Power to Strive II

Opening

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or this story.

Previously: Ymir remembers the Curse of Ymir and debates when to tell everyone, deciding to inform Erwin after the tenth episode when they take a break.

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Horses raced across the screen. Erwin was leading the charge. "Let's move!"

On Wall Rose, lying on her stomach, Hange was peering over the edge.

"Hange?" Moblit said when she began crawling to the other side.

"G-Get me a horse."

Moblit knelt by her. "Squad Leader! Where are you trying to go?"

"To that village where we captured the Titan who couldn't walk."

"You mean Ragako?" Moblit asked.

"Connie, how many people live in your village?" Hange asked.

"Less than a hundred." Connie was optimistic they would come up with a plan to save his family while keeping the future intact.

"I need to see it…with my own eyes."

"Don't say something so ridiculous!" Moblit scolded. "Your body can't take riding a horse right now!"

"I have a hunch…that we need to investigate…" Hange grunted as she continued crawling.

Moblit closed his eyes and relented. "Alright. I'll go there on my own, so you just stay here and faint or something." He ran by her and she slumped to the ground.

"Aw, he's the best," Candy said.

Hange gasped. "Yes! Candy likes him! Which means we can bring him into the fold, right?" She turned to Erwin. "You can't get higher approval than Candy's."

"We know he's definitely not on the Marleyans' sides. All the Shifters have been revealed. So I don't see why not." While Hange cheered, Erwin continued, "Additionally, I was also thinking of bringing in Pixis, Mike, and Nanaba after the expedition. And maybe Zackly. There's just the question of how to convince them what we're saying is legitimate."

"What about the Walled Titans?" Levi suggested. "They won't be able to deny us or think we've collectively lost our heads if we tell them about that. They can check Wall Rose before we ensure the Walled Titans are revealed to everyone, closer to like how it was originally."

"That's perfect," Petra said. "It'll be relatively easy for Commander Pixis to have a group of trusted Garrisons investigate in private. While they won't be able to see the Titans because the Walls are impenetrable to humans, that fact in itself should get their attention."

"That's right," Hange said. "It'll at least make them more open-minded to have we have to say."

"We'll go with that plan, Levi," Erwin said. "There's a two-day break between the 57th Expedition and when we capture the Female Titan. I'll be in Stohess during that time. That's when I'll fill them in." He was still on the fence about Zackly. The chief was rational and respected him and listened to him. But he also had his own ambitions. Erwin also disliked thinking how the power dynamic would shift if Zackly was brought in. Should the chief still have the highest authority? It wasn't exactly a normal situation. Simply looking at things objectively, Erwin was the only high ranking military head invited to watch the future. While he doubted it may happen, what if he and Zackly disagreed? Whose word was final then?