the titan of the forest

the survey corps lay at their campsite, their blades shining in the sun, the leaves rustling in the wind.

"hey commander how long until we go back, I'm kinda getting hungry." Wilhelm asked sticking his blade in the ground "Wilhelm, you are really starting to yank at my leg." Michel walks over to the campfire and sits down across from Wilhelm "calm down commander, you know I'm joking." Wilhelm grabs some wine and pours it in a glass "would you like some?" Wilhelm passes over the bottle to Michel "no thank you, I can't be drinking on the expedition." Michel grabs some coffee and takes a sip "commander Michel!" a soilder climbs down from a tree "what is it ivan?" ivan panics "theres a titan running on all fours!" Michel sighs "we've delt with titans before, so tell me why this one is terrifying?" Michel grabs his blades and ODM gear "commander are you sure you don't want me to take care of this one?" Wilhelm asks looking concerned from Ivan's words. "no Wilhelm I'll be fine, second I don't need help from some filthy ackermann." Wilhelm takes another swig from the wine. more soilders rush to Michel "commander the titan is getting closer!" Michel fires the hooks onto the bark of the trees, he then jets up onto a branch to see what the concern is.

Michel is met, face to face with a strange titan, it had no hair on its head, dark eyes, a wide smile with sharp teeth, claws as sharp as swords, a tail on its lower end and walking on all fours "what the hell!" the titan opens his jaw and prepares to bite down on Michel's body until its stopped by Wilhelm shoving his blade inbetween the titans jaw *shhhhh* the blade scratches against the teeth "good grief, commander get the horses ready and make sure everyone is safe!" Michel jets down to the ground and mounts his steed "men retreat!" the rest of his men mount their horses and retreat. "wait, wheres Jack?" Michel says before heading off, Wilhelm sends the hooks into the trees behind him *chick, psssshhh* the steam from his gear sends him back and he analyses the titan, the titan digs its claws into the tree to hold itself up "well aren't you an interesting one? strong claws to hold yourself up, sharp teeth to bite down on people and I don't know what that tail is for." the titan jumps towards him but Wilhelm spins towards his arm and slices it off, steam comes off the wound and the sliced arm but the limb quickly grows back. the leaves rustle causing Wilhelm to look up "another titan? it must be an abnormal." Wilhelm ejects the blades and replaces them *click, shhhink* Jack comes out of the treetops and is ready to slice the titans nape but the titan jumps down onto the floor and starts to chase the rest of the survey corps "shit!" Wilhelm grabs Jack "damnit I almost had them." Jack said in a sad tone "who cares about that, for now we gotta chase down that titan!" Wilhelm starts to fly through the treetops whilst holding Jack "wait what about our horses?" Jack asked in concern "it's a titan, our horses will be fine." Wilhelm lands on a large branch sticking out from a tree and let's Jack down. Wilhelm takes off with Jack, both of them zooming through the forest, searching for the titan and their squadron.

the two see a village through the forests thick branches and foliage "Wilhelm! I see light." Jack says bringing the twos hopes up, to save fuel they both walk put of the forest on foot but... the two see a sight they'd rather erase from their memory. they see titans devouring their squad members, screams and pleas fill the thin air "wheres commander Michel?" Jack asked "he probably left them... like the coward he is." Wilhelm ejects his blades and replaced them "Jack you take the on left, I'll take the right." "got it." Jack fires the hooks into the titans eyes and then spins around to its nape, striking it swiftly while Wilhelm spins down a titans arm and blinds it, he fires hooks into the back and slices the nape. the two finish off the remaining titans with their skeletons steaming "Jack, what should we do with the bodies?" Wilhelm asked sheathing his blades "find anyone who's alive and put them out of their misery." Wilhelm obliges and looks for anyone who's barely alive. the two grab some horses they could find and trot back to wall Maria.

Wilhelm and Jack hitch their horses up "oh you two are safe, I'm assuming there was no one else?" Michel said folding his arms "no commander... no one else made it sadly." Jack said hanging his head "shame, well you two get to your dorms and rest up, just because some men died doesn't mean we should dwell on it." he pats their shoulders and walks past them, infuriating Wilhelm and Jack, "you old bastard! I understand why we shouldn't dwell on it but what about their family? their loved ones?" Wilhelm shouts, but Michel doesn't listen and keeps walking.

Sophia sat down with Jack and Wilhelm "I'm sorry for what you two had to see." she said hugging Wilhelm "its alright, I'm just glad me and Jack could make it out after all, me and him are as sturdy as stone." Wilhelm smiled to Sophia but Jack wasn't smiling "that coward of a commander, not even trying to help the soldiers." "Jack I'm sure he would at least tried to help them, he wouldn't just let them die like that." Sophia said trying to defend Michel. "I don't give a rat's ass if he tried to help them, if he helped them then they would still be here!" Jack slams his fist into the counter gaining Michel's attention "Jack!" he says bursting through the door "come with me, it's time we settle this." he drags Jack along, "I've had it with you and Wilhelm, slandering my good name, you'd be better off being a titan since your such a idiotic beast and the fact you think your brother is still somehow still out there shows your ignorance to accept he's dead!" "but commander I swear he's alive, I saw him on our previous expedition." Jack states trying to convince Michel "look!" Michel pins him against the wall "your brother was a amazing soldier, he was the greatest man a friend could ask for, but you gotta understand he never came back from that expedition..." Michel falls to the ground sobbing whilst Jack walks out of the dormitory and heads out alone, into the titan infested forest with that strange abnormal, quadrupedal tailed titan kept roaming among the titans.