Love in a Time of War

Chapter Six

Emiko stands with Connie as he tells them about joining the Scouts instead of the Military Police "What? You enlisted with the Recon Corps? Connie! You were going on and on about joining the Military Police!" Eren says. "Yeah, I know but..." Connie trails off. "Seems like he was listening to your lecture yesterday." Mina explains. "Huh?" Eren asks. "Shut up! This is my decision!" Connie tells her. "Don't be shy about it. You weren't the only one." Thomas tells him. "Thomas... Are you serious?" Eren asks. "Um, guys... I borrowed one meat from the officers' morning rations." Sasha smiles, showing them the meat she's stolen. "Sasha... do you want to get solitary confinement?" Eren asks her. "You're a real idiot." Samuel tells her. "Real idiocy is scary." Connie remarks. "Let's all split it up together later! We'll slice it up and eat it with bread!" Sasha smiles. "Bring it back!" Connie tells her. "Yeah, meat is a real luxury now that we've lost so much land." Mina adds. "Don't worry about it. Once we take back the land we can have cows and sheep again." Sasha tells them, hiding the meat in her bag. "I'll take the meat!" Samuel decides. "Me too, so, save my part." Connie adds. "That goes for me too." Mina nods. "Guys..." Eren trails off. "What do you say, Eren? They'll find us out if we don't get back to work." Samuel tells him. "It's still a while before lunch." Mina remarks.

Frowning, Emiko turns to look out beyond the walls "Something isn't right." she mumbles. Just then there is a flash of lightning as the Colossal Titan appears "No..." she trails off. Steam from the Colossal blows all the cadets off the wall, Emiko using her ODM gear to stay connected to the wall "Samuel!" Connie exclaims as Samuel falls. Sasha disconnects and hooks Samuel "Sasha!" Mina exclaims. "Samuel, don't move." Sasha tells him. "That was close." Eren remarks. Emiko looks down to see the gate broken "No. The gate's broken." she tells the others. "The Titan's will get in!" Connie exclaims. Eren swings up to the top of the wall "Eren! Don't be stupid!" Emiko shouts. The Colossal attack the barracks making Emiko's eyes widen "It aimed for the barrack... It's intelligent." she mutters. Steam appears suddenly, making her swing up and find Eren there but the Titan gone "Eren! Did it get you at all?" she asks as the others join them. "No! It's the same as five years ago! He disappeared, just as suddenly as he appeared." Eren tells them. They all make their way over to the Garrison soldiers "I'm sorry, I let him get away." Eren says. "What are you apologising for? We couldn't even move-" Thomas starts. "Hey, chatting later. We need to find out what the plan is." Emiko tells them. "The strategy for the Colossal Titan is already in motion! Return to HQ immediately! Anyone who had direct contact with it, report every detail!" a Garrison solider tells them. "Yes Sir!" they all salute. "I pray for your success." Connie tells them.

Emiko puts on her gear, making sure that her tanks are full "Emiko, are you okay?" Jean asks. "Yeah, you?" she asks him. Jean nods in response, finishing putting his own gear on "Just like in training, you'll be split into your individual squads! You will be under Garrison Command! Your duties are to assist in providing supplies, communications, and sweeping up the Titans! The first line of defence will be the frontline unit of the Garrison! The second line will be the cadet squads under our commands! The rearguard will be the Garrison's elite units! We've already received word that the vanguard has been annihilated! The outer gate was destroyed, and the Titans have encroached upon the city! This means that the Armoured Titan might show up at any moment to breach the inner gate!" Kitz tells them all. "That's..." Daz trails off. "No way..." Thomas mumbles. "If even Rose falls..." Nack murmurs. "Silence! The frontline guards are already in combat! There is but one goal in this defensive operation: Defend Wall Rose until every civilian has evacuated! Also, incase you forgot, let me remind you that desertion is a capital offence! Vow on your hearts to devote your lives! Dismissed!" Kitz tells them. "Yes Sir!" everyone salutes. "Come on, let's find the rest of our squad." Emiko tells Jean. "Why does it have to be today? I'm supposed to be in the interior tomorrow!" Jean mutters. "Let's just focus on right here, right now." Emiko smiles sadly.

Jean nods as they go to find their squad, Emiko bumping into Eren "Emiko!" he exclaims. "Eren, be careful out there." she tells him. "You too." Eren responds. "Emiko, come on." Jean tells her. Emiko nods and follows him, finding the rest of their squad "Come on, we have our orders." Emiko tells them "Ackerman, you're needed in the elites units." a solider tells Emiko. "I... but I've only just finished training." she tells him. "You were top of your class and we know who your brother is." the solider tells her. Emiko looks at Jean "Go, we'll manage without you." he tells her. "Okay, stay safe." she tells him. "You too." Jean responds. Emiko bites her lip and hugs him "See you later." she tells him before following the solider out, not seeing the look on Jean's face.

Emiko speeds after an abnormal Titan "Damn, why is it ignoring us?" one of the soldiers she is with asks. "It's an abnormal! Don't think too much into it!" another tells him. "It's fast! Even we elites can't catch up to it?!" one exclaims. "At this rate-" one starts. Emiko ignores them as she pushes ahead of them, latching onto the neck of the abnormal and slicing it's nape. The Titan falls to the floor, Emiko landing on it's back "What... are you doing?" she asks. "Oh, perfect timing. Hey you, make these people help me out! I'll reward you handsomely!" a man tells her. "My comrades are dying right now because the evacuation is lagging. They're fighting Titans and dying." Emiko tells him, holding back her anger. "Course they are! It's your duty to offer your lives to protect the citizens and their property, is it not?! Don't get full of yourselves just because you freeloaders are finally doing your job after a hundred years!" the man tells her. Emiko glares and jumps down from the abnormals head, walking through the crowd "If you think that it's natural for people to for others, I'm sure that you'll understand that at times, the sacrifice of a single precious life can save many others." she tells the merchant boss. "Just try me! I've know your boss for many years. You don't know how easy it would be for me to order you underlings about." he retorts.

"How can a corpse be speaking?" Emiko asks him, her Ackerman glares coming out. The man's men charge at her, making her take them down easily "Wait!" the boss exclaims when she points her blade at him. "Pr-President?" one of his men ask. "Move the wagon." he tells them. A small girl goes over and hugs Emiko "Thank you." she smiles sweetly. "We're saved thanks to you. Thank you, so much." the girl's mother tells her. "Just doing my job." Emiko tells them, the mother smiling and holding her daughter's hand as they continue evacuating. Emiko goes over and looks at the abnormal as rain starts and the body being to dissolve "Good work, taking it down. I'm impressed." one of the soliders tells her. "Thank you, Sir! I dulled my blades slightly, I'll have to work on my angle." Emiko responds. "You're very much like your brother." the man tells her, Emiko smiling lightly. "Am I able to go and rejoin my squad? I want to make sure they are alright." she asks him. The man nods "Go." he tells her. Emiko nods in response and takes off in the direction that her squad was designated.