Hand in Hand

7. Rescue

"Start deploying the lifts!" Erwin yelled. "Get those damn horses over the wall!"

It was all a part of Hanji's plan. Deploy the horses, suit up, ride to the Titan Forest, and capture Eren. This wasn't a fight, it was a rescue mission. Even if it meant that the Armored and Colossal Titans would get away, Eren Yeager had to be rescued. The Titan Forest was about right in between Wall Rose and the most outer wall, Wall Maria. Hanji liked to call it the Titan Forest because of all the titans who wander there, aimlessly.

"Now this is just a hunch," Hanji began, speaking in a hushed voice to the group huddled around her. "But if I'm correct, they're trying to go to Wall Maria. I have no idea what they could want beyond it, but it's the only logical explanation. However, (y/n) and Erwin, before you arrived, Eren did give the Armored Titan quite a beating, which makes me believe that they'll be stopping here to rest." Hanji pointed to a spot on the map between Wall Rose and Wall Maria. The Titan Forest.

"What makes you think so?" Questioned Erwin.

"Well, as I said before, the Armored Titan took quite a beating. I know that the steam from the Colossal Titan knocked me out for a bit, but from what I remember, Eren in his titan form was able to handicap the Armored. We also know that, while the Colossal Titan is larger than the Armored, he isn't as fast. They're going to have to rely on the Armored if they want to escape us."

(Y/n) thought back to the time she had first witnessed Eren transform into his titan form. She had been talking to Moblit in Hanji's lab when Hanji burst through the door, dragging Eren behind her and a dumb grin on her face. 'For the future of science', Hanji had said heroically, as she gathered hers and Levi's squad out in a large field to watch Eren transform. He was the first titan shifter that anyone had ever heard about. (Y/n) was pretty sure that no one had ever even thought of a person being able to transform into a titan as a possibility. Titans were seen as humanity's enemy, but here Eren was, working with them and not against them. He was humanity's new hope after years of death and dead ends.

"The thing is, we only have until sundown to bring Eren back," said Hanji, bringing (y/n) back to the present.

"Once the sun goes down," Armin Arlet started, "Titans begin to move slower and some even 'fall asleep', so to speak. If we don't make it in time, they have a clear shot to Wall Maria with no titans in their way."

Armin Arlet, a member of the 104th cadet corps and one of Eren's best friends, was one of the only scouts who could match Hanji's intelligence. He was young, not even eighteen yet, but he had so quickly grown accustomed to the Survey Corps, learning how to fight and researching titans on his own. Armin and Hanji regularly discussed titan matters, new weapons, and divulged themselves in Hanji's research.

When he first began to get close to Hanji, (y/n) couldn't help but feel jealous, like she was lacking in something. She soon realized that, not only did having someone like Armin to talk to make Hanji happy, which in turn made her happy, but that she had much to learn. Everyone in the Survey Corps had strengths and weaknesses but everyone, no matter their size or skill, was vital to the cause.

"That's it then," (y/n) stated. Everyone's eyes traveled on her. "Let's not waste any more time. Erwin, I think we should move, now. We know what needs to be done."

Erwin stared down at her. Her words were not harsh but her tone was assertive. The adamant look in her eyes made him smile. Beautiful, was the only word he could think to describe her, and even that wasn't enough. She was finally starting to have a little faith in herself and trust her intuition. "I couldn't agree more," Erwin replied. Looking towards his comrades he yelled, "Soldiers, the time has come! This is not a fight, this is a rescue mission. Retrieve and retreat should be the only thing on your mind. Suit up!"