Towards Hope(2)

Inside a vast room of the Survey Corps Headquarters, final preparations were being made within the upper echelons of the Survey Corps for the most important mission they would ever undertake soon. 

With approval from the commander-in-chief and the development of the titan guillotines. The stage was finally set for the most important operation of the Survey Corps History.

The briefing had been ongoing for hours and was finally at its end.

"Based on our assessment of the enemy capabilities. We should take into account the possibility of them exploiting their strengths to the greatest effect. All the squads are to spread out upon entering Shiganshina." Erwin motioned. "Hange and Armin will now walk you through the important points once more."

It was unlucky for their foes that the strength and abilities of the Beast Titan were revealed during their most recent expedition. Having taken the long-range capability it possessed into account, the strategists of the Survey Corps had drawn up countermeasures.

"From the size of the crater left behind at the walls when Eren was kidnapped, we can conclude that the transformation of the Colossal Titan creates an extremely large area of effect damage around it." The squad leader drew a circle on the location titled 'Shiganshina' on the map that covered one-quarter of the city.

The action drew gasps from a few of the squad leaders present.

Hange continued, "In normal circumstances, it would not be a cause for worry. The colossal titan is huge, clumsy, and nothing more than a walking target. However, if it had some way to close the distance. For instance. If the Beast Titan were to hurl Bertholdt over right at us as we are clustered up …"

"... it would be a complete wipeout." Miche sniffed the air and finished the sentence.

Armin pointed to several locations circled in red. "Another possibility that we have considered is that the enemy might be hiding Bertholdt in one of the houses in Shiganshina. However, the chances of that is low. There is no guarantee his transformation will be able to take out the targets they intend, so it would be a huge gamble and such a strategy is unlikely. Nonetheless, we should still take precautions. We've identified potential areas of interest where we suspect Bertholdt would most likely hide. Those are hotspots that would have a good chance of causing significant damage to us."

Hange's gaze scrutinized two people. "Klaus, Dirk. We'll be counting on you. " 

"Roger." 

Armin continued, "As for the armored titan-" 

"I will handle that mass-murdering bastard." Eren clenched his fist, rage boiling at the thought of what happened to his mum and the citizens of Shiganshina.

Armin pleaded, "Now is not the time to be selfish, Eren. This operation is too important for us to fail."

"Which is all why you should let me be the one to deal with Reiner. The special operations squad can be deployed elsewhere. You've mentioned the possibility of more titan shifters appearing. Every one of them possesses a strange ability of sorts - regular soldiers will be only fodder; so the special operations squad should be assigned to deal with them. I've kicked Reiner's ass before at Trost, and I will do so again. Hange has seen from the experiment my mastery over the hardening ability, which has strengthened considerably after drinking the serum. The amount of guillotine that has been produced recently as a result of it should also convince you of my extraordinary stamina." He paused and glanced at Mikasa. "If you're still worried, Mikasa can act as my support for the operation. She is more than capable of that."

The compliment caused the girl's heart to flutter a little. It was quite rare for the stubborn Eren to want to depend on her. She surmised that being an officer in the Survey Corps for so long and having gone through the recent life-and-death incidents had caused the boy to mature a bit.

Besides… it was a nice feeling for Mikasa to feel valued by Eren. She could feel a slight warmth spread through her body.

"Are you certain about this?"

Erwin finally spoke, his hands clasped together on the table in front of him.

"Yes." Eren's gaze held firm.

The stillness held for a few seconds, only broken by the commander's next sentence. 

"With the fall of Wall Maria, the loss of huge vasts of farming land has led to an unprecedented food crisis for the civilians. We've already bled from inside out just to finance this operation. The government's support is already at its limit, if we fail, all of mankind will be doomed." He stood tall. "Dedicate your hearts, for Humanity!"

Eren stood up along with the rest of the squad leaders and gave a smart salute.

"For Humanity!"

The squad captains and officers then turned and left the room. The place was soon empty except for Levi and the Commander.

The door closed, Levi leaning back against it.

"Look at your current state - you're just damned titan food after losing an arm. Let Hange lead the troops on the ground." The captain growled.

"No," Erwin said. "I've already put everything into this. It's the most important operation in human history. I have to be there … I have to be there when we learn the truth about this world."

"You sure you didn't lose your mind along with your arm? You're even allowing Eren to face the Armored Titan with just one elite soldier as backup. I`ll admit that kid has the skills and courage, and that Mikasa can be counted among the best of the best in the Survey Corps when it comes to Titan Slaying. However, Eren's still too young for this. I don't trust his decision-making fully yet. Mikasa is just a one-way traffic once Eren is involved. It's not like you to be so impulsive, Erwin." 

"I'm not acting out of impulse. Eren may be young, but he's been through a lot. I'm sure you remember the files about his past that I showed you before. His combat prowess aside, being able to have the bravery, cunning and ruthlessness to carry out a daring plan to kill kidnappers and rescue Mikasa as a kid… Do you think that's normal at the age of 9 back then? Now that he is 15 … Don't let his hot-headedness at times fool you, he has the potential to think quite far ahead." Erwin replied.

Levi frowned.

"Eren is currently the only titan asset that humanity has - an irreplaceable strategic asset. It's important that we ensure that he is firmly on our side. We cannot afford to lose him." Erwin continued to explain. "It's precisely because of his power that we must keep him firmly aligned to our cause. Can you imagine what would happen if he turned on us? I do have a lingering concern that because of his young age, he is more prone to … extremist influences. While his hatred towards the Titans can be a powerful source of motivation, it can also become his greatest weakness exploited by others. To put it simply, you can say that I'm trusting Eren's abilities on this. No relationship can be built without trust. I have faith that this decision of mine has quite favorable odds and will lead to positive consequences in the future. "

Levi crossed his arms. "Fine, Erwin. I trust that judgment of yours but as for your other decision … I'm not letting you go out. You're titan food the way you are right now. Let Hange take over you, alright?"

"No." Erwin said. "I don't care. Use me as bait. If I die, Hange will be the next in command. If she dies, Miche will be. This is the most important operation in human history to date I have planned. If I'm not present, it's less likely to succeed. I have to be ther-"

"Oi Oi. If I hear one more sorry-sounding excuse. I'm gonna break your legs so that you stay behind. Don't worry, I'll make sure it'll be easy to put them back later." Levi raised his hand in protest.

Erwin chuckled. "That … wouldn't do. Of course, you're right. It's better for a wounded soldier to stay off the front lines. But you see, I have to be there. I have to be there at the moment when we learn the truth about this world."

"..." Levi's face darkened. "It's that important to you?"

"Yes."

"More than your legs?"

"Yes."

"More than Humanity's Victory?"

Erwin kept quiet for a moment, then replied firmly.

"Yes."

Their eyes locked on each other. Tension crackled like electricity, making the room feel like a pressure cooker about to explode. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Levi's gaze relaxed a little.

"Fine." Levi turned to the door and took a few steps. "I shall trust this judgment of yours too … Erwin."