met eye to eye.
"Our unit... the 34th cadet unit... Thomas Wagner. Nic Tius. Mylius Zeramuski. Mina Carolina. Eren Yeager. All five of them have fulfilled their duty and died heroic deaths in battle!"
Nearly everyone looks at him in shock. Mikasa's hair shadows her eyes.
"No way..." Sasha says.
"So the 34th unit was nearly wiped out..." A cadet said.
"If we fight the Titans, we'll end up like them." Another said.
"I'm sorry, Mikasa. Eren died in my stead... I couldn't do anything! I'm so sorry!" Armin cries.
Mikasa kneels in front of him once again, this time putting a hand over his. "Armin..." she begins. "Take a deep breath." She looks at him with dull eyes. "This isn't the time to be emotional." She stands up while still grabbing a hold of Armin's hand.
Mikasa turns. "Marco." She calls. "If we take out the Titans around the HQ, we can replenish our gas supplies and climb the wall. Does that sound correct?"
"Yeah... but even if you're with us, there's just too many..." Marco says.
"We can do it," Mikasa says firmly. Marco looks at her in shock. You are all weak, but I'm strong." Before their conversation could continue, three Titans started running towards them. The cadets started to panic, but before Mikasa could jump on them, suddenly, all three of them were sliced in their napes, one by one, falling on the ground. This was followed by Jaime landing on the roof near them, causing the tiles to crack under his weight. The blood of the Titans had turned him red, with steam coming out of it.
"Did Jaime just do that?!"
"How is he so fast?!"
"Do not look surprised. He killed two abnormals today and saved mine and Hannah's life." Connie quickly said, loud enough for everyone to hear. They all turned to look at Jaime as he walked towards them.
"Cadets of The Training Corps, all of you listen to me," Jaime shouted firmly in a commanding voice. They all straightened themselves up.
"Right now, we are low on gas, but we have just enough to reach the HQ. Our plan is simple, we will rush towards the HQ, all of us. Avoid any Titans you can until you reach the HQ, so we resuuply. And then go behind the safety of Wall Rose." Jaime's plan caused many to turn pale.
"Are you mad, what about the Titans?"
"Enough yelling, and listen to him, you cowards," Jean shouted. All of them fell silent and looked at Jaime.
"I know you are all afraid. You think if you stay here, you are safe, but those three Titans proved otherwise. If we stay here, we all die, but if we rush towards the HQ, there's a chance we will survive. I know all of you lost someone today, but do you think they would want you to die here like Cowards?" Jaime's words made many look up to him.
"They might be dead, but they all are watching over us. They want to see us live. If we die right here, without even trying, then that's the biggest insult any of you could give to your loved ones. You are spitting on the sacrifices they made for all of us. Do you want their life to mean nothing? Or do you want to live another day to prove to the world and the Titans that we are not so easily defeated? Will we die here like cowards?"
"NOOO!"
"Then come with me. I will lead all of you. Follow me to the HQ, Reiner. Stand behind and watch over us with Berholdt and Mikasa. I want you behind me. You will lead them if I fall. No matter what happens, do not stop moving, no matter what you see or what you hear. Do not stop moving forward. Now, come with me." Jaime shouted, quickly followed by the war cry of everyone else who jumped with him.
Jaime and Mikasa quickly started attacking everyone they knew they needed to kill, but as he killed the third one, he quickly noticed that Mikasa was using too much fuel, almost attacking blindly, before moving away from them while they were halfway.
Shit! Jaime cursed as he started spinning around the air, cutting through the arm of one of the Titans before cutting the nape.
"Jean, lead them. I will find Mikasa." Jaime shouted before rushing in her direction. Within a minute, he saw Mikasa alone in the street; her gas must have run out; as a Titan's hand approached her, she sliced the palm of the hand, causing the Titan to flinch and move it away. Jaime quickly noticed the other Titan approaching from behind Mikasa.
Using almost all the gas he had left, he rushed forward, grabbing her body from the street, trying to reach the rooftop, just as the other Titan stomped on the ground near her. Jaime expected the second Titan to reach out toward them, but instead...he punched the other Titan in the face, destroying his jaw.
"What the fuck!!"