Once In A While

Chapter 27: Island Devils

The night before the Liberio raid took place, everyone was quite uptight- being yet again undercover in Marley, we were a tiny bit more familiar with the whole concept of infiltrating. It was more the mere idea that a large number of us was likely never to go back to our homeland that plagued us- and rightfully so.

"Nervous?" Jean asked, peering down at me as he held me in his arms. It was rare for us to be able to be alone, so we had taken full advantage of those few days we shared a room in our hideout.

"Aren't you?" I sighed, tangling my fingers with his aimlessly.

"Obviously I am, I have to command a squad on the battlefield... That, and that we're going to be seperated for almost the entire duration of the operation again." He explained.

"I am sure you'll manage. You're cut out to be a leader, after all. As for me, don't worry. I'll find a way to make it out alive, isn't that what I've always done?" I smiled up at him, tracing the outline of the scar that graced my arm, gained four years ago at what had been our biggest expedition up to date.

"You better..." He murmured against my hair, trying to lighten up the mood as I guessed. He then shifted, reaching for his shirt he had disregarded on a chair earlier. I peeked in curiosity as he fumbled to find something. What he took out though, was nothing I had expected;

"When I visited my mother before we left, she gave me this. She said I should give it to you, for obvious reasons. I waited for the perfect timing, but I think I should give it to you now- we don't know what's in store for us tomorrow... So, (Y/n), after this mess is over with, would you... Stay with me?" He said, his cheeks burning red, still he managed to maintain eye contact.

"Are you asking me to marry you?"

"What if I am?"

"Then, I'd say yes."

"You'd say yes."

"I would." I giggled, wrapping my arms around him tightly.

He took the ring out of its box, gently sliding it on my finger; it was his mother's as I recalled, and it was a simple design, but I adored it with all my heart; it was perfect and it was more than a piece of jewelry; it was our promise to stay alive long enough to settle down together.

"It's a deal then." He said satisfied.

"Indeed it is." I said, voice low, eyes glued to my fingers.

"Do you have any doubts... Because if you did, that'd be understandable." He asked me, and I could tell he was second-guessing himself.

"Why would I? Sure, we have been together for only three years, but we've known each other long enough for me to be certain that this is what I want." I glanced up at him, "You... You know that I love you, right?"

His eyes grew wide at my words, as if he was surprised to actually hear me declaring my feelings for him crystal clear;

"I do. I mean I love you, too!" He tried to say in a hurry, and I laughed at his antics.

"Looks like I beat you to it, didn't I?"

"Kind of..." He sighed, ruffling my hair.

"Alright, we should sleep now. I don't want you under-performing on the field tomorrow and getting called out by your squad."

"As if anyone's better than me-"

"Jean cut that crap out already." I mocked him, getting comfortable in his arms once again, the feeling of security lulling me into sleep.

----

"Guys, this might sound cheesy but... I have a good feeling about this." I told my friends as we were anxiously waiting for our que to partake in the operation.

"You better be right." Sasha fidgeted in her place, making sure Connie's straps were put on correctly.

"I feel the same way, actually." Jean chimed in, joining us after being a few meters away from us with the rest of his squad.

"Of course you would say that." Connie mocked him, earning a playful slap on the back of his head.

"I'll see you all in a bit, then." I bid them goodbye, returning to my position.

----

"To the enemy forces of Paradis- a declaration of war!" Willy Tybur exclaimed loudly, but soon the crowd's cheers were cut short, as Eren emerged in his titan form from beneath the stage, throwing Willy in his mouth as if he was a toy, a bloody scream escaping his mouth all the while. Lust for revenge, lust for his long-awaited freedom.

---

Mikasa flew through the sky, attaching her spears at the Warhammer Titan's neck as they went off, landing on Eren's Titan's carcass. I knew that by this time if all went according to plan, Jean's squad would have started placing the lights for the blimp to see.

"Sir... There's the Jaw Titan!" I said taken aback at the sight in front of me; as Eren was about to devour the Warhammer Titan's owner, the Jaw Titan had appeared on a building, preparing to lunge itself onto Eren.

He didn't need to give me orders, as we attacked the Jaw Titan synchronized, for we knew it was detrimental that he didn't get to eat Eren. As the rest of the Survey Corps joined us, we were about to end things right then and there, hadn't it been for the Cart Titan to appear as well, a device on its head -like a gun, it looked- shooting our soldiers down, one by one. Jean yelled for us to retreat, and many troops landed inside buildings for safety, others scrambling to get behind debris.

At last, I thought as I noticed the bizarre Titan approaching as well; Zeke Yeager. Levi glanced behind his back, and I knew by the look on his face, he wanted nothing more than to slice him apart just like their last encounter, only for this time for the attack to be fatal.

"Sir, I know how much you want Zeke dead, but stick to the plan. Don't hurt him too much, he'll be no use to us dead." I said, knowing that he wasn't one to ruin plans, still wanted to acknowledge the hatred he felt for the Beast.

"I wasn't going to. One day, that bastard will be killed by my own hand. For now, don't die on me. Survive!" He said sternly to all of us, signaling the beginning of our counterattack.

The Beast Titan threw crushed rocks at us, and it all aligned with the Battle of Shiganshina- careless recruits tried taking him down, only to be shot by the Cart Titan, being blown away in pieces.

----

Then an explosion took place at the sea- so enormous, only one person could have caused it; Armin had transformed.

The Captain took down Zeke as planned, as the other recruits engaged in battle with the Cart Titan, managing to take down the ones controlling the gun gear on its back and blowing it up.

I let them face the Cart, averting my attention to the Jaw Titan who was back on its feet, trying to stop Eren from figuring out a way to break the Warhammer out of its crystal.

"He's so fast! It's nothing like Ymir's Titan!" Mikasa pointed out as I landed next to her on Eren's back.

"I'll distract him. Mikasa, cut its legs off." I said, rising up on my feet, flying straight towards the Titan, swords ready in both hands.

Despite his reflexes being so quick, I managed to blind one of his eyes before he was able to take a hold of me. I quickly flew away, landing on a roof, stumbling to stay upright. I glanced behind my shoulder to see that Mikasa had in fact managed to severe its legs, and Eren used him as a nutcracker to crack the Warhammer's crystal open.