Garrison Headquarters
The newly graduated cadets of the 104th had all assembled at Trost Castle, the central headquarters for the Garrison's operations. The massive stone building had once been a noble's residence, now repurposed for military use. The courtyard was a chaotic mess of soldiers, refugees, and supply carts. The air was thick with dust and the smell of fear.
"We need more gas at the Wall!" A Garrison soldier shouted, his face covered in grime and sweat. He directed a handful of recruits toward the supply depot, their movements clumsy as they were shadowed by fear and frustration.
Eren stood among them, now calmer, now that he knew that his mother was already safe in the area where the evacuated civilians were. Still, he was aching to go and fight, to get revenge on the Titans that had dared to invade humanity's land. The rage was a cold fire burning in his stomach.
"I can't just stay here," he said to Mikasa and Armin, who were standing by his side. "We have to do something." He was practically itching to get out there.
"Eren, we must wait for orders." Mikasa's reply was flat, her focus unwavering as she checked the straps of her ODM gear.
"...No Titans have made it inside the city yet...Maybe, humanity has a chance, after all..." Armin's hands checked and rechecked his gear, a nervous habit he had developed during training. "The plan is to lure the Titans inside and kill as many as we can. But if the Colossal or the Armored appear again..." His mind worked, sifting through information, weighing probabilities.
"But we can do something, right? We—" Eren's speech was interrupted by Krista's elevated tone.
"Please, let me go to the Wall!" Historia had just been denied permission to join the fight by a stern-faced commander. Her small frame was tensed, her blue eyes held a fire that belied her size.
"It's too dangerous out there, cadet," the commander replied, his tone dismissive. "Don't question orders and head back to the supply depot."
"But Conrad is still out there! I have to..." Historia's argument was cut short by another commander's shout.
"Eren Jaeger!" Another Garrison Commander, this one with a neat mustache and a sharp uniform, approached Eren and the others. "I have a mission for your squad."
"Sir!" Eren's posture straightened.
"Supply run to the wall. They used up a lot of their gas fighting the Titans. They need more to keep up." The commander pointed towards the supply depot. "There should be no Titans inside the city yet, but you should remain on high alert. Go."
The commander left, leaving Eren with a new, albeit boring, mission. Eren's shoulders slumped. A supply run. But close to the front...Perhaps, perhaps he could fight a Titan, even if the orders said otherwise.
Mikasa didn't like the look on Eren's face, but before she could say anything, Eren was already in motion.
"Let's go!" Eren declared, a renewed vigor on him, as he told Mina, Thomas, and the other members of his squadron to get the cart ready.
"Sir, I would like to volunteer as well," Historia said to the other commander, her small frame standing tall, her blue eyes fixed on the man's face. "I can help."
The commander looked at her, then at Eren's squad. "Fine, but be careful."
"Thank you, sir!" Historia said with a small, triumphant smile on her lips.
"Me too!" Adelaide added, stepping forward, her green eyes filled with a mix of fear and determination.
Eren nodded, and the small group began the task of loading the cart with the heavy canisters of gas. Then Emelina appeared; instead of asking, she went straight to helping; her movements were swift and practiced. Her silver hair was tied back in a tight bun, and her face was a mask of cold efficiency.
"You're not supposed to be here, Almonacid," Mina said, her voice a little shaky, "But thanks for the help."
Emelina's eyes stared at Mina with such coldness that the girl shuddered. "Is that a problem?" The question was simple, but the tone was not. There was a challenge in it.
"N-no," Mina stammered.
"Good." Emelina turned back to the cart, her silence more powerful than any threat. Her fingers quickly worked to secure the straps on a gas canister.
"Emelina?" Eren said.
"What?"
"I— Nevermind, you are free to come." He didn't want to have an argument with her. Not now. Her prodigious strength would be useful. The cart was almost fully loaded, and all that was left was going to the wall.
Mikasa tried to join the cart, but she was stopped by a soldier who informed her that she was assigned to help with the rear guard. She tried to argue, but the soldier was adamant.
"Just follow orders, Ackerman. We all have our part," The soldier said, and the girl seemed to understand. Or rather, she chose to accept. She walked away. There were no Titans inside yet, she could relax...Eren would be fine. But then another thought crossed her head as she looked at the cart. 'Conrad. He had stayed at the Walls...was it...because...No, it couldn't be.'
Emelina walked close to the cart while carrying a heavy gas canister in her arms, one that a normal soldier would need two to lift. She kept concentrating on her task, not looking at anyone. The other cadets were surprised by her display of strength. 'Don't be stupid, Conrad...' the thought that crossed her mind as she looked in the direction of the wall.
Soon enough, the horses began to pull the cart down the street of Trost, the cloudy skies turning to an even darker shade. The sounds of distant cannon fire and soldiers going to reinforce the gate echoed in the empty streets. The silence of the city was eerie. There were no civilians, no merchants, no children playing. Only heavy wooden carts that transported supplies closer to the frontline and soldiers returning wounded or with missing limbs.
'Conrad, just wait for me!' Eren thought, wanting to join him in the fight as the cart went along.
'Conrad, please be okay.' Historia's plea, wishing to be by his side.
'Conrad...' Adelaide's fear, a prayer whispered under her breath as she sat on the back of the cart. She was thinking about what he would do in this situation. She tried to channel her inner Conrad. As amusing as the thought was, she really wished he were here. 'He would know what to do.'
***
Meanwhile, far away, Annie also had her own thoughts as she watched from a secluded high-rise building that now lay empty.
'Die...Just die...Both of you...' Her thoughts were not for the Titans or the Garrison soldiers but for others. She looked at the cadets, at the friends she had made for the past three years. At the boy who was making her feel things she had no right to feel, and she could do nothing...She was helpless, alone, and frozen in place. Now, no current could help her to get out of this; all her sins would come to claim her soon enough...and perhaps, that way, she could escape this torment.
'They should have just stayed put,' she thought. 'But no...They just had to go...' She hid her face on her knees, trying her best to stop the shivers. She had already started to have that empty feeling in her chest that she had only felt once before when her father told her he only cared for her skills. A feeling of being worthless. 'How could I do this to him? To them? I should die...'
-x-X-x-
At the Inner Gate
The next wave of Titans was too large to fight from the outside; as such, the defense was focused on the inner gate that acted as a funnel. The cannons, placed in strategic positions around the ditch that surrounded the gate, fired as the Titans approached. Some were taken down, but their numbers seemed endless. But the most alarming one was that gas was in short supply, especially now that the garrison had organized itself and sent more soldiers to the inner gate; they helped replace the wounded and exhausted.
There was still no news about reinforcements from the other districts, nor from the Military Police. Captain Kittel was now looking at a map. "It will still be a few good hours before large reinforcements arrive..." He looked below, the Titans on the horizon slowly mounting up, and distraction operations were working on the walls, but even that wasn't enough to contain the incoming tides.
"We should have enough to stop for now, right?" Malia, who had finally returned after making sure that Karl was taken care of, now stood next to the captain, her ODM gear at the ready. Her face, while serious, had no trace of the earlier despair.
"We will," Captain Kittel said, "But we need supplies." He turned to you, as if aware that the next words would have some impact on you. "I have sent a messenger to HQ for some cadets to bring a resupply of gas and blades. They should be here soon."
"They won't fight, right?" You asked, the tension now creeping back. The image of the girls' faces flashed in your mind again.
"Not as long as we are here, soldier," One of the senior soldiers, Ruprecht, replied. He had managed to survive through the initial onslaught without much issue. "We are now more experienced than most of the garrison at HQ." He said, pride swelling in his chest, though his smile twitched. Unable to hide the nerves.
"They will fight if the situation calls for it. Everyone knows what they signed up for, Conrad," Captain Kittel corrected Ruprecht. He looked at you, adjusting his glasses once more. "That includes you. That includes them."
Malia didn't say anything; her confidence had been shattered at the sight of so much death, but still, she stood there, ready. Her fingers tapped on the hilts of her blades. She was anxious but knew her duty well enough.
"But Conrad, keep up the good work so that they don't have to," Kittel added with a wry smile, a half-hearted attempt at lightening the mood. It didn't work. The tension remained there. Everyone was nervous, everyone was anxious. The only difference was who could hide it better.
"I will." You replied without even looking at him. Instead, your gaze was fixed on the approaching Titans. The silhouettes of their bodies approached as rain began to fall. Not a hard downpour, but a fine, persistent drizzle. It made the stones slick, the ground muddy. It should help wash away the blood.
"Ah, rain," Ruprecht said, "Just our luck."
"Better than the sun. The heat makes them more active." Malia shot back, but she knew that slick surfaces wouldn't help with the latching of hooks.
"But what's the plan now?" You asked, "More of this? Just waiting for them to come in?"
"There should be teams setting up cannons along the main road to stop the Armored in case it comes in, but other than just swords and skill," Kittel paused, "The Survey Corps should be here soon enough...They are best suited for these types of battles."
'That is the plan? The Survey Corps are the last resort...Were there really no better plans for stopping the Titans if they attacked?' You thought.
The roar of cannons firing once more made you all flinch for a second. You looked at the street below. The Titans were getting closer. A few had already started to climb the ditch, and a few that had fallen into the ditch were starting to climb up on the other side as well. But it wouldn't be long until they would get to the inner gate. You took a deep breath.
'Just focus, Conrad. Focus.' You thought to yourself. 'Buy time'
"Captain! There is a large concentration of Titans coming!" One of the lookouts shouted from the wall.
"Everyone, get ready!" Kittel bellowed, grabbing the attention of the weary soldiers.
You looked at Malia; she looked at you. Her hands were steady. She gave you a small nod and then headed back down. "Remember, Conrad, defend the inner gate if the Armored appears. We want to face it inside the city where it will be easier to manuever." Captain Kittel's final piece of advice before you joined the fray, on the edge of your view, you saw a wagon led by two horses approaching a side of the wall. Supplies...You would need them soon enough.
-x-X-x-
On Route to the Wall
Eren's squadron got close enough to the wall that they could begin to hear the faint whistles of the cannons. The cart's wooden wheels creaked over the stone-paved road.
"The vanguard is still holding!" Eren shouted, a look of relief on his face. As always, he took his mission in aiding the fight against the Titans seriously. "It won't be too long. Get ready to load up the gas canisters and blades as soon as we can." He said, focused on the road with other wagons moving around them.
"Sure, will!" Mina Carolina said with an energetic and nervous tone. Black hair was already wet from the drizzle. Though, as she glanced around, she noticed both Adelaide and Krista in deep thought, the two of them seemed not to be really paying attention to their surroundings.
"You two...okay?" Mina asked them.
"Uhm?" Adelaide was brought back from her mind, and she smiled weakly at Mina. "Yeah, yeah...Just thinking about Conrad," She answered in a shy but honest way.
Krista just nodded, not wanting to get into a complicated talk about how they all shared a lover. A love story that even Mina didn't seem to understand completely.
"Oh," Mina simply said, almost not willing to entertain the thought that her friend was still hung up on that sleazy man. Yet, she was still her friend, and so she merely patted her on the back. "He is too dense on the head to be eaten by a Titan; nothing will happen to him!" She said, trying to bring a little humor to the situation.
"Thanks, Mina," Adelaide said, a little smile appearing on her face as she now paid more attention to the road.
Krista remained silent, her gaze now on the wall; the sounds of the cannons were a call to action, a reminder that this was a mission, not a delivery. She reached out to grab Adelaide's hand in this moment of tension. Her small fingers squeezed with surprising strength.
Adelaide squeezed back. The two girls looked at each other, a smile on both their faces. They were in this together, for better or for worse. And for Conrad, as well. Yet, even as the two of them shared this moment, they both thought about Annie. They were sure that Conrad would ask about her, and yet, she was nowhere to be found in the HQ. Maybe, she had been assigned to a special mission?
But as they approached the wall, these thoughts had to be shelved for a later, safer moment. The roar of the cannons was compounded by the ground shaking of a titan falling into one of the ditches around the inner gate. It made the wagon stumble a little, almost toppling over.
"Whoa there!" Thomas Wagner shouted, pulling the reins to steady the horses. His hands tightened on the wet leather. The wagon lurched back onto all four wheels. Eren and the others kept an eye out for the buildings.
Eren's eyes flickered between the buildings and the top of the wall. There, he saw a flash of silver diving into the street below. It had to be Conrad. He could tell, even from that distance.
"That's Conrad!" Eren pointed out. The other cadets, especially Adelaide and Historia, rushed to get a better view of the battle from a distance.
"He is fighting..." Historia muttered to herself, her blue eyes tracking the silver glint. A surge of pride and a cold knot of fear fought for dominance in her stomach. But she brushed aside thoughts. "You can do it, Conrad!" She shouted, her angelical voice replaced by a battle cry for her lover and friend.
"He can't hear you..." Thomas said, then flinched as he heard another loud shout, this time coming from Adelaide.
"Conrad! Be careful!"
Mina and Thomas merely exchanged a look. They didn't understand their friend's obsession with him, but they sure could understand the cheers. Even from this distance, they could see the fast and quick movements of Conrad against the Titans. Movements that overshadowed any of the rest of the garrison. But the sightseeing came to an abrupt stop as soon as they heard Emelina's ODM gear's hiss as she shot the hooks into the nearest wall. The other cadets didn't even have a chance to protest.
"What are you—!" Eren started to say, but Emelina was already flying.
Not one to be outdone, Eren immediately fired his own grappling hooks, the gas pushing him forward, his own shout of "Not without me!" trailing behind him. He followed her path.
"Eh. Eh?!" Mina stammered. "Hey! We have to deliver the supplies!"
Historia and Adelaide took a moment to look at each other and then nod. "Let's continue our mission, Conrad, will need this," Historia said, her small hands now on the cart as her focus came back. The sounds of the battle, their lover in the heat of it all, these facts did not change their orders.
Adelaide gave a determined nod, her green eyes now fixed on the road ahead. "Let's go."
They weren't too far away from Conrad; they could reach him just like Emelina and Eren, but...They knew better than to rush into a battle unprepared; it was what Conrad would want. Still, their hearts were in their throats.
But what the girls didn't see was the determined and angry look on Emelina's face as she maneuvered through the ruined streets. She was fast, her eyes locked onto the sight of her brother. Fighting...Alone...Without her. She had thought that he would have gone with the rest of the cadets to headquarters, not stay in the front. And it made her angry at herself for trusting him.
There was anger at the way that some of the garrison soldiers barely contributed to the battle; their cowardice was forcing her brother to overextend himself. The frown on her face deepened as she shot her hooks into the building to the left. She flew, closing in on Conrad, and then shot the hooks again to gain some altitude. The wind whistled past her ears, the rain soaking her uniform.
Just behind her, Eren was trying to follow her lead. His movements are reckless but no less effective. But with each jump and latching hook, the rain began to grow stronger, making the roofs slick with water and mud, limiting their speed. Emelina, however, didn't slow down; she pushed forward, her mind on one thing.
"Out of the way!" Emelina's shout to the Garrison soldiers as she passed by them on the roofs, her silver hair a streak of lightning against the gray sky. Her blades were drawn, and her eyes were fixed on a Titan that was a little too close for her liking to her brother.
That Titan was large, but stuck in a ditch, extending its hand towards Conrad. It was a perfect target. Her body spun in the air, her arms extended, her blades glinting in the grey light. The Titan's arm was her target.
It was a perfect cut, clean and deep. She landed against the side of the wall, ready to head back, but she didn't need to; you had finished the job. Your own blades cutting the back of the Titan's neck, ending its life.
You latched your hooks onto the side of the wall where she was. Not expecting to see her here. The two of you were at eye-level, the wind and rain whipping between you.
But before you could say anything, you saw Eren approaching, and as soon as he made it past the ditch. You felt a groundshaking noise behind you, outside the walls.
"What was that?" One of the soldiers asked.
You glanced away from Emelina and towards the soldiers at the other side of the ditch. Their faces blank with terror, you wondered what was happening. It wasn't just one slow ground-shaking noise, but many, as if dozens of large rocks were falling again and again into the ground. But as soon as you saw the first titan crawl out of the gates, you realized it.
One of the Titans rushed inside the city, but it wasn't just an abnormal...Not at all, it had glowing red lines across its body. Its eyes are screaming in red towards the nearest soldier, its speed unnatural. And behind it, more of its kind, all rushing inside the city like a stampede. Instead of falling into the ditch like the others, they jumped past it, squashing the soldiers without a care in the world.
"What are those?" Malia said, right above you, with wide eyes.
Captain Kittel was without words. His mind tried to rationalize what was going on. He had never seen anything like this before. "I have never...How did they get inside so quickly..." He asked himself.
Eren, who had just arrived behind Emelina, gasped, but it was your sister who saw it as clear as day. She saw the titan's movements, how they targeted the humans with uncharacteristic precision. But it wasn't just one, but an entire wave of Abnormals, all with the same red lines, running inside.
You knew what you had to do; you couldn't let them get any further, not after all the sacrifices that had been made. You prepared yourself, but Emelina stopped you.
"Conrad!" She shouted, her hand grabbing your arm with surprising force. "Wait! These Titans aren't natural!"
"What?!" You replied, your eyes still fixed on the approaching Titans.
"Look at them!" Emelina yelled, pointing at the red lines on the Titans' bodies. Her teeth gritted in a rare show of panic. "They're not acting just like Abnormals; they're working together!"
You looked closer, your breath caught. She was right. The Titans weren't just running mindlessly; they were moving with a purpose, targeting the soldiers in an almost coordinated manner. The lines on their bodies pulsed with every second. A strange energy was flowing through them. An unfamiliar chill ran down your spine.
Eren gritted his teeth, both swords in hand. "So what! They're still Titans! We can still kill them!"
-x-X-x-
The few seconds that passed showed what these 'Abnormals' could actually do. In moments, most of the crew of the cannons were on the mouths of the Titans. The strange energy and fury that these beings had seemed to be too much for even some of the garrison soldiers who had been with you since the start.
Captain Kittel weighed his options. The obvious thing was to fall back and observe, fighting the Titans in such close proximity would be a nightmare...Maybe, if they drew them out. But the more he thought, the more the danger of the Titans grew. Not only from these ones but from the ones still coming from outside the wall.
Far away, the evacuation was still not complete. The people massed at the gate. There was no time to lose, and no reason for the sacrifice of his comrades to have been in vain.
"Captain!" Malia shouted, eyes wide, "What's the order!?"
There was no choice. It was either fight them here or let them roam free in the city, endangering civilians who are still inside and endangering the plan against the Armored Titan. He had to protect these people.
"We fight them! Rogel and Mounce Squadrons draw them away from the cannons! Don't fight them alone!" He said, jumping off to the left flank, he turned towards you at the last moment. "Conrad, Emelina, Eren draw them to the right flank!" His command gave you no more room for questions or hesitation. But for a brief moment, he saw your faces and could see the worry for the mission. "For humanity!" He shouted.
The phrase was the usual slogan to get people to enlist. Yet, at this moment, it carried the weight of sacrifice and duty. A weight that you felt upon your shoulders.
"I am not letting you fight them off alone," Emelina said, already knowing what you were about to do. Her blades were at the ready; she had spent the same years as you training for this moment. You knew that, but you still felt a surge of overprotectiveness. Your sister, no matter how harsh or manipulative, was dear enough that you wouldn't dream of losing her.
"Our parents, are they alright?" You asked a quick question before the battle started anew. The thought of your parents being in danger was enough to distract you for a moment.
"Safe," Emelina said, giving you a nod, "The Garrison soldiers who were near them managed to guide them to the inner district...We can fight." Her reply was a simple reassurance, one that you needed to hear.
Eren wasn't listening to your exchange. He had already fired his hooks at the building to the right, the gas from his gear screaming in the drizzle. "Let's go!" He shouted.
You and Emelina did not hesitate, and you all jumped.
The three of you flew across the open street, trying to draw off these incredibly lethal titans from the rest of the garrison. The wind and rain lashed against your face as you soared through the air. Just a few hundred meters away, you saw the wagon carrying the supply of gas and blades.
Two flashes of blonde hair from atop the wagon. Adelaide's hands flew to her mouth, her green eyes wide with shock as she saw the red-lined Titans charging into the city. Historia, next to her, stood up, her small frame tense, a look of fear on her face. But it wasn't for herself. Her gaze was fixed on you.
The Titans were so close to them...' Dammit! Why did they have to come to resupply the Wall?' You felt anger and frustration; you were fighting so hard to protect them, and yet, they were so close to danger. So close to these inhuman Titans. This fueled your resolve. 'I have to protect them.'
"Head to the right!" You shouted to the others.
You saw the red-lined Titans in front of you now. There were about ten of them. Each one was different, but they all had the same glowing red lines and the same unnatural speed. Two of them straight-up attempted to jump mid-air to catch you, and they missed by less than a meter. The clasp of their hands formed a vacuum, almost pulling you downwards.
This wouldn't be easy, that was for sure.
-x-X-x-
As you reached the roof of the right flank, you saw two of the Abnormals running towards you, teeth bared and hands at the ready. One of the garrison soldiers who had been swatted as a fly lay on the ground, trying to crawl to safety. The heavy stomps of the Titan made him turn his head a moment before he got stomped into a bloody mess. The Abnormals had completely ignored him, and the ones on the left flank were all the same, caring only about those who got close enough to be a threat.
"Argh!" Eren roared in anger at the sight of the soldier being crushed. His stare focused only on the incoming Titans. "Conrad, we've waited for this moment." He said, extending his arm with his blade towards the incoming Titans. "We won't let you take our home again!" He shouted at the Titans.
His words resonated within you, but you knew about his inexperience. You had seen the dozens of bodies that were outside the gate, the carnage of limbs and torn apart bodies. Inexperience was a death sentence. Yet, for a moment, you believed in him. He had grown from that day you saved him from the rubble.
"Emelina, take the one on the right with Eren," You said, taking a few short steps back on the wet brick roof.
"You really don't make things easy, do you?" Emelina's silver hair whipped in the wind. The corners of her lips tightened into a grim smile, one that prepared for the worst-case scenario, as always.
"Let's go!" Eren shouted, firing both of his hooks towards one of the Titans' heads. He didn't wait for a response, moving as if pulled by strings of pure rage. His body arced through the rainy air.
Emelina shook her head, a small sigh escaping her lips before she too fired her hooks. You aimed for the leftmost Titan, a tall one with a thin jaw. The gas from your gear pushed you forward into the rainy afternoon. You were not cautious about your gas anymore; any second lost against these monsters was a second that you could not spend aiding the rest of the garrison, Kittel, Malia, Altisia...Your resolve steeled. You had to protect them. You had to protect Adelaide and Historia, who were probably watching from afar, waiting for their resupply to be over. You were their pillar. The idea of them seeing you die was something you refused to accept.
You shot your hooks into the wall on the opposite side of the street to get a better angle, but the Titan was faster than you had anticipated. It swatted at you with its long arm. You twisted your body mid-air, the wind from its passage pulling the drops from your soaked uniform. Its eyes followed you, and it turned its neck at breathtaking speed to not lose sight of you. It was unnerving.
The gas from your gear made a high-pitched hiss as you broke your momentum to get a chance to swipe at its now exposed arm. You managed to slice its arm halfway through, but the Titan's reaction was a simple backhand with his free hand...It was too fast, too strong. Its huge palm caught you in the chest.
Immediately, the air left your lungs, and the world went black for a second. You felt the impact against one of the roofs, followed by the sound of shingles cracking and splintering. You slid across the sloped surface, your body scraping against the wet tiles. Your uniform tore, and your skin burned. You were deaf and blind for a long second, as you attempted to open your eyes to get back, you felt your entire vision dizzying up...
You forced yourself back to your feet, your body completely numb. You then saw a silhouette from the roof. The red lines. The Titan that had hit you was now walking towards you as if it knew that the kill was secure and sure. For a moment, your vision cleared, and you saw Eren and Emelina narrowly avoiding the swats of one of the Titans. You saw the Walls covered in splashes of red and black, the real shock when you realized that some soldiers had been sent flying against the wall enough that their bones had splintered across the stone.
It felt as if an old friend had returned to haunt your mind. A certain Titan that had cornered you at Shiganshina...the one that had almost gotten to you...the one whose neck you now remembered cutting, but the face was not there in your memory. The moments of terror. The moments before Griffin had saved you...it all came back. The helplessness.
Your breath hitched. The red lines on the Titan's body pulsed in your vision, a pulse that grew into glitching static across your vision. You saw the place where you had cut before, the arm that should be hanging off by a thread, and that yet was almost healed already. You felt that same dread. You had grown so strong... and for what? If your power could be so easily discarded by these monsters.
In the background, the rushing soldiers of the garrison did their best to contain these monsters, but they only added to the massacre. The Titans swatted them, they ate them, they squeezed them. The soldiers' blood and organs added to the downpour of the rain that now seemed to mix with the blood, the mixture turning into a crimson-red river in the streets.
The screams, the pleas for mercy, the roars of frustration and anger from the garrison all became a single, humming sound that didn't seem to matter at this point. At that moment, the Titan in front of you lunged towards you in a single jump. Its mouth was wide open. The world went into slow motion as you saw the teeth, the tongue, the throat, and the dark abyss that was its insides...The faces of Annie, Historia, and Adelaide flashed in your mind...It wouldn't end like this.
At that moment, you stomped into the ground, and the rooftop beneath you cracked. The pain, the soreness, all disappeared; even the handles of your swords, now broken from the impact, were no longer a hindrance. In a single bound, your legs propelled you from the building, a speed that was greater than ever before. But as you were about to make contact with the giant beast. A single heavy cannonball made contact with its nape, and the kinetic force propelled the Titan down just enough to miss its target. Its teeth planted into the brick of the building, with the rest of its body landing into the side of the building.
From above, you saw the lucky shot that had managed to help you. A team on the wall had managed to get a proper aim, and next to them was a certain silver-haired woman with an officer's insignia on her uniform. You couldn't tell from this distance that you had already met her before. You didn't waste anymore time, though, you jumped again and flew above before diving down to the exposed neck of the Abnormal Titan.
Your descent landed your swords right on its nape, the sound of the slash being drowned out by the roar of the titans and the cannon fire in the background. But you could feel the resistance as your swords dug deeper and deeper into the monster, but it was healing fast...Too absurdly fast as you felt your swords get almost stuck in its flesh.
'Die!' You thought, as you stood on its nape, taking out your swords and rapidly slashing them back into the exposed nape again, making sure that the damage was fatal. Each cut made the Titan roar, but its head began to move; it was trying to get you off and try to stand. It was a race against time, but one that you would win. On your final slash, the blades cut through enough of its nape to make it fall. The steam and the blood covered your body and face again, but you didn't even notice.
Your mind, body, faced the next challenge, rushing into the fight of Emelina and Eren, cutting into the flesh of another abnormal, and you rushed to assist them; their combined slashes had already managed to cut one of the legs of the monster, but it wouldn't be enough. The Titans were too strong, but not when you were focused.
You latched your hooks onto the monster's back. At that moment, you were no longer a mere soldier, but the fury of a man protecting what he held dear. Each slash was now accompanied by a roar of your own, not out of anger, but out of pure effort.
The cuts against the Titan's nape were fast and effective; a final spin of your body and your feet planted on its spine. The titan had lost a lot of blood and steam, but it still managed to turn and look at you. Right as another Titan swatted on its nape in an attempt to get you, but you jumped at the last second, the Titans' hands colliding against each other's nape in a loud thud.
"Conrad!?" Emelina's surprised shout came as you continued on to fight the other Titan. She was at a loss for words for what she was seeing. She had always thought that she needed to be the one to protect you, to keep you from harm, but now...she saw something else. It was almost as if you relish being here.
The fight had devolved into a chaotic mess. The garrison soldiers were being swatted, eaten, and torn apart. But in their desperation was bravery and duty. More soldiers from the rest of the garrison joined in from the remaining sectors of the inner gate district. Soldiers brought cannons from the streets to shoot and aim, roaring in exertion as they rushed to load and fire.
"Go go go!" An old veteran shouted as he slammed a heavy cannonball into the breech, sweat pouring down his face. The cannon fired, hitting a Titan's knee. The Titan stumbled, its fall crushing a group of soldiers who were trying to retreat. But then another squadron rushed in, trying to get a hit at its nape; most of the squadron got destroyed by one of the other Titans, but even so, they didn't despair or stop.
"Fight! Don't give up!" Someone shouted. "Don't let them into the city!" Another shouted. "For my family!" Another shouted. "We are all humanity's hope!"
The scene was a vortex of noise, fire, steam, and blood. The rain had stopped, but the sky was still a dark, bruised purple.
You had finished three of the Titans on the right flank. The Garrison had finished another four at not a light price. There were still more. Not only the Special Abnormals, but the rest of the Titans that had managed to slip while the Garrison concentrated on the more lethal threats. The Gate was about to be lost, and in that moment, you saw the remaining Abnormals with red lines turn their heads towards Eren. Eren, who had gotten lost in the heat of battle and was now facing one of the remaining ones alone, was an open target for them all.
"Er—en!" Your sister screamed as she fired her hooks toward one of the Abnormal Titans, hoping to get there in time to stop the others. You noticed it as well, almost instinctively, you knew what was about to happen, and so you reached to protect him. You were about to fire your hooks as well. But then it happened.
You and the others in Trost's Inner District felt a groundshaking blast. With the same sharp lightning sound that accompanied the arrival of the Colossal Titan. 'Could it be?' You thought, hoping that it wasn't what you thought it was.
Yet, your mind still drifted towards Eren, who was about to get swarmed by the Special Titans. You had no time to waste, no time to check the source of the explosion. You had to save him. Your neighbour from Shiganshina. Your friend...
-x-X-x-
In that moment, you were blinded to all other things as you prepared to launch yourself into the fray. Your gas was already low, and you didn't have any time to reload your blades or change to a new set. Your only choice now was to go all-in with what you had.
'Even if it kills me...'
Meanwhile, instead of running away, Eren doubled down. He stood on the roof, defiant and angry, green eyes wide, as the monsters closed in. He raised his broken blades high, a gesture that was both foolish and courageous. He was ready to die fighting to the very end. He jumped off the roof and latched onto the nearest Titan as he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"We can fight back!" he roared, his raw, gravelly throat tearing with the force.
You felt the canisters getting lighter as you got closer. You learned to slash against each of the Special Abnormals with enough force to at least stun or incapacitate them. However, your blades couldn't keep up with their unnatural durability. Your hands began to sting from the vibrations of your blades connecting with their flesh. But you refused to give up. Each titan, each slash, each beat you'd endure. Each slash another step into the furious dance that took place in the air.
The Special Titans desperately ran towards Eren, getting in the way of the others, their arms falling as you sliced through their napes one by one. By the time you managed to slice down the last of them, your blades broke. The steel shattered and fell onto the streets below. You were done, as the Titan fell to the ground.
Eren was safe; he had just managed to cut the fingers of one of the approaching Titans. You landed on the tiled roof behind him. You were out of gas, out of blades, out of everything. Even your body seemed to want to fail you after that one final push. Yet, there was an odd sense of clarity now. Everything seemed to move more slowly as your brain started to finally catch up and realized that your focus had been so narrow that you had missed the one important development at the gate.
The Armored Titan is just as described in the classes. Its plated skin glinted in the afternoon sun. It walked inside the city, crossing the bridge across the ditch, and with a single fist, it pulverized one of the cannons that were still manned by the garrison.
Its movements were unlike any Titan you had ever faced before. It had a purpose, a military-like gait, and a clear intelligence in its eyes. The Garrison had managed to land a few cannonball hits, but the plates of its body meant that they did nothing more than inconvenience it.
Emelina landed right beside you, with Eren in tow; the other soldiers who had not been in the immediate vicinity of the fight were trying to rush towards the Armored, trying to stop it before it could break the north gate.
The gray silver eyes of Emelina were filled with concern, but also awe at what you had done. Eren was much of the same; the two of them, both close to you since childhood, knew that whatever you had done to kill off so many of the Titans was beyond normal. The way your body could move at such speed, the strength of your muscles and bones was beyond that of a normal soldier.
"Conrad...your arms..." Emelina reached out to touch you, her fingers crossing across the patches of torn cloth on your jacket. She was surprised to see not a cut, but smooth skin.
"That....was....something else," Eren said, yet his eyebrows were still furrowed, "You shouldn't have pushed yourself so hard for me, Conrad. I can handle myself! " His reaction combined awe, worry, shock, and frustration at not being able to match such ability.
"He's right," Emelina said, her gaze now on the Armored Titan. "What is this monster?"
It seemed that Captain Kittel on the left flank had the same question, as he attempted to coordinate the remaining forces near the gate to fight the Titan. He had just barely seen the Titan's face as it punched through the cannon. Kittel's mind was racing, the shock of the situation still not fully setting in, even if he was a seasoned veteran. He saw the Titan's movements. It wasn't just a mindless beast. This one was in a completely different league, even to the special Titans that they had just observed.
"Concentrate fire on its joints! Aim for the back of its knees!" Kittel shouted to the remaining cannon crews, but even saying so was an extremely tall order. The cannons from high above rained down fire, but they were few, and at these distances, and with the wind and rain, accuracy was a gamble. A cannonball hit the titan's shoulder plate and did nothing.
Immediately, Captain Kittel shot a red smoke into the sky to signal the arrival of the Armored. You saw it; the smoke meant that now all of the Garrison had to be ready to put down their lives to stop the Armored Titan. You had gone over this once in your training lessons. The goal of each of the garrisons was to stop the Armored from breaking through the gate into Wall Rose, but no one truly knew how...There were plans in place, but as you had realized by your talk with Kittel, none were reliable.
A garrison soldier rushed towards you, landing right next to your small group. "Conrad Almonacid? Captain Kittel is requesting that you go to him..." He inspected your canisters, noticing immediately that they were empty. He raised his hands at the soldiers at the Wall, signalling for urgent resupply.
Meanwhile, the fight against the Armored continued, even as more Titans poured into the district. There was no telling what would happen. 'We need to buy more time' is the only thought running through everyone's heads. It walked towards the northern gate. If it got close enough...then it would all be over for humanity.
"We need everyone to take it on! It's the only way," The soldier said, "I can't believe this...The Armored..." He shook his head, so many fallen and yet all the more threats came.
"There isn't a plan to deal with it," Emelina commented, her silver hair stuck to the rain; her tone was logical but with a small trace of unease that she didn't even bother to hide. "Conrad, the chances of beating it are slim," her usual pragmatism coming out into words.
"I know," You replied.
"Then rest and wait for the Captains to come up with a plan," Emelina said, trying to convince you not rush as soon as you were ready to go.
Before you could give her a reply, you heard the sounds of a group landing near on the same tiled roof. Historia and Adelaide, as well as Mina and Thomas, were all there with fresh swords and gas.
"Conrad!" Adelaide shouted, her boots skidding on the wet roof as she ran to you. Historia followed, her small frame moving towards you with an urgent grace. You felt both relief and guilt at their presence. They should be at the rear, not here, on the brink of another slaughter. Not only had you failed at keeping the Titans contained to the inner gate, but all your efforts, all your kills, had amounted to nothing but a little bit of breathing room. And even that breathing room was being taken by the Armored Titan's slow march towards the northern gate.
The two chests of your lovers pressed against you as they threw their arms around your tired and battered body. They hugged you, the feeling of their small frames almost enough to make you forget the blood and the death. Almost. For a second, you allowed yourself to be vulnerable. You held them back. The warmth of their bodies did not go away, but for a moment, it fought against the cold dread that had begun to settle in your stomach.
"I thought..." Historia began, her face buried into your chest. "When that Titan..." Her mind drifted to that moment, the Titan swatted you onto the tiled roof with such force that nobody would have expected to survive. But you...
You...out of everyone else. The guilt of how you had managed to survive was already creeping into your heart. Hundreds had already died. Why should you be the one to live when they couldn't? The image of Griffin dying for you, and now just how many had died for you in this fight alone...and yet, this comfort from the two of them was the only thing that reminded you that you were still alive.
But as you caved into their softness, you had one glaring question to ask.
"Where is Annie?" You finally managed to ask. You had to know. The worry had now crept in.
The two girls went silent in an instant. Their bodies tensed against yours, a subtle shift from comfort to apprehension. Adelaide's head lifted from your chest, her green eyes clouded with a worry of her own.
"She...she wasn't at the headquarters," Adelaide said, her voice a near-whisper. "We asked around, but they said that she was probably on another supply run."
"Yes, I hope she is safe," Historia said, her expression hardening for a moment. "But since no Titans are supposed to be inside the city..." Her gaze drifted towards the horizon, where the Armored Titan's approach could be clearly seen. Her logic couldn't shield her from the possibilities. "Until now..."
"For how long have you been fighting?" Adelaide asked; she remembered how you had stayed, how you had left them to go on your own.
"For a few hours..." You replied. "I lost track of the time."
Adelaide's hand brushed against your arm, her fingers tracing the torn fabric of your jacket. Her touch was gentle, but her fingers were tense. "I should have known," She said, with a weak smile that was replicated by Historia. The two of them were worried.
In the background, Mina and Thomas exchanged conversation with Eren. All the while, Emelina began to take out your gas canisters to replace them with the ones brought by Eren's squadron.
Then unexpectedly, Altisia, the ginger-haired Garrison soldiers also came down with a fresh pair of blades and gas. Yet, upon sighting you with the two blondes on each of your arms, their faces full of worry, she merely faded into the background, helping out another soldier with their gear before going to the wall. You noticed this for a moment, but your main focus was on the two girls hugging you.
You put a hand on each of their backs and gently pushed them away. Not a harsh rejection, but a necessary separation. There was a battle to be won. "Captain Kittel asked me to search for him. You should stay in supply duty, where it's safe."
Historia was reluctant to do so; the way her eyes refused to let go of you told you as much. But Adelaide nodded. "But we'll stay close." Her hands remained on your arm, not wanting to break contact, to risk having this conversation be the last one with you.
"...Don't stay too close," You said, while Emelina finished screwing on your new gas canisters. The click of the locking mechanism was loud and final. "Things are about to get worse."
Eren's fists were already clenched as he watched the Armoured Titan walk through a building in its path, crushing stone and wood like it was paper. It seemed he was as ready to go as always. He had a new fire of defiance in his eyes as he turned to the rest of you. "We will defeat the Armoured, no matter what!"
Mina and Thomas stood behind him, their hands trembling on their hilts. You could see in their faces that they believed in him, but were also utterly terrified. They followed him and trusted him. And he was leading them towards a certain death if they went headfirst into the Armoured. They'd get crushed.
It was then that Eren felt a firm grip on his shoulder, and he turned around to see Mikasa standing there. His expression softened for a second before turning into worry and concern. "Mikasa! Weren't you supposed to be with the Rearguard?" Eren asked.
"We've already managed to get a lot of the refugees out," she replied, her red scarf standing out in the gray battlefield, her hands already checking the straps on her gear. "I saw your mother get to the other side safely," She made sure to reassure him, which was a rare moment of outward warmth from her.
Eren's shoulders lowered, and the fire in his eyes calmed into a small flame of relief. "That's...good...Still, we have to focus on the Armored!—"
His shout was cut short by Mikasa, who threw a single question at him. "Did you fight?" Her eyes narrowed as she looked at your group of three. Her gaze stopped at the sight of Adelaide on your arm. But then her eyes noticed Eren's gas canisters were also half-empty, and that he had a few cuts and bruises. A conclusion was quickly formed in her mind.
"He almost got himself killed, Mikasa." Emelina, having finished fixing your gear, answered for him. Her tone was a flat, cold accusation, and her silver-grey eyes locked onto Eren. "He would have died if Conrad hadn't saved him."
Eren flinched, and a protest was on the tip of his tongue. "I told you to come to me if...anything happened," Mikasa said; her tone was as flat as Emelina's, but the meaning was different. There was an apology and self-reproach beneath her stoic exterior. She was blaming herself for not being there. Yet, her eyes landed on you as well, with a small hint of relief and gratefulness, the second that was masked by her usual impassiveness.
"But I am ready to fight," Mikasa said, returning her attention to the Armored Titan.
"Enough chatter! Is everyone ready?! If so, follow me, we need to get to the Captain as soon as possible, we don't have time!" The soldier who came to fetch you reminded you all as he looked at the Armored Titan's progress. The titan was now halfway to the northern gate. Every soldier that came close was swatted away without much effort. There had to be a plan. There had to be.
"Right." You replied.
Eren seemed to relent for a second. He looked at Mina and Thomas. "Take the wagon back to headquarters. Be careful!" He told them, not wanting them to risk for nothing. The two of them looked at each other, then nodded. The mission was not yet over.
You gave Emelina a final nod, who was now also ready to join the fight with full gear. "I am going with you. I am not letting you die." Both Mikasa and Emelina said almost in unison to Eren and you, respectively, their voices overlapping. They didn't even need to look at each other to have the same thought. They both looked at the two men they had sworn to themselves to protect. Their blades were held firm, ready to help you both against any threat.
"Conrad," Adelaide said as you prepared to move.
You turned. Her green eyes, pleading just moments before, soon settled into a look of steady support. "Good luck!" she said, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
The same happened with Historia, who gave you a small nod before adding, "Come back in one piece. Or else..." Her threat was lighthearted, but the intention behind it was more than sincere.
"I will," you replied. You didn't say more. There wasn't anything more that you needed to say. The sounds of cannon fire and the Armored Titan's steady, ground-crushing footsteps took the place of words.
You fired your hooks, the metal biting into the stone of a nearby building. The gas hissed, propelling you upwards. You saw the four of them get to the wagon, but then you steel yourself for what was to come. Just how many more sacrifices would the defeat of the Armored Titan demand of all of you? The flashing images of the corpses at the outer and inner gates continued to haunt your thoughts. But you could do this; and you had enough motivation to see this through.
-x-X-x-
The remaining hundreds of senior garrison soldiers all rushed around trying to take on the Armored Titan and the other Titans that began to run around through the destroyed gate. This couldn't be the end of it; not this. The remaining Garrison soldiers now scrambled to form a frontline as best as possible, with the roar of the cannons positioned at key streets firing at the incoming Armored and others. Even the Wall Cannons were firing.
Your group of cadets soon landed on the building where the Captain was. The scene from the top of the building was grim. It gave a near-perfect view of the ongoing battle against the Armored. It was a complete struggle, almost insurmountable, but the Garrison had not yet given up. The Titan's every step shook the ground. Each swing of its massive arms sent soldiers flying, their bodies impacting walls with sickening crunches.
The rain had fully stopped by now, the skies clearing slightly, the sunlight hit the face of the armored, steam flowing off its mouth. Captain Kittel, standing on the vantage point near a stone ledge, appeared to have received grim news from headquarters.
"Captain Kitz Weilman is not at the castle?" You could hear the frustration in Kittel's tone as he spoke to the Garrison soldier next to him, "What the hell is he doing?" The soldier's reply was a quiet mumble.
The Captain's gaze shifted, noticing your arrival. He took in the sight of your entire group of cadets, almost taking in the moment that the cadets he helped train were now here fighting with him. He shook that feeling off to focus on the matter at hand. "Cadets, the armored and the Titans have breached the city; the gate's main defenses have not been enough! We will proceed to do our utmost to stop the Armored Titan!" He shouted, starting to feel the despair of the situation. But everyone had to do their duty to humanity, and that included him.
"We're ready, sir!" Eren shouted, performing the salute. "We will give our lives to stop it!"
The rest of the cadets, Emelina, Mikasa, and you, gave the same salute. Kittel's response was a nod, and then his head turned back to the fight.
"I thought we could lure it into a narrow street and then attack all at once," Kittel said, pointing to one of the intersections that was most constrained by the buildings around it. He then turned to a fellow soldier with binoculars. "It would be an ideal place to take it down."
A tall Garrison soldier with a bandage wrapped around his head and binoculars at the ready gave a nod of his head. "Sir! The Armored got hit, but it has no effect!" His report was short, to the point, filled with frustration as he pointed to the Armored. "No, wait...part of its hardened skin appears to be fracturing even if a little, maybe...Just maybe..."
Captain Kittel gave him a nod, "That's all I need to know. I will go back to headquarters to replace that coward of Weilman and get the 1st Elite Division into action. Conrad, Mikasa, Emelina..." He stopped for a brief moment before looking at Eren, wondering if it would be wise to send him, but there was no time for doubt. "Eren, help the rest of the garrison in buying us time to get as many cannons on its path as possible! Go!"
"Yes, Sir!" The four of you replied in unison. The order was clear, the objective simple: slow it down. No need to kill it, just make its journey to the North Gate a living hell. But if there was even a chance that you could kill it, you wouldn't hesitate.
You all jumped off to the intersection where the main fight against the Armored would take place. Cannons had already been lined up on the roads leading towards it, their operators reloading with a frantic urgency, getting ready for the incoming onslaught.
Mikasa's expression was grim, even if her movements were controlled and precise; she was clearly focused on the tasks at hand. For her, that meant both the Armored and keeping Eren safe. You had made the same promise as her to Eren's mother, to bring him back alive. You gritted your teeth; you had managed to do that before, but all it took was one wrong move.
Emelina flew close to your side, her own ODM gear hissing in sync with yours. "You don't think that this is possible, do you?" She asked, her gaze fixed on the Armored as it approached.
"If it isn't, what do you think will happen to mom and dad?" You replied, watching the Titan keep moving, taking out the garrison soldiers that got too close with a single swat.
"Right..." Emelina looked down at her blades for a second. She knew you were right. She couldn't afford to be anything but ruthless. Her love for her family was a powerful motivator. She would see this through to the end.
The four of you arrived at the floor where one of the squadron leaders was awaiting with the rest of the Titans. Eren and Mikasa were quick to spot the blonde hair of their friend, Armin. He had just arrived carrying communications from headquarters, probably one of the last orders that Weilman sent as he retreated.
"Armin!" Eren shouted at him as he landed.
Armin turned at the sound, and for a brief moment, he had the look of someone seeing a ghost. "Eren! You guys are alive!" He quickly got back to the task at hand, handing the orders to the leader. He seemed to read for a moment before giving a nod.
"Just a repeat of what we already know, dammit," He muttered before turning to you four. "Training Corps...You must be the ones they told me to wait for. The Captain wants you to focus on distracting the monster while the rest of us set up the cannons." He said.
"Got it," You said.
"It's best we set up its ambush here, the slope goes downwards, so it won't be able to see the cannons until it is too late. Take both flanks of the buildings and wait for my signal. If you get the chance to attack...Then that's up to your judgment." The leader explained. He was a bit anxious, and the way he spoke showed that he was not used to even giving orders like this. He was most likely to have received a battlefield promotion after the losses at the Gate.
In the brief lull before the arrival of the Armored, you had time to plan for the engagement.
"Swords don't seem to be able to break through its skin," Mikasa stated flatly, having seen the garrison soldiers' blades break when they tried to cut through the armoring.
"I-I saw the same thing," Armin added. "The cannonballs couldn't break through either, but maybe they can weaken his armor in key places...But...a cannon's aim is too inaccurate, there is no guarantee that the cannons will land on the same spot, and..."
"Then we will have to trust our luck," Eren said, the usual determination in his face returning.
"That's won't be enough...But there are places where it isn't armored...Especially below its knees and back of its heel," Armin added, remembering the notes from the lecture classes. "But you have a very slim chance at them...It looks intelligent and will likely react—"
"Then I will cut its eyes out," Emelina said. "Brother...Mikasa, if you take out the heels, then maybe we can slow it down."
"And what will be my job?" Eren asks, his hands still on the hilts of his blades.
"Distraction and cover," Armin answered, "There are Titans following the Armored behind it, and some even tried to bite at its legs; the last thing we need is to be ambushed while we fight him," He added, his face full of fear but with the necessary willpower to come up with the plan.
You watched as Mikasa gave Armin a confident nod, understanding that he had the mind for these kinds of operations.
"That's the only plan we have then, and if we get lucky, then maybe one of the cannonballs will break its armor," You said, the words heavy with the reality of your slim chances. The Armored moved with such force and weight that you thought that if you got hit with one of its attacks, then that would be it. All that power you had built up would mean nothing.
"It's approaching, get ready!" One of the garrison lookouts from one of the buildings shouted.
You, Mikasa, Emelina, and Eren all readied your respective positions; the time of truth would be soon.
-x-X-x-
The roof tiles trembled with each step of the heavy titan. The ground shook, the dust rising from the cobblestone streets. The distant cannons fired again, their shots ricocheting off the Armored's plating with a series of fruitless clangs.
To each side of the street were about a dozen garrison soldiers, the best they could find to try to ambush the walking armored. The sole fact that it walked towards the gate, shrugging off the attacks of the rest of the garrison. It was insulting how you did not take me seriously.
"If that...Titan gets to the gate, then...It's all over, isn't it?" One of the soldiers next to you muttered to his friends.
"Shut up, don't make any noise..." He was told. Compromising the mission would be catastrophic.
But then, the Armored Titan stopped walking for a second. Its head moved slowly, its gaze sweeping across the buildings flanking it. The soldiers on the rooftops went silent, their breaths held, their bodies frozen. Then its head tilted towards your building. Its eyes are just two meters above the level of the roof, if it spotted you behind the incline, then...
Such concern came to nothing as the Armored raised its hand.
"Move, move!" One of the soldiers shouted, right as the Armored Titan used its arm to destroy the tiled roof.
"Let's go!" You shouted in anger, and Emelina was already in the air, and right on time, as the Armored quickly slid its arm across, catching a few garrison soldiers and breaking their bones from the fast and sudden impact. The ambush had failed, but that would not stop you from attacking. The remaining soldiers all joined in the attack. The Armored Titan's eyes widened for a moment upon seeing Emelina fly straight towards its face.
Her silver hair made her look like a comet, a blade in a storm. Her target was clear: the exposed flesh of its eyes. The Armored seemed not to react as Emelina impaled one of her blades into its eye. A fountain of steam erupted from the wound, along with the sounds of squelching. One small victory.
Emelina quickly retreated with a gas hiss from her gear, moving out of range of potential retaliation. Her face was frowning as she prepared for another run, but by then the Armored seemed to react to the wound. A deep guttural roar that was more of a steam release of pain than a scream of a mindless beast. The remaining soldiers around her, upon seeing the Armored wounded, used this as a sign to attack its neck. The small squad all attacked, their hooks aiming for its neck.
It was the wrong move. Upon latching, their sword broke, and the Armored Titan used its hand to send them flying across the city. This Titan was deceptively agile for its weight and size. You couldn't let down your guard.
"Mikasa, Conrad, the Heels! Go for the Heels!" Armin shouted from one of the roofs, you were already on it, trying to get a clean cut off the unarmored skin just above its feet. Mikasa mirrored your movements from the other side of the street; you each had a target, and you each couldn't miss.
For a single instant, your eye met with Mikasa, and both your faces furrowed in total concentration to fulfill this task. To make sure that the Armored Titan could not go any further to claim vengeance for humanity. To make all sacrifices worth it.
You neared the Achilles' heel of the Armored Titan, but at that moment, the shock was completely broken off by the Armored Titan as it kicked its leg upwards, turning one of the garrison soldiers into a pancake on the wall of the building with such force that the entire structure rattled. The windows shattered. However, your only focus was on its exposed heel, and you managed to cut into it, with such force that blood got splashed onto the stone. A wound. A success.
But Mikasa wasn't as lucky. With her objective moving too fast, she had no chance to strike at the heel; instead, she was forced to reel in and latch onto one of the buildings to have some stability. Especially, as the Armored Titan stumbled from a moment of loss of force on his right leg, the leg that you had targeted.
"Did you get it?" You asked, latching close to Mikasa, only to hear the noise of Emelina burying one of her swords into the other eye of the Armored. A second blind spot.
"No." The word was choked out from between Mikasa's teeth, more a hiss of fury than an answer. She clenched onto her ODM's controls tightly. She should have gone for the cut, but now she had failed.
For a fleeting, damning second, her eyes flickered toward Conrad's face, calm amidst the storm, even after delivering that wicked gash. Then she forced herself to turn away, to face the Titan again. The failure was hers alone. The brief, shared glance that sealed their synchronized attack only highlighted her own mistake. She hadn't been fast enough. Hadn't been precise enough.
"We will try again," You said. There was a hint of frustration in your tone. The wound was not enough; it regained its balance by leaning onto its still functioning leg. The artillery cannons were also unable to punch through its armor; it missed too much, and the use of its arms as shields was making the attempt at breaking its armor much harder.
"It's taking a defensive stance," One of the soldiers from above observed, but his comment only lasted for a mere instant. The Armored Titan continued to limp its way forward, undeterred by the sudden strike. It was clear it had a single, clear goal. Break through the inner wall.
The ground shook once more; even blind, it could still hear the hiss of the ODM gear, and a few unlucky soldiers got the bad luck of getting caught on its palm. They were crushed to death or died on impact after being thrown.
Meanwhile, the garrison soldiers trying to keep the Titans from flooding the city were having trouble. The Inner Gate and Outer Gate provided the perfect grounds for a bottleneck defense, but here, even with an advantage in the terrain. The forces of the garrison struggled against the Titans that managed to get inside. The sounds of cannons were now a mix with screams of soldiers being devoured, the roar of steam, and the crunching of stone. It was a battle on two fronts.
You couldn't worry about them. You had to focus.
"Die!" Eren shouted from far, managing to get his first Titan kill. But as he watched around, none of the soldiers that had been with him moments ago were even alive anymore. Their bodies were lying on the floor, with their blood slowly mixing with the rain. This was not the sole sight; across the entire city, screams could be heard. All the preparations in the world, all the surviving garrison soldiers, they could not deal against the flood of Titans without proper support, and it seemed that you had been an all too important piece of it.
Only the arrival of segments of the 1st Elite Division from behind the gate made any dent in the incoming forces. The silver-haired senior whom Eren had met at the ball of Lord Garnis, Rico Brzenska, was at the head of one of the new detachments. Her presence seemed to have a calming effect on the soldiers, her sharp orders commanding the respect of those she led.
"Soldier!" Rico shouted at Eren. "Where is your squadron?" Her glasses caught the light as she turned her head.
"The ones here, dead," He grit his teeth at the response.
She didn't lament herself for one second. But she recognized that face from before. "Cadet Yeager? You aren't supposed to be here yet...But no matter, the cadets are getting deployed too into combat by now," She mentioned, but her focus returned to the battlefield. "We will stay here to keep the Titans from interfering with stopping the operation. You will join us," She tells him, knowing that he could handle it.
"Understood," Eren said, the frustration and anger visible in the clenching of his fists.
The arrival of the elite soldiers was a breath of fresh air, though. They moved far more with greater coordination than the other garrison squadrons.
"They're not messing around," Eren muttered as he watched a soldier make a perfect cut, the nape of a Titan falling to the ground with a thud. Still, the fact that they had been kept from the front for so long was not lost on Eren. Still, the fact that Rico spoke about other cadets being sent to the front meant worry for his friends in the 104th.
***
Eastern Section of the City
The remaining cadets of the 104th had gathered and were sent to a section of the city to protect it against the Titans. The goal was simple: kill the Titans, stop them from getting to the center of the city where the operation to stop the Armored Titan was on going. Among them were Ymir, Historia, Jean, Marco, Adelaide, and members of Eren's squadron, Mina Carolina, Thomas, and others.
They all stood on the tiles of the roof; they weren't at the frontlines yet, but they would soon be. The smell of blood and steam was already a bit too close.
"You've got to be kidding me," Jean's words hung in the humid air. He ran a hand through his undercut, staring at the wandering Titans that they could see from this vantage point. "Just when I've thought that everything would be fine," He lamented that fact. It had been hours since the breach on the gate, and there had been no sight of the Armored, no breach...Until this moment.
"There is no point in complaining now," Marco said. His freckled face held worry within the calm.
"That Conrad..." He couldn't help but mumble. "He is always in the middle of the action...and I was glad for that..." Jean, after the initial excitement of being a soldier and the desire to join the Military Police, was now just scared of dying a meaningless death. He was scared.
Ymir had a frown on her face, clearly worried about Krista's own reaction to the fact that Conrad would be at the front, fighting for his life.
"Are you okay, Krista?" Ymir asked. A bit of concern.
"I am." Krista answered firmly, "But we have to stay focused, isn't that right, Addie?" She said, turning around to face her with a smile, the confidence radiant.
Adelaide replied with a weak smile, "Yes." She held the hilt of her blade; the cold of the steel was a reassurance against the rising fear. But her thoughts were not completely clear; she held worry for what was going to happen. But more importantly for Conrad. The way that Krista spoke with confidence did inspire her, though. She had trained for this, to be able to hold her own without Conrad, and she wanted to show him that he could rely on her, and now was the moment to prove it.
Everyone else remained calm, but in the heads of every cadet from the 104th was the fact that Emelina, Eren, Conrad, and Mikasa were on the frontlines. They were fighting for their lives.
'He's fine,' Jean thought for a brief second, 'He has to be,' He was one of his friends too, just like Eren, even if he refused to admit it. And Emelina...A sigh left his lips.
"The order came for us to move out; they need us to distract the other Titans that might get too close to the operation!" Sasha shouted as she appeared on the roof. She looked far more focused than before, even without food being involved.
This was the moment they had despaired over. Everyone in the group held a deep breath and shot their hooks into the buildings in front of them. It was time.
***
Armored Titan Operation
The battle against the Armored continued. Armin observed from afar how Conrad, Emelina, and Mikasa attempted to flank and find a good angle to strike at the Titan. "Its almost futile..." He said to himself as he saw Conrad's attempt to go for the nape again be thwarted by a powerful backhand that sent the roof tiles around him flying. It would be a long and arduous battle.
However...Armin had noticed the movement patterns of the Armored, the ways it would defend itself, and also its reaction times. It felt almost reluctant, like its movements were more to defend itself than to attack. His friends, the top cadets of the 104th, were fast, but he wondered if the Armored was merely holding back or truly this was its all. If it became more dangerous then...The thought made him shudder. Yet his mind kept working.
Then, at that moment, the Armored let out steam from its mouth as it fully recovered from the wound inflicted. Its heel has completely healed, and its eyes are returning. Without wasting any more time, the Armored's armor on the back of its knees and heels got peeled away. Armin's eyes went wide; that was an opportunity. But as soon as they got peeled away, the Titan began to charge towards the cannons that were set up to fire at it.
It moved surprisingly fast; its running took the garrison soldiers by surprise. "Get out of the way!"
But it was too late for some. The Armored's charge was a brutal display of force. The impact of the Armored on the cannon positions was absolute; it crushed a group of soldiers, and the metal bent and cracked with the sheer force. All that was left after each heavy stomp was a crater on the ground.
"Now the cannons won't be able to aim as accurately!" Armin shouted, you heard him, and so did Mikasa and Emelina.
"Dammit!" Mikasa cursed, her usual cool demeanor cracked for a second as she watched her comrades be crushed into nothingness. Her knuckles whitened on her hilts. "How can we stop it now?"
Emelina was silent, her gaze fixed on the Armored Titan. She was analyzing its movements, her mind racing to find a weakness. "It thinks it can get away, let's not allow it to. Brother," Her eyes met yours for a brief second, a shared understanding passed between them. "Let's go for the joints! It's all we have."
The three of you nodded, flying fast and quick towards the Armored Titan. The Armored Titan would soon approach the next outpost. If you were lucky, then Captain Kittel would have had enough time to set up another artillery position and try to get another shot at it; if not, then...Each step that it took was another snuffed chance at successfully defending the city.
You had to take it down.