IX - The Reconquest of Trost

Amos was…upset.

From the moment he, Reiner, Bertholdt, Annie, Mikasa, Armin, and Jean managed to bring Eren back to the other side of Wall Rose, the Garrison's elite troops surrounded them, and demanded the Rogue Titan to be handed to them. Unfortunately, his two best friends had firmly opposed it, the others had no other choice but to comply, and to go and wait for the next orders with the other young recruits. Nox had a hard time controlling his anger, he still didn't know what Eren was, but he knew that his shapeshifting power could do them a lot of favors. However, the officer who ordered them to hand over the Rogue was Kitz Weilman, the coward who had been unofficially accused by the rescued cadets within HQ, to have abandoned them to their fate.

"That parasite had a cannon pointed at Eren when I left him, if he gives in to his fear and shoots..."

He clenched his fist in frustration at his own helplessness.

"Amos!"

Christa ran as fast as her legs could carry her while bumping into Connie and Jean before throwing herself into the tall blonde's arms.

"Hey there, wow!" he laughed, smiling again. "Calm down, I almost fell."

"I thought…I was so scared for you…

The smile on Nox's face widened, he knew how to recognize the sincerity in his little sister's words.

"It's fine, I'm okay."

The other cadets smile in front of the touching scene, a touch of cheerfulness in this dying landscape.

"You kept us waiting," Ymir growled, straightening up to join them, "I could have eaten lunch by now."

Amos did not miss the opportunity the tall girl had given him.

"And what would you have eaten? Air? You're head's already full of it."

A few cadets, who had been amorphous less than a minute ago, sketched a half-smile, Ymir's grin was full on the other hand.

"I would have devoured the forbidden fruit," she declared shamelessly.

No one but Amos and Christa understood what she meant by that, the tall blonde slapped his forehead with a disgusted grimace while his sister blushed furiously.

"Bloody Hell, Ymir…" he grumbled.

"What? It's delicious, ya know?

"Shut your fucking mouth…"

Jean raised an eyebrow.

"What is she…?" he began before making the connection with the scarlet face of the little angel. "Oh! Oh…"

Soon, he imitated his valedictorian, ignoring the tall girl's laughter.

"You're disgusting..." Amos muttered, shaking his head.

The other recruits still didn't understand what Ymir had meant by that, yet they chuckled at the familiar scene.

"Well done," Annie thought, "you're cheering them up in case we're forced to go back... I'd be surprised if that was enough though..."

"What happened?" Christa asked to change the subject, chasing her blush. "Why did you take so long to get on the wall?"

Amos gave them a quick rundown of the situation, though he was forced to omit details about the Rogue Titan and Eren.

"Well," Ymir sighed, scratching her head, you guys've seen Hell up close. Luckily Christa and I had enough gas to get away."

"I'm sorry," the little blonde added with sadness, "I volunteered several times for the supply..."

"You couldn't have done anything," cut Amos, brushing aside her regrets with a gesture, "the captain in charge deserted his post by forcing the cadets to stay. I have a nasty surprise for him at the end of this fucking day."

The angel nodded, fully aware of what he meant by that.

"But then…" she suddenly realized, "all those who aren't there are…"

Nox nodded sadly.

"Apart from Mikasa, Armin and Eren, yes, they're all dead.

The couple of young girls gritted their teeth.

"And where are those three?" Ymir asked.

"We are bound by military secrecy," interrupted Jean, swallowing a glassful of water.

"Eh?"

"What for?"

"It won't be a secret for long," Amos cut off again, "but it would be better to avoid spreading rumors, morale is already low enough and panic threatens to seize the soldiers."

Both girls bit their lip, but nodded reluctantly.

The valedictorian then glanced towards the place where they were forced to leave Armin, Eren, and Mikasa. He wasn't serene, not one bit, Weilman was a coward, a fool and a weakling, he was perfectly capable of taking them down without realizing the incredible opportunity the suicidal bastard represented or the uncommon abilities of his two friends.

He had to find someone more competent and with a higher rank… It was then that he saw one of the frightened officers who had stood behind the bearded coward during the pre-operation briefing.

Without wasting a second, he planted himself in front of him and performed a perfect salute. The latter was so distracted by his morbid thoughts that he jumped when he saw Nox appear out of nowhere.

"Sir! I have a message of the utmost importance to pass on to Commander Pixis! Where can I find him?"

Although taken aback, the officer came to his senses and tried to sound authoritative.

"Give me your message, cadet, and I'll deliver it to the Commander myself."

"Negative, sir. I have orders to deliver it to him in person, where can I find him?"

The arrogance and anger that appeared on the officer's face were not to the young man's liking.

"Listen very carefully, rookie, I am a sergeant, so when I order you to transmit the message to me, you transmit this message to me."

"I don't have time for your bullshit."

"With all due respect, Sergeant, negative. My orders come from Captain Weilman who is currently handling a critical situation. It is essential that I speak to Commander Pixis on his behalf."

The officer gritted his teeth, obviously his pride had taken a hit, but he ended up pointing the finger at the East.

"The Commander is discussing strategy with other officers," he growled annoyed, "you will find him next to the well."

"Thank you sir!" "I'm not done with you."

With that, he sped off as fast as he could, bumping into several Garrison members as he passed while ignoring their insults. He finally allowed himself a smile when he saw the bald head and mustache of the man he was looking for. He was listening to the various reports his soldiers were giving him while imbibing his favorite drink.

"Commander Pixis!" he called without stopping running.

Two men tried to stop him, but he nimbly dodged them and continued his advance as they sprawled on the ground.

He stopped less than two meters from his superior, skidding on the ground, tracing two small furrows as he passed, and performed a salute worthy of that name.

"Commander Pixis! I have a message for you!"

It was only because bald man waved them off that the other soldiers hadn't pounced on the young man.

"Now that is a surprise!" The fifty-year-old military said as he recognized him. "How have you been?"

"Not too bad given the circumstances," Amos replied, pointing to the South, "but we'll all probably be a lot better off if you stop Captain Weilman from blowing up the strangely-powered cadet who exterminated about twenty titans."

No sooner had he finished his sentence than a cannon shot was heard, Amos' eyes widened in anger while Pixis sighed in exasperation.

"I see," the latter resumed once the cannon shot had died down, "perhaps you would agree to accompany me and explain to me in detail what you saw? The reports are quite confusing."

Nox was really frustrated not to see the Commander running towards the point of impact, but it was impossible for him to go alone. With the prevailing terror he would have been called a rebel and shot on the spot.

So, and despite the tension that took hold of him given the pressing time, he told Pixis everything he had seen about Eren and "his" titan. How he had exterminated his congeners without touching humans, how they had used him to escape and how he had emerged from the neck of his immense body. He took the opportunity to praise his comrade's determination and his ardent desire to exterminate their predators, following the tragedy he had experienced in Shiganshina.

It was only when he finished his story that he heard a voice giving him hope:

"I AM A SOLDIER! AND I HAVE DEDICATED MY HEART

TO THE RESTORATION OF HUMANITY SIR!

NOTHING COULD MAKE ME PROUDER

THAN DYING FOR SUCH A NOBLE CAUSE!

IF WE WERE TO USE HIS TITAN ABILITY,

AND COMBINE IT WITH THE MANPOWER

WE HAVE LEFT,

I BELIEVE WE CAN DO IT!

WE CAN RETAKE THIS CITY

FOR HUMANITY'S GLORY

AND WHAT LITTLE TIME

I HAVE LEFT TO LIVE,

I WILL ADVOCATE THIS STRATEGIC VALUE!'

"Armin..."

'What a magnificent salute,' Pixis commented, scratching his mustache, "tell me young Amos, do you vouch for Cadet Jaeger?"

"Yes," he replied automatically, "and his friends too."

"So if he ever came to…"

"I will do everything in my power to protect him, Humanity cannot lose such an asset."

"I see…"

"Shut up!"

Weilman's panicked, shrill voice cut short their discussion, and Amos' blood boiled when he saw him raise his hand.

On impulse, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him, and grabbed the captain's arm before he could pull him down.

Instantly, all the guns that had been pointed at Eren up until then turned to the blonde. The latter glared at Weilman with such an animalistic gaze that the bearded man almost fainted from terror.

Rico's blade caressed with its edge, the cheek of the cadet who had interrupted the order to fire, the cadet in question contented himself with raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

"Amos!" Armin thought as he recognized him. "Why did you intervene?!" You'll be executed too!"

"Enough!" The voice of Commander Pixis boomed. "Lower your weapons! All of you!"

Every pair of eyes on them widened, before their owners complied.

Weilman, however, was so frightened by the look of the cadet holding his arm that he looked like he was about to soil his pants. Luckily for him, his superior cleared his throat.

"Young Amos? Could you release this good captain?"

The tall blonde glared at his prey one last time, before obeying with a carnivorous smile.

"Kitz? I have just arrived, but this young cadet has already informed me of the situation. Go lead the reinforcements while I listen to what they have to say."

Commander Pixis' calm voice was enough to defuse the situation, Armin crumpled to his knees breathing like a bear as tears of relief streamed down his eyes.

"I'd like to have a little private conversation with you four," the fifteen-year-old man said, taking a sip from his flask, "in ten minutes if that suits you, Young Amos."

He gritted his teeth as he nodded.

(-) (-) (-)

Amos, Armin, Eren, and Mikasa waited side by side for Commander Pixis' arrival at the top of Wall Rose. The valedictorian had brought food and water to his comrades so that they regain their strength, the Rebel Titan had not deprived himself given the state of exhaustion in which he was.

Nox lay down on the Wall once his distribution was over, and lit a cigarette.

"What a bloody day," he muttered, letting the smoke billow from his lips, "and it's not over yet."

The three friends looked at him, each hesitating to ask the questions that bothered them all.

"If you have anything to ask me you should hurry," he informed them politely, "in a few minutes Pixis will be there and we will discuss strategy. By the way, don't worry about him, he's a good and reasonable person despite his drinking-habit."

This last detail did not reassure them.

"How are the others?" Eren questioned with concern.

"Not too bad from what I could see, but they're going to need a hell of a boost to get back to the front."

The Rogue Titan recorded the information with a look full of regret.

"How do you know Commander Pixis?" Armin asked curiously.

"I played several games of chess with him, he has a good head on his shoulders despite his alcoholism."

"How did you meet him?" Mikasa insisted, noticing his attempt to dodge the question.

Amos heaved a deep, smoky sigh.

"I can't tell you that yet, sorry."

The oriental girl and her adoptive brother accepted his answer despite the curiosity that gnawed at them, but they kept the question in the back of their minds.

"I hope I'm not interrupting you," Pixis said, making his presence known.

The cadets immediately saluted.

"It's all right," the Garrison officer chuckled, "I'm past the age of seeing talented youngsters like you pay me respect."

"Commander, permission to speak freely?" Amos asked.

"Granted."

"Don't overdo it. You have my respect since our third game of chess."

A broad smile appeared on the face of the fifty-year-old.

"Our first one was more memorable to me," he admitted, shaking his head, "never had a seven-year-old called me… how was that…? Oh yes! A 'senile old cheater'."

Amos covered his face with a hand at the mention of this insult, Armin widened his eyes while trying not to laugh, Mikasa raised an amused eyebrow and Eren said in a teasing tone:

"I didn't know you were such a sore loser."

"I didn't lose," the young man defended himself, "he was the one who lost on purpose. It was by far the worst victory of my life."

Pixis chuckled again, took a swig from his flask, and approached the edge of the wall to observe the clustered titans.

"Nope," he muttered disappointedly, "not a single one. It wouldn't have bothered me to be devoured by a hot titan."

The cadets raised an eyebrow at this strange admission.

"Still as eccentric as ever," Amos mused.

Pixis turned around while taking another sip from his flask.

"Now, Cadet Jaeger, tell me what you have in mind."

So, Eren told him his life story as fast as he could, about how his father turned him into a Titan after Maria fell and how he got the key to the basement that held the secrets of the Titans.

"I see," Pixis said once he had finished explaining. "So, visiting this cellar should answer all our questions?

"Yes, sir," Eren replied. "At least I think so."

"At the moment, there's no way to validate all of your assertions," Pixis said, turning his head before tapping his temple. "So I'll just keep it in mind. That said, I can usually tell the difference between questionable and sincere…which is why I personally guarantee your safety. Not that it's necessary with this boy by your side."

The three cadets turned to Amos with bewildered expressions, he chose to look away.

The commander's eyes then fell on Armin.

"You're Cadet Armin Arlert, aren't you?"

"Yes, sir," he replied, saluting him.

"You mentioned a plan to use this so-called Titan ability to take back the city. Do you honestly think this could work, or were you just trying to save your skins?"

"Don't lie, Armin."

"Well, both, Commander," the little blonde admitted. "I was going to suggest Eren lift that giant boulder using his Titan strength. We could use it to block the southern door. It was the best idea I could come up with on the spot. I just wanted to show everyone how Eren's ability could provide a solution to the problem we are all facing today."

Pixis turned around thinking of her solution.

"But it's true that I desperately wanted to survive," he admitted again.

"Desperate to survive, huh?" repeated the Commander, continuing to drink. "That's as believable a reason as any, son." Wiping his mouth of all traces of drink, he walked over to Eren. "What do you say, Cadet Yeager?"

"Excuse me, Commander?"

"That hole," he explained. "Do you think you can fix it?"

Eren hesitated to give a definitive answer.

"Well, I don't know. It's possible… right now, I don't understand my power any more than you do. I think it would be irresponsible for me to answer, because… I don't know."

Amos let out an exasperated sigh before cracking a smile.

"You asked the wrong question, sir," he said, then turned to his comrade seriously, pointing to the gaping entrance. "Eren? Are you going to plug this hole, yes or no? If so, we will devote all our resources to it, our comrades and ourselves will all return to the fight and risk our lives for you to succeed. If not, well, we just have to abandon this city, go to bed, give the titans a bit more territory and lose again. So… knowing all this… are you going to plug this hole or not?"

His green eyes widened as he felt the responsibility for the task crashing down on him. Satisfied by Amos' question, Pixis encouraged Eren to observe the Wall Rose compound behind them, all the houses, all the people and all the lives that relied on the miracle it represented. If he failed in his duty, then each of these people would die. He took an oath to protect and serve humanity, and he couldn't let his doubts stop him.

"I'll do it," he promised suddenly. "I will do it! I don't know if I can seal this hole, but... I will."

Pixis smiled and patted his soldiers' shoulders.

"Well said, Cadet Jaeger, you have the heart of a lion."

Amos glared at the commander upon hearing this, but his only response was a smile.

The fifty-year-old then returned to his men, shouting:

"Officers, get up! We have a plan to flesh out!"

Armin's eyes widened in concern.

"Wait, we can't base our recovery on…"

"Armin," Amos snapped, "stop doubting yourself, it's a good plan and it's the only one that's technically feasible. As for the organization of the troops and the roles to be assigned, you can trust Pixis."

"He seems to know what he's doing," Eren agreed. "He has everything under control, as if he had an overview of the situation. As if he saw what we do not see."

"What can't we see?" Armin asked.

"You'll understand very quickly," Amos reassured.

"But we have another problem to solve before we can launch the plan, and my instinct tells me that the commander is well aware of this one."

"Which is?" Armin insisted.

"The titans aren't our only enemies.

At that, Amos raised his eyebrows in surprise, and a small smile appeared on his face.

"Color me impressed, Eren, I didn't think you would have understood so quickly."

There was a time when Jaeger would have beamed at that praise, but he was too worried to think about it at the time.

Before the little blonde could ask them to elaborate, Pixis interrupted them:

"We haven't a minute to lose," he said with several officers behind him. "The fate of humanity rests on your shoulders, young soldiers"

(-) (-) (-)

"Do you think this will work?"

"Hmm? Amos mumbled, turning his head with the cigarette in his mouth.

"Armin's plan," Mikasa clarified, waving her hand in front of her face to clear the smoke that was approaching her nostrils, "do you think it will work?"

The young man shrugged before taking a puff.

"I haven't the faintest idea," he admitted, "we don't know the exact physical strength of Eren's titan or the real solidity of his body. And even if he did, he would have to cross half the district with this huge rock on his back, making him an ideal target for the titans. This plan is a gigantic bet with all these unknowns.

The Oriental girl frowned in concern.

"Then why are we sticking with it?"

"Because we never managed to beat the titans," he replied, throwing his cigarette from the top of the wall, "because if we suffer one more defeat we'll all be finished no matter what, so if we want them fight, if we want to survive, we will have to take very big risks. Win or die, those are our only options."

"SOLDIERS, ATTENTION!"

The soldiers gathered at the foot of the wall were instantly silenced by the commander's shout. As Amos and Mikasa flinched at the insane tone.

"The plan for the Recovery of Trost is as follows: our main objective is to close the hole! Yes, you heard right. Moreover, this will be done manually!"

Several mumbles in the crowd cast doubt on his assertions.

"As for how the task will be accomplished," he continued, pointing to Eren at his side, "that's where this cadet comes in. Allow me to introduce you to Cadet Eren Jaeger!"

The teenager automatically saluted.

"Don't be fooled by appearances," Pixis warned. "This young man is actually the successful product of a cutting-edge scientific experiment! As fantastic as it sounds, Cadet Jaeger possesses the ability to craft and control a Titan body at will! Remember the huge boulder about near the gate! In his Titan form, Cadet Jaeger will carry said boulder on his back, take it to the hole, and seal it! And that's where you all come in! Your job will be to defend it! Yes, defend a Titan against its own species!"

While Pixis was giving his speech, Amos and Armin were discussing strategy with the Garrison officers:

"We mustn't fight against the titans? one asked, puzzled.

"Uh ... I'm sorry," the little blonde hastened to add, "that a young recruit like me ..."

The tall blonde silenced him with a slap behind the head, which earned him the glare of Mikasa.

"I told you to stop apologizing for nothing," he said seriously, "you're not disrespecting anyone by expressing your opinion the way you do. On the contrary, trust your plan, it is not supposed to be perfect, it just has to give us a solid base. We'll fine-tune it together."

Armin scratched his head, before nodding and continuing:

"Titans throng where humans are plentiful. If by following this principle we manage to bait them near the wall, we can move them away from Eren without coming into contact with them. And exterminate them with cannons without causing any casualties. However, we can't leave Eren defenseless, so a few members of the elite will have to protect him. And it will be imperative to face the titans who will enter through the hole, there everything rests on the work of the elite squads."

"Hmm…" Amos said thoughtfully, "there are several flaws."

With that, he took a pencil out of his jacket pocket as Armin walked away to leave him his place.

"First of all, we can't fire cannons at the titans while our soldiers are the bait. We will have to wait for them to come up or move away before pounding them, the problem is that our artillery will not be precise enough and it is slow to reload. We'll be lucky if we kill or incapacitate at least half of them. Attracting them to corners would optimize their effectiveness. In addition, when Eren transforms, there will be a good chance that he will attract all the titans towards him with the racket he will make while carrying his pebble. And that's not counting the fact that many titans could walk through the door at once... Okay. Here is what I propose; do not hesitate to contradict me if you have any objections or comments to make, Armin."

Once the little blonde had nodded, he continued:

"First of all we need to post teams of scouts on the wall near the door, these will inform us with the help of a smoke signal of the best opening window for Eren's transformation. Regarding the baits, we cannot bring them up between each artillery shot. While waiting for the scouts to open, they will have to disperse out of line of sight before the shelling and reposition themselves as soon as it is finished, in order to prevent the titans from dispersing between each salvo. Thus, even if the titans were to forget the baits to go towards Eren, they would turn their backs on them, offering them the possibility of neutralizing as many as possible before they go too far. It's Eren's defending team that concerns me, it shouldn't be too large or too thin. This task really should be given to the best of the best, the second best should guard the door at all costs. Besides, we should also put bait there, to attract newcomers to areas where our cannons have not been destroyed by the Colossal."

Armin was impressed with how quickly Amos spotted the flaws in his plan and immediately worked out the details, but that was nothing compared to the amazement that gripped the officers alongside them. These two freshly graduated cadets were giving them a real lesson in strategy.

"But…" the little blonde remarked reluctantly, "this plan is only valid if Eren manages to carry the rock and plug the hole."

"Or if the Armored Titan doesn't show up to ruin everything," Amos added.

Armin flinched, he hadn't thought of that.

"Launching such an operation with so many unknowns… it puzzles me."

The officers heaved a sigh.

"It's true that the essential part is uncertain," one said, "sending a lot of soldiers to their deaths doesn't leave me insensitive, but I also understand Commander Pixis' idea."

"First," a female officer explained, "it's a matter of time, the titans continue to enter the city now. It is so full of titans that the chances of success of this operation are hopeless. Moreover…"

She sighed before continuing:

"There are limits to using fear as a driving force."

"Who said the Commander was going to use fear?"

The officers and Armin turned to Amos, the latter wearing a smile at the crossroads between satisfaction and… something the little blonde would describe as "disturbing".

"The best way to encourage a person to risk or even lose his life is to threaten his reasons for living," he said, turning to their commander. "Pixis will not call upon fear, he will call upon duty, the duty of every human being. You will quickly understand."

Mikasa didn't like what he was implying at all.

(-) (-) (-)

"They're lying!" Daz yelled from the foot of the Wall. "I'm not going to sacrifice myself for this bullshit! We are just disposable tools for you! You expect us to live and die believing everything that comes out of your mouth?!"

This caused an immediate domino effect, and a sizable portion of soldiers began to mutter their disbelief at this situation and walk away. Some were too emotionally compromised to face the titans again, and others wanted to spend what little time they thought they had with their families.

Naturally, Weilman's answer did not help anyone, and Amos promised him a slow and painful death when he heard him scream:

"Traitors! I'll shoot you all there on the spot!"

"Armin?" the valedictorian called from atop the Wall. "Listen very carefully."

The little blonde frowned without understanding, before Pixis spoke again:

"Anyone who wishes to leave...will not be charged with treason by my personal order! Those who have seen a Titan on the front lines would not be expected to repeat such horror! Whoever it applies to, you can leave with my blessing. Also, anyone with family or loved ones they would doom to the same fate can also leave. The Crown will continue to recognize your service. Thank you and good luck"

The soldiers who were ready to leave stopped dead in their tracks before turning around and getting back into formation. They didn't want to let their loved ones suffer at the hands of these monsters, they would rather die than let such a thing happen.

"And Theeere you go."

Armin felt an uncomfortable feeling growing in his chest, Amos knew far too much about manipulation for him to remain calm.

The commander continued:

"Now think back to four years ago, the operation to retake Wall Maria!

I bring this up because you all deserve to have your suspicions confirmed. Officially, we called it a reconnaissance mission, but in fact, as most of you probably know, it was little more than a purge. A thinly disguised exercise in population control. We knew that in our hearts. Of course we knew it, but we closed our eyes. We supported the state-sponsored myth because the death of our fellow human beings allowed us to survive, plain and simple."

Armin clenched his fists in rage, and felt tears streaming down his eyes. Amos then put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear:

"Why do you think your grandfather joined this 'mission' without flinching or resisting? He did it because he knew it was the only way he had to give you a chance at survival, now, like our fallen comrades, you have to value his sacrifice, fighting with all your might to for those dead to mean something."

Armin's previously furious features changed into an expression that could very well have embodied determination itself. And if Mikasa was delighted to see her friend pumped up, she was not reassured by seeing the Adviser's hand on his shoulder.

"This guilt is ours, and we share the blame! All of us. As the citizens of Maria were in the minority, no one noticed any conflict! But what about this time?!

If Rose were to fall, the population would decrease by a whole other order of magnitude! The lands that make up Sina would only support half of the current population! If we are erased from the face of the Earth, the culprits will not have been the Titans! I assure you! No, no, we will have done it ourselves! It is not in the enclosure of the central Wall that one must die, no! It's here! This is the place to die!"

A huge smile appeared on Amos' face, and he patted Armin on the shoulder under Mikasa's wary gaze. She had a lot of respect for the tall blonde, he had been and still was her rival. Likewise, she was very grateful to him for repeatedly saving her and her friends. Nevertheless... There was something... something about the way he smiled sometimes... something eerie... something dark...

And she had the strange feeling that this something was more dangerous for himself than for others.

(-) (-) (-)

The counterattack began shortly after Pixis' speech. Other cannons were mounted on the wall and aimed at the hordes of Titans that grew exponentially with each passing half hour. Fortunately, the artillery was able to reduce their numbers effectively while waiting for the rest of the plan drawn up by Armin and Amos to be put in place. For his part Eren had just obtained his own protective elite team: Rico Bretzenska, Mitabi Jarnach and Ian Dietrich, the leader.

"Cadet Amos?"

The latter was observing the diversionary maneuvers when Commander Pixis spoke to him.

"Yes sir?"

"I have assigned you to the decoy unit east of Trost.

If Nox was disappointed, he didn't show it.

"Very well sir."

The fifty-year-old man raised an amused eyebrow at the sobriety of the young man's answers, he behaved like a real soldier.

"You know, I asked one of your comrades to tell me about how you escaped Trost," he said, taking a sip from his flask. "I must admit that I am very impressed, I did not think that there were people like you, where you came from."

Amos took a long drag from his cigarette, and sat down on the edge of the Wall before giving his superior an amused smile.

"Did you honestly think I was going to be like the others when you met me?"

"Yes, Pixis answered without taking a glove, coming to sit next to him, "you were an insolent little rascal. Incredibly intelligent, but too arrogant to see his mistakes and too comforted in his behavior to have any real chance of changing."

Nox snorted sadly, and took another puff.

You're right, he admitted looking at the horizon, I probably would have ended up obsessed with meaningless goals and would have been unable to achieve what really matters in this World. And above all, I would not have been screwed to understand that I was a huge asshole.

Pixis' smile widened, and he took another sip.

"I must admit that I am curious to know what happened to you to transform the little prick that you were into this remarkable young man that you are."

Amos blushed slightly upon hearing this compliment, before raising the three middle fingers of his left hand.

"Three trips to Hell, and three years surrounded by good people."

The fifty-year-old nodded gently, before handing him his flask.

"Trials can make or break a man," he said, urging him to drink with a nod, "but surroundings greatly influence character."

Amos smiled before picking up the flask and swallowing three swigs, he shivered as he felt the awful taste invade his palate, but he nevertheless welcomed the sweet warmth that invaded his face.

"You need a better drink," he remarked, handing her back the flask and handing him his cigarette, "that crap will rip your stomach out before you reach the age of fifty-five."

Pixis retrieved his liquor, and drew a long puff of smoke.

"Alas, I don't have a palate as developed as yours, cadet," he sighed sadly.

"If we win this battle, I promise to give you a real bottle."

"I'll remember that," replied the fiftieth-year-old before straightening up. I really enjoyed this conversation, I hope we will have the opportunity to have at least another one."

Amos gave another smile, before imitating his superior.

"I will try to stay alive."

"Good, because that 'senile old cheat' still has a lot of tricks up his sleeve."

(-) (-) (-)

Amos and his comrades spent the next three-quarters of an hour luring the titans to the corners of the walls, where the artillery would pound them as soon as they were all there.

The wait was long and terribly frustrating for the tall blonde, mostly because he couldn't understand how so many titans could keep pouring into the wall's enclosure. It was as if they knew there was a breach and a feast awaited them there. About ten minutes later, a green smoke was fired from the door, indicating that the path was clear, then another followed it, signaling the start of Eren's mission. Suddenly, a yellow and green flash lit up the city, and a deafening but recognizable roar was heard.

"Well," Amos thought as he hung on the wall, four meters above the mouth of a titan, "he's got a clear path to the door, unless there's a complication it should be fine."

Of course, barely twenty seconds after he thought that, he saw a red smoke rising from the same place as the previous one.

He widened his eyes in bewilderment, before clenching his fists in anger and climbing back up the wall.

Once fifty meters above the ground, he heard the soldiers muttering to themselves that this half-baked plan was a foregone conclusion, and that they were never going to win.

Even Marco, the eternal optimist, couldn't help but sink into despair.

"It's over. We failed."

Amos rolled his eyes, there was no way it would end like this.

"Armin!" the freckled boy called when he saw the little blonde running. "Where are you going?"

The latter did not answer, he ran as fast as his legs could carry him to the ideal point to join Eren with his ODM gear.

"Armin!" Amos called, pulling himself up to his level, startling him for a moment. "Don't rush into the pile," he reprimanded, "the small titans are real pests and know how to hide to pounce on their prey."

He recorded the information, but didn't stop running.

"We need to reach Eren to figure out what's going on. We can't fail, not now!"

"I know, but no offense to you, you're not the best at ODM maneuvers, so let me lead the way and stay in my wake."

"All right."

Amos suddenly stopped when he spotted the perfect path to reach the boulder, and jumped off the wall. Armin's eyes widened in terror, but he followed him in spite of himself, swallowing the fear of jumping fifty meters into the void.

Reaching Eren's titan body proved to be more difficult than expected, especially due to two six- and eight-meter titans jumping like frogs. Armin was forced to wait on top of a tower while the other blonde eliminated them.

It wasn't until nine minutes of running and aerobatics that they finally spotted the Rogue Titan's body sitting against the boulder, they landed on its neck.

Amos glanced left and right in search of the team meant to protect him, while Armin tapped his foot on the back of the neck.

"Eren," he gasped, trying to catch his breath, his comrade's pace having been harder to follow than expected. "Eren, what are you doing? Wake up!"

"Why isn't it regenerating?" Amos asked aloud. "What the fuck is this?!"

Unfortunately for them, the situation was only getting worse. The Titans were trying to close in on Eren and even though the elite team held off a few of them, they were too many for them, they kept pouring in, abandoning the human decoys.

They then saw Mikasa who had just taken down a thirteen meters near their position.

"Mikasa! Why did the plan fail?! Why the hell is he slumped like that?!"

"Armin, Amos get away! The half-blood warned them. "It's dangerous! Something went wrong, he lost control and attacked us!"

"He did what?!" Nox blurted out. "I'm going to kick his ass to Mitras as soon as this damn mission is over."

"I tried to get him out of this state, but he didn't respond," Mikasa continued. He's been like this for a few minutes!

"But the plan…" the little blonde protested weakly.

"It failed! Everyone is fighting because we can't give up on him!"

"That's it?!" Amos exploded before regaining control of him. "No, that can't be it."

His gaze then rested on the back of the rebel's neck, an expression cold as death had taken hold of his face.

"Eren is right below," he said, tapping his heel, "which means we should be able to reach him."

"And by reaching him," Armin continued on the same train of thought, "we should be able to wake him up."

They exchanged a look.

"Do you think you can handle it?"

"I have to," the little blonde replied, grappling the back of his neck as he drew a blade, "but I need as much time as possible."

Amos nodded, before climbing to the top of the rock. Five seconds later, Armin pierced the skin of the Rogue titan, who thrashed furiously, writhing in pain.

"Armin!" Mikasa yelled, horrified.

"Don't worry about him!" Amos replied from the top of the rock. "He is going to wake Eren up! Trust him! We must make sure that no titan reaches them! This mission will be a success if each of us does his part!"

The oriental clenched her teeth in frustration, but she finally gave in, she had learned her lesson, she couldn't let her emotions get in her way, it was almost certain to run into disaster.

Amos used his new height to observe the horizons, he saw a nine-meter to the north, a fourteen-meter to the northeast, and two six-meters to the east. The others were Mikasa's business.

"It's not going to be easy at all…" he whispered as time slowed around him, a series of calculations flashed before his eyes, his imagination already simulating his next maneuvers, and a trickle of blood ran down his nose.

"Step 1: the nine-meter, go around the clock tower to surprise him from behind. Step 2: the fourteen-meter, cut the tendon of the right foot and finish it on the ground. Step 3: the two six-mete, take down the one who is the furthest back so that he falls on his friend and take advantage of the hindrance of the latter to finish him off. Duration of the operation: two minutes and twenty-eight seconds. Chances of perfect success: 71%. Risk of death: 4%. Chances of Armin being able to wake Eren during this time: unknown. Determination to survive and succeed in this reconquest: maximum."

He wiped the trickle of blood that had flowed from his mouth with the back of his hand, accidentally smearing it on his lips in a bloody grin that was oddly paired with the predation in his gaze. Then he rushed all blades out towards the clock tower, he described an arc in the air and passed behind the nine-meter titan, which he brought down with a single blow. He then landed on a roof where he began to run without stopping to watch his victim fall. The fourteen-yarder spotted him, and tried to crush him with his huge hand, but Amos quickened his run with a surge of gas, slipping over the tiles and into danger until he was free falling down the street. He fired his grapple into the behind of his prey and let himself swing to the tendon of the right foot which he sliced. The titan sprawled on the ground, and barely had time to begin to recover before his executioner finished him off. Then came the most dangerous part, as the final targets were dangerously close to Eren, and Amos only had one opportunity.

He flitted down an alley, crossed a street, then turned into another alley just before the first titan passed him, he didn't care, his target was the second. He burst from the alley like a hurricane and butchered the neck of the creature which was carried away by its momentum and crashed against its congener. It struggled childishly to free itself, but was so preoccupied with its freedom that it only noticed its killer when it was too late for it. Amos paused for a very short time on top of his latest victim's head, before returning to perch on a rooftop.

He wiped another trickle of blood in annoyance, before pressing the hilt of his sword to his forehead in the vain hope of calming his headache.

"Damn…" he swore out loud. "I used to be able to do this for forty-eight hours straight when I was twelve…"

Controlling his pain, he scanned the surroundings in search of another of these creatures, one of those who were stupid enough to believe that it was going to manage to pass its barrage to go after Eren.

But as his grandfather said, "Stupidity will always find its way, block it before it gets to you."

A nine-meter deviant sped straight at the Rogue, its gaze betraying a demented hope that Amos had only noticed in the eyes of the most desperate.

Writing this detail in a corner of his memory, he rushed towards his next victim. He stopped his frantic run by throwing a sword in the corner of his eye, before replacing his blade to slice the back of his neck with speed and precision. The titan sprawled on the ground, its momentum was such that it skidded until it hit Eren's foot with the top of its head.

The valedictorian of the 104th regiment gracefully landed on a roof, before feeling the tiles give way under his feet, he collapsed heavily on his buttocks, his breath panting.

"I wish I had the endurance of an Ackerman," he grunted under his breath before forcing himself to his feet.

He scanned the surroundings once more, before a roar came to twist his eardrums, he turned around, pressing his hands against his ears.

The Rogue Titan was standing, his wounds completely healed, he was screaming at the top of his lungs like a charging general. When he was out of breath, he took a deep one through his misshapen mouth, before turning around. Amos' eyes widened as he saw him grab the huge boulder, and nearly shattered his retina as he tore it off the ground and put it onto his shoulders.

For a moment that felt like an eternity, Nox stood frozen in place, marveling at the demonstration of sheer force he was witnessing. He was, however, brought back to reality when Armin landed beside him, his eyes full of hope.

"Eren succeeded!" he exclaimed with euphoria, before noticing the bloody flows which escaped from the nose of his comrade. "Amos! You're bleeding!"

"Don't worry about me!" the latter suddenly ordered, wiping himself with the back of his sleeve. "Operation resumes! We have to protect Eren until he reaches the gate!"

Armin swallowed in worry to regain his composure, he nodded before dashing towards Ian, Amos following him after exhaling violently from his nose to evacuate his excess hemoglobin.

"Mikasa!" he shouted as he reached the roof where the oriental girl and their superior were standing.

"Armin! Amos, you're..."

" ... bleeding," he finished, "I know! It doesn't matter!"

"Eren has regained control! adds the little blonde. If we manage to cover him until he reaches the gate, victory will be ours!"

Ian recorded the information with a serious face, it was a few seconds before the soldier of Humanity that he was, became aware of the opportunity offered to them.

"Defend him!" he shouted to his troops. "Even if we have to die, we have to protect Eren all the way to the gate! Don't let any titan come near him!"

Once his squads were up to speed, he turned to the trio of cadets.

He turned to the three cadets.

"You three, go! I want you right next to Eren! Jump, soldiers! It's an order!"

"Yes sir!" They replied in chorus.

Ian moved forward to attack the five Titans heading towards Eren, but froze when he saw the three soldiers running on the ground behind their targets.

"Team Mitabi, what are you doing?" he screamed in panic.

Had they succumbed to a fit of collective madness?

"Those sons of bitches have lost interest in us!" Mitabi shouted back. "We have to get close enough to get their attention."

"Hey, over here, you big assholes!" a soldier yelled next to him.

"Otherwise we'll stick our blades in your stinking asses!"

The ploy partially worked, the two nearest Titans turned and began to pursue them.

"Run!" Mitabi yelled, turning around while swallowing his terror. "Run to the buildings!"

"They're crazy," Armin commented horrified. "It's suicidal. If they are cornered somewhere, they won't be able to do anything!"

"That's the idea," Amos said calmly, "the goal isn't to confront them, but to clear the way for Eren."

"Let's go," interrupted Ian wistfully. "Everyone follows the Mitabi team!"

"Come on! We have to go too," the oriental girl said before jumping.

Ian's team managed to get the three remaining Titans away from Eren, who now had a relatively clear path to the hole.

"Armin!" Amos yelled as he and Mikasa led the way ahead of the Rogue titan. "Stay close to us!"

"All right!"

The frantic race of the trio took place without incident for the vast majority of the journey, the most difficult task was to witness the atrocious sacrifices of the soldiers of the Garrison. Amos couldn't look at them, he had to stay alert in case one of the creatures decided to drop the bait and head towards them. It was at times like this that he almost wished he had not an infallible memory, he would remember every detail of this carnage.

Ian's team was quickly devoured by the other Titans, including Ian himself, who managed to eject one of his comrades from the hand of a monster in exchange for his own life.

Armin's cry of anguish brought his emerald eyes back to the door, and they widened in exasperation and terror.

Two more titans had just taken advantage of the opening to enter the city, one eight meters and the other ten meters.

"I'm taking care of it!" Amos screamed as he wept tears of blood.

Mikasa saw him, but didn't have time to stop him. Nox spun around to launch himself to the Rogue Titan's pectoral, he jumped from the muscle, sacrificing 60% of his gas to perform a backflip that took him over ten meters to reach the Wall. There, he grabbed the taller titan's neck, and ran horizontally while continuing to release gas, before projecting himself on a perfect trajectory that crossed the weak points of the two creatures, he sliced them both before sprawling miserably on the ground.

"Amos!" Armin cried, horrified.

The concerned opened his eyes, just in time to see a giant hand approaching him.

Apparently his gash on the eight meter had not been deep enough.

"Miscalculation," he commented soberly as blood continued to trickle from his eyes and nose.

Mikasa reacted instantly, she took advantage of the fact that the titan had his head turned towards her rival to project herself directly on his neck and take him down in one swoop. Nox watched the creature fell, and the girl who stood on the mortal wound it had inflicted on it.

Her face expressed a growing concern when she saw his face covered in blood, she rushed towards him.

"We have to go! We're on Eren's path!"

He replied with a nod, and tried to get up, before falling to his knees in a gasp.

"Shit ..." he spat outraged by his weakness.

A stream of blood spurted from his nostrils and eyes.

Seeing that he was at his wit's end, Mikasa picked him up, and grabbed onto the Wall to get them out of the way of the Rogue Titan.

The latter took a few more steps, before roaring with rage and embedding his huge boulder in Trost's gate, sealing it forever.

Perched on the wall in Mikasa's arms, Amos could hardly believe his bloody eyes, his mouth hanging open and his expression bewildered.

"We did it… Fuck… We did it… Humanity's first victory against the titans…"

A terrible headache suddenly seized his brain, he clapped a hand on his forehead and let out a groan of pain.

"What's wrong? Mikasa asked with a worried tone as she was watching him suffer.

"Excess brain activity," he mumbled, "it's been ages since I've fought so hard."

He shook his head.

"It's not important, we have to get Eren out of his titan's neck and quickly climb on top of the wall."

This sentence brutally brought the young girl back to reality, she unhooked herself from the wall and landed behind the Rebel.

Armin had preceded them, and was trying to pull his best friend out of his huge body.

"Armin?! How is Eren?!"

"He's incredibly warm!" the latter yelped without stopping to pull. "We have to hurry up to the wall."

Amos patted the Oriental girl on the back.

"Put me down."

"Are you sure?"

"You have to."

Once on their feet, the two teenagers activated their ODM gear to join Armin who was stubbornly pulling with all his strength.

"Part of his body fused together," he explained.

"We have to cut," Amos decided, pulling out another blade.

Mikasa widened her eyes in terror.

"Wait!"

Too late, a well-placed swing of the sword freed Eren from his organic shackles, but he and Armin were swept away by the latter's momentum, and he fell onto the rotting body's right foot, at the mercy of the two titans who had been approaching all this time.

"Shit," Nox swore, drawing another blade as Mikasa rushed to their rescue.

It was then that a man swooped down from the top of the wall, and took down one of the creatures before rectifying his trajectory and killing the other, the action had happened in a flash, too fast for that no one understood what had just happened.

"Mi-kasa?" Armin asked before the concerned landed at his side followed by Amos, who knew very well who it was.

"Hey brats!" Captain Levi called, turning to look at the Rebel Titan's body. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Do you mind if we talk at the top of the Wall?" Amos asked, trying to speak loudly. "We're all a little bit tired."

Mankind's strongest soldier winced in displeasure, but nodded when he saw the state of his interlocutor's face. He approached to grab him while Mikasa grabbed Eren, and in about twelve seconds, they reached the safety of the heights. The two wounded were laid next to each other, but the shapeshifter was unconscious.

Amos then noticed the dozens of soldiers standing atop the wall, staring with bewildered expressions at the multitude of titans that infested the city of Trost.

"The Wall has been invaded!" a blonde man announced, raising his sword. "Go rescue the Garrison forces!"

"Yes sir!"

Neither one nor two, the scouts of the Survey Corps jumped into the void to help their colleagues. Meanwhile, their leader approached the survivors.

"Hello cadets, I'm Commander Erwin Smith."

The still conscious recruits performed a salute, Amos contented himself with performing it from the ground.

"Can someone give me a status report?"

Armin devoted himself to this task, summarizing the apocalyptic situation from which they had escaped lasted a good ten minutes. During which the scouts left on the Wall stared at Eren with suspicion and terror when his astonishing ability was revealed, seeing this, Mikasa immediately stood between her adopted brother and the soldiers, threatening the latter with a look promising a thousand torments if they touched one of his hairs.

Meanwhile, Amos cleaned his bleeding face with the waterskin given to him by one of the scouts.

"I see," the Commander said after Armin's report was finished, "and I take it the three of you answer for Eren Jaeger's loyalty?"

"Yes sir," said the cadets in chorus.

"Very interesting," he commented with a smile, looking at Amos.

The latter chose to look elsewhere.

"Commander?" one of his men called. "What should we do with them?"

Erwin took a few seconds to think, he stared at each of the young recruits straight in the eye, before lingering on Eren.

"It would seem that Humanity owes its first victory to the strange power of this cadet, as such he has at least deserved the benefit of the doubt."

The blonde's shoulders relaxed, but his oriental friend didn't relax her guard.

"However," he added, looking behind the recruits, "I'm afraid not everyone shares my opinion."

Hearing this, the cadets turned their heads, and discovered about fifteen MPs running towards them, before stopping and pointing their guns at Eren.

Mikasa's blood boiled, and she jumped over the wounded to stand between them and their new assailants.

"Don't shoot!" Amos suddenly yelled as he sat up. "Lower your weapons! That's an order!"

Armin stared at his friend as if he had just grown a second head, who was he to give orders to the military branch that answered only to the King?

"M-My Lord," one of the corporals stammered, "get away from that monster!"

"My Lord?" Armin mused in amazement.

"Quiet!" Said Lord boomed, feeling a surge of adrenaline invading his body. "Lower your rifles before I plant each of your heads on a spike!"

The threat had its immediate effect, and the soldiers obeyed without relaxing their fingers.

"Armin? Mikasa? Please help me stand up."

The little blonde rushed to his friend, put one of his arms around his neck, and helped him up, after a moment of hesitation, the oriental girl did the same.

"Listen to me very carefully!" Amos barked once he was back on his feet. "Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlet are now under the protection of House Hannibal! If you touch one of their hair, you're dead men! Am I clear?!"

"Y-yes My Lord," the leader yelped, throwing a disgusted look at Eren.

Amos sighed to release his fatigue, but he recovered as he breathed in.

"I am fully aware that Cadet Jaeger will not escape prison while awaiting trial."

Mikasa instantly glared at him.

"However," he went on, ignoring her, "the exploits he has achieved today deserve at least that he be treated as a presumed innocent human being. Also, I want him to be fed three times a day and bathed daily. Moreover…"

He glanced behind him.

"…and if it's okay with you, Commander Erwin, I would like the Scouts of the Survey Corps to escort him to his cell."

"My Lord!" The corporal exclaimed. "It's not up to you to make that decision!"

"He can turn into a titan," Amos replied, raising an exasperated eyebrow, "which of you can bring down a titan?"

None answered that.

"That's what I thought."

"One of my best squads will take care of transporting Cadet Jaeger to the capital," Erwin announced, waving to one of his men.

Amos nodded gratefully to the Commander as a scout approached to pick up Eren.

Mikasa wanted to stop him, she refused to let him go away from her, but Amos held her back firmly.

"Leave them alone," he whispered to her, "to ensure his safety we must be cooperative and follow due protocol to prove that he is an ally of Humanity. I won't let them hurt him, I promise. Please Mikasa, trust me, don't give them an excuse to execute him on the spot."

The Oriental girl gritted her teeth, watching anxiously as her adoptive little brother was taken away from her, once again.

"Mikasa," Armin called out, "please listen to him."

The girl's face twisted in frustration, but she eventually nodded and looked away.

Erwin then approached the trio of cadets, and saluted the most tired of them.

"Thank you, Lord Amos, you have done humanity a great service today."

The latter ignored the curious looks of his friends to answer with a weak smile:

"I too have offered my heart, Commander Erwin."

The Leader of the Survey Corps smiled back, before leaving with Eren and his subordinates, Mikasa watched them leave with regret.

"Charter a stagecoach to the Hannibal Manor of Mitras," Amos ordered the MPs, feeling his last strength abandon him, "Cadets Arlet and Ackerman are my guests and will be treated as such."

The Military Police officer nodded reluctantly, before barking at his men to carry out the orders of their Lord who they saluted before running off.

"Lord Amos?" Armin questioned, fixing him with a curious look.

The concerned heaved a sigh filled with sadness.

"I'm sorry for the lies," he said regretfully, "but exposing my identity was running the risk of leaving the door open to assassins and kidnappers during my classes."

"You don't have to apologize," the little blonde assured him, "we owe you a lot."

"It's true," Mikasa agreed, "without you, we would be dead."

He let out a grateful smile and relaxed a bit.

"You," he said to one of the MPs, "go and tell the Top 10 members of the 104th Cadet Corps that we are fine, and that we will see them again in a few days once this matter is over. Don't mention my status or say anything else."

"Yes sir," he said before leaving.

"You didn't have to invite us, you know?" Armin remarked. "We could have simply joined the others and informed them ourselves."

Amos's facial expression darkened abruptly.

"Unfortunately it was necessary for me to invite you," he growled softly, "you are Eren's closest friends, some people might use you as hostages to blackmail him or use some of your words against him during his trial."

Armin and Mikasa froze in place, and exchanged a worried look.

"Listen to me carefully," Amos urged, "don't answer any questions from the Military Police, "if they ask you why, you tell them it's because I forbade you. Politics is a very dangerous game, the slightest misstep could potentially doom you and 's why I had to take you where no one can approach you. Let me take care of this, I beg you, keep your mouths shut and don't do anything without my approval. Promise me."

"I promise," Armin answered eagerly.

"I promise," Mikasa said after a moment of hesitation, "can you really protect Eren?"

"I can and I will.

The Oriental nodded to thank him, but didn't relax.

"Mikasa? I'm going to pass out from exhaustion in fourteen seconds. Will you take me to the stagecoach please?"

The girl nodded, before hoisting him onto her back.

"Thank you," he whispered as he rested his head on her shoulder and his eyes began to close, "you are an angel."

Unfortunately, she couldn't pull up her scarf to hide her blush.