Attack on Titan: A Blacksmith's Tale

Chapter 10: The Invasion of Trost

Never in his entire life had Dillon been so terrified. This skinless monster that towered over Wall Rose was looking at them as if they were nothing but insignificant insects. Before any of them could do anything, steam jetted out of its body like a current, knocking the cadets off the Wall. To make matters worse, its large foot smashed through the gate, large pieces of gate and Wall flying. Quickly, most of the cadets managed to attach themselves to the Wall and stop their fall except for Samuel, who was clubbed in the head by the debris. Thinking fast, Sasha detached her cables, ran down the Wall, shot a cable into his leg, and fired the other one into the Wall, securing them both.

"Try not to move," she yelled. "Understand?"

All Samuel could do was groan.

"That was too damn close," Eren commented.

"Oh, God, no," Thomas said, looking at the wall. "Not again!"

The cadets stared in horror at the newly formed hole in the Wall that would be big enough for invading Titans.

"They're gonna get in," Thomas continued, his panic overtaking him. "They're gonna get in. They're gonna get in!"

None of soldiers were more horrified by the turn of events than Eren Yeager. He was there when Wall Maria fell to the same, damned monster. He was there when the Titans invaded and proceeded to kill so many people. He was there when....

"No," he snarled in defiance. "This is over. I'm gonna put a stop to this. I will. This ends now!" Drawing his swords, he began making his way up as he yelled to his fellow comrades. "This is it, people. Do or die!" Quickly, he started giving orders. "Mount the cannons, Squad 4. Take out the Colossal Titan! This is our chance! Don't let it slip away!"

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Dillon trailed behind him. He was a soldier and he was not going to cower from the thing he spent three years training to kill. Unlike everyone else, Dillon had mental powers and he was going to use them to their full capacity. If Eren was right, they could end this all now. As he got closer to the top, lots of pieces of the Wall fell towards him including a couple of cannons. He barely dodged the wreckage by swinging around them, having several close calls and the scratches to prove it. Seemed like the Titan was getting rid of the defenses.

Crap, it's intelligent. Dillon realized when he reached the top.

He spotted Eren attach a cable into the Colossal Titan's back as he swung around, but then the Titan's gaze fell on him. Gulping, Dillon was about to attack when he noticed something in the monster's eyes, something different: a faint twinge of recognition. The blacksmith shook his head furiously. There was no way the Titan knew him. They just met today. Surely, he was seeing things. However, he saw something else in its eyes that made his anxiety rise: anger.

How the hell is it displaying human emotions?

"Dillon, move!" Eren shouted.

Snapping out of it, Dillon jumped away from its palm that slammed down where he was. Running a safe distance, he noticed Eren swinging around and landing on its arm to run up towards the head, but the Titan, to his surprise, was ignoring him. Dillon prepared to hit it with a mental attack, but steam shot out from its body and hit him. It wasn't enough to send Dillon off the wall, but it was enough to make him grunt in pain as he felt his body heat up. He couldn't see anything, but the worst part was that he felt like he was being boiled alive. Instinctively, Dillon leapt off the wall and it was a good thing too. A second later, the Colossal Titan's fist smashed down where he was standing a second ago.

After falling for a bit, Dillon latched himself to the Wall and just hung there, leaning against it. His skin felt like it was on fire even though it wasn't, he was sweating up a storm, and he was panting heavily.