What More Could I Want (Book #1) AOT Fanfiction *COMPLETED*

Saichi's Plan

I finally have my formation and spent hours of my day getting it to every squad and their appointed leaders, leaving the Elite for last. With my formation, I hand out the new uniforms. The night before the mission of plugging the wall, we'll be burning the old uniforms and redefining the Survey Corps. Also, putting a new name for the division. I'm tired of the multiple names people have for it.

At this meeting table with me, is Hange, Levi, and the entire Elite Squad. Suri is with Erwin. I will be putting her to bed after we're done here. "Eren, you will not transform until we give you the signal, do you understand?" Levi tells him. "You do it otherwise, we are authorized to kill you. It was a rule given to us by the higher-ups."

"Yes, Captain."

I throw one leg over the other. "Armin, Mikasa. You two are Eren's main defense. You are to keep any and every other Titan away from him. I have another squad that will be assisting. Any objections?"

They both nod. "We understand, Commander," Mikasa replies. "We would do anything to protect Eren."

I know. Why else would I give you the responsibility? "The Garrison Elite will be the ones clearing the path to the wall. They did a trip along the wall and Rico confirmed there is a large boulder near the breach but it is a bit of a longer distance than last time. Connie and Sasha, you'll be working with Rico's squad. You're under her command so follow her lead."

"What if the entire squad dies and we're the only ones left?" Connie asks.

"Do we take it all on ourselves?" Sasha adds.

"I'm not asking you to throw your lives away but I don't accept quitters. If I truly believe you can't go on, I'll call you to retreat and bring in reinforcements."

"Who are the reinforcements?" Armin asks.

"Hange's squad with being on standby, waiting for an emergency signal. Don't forget there's the rest of our numbers killing the other Titans within the wall. Jean, you're with Levi and me."

He is very surprised. "What? Why?"

"I've told you before that you're very skilled with your maneuvering gear. I need that. With Levi and I, you will be taking care of any abnormals. In a situation like this, they can be a real pain in the ass and it will be our job to get them out the way. If you want, I will gladly switch you with Mikasa."

"No, I'm honored that you think of me in such a way, Commander."

"I didn't choose you all because I was picking names out of a damn hat. Get that through your head."

"Yes, Commander."

"Do you remember the flare we used in the woods when you went outside the wall?" Levi asks Eren.

"The high-pitched one?"

"Yes. That and that only will be your cue to transform. The only ones carrying the round will be me and Saichi."

"What pitched flare?" Mikasa asks, sounding a little worried.

I unhook my flare gun from my waist and set it on the table. The paint on the outside is white, reminding me which round it is. "It's an acoustic flare. It can temporarily deafen those within range. It was used when we signaled the traps to capture Annie."

Everyone nods. "Don't worry about hearing it again, I'll be the one cutting you out when your job is done," Levi adds.

"The flares we used outside the wall during the 56th Expedition will not be the same ones we're using during this mission. You will use the blue if there is a change in the formation, the black is for emergencies such as an abnormal or a Titan outnumber, the purple will only be used if Hange's squad is needed, the green is a mission success and the red is mission failure. When this flare is used, it is an automatic retreat no matter what your instinct might be. This will only be fired by me. Any questions?"

"Commander, do you really think we can succeed this time?" Sasha asks.

I don't answer her question. I just gather my papers and glance over at Eren. "Eren, you'll be sleeping with Suri tonight while I work late with Levi. Come on." I leave my papers in front of Levi. "The rest of you better rest up. Traning for this formation begins early tomorrow." I head towards the door. "Levi, Hange. Meet me in my office."

He is more than happy to stand up and walk with me like a loyal dog. While we're walking, he asks, "Captain, why didn't you respond to Sasha? Is it because you don't think we can do this?"

"It's not about that, Eren. I don't make promises of success before going outside the walls. It's like promising someone their life when they join this dangerous division. I don't want you brats to become arrogant so I want you to keep your mind open to the best and worst things that can occur."

We make a stop by Erwin's office when he has Suri crawling on the floor with torn paper. If it wasn't for Levi's thorough cleaning, I would be against her playing on the floor. I carry her to Eren's bedroom and tuck them both in his bed. Suri always sleeps on Eren's chest and they keep each other warm through the night. "Captain?"

I look up at Eren. "What is it?"

"Do you think you can tell me who Furlan is now?" I forgot I owed him an explanation. I sigh, sitting on the edge of his bed, facing them. "Back before Levi and I joined the military, we had two people we cared about like family. One of them had the name Furlan Church and the other being Isabel Magnolia." 

I begin patting Suri's back through the blanket, something that helps her fall asleep faster. "What were they like, Captain?"

"Furlan was very focused and able to make the distinction between when to have fun and when to be serious. He disliked when things got out of control. I knew he had a clear understanding of when he was defeated and stopped resisting if he knew that he had lost. Furlan always placed a great deal of trust in Levi and followed his decisions and leadership without question, as did I after some time. At the end of the night, he was like an older brother to me."

"What about Isabel?"

"Isabel was a complete opposite of the three of us combined. She was very energetic, outspoken and rarely afraid to speak her mind. She was confident in her abilities, and the most cheerful. She was quite headstrong, I must say. She was also quite prideful. Poor girl didn't know how to do any kind of math though. Where we were living, I could understand why it didn't matter when just getting through a day and feeding yourself was of top priority."

"What happened to them?" Eren asks.

I sigh. "During our first mission outside the wall, the squad they were with...was attacked by five Titans. Because of the heavy rain and...their inexperience...they were killed. Levi and I tried to save them but we were too late. Blinded by rage and grief, we took down every single Titan. It was probably the most painful moment in my life. To this day, nothing tops it. We blamed Erwin for what happened because it was him that talked us into joining the Survey Corps. In the end, it wasn't his fault nor mine nor Levi's. It was the Titans and, sadly, our lacking knowledge of them. We've been serving Erwin ever since, putting our trust into him as you all have come to trust Levi and me."