You're Not Alone

•29•

"Hey, wait a second," Armin gasp. "Could it be Eren and you?"

"Sophie's right here though, the Titan would've already had the chance to pass by her," Reiner stated.

"I was actually supposed to be with Eren. They changed my location last minute. No one knows my location but Erwin and Levi," I inform him. "My mark is still on the map with team Levi."

"Oh... Then Eren? He's with Levi squad still. They're spearheading the right-wing. Or, they were." Reiner states.

"Wait. Levi's team?" Jeans voice raises louder. "I'm pretty sure you're wrong there, big guy. My copy of the plan had them in the left wing."

"That's off, because my copy of the plan had them at the front of the right-wing, too, which now that I think about it doesn't make sense. Putting them at the vanguard like that wouldn't be smart strategically." Armin points out.

"Then... where exactly are they supposed to be?" Reiner questions.

"Come on, where else?" Arms turns to him. "The safest poison in the formation. Which, I assume , at least, would be the rear of the center rank."

Why are the maps different? I know for sure Team Levi is at the rear of center rank. Just like Armin figured out. We spent days working on it out in the fields together. Something about this is off. I'm not going to confirm their position. There shouldn't be a reason for them to give people different maps. Just why did they do that and also change my position in the formation?

"Armin! Nows not the time to be chasin' our own tails about this! We've got to get word out how dangerous this one is; some signals aren't gonna cut it!"

All of us look ahead at the running female Titan.

"At this rate," Jean continues. "She'll cut down the command squad! We let that happen, the formation goes to hell and we all die!"

"You have a plan?" Reiner asks Jean.

"More of a wing and a prayer. Look, we've got to try and distract her so the platoon has a chance to retreat. If we're careful, from this distance we should be able to manage it... And make it out alive... Well, maybe anyway."

I stare at Jean as he lowers his head. This feeling in my stomach hasn't gone away yet. This human Titan shifter is bad news.

"She's smarter than the ones we usually deal with," Armin informs us. "You can take my word for it. From her perspective we're little more than insects. One swipe of that arm and we're all flattened. Expect you Sophie."

I look at Armin who has a small sympathetic smile on his face.

"Is that a fact?" Jeans voice quiets into a nervous tone. "What a terrifying thought."

"Seriously. What have you done with the real Jean?" I ask. "No offense, but the one I knew could only be counted on to look out for himself."

"Your people skills need work princess," he scoffs with a smile and then I watch his expression darken. "Believe me, friends. I'm still all about number one. I just don't want to end up a pile of bones no one knows were mine. Thing is, I get it now. I get what needs to be done if we're going to survive this fight! And last I checked, nobody forced us to take on this position. Now are you with me or not?"

Jeans eyes pierce into mine. They're full of furry and fire. He's really taken the leader position. That day when we took back the supply depot HQ, Marco mention how Jean really came through while they were together, after I went on ahead ... This is what he meant. Jean took charge. I'm impressed. This isn't the Military police wannabe, back at boot camp. This is Jean Kirstein... the Survey Corp Scout.