A bird in the Scouts (on hiatus)

Retake Trost

Eren: I'm not certain I can close the gap, but I'll still do it.

Pixis: *grins and holds Eren's shoulders* Well said. You're a real man. *stands up and goes to the edge of the wall* Call the strategists! We need to come up with a plan. 

Armin: *shrugs* But this was just an offhand thought! You really intend to put it into action right now?

Eren: I thought so too, but there's no point in delaying the decision. Commander Pixis is probably seeing something we haven't realized yet.

Ravus: What do you mean? Something we haven't realized?

Eren: Not to mention, we've got a more fundamental problem to handle before we can initiate any plans. The Commander is well aware of that.

Armin: What do you mean?

Eren: The enemy isn't just the Titans. Right, humans too.

Pixis: We're running out of time. *all four turns to Pixis who is with other soldiers and Eren stands up* I will need your help, young soldiers.

Timeskip

After Eren and Pixis talked about the matter while Ravus just followed and listened, Pixis stands then at the edge of the wall again and lets out a loud voice while Eren and Ravus stoods beside him behind.

Pixis: *shouting* Attention! *every soldier and cadet looks up to him* I will now brief you about the operation for retaking Trost! The goal of this operation is to block the shattered gate! As for the means of blocking it, I shall now introduce him. *Eren comes forward and salutes* Eren Jaeger of the cadets and Ravus Branwen a big help from nowhere. *Ravus just comes forward with a borred face*. Eren's the product of the military's top secret Titan transformation experiments! He can summon a Titan body and control it at will! Ravus can manipulate electricity with his will and uses it as a weapon against Titans! Eren will transform into a Titan, pick up that giant boulder near the front gate, carry it to the breach in the wall, and block off the hole with it, while Ravus uses his power to cover him! Your mission will be to protect them from the other Titans while he's carrying the boulder and Ravus is watching him! That's a suicide mission. Not the first time for beneath dying.

While Pyxis continues, Armin explains the plan in greater detail to two elite soldiers of the Garrison. Using the information that Titans react to concentrations of humans, they will lure them to a corner of the Wall, on the other side of Trost. Then, they will be able to keep direct contact to a minimum and take out Titans via the cannons mounted on the Walls. A small group of elite soldiers will be assigned to protect Eren with Ravus while he moves the boulder to plug the hole. Armin though, feels unsure about the plan. On the ground, the plan is being met with resistance and disbelief. Large numbers of soldiers start to walk away, saying they would rather spend their last days with family. As more and more start to follow these examples, Kitts attempts to impose capital punishment, by killing the mutineers. Before he starts Pixis highs up his words again.

Pixis: Heed my command! Anyone who deserts right now will go unpunished! Once you've given in to your fear of the Titans, you will never be able to fight them again! Anyone who has succumbed to the terror of the Titans should leave! And anyone who wants that very same terror to reach the hearts of their brothers, parents and loved ones may leave as well!

This causes the soldiers to give pause and after thinking about it further, they return to their positions to protect their loved ones.  

Pixis: Let's talk about what happened four years ago. About the Wall Maria recapture operation! I'm sure I don't have to remind you all. Calling it a "recapture operation" was just sugarcoating it. It was merely a desperate attempt by the government to dispose of the unemployed refugee masses they couldn't feed! Everybody swallowed that for one sole reason! By sending those people outside the Wall, we managed to survive inside its narrow confines! That sin is borne by all mankind, including myself! Conflict didn't erupt the because the people of Wall Maria were a monitory. But what about now? If Wall Rose falls, just throwing away a fifth of mankind wouldn't be enough! The area iniside Wall Sina can only support half of mankind! If mankind itself falls, the onslaught of the Titans will not be the cause! We will fall because of men killing one another! We cannot die inside yet another Wall. Given the choice, die here!  

Timeskip after Pixis ordered his elite squad to protect Eren and Ravus

Armin: Sorry, Eren. In the end, all the responsbility lies with you. And you Ravus for put you in with.

Ravus: Tch. *moves his head away angry*

Eren: I told you before. You can always find the right solution. I trust you.

Mikasa: Eren, I'll--

Eren interupts her annoyed

Eren: Don't say you'll come too. You were placed in the decoy team.

Mikasa: But I can't leave you alone again, or you-

Eren: Cut it out already! I'm not your brother or your kid! I told you before!

Mikasa looks down saddened.

Ian: Ackerman. Join the elite team protecting Jaeger. We'll need your skills. You too Ravus. We're moving out. Commence operation! 

Ravus: For the second time. I'm not one of your pawns. When it's over, I'll leave.

Before leaving, Eren tells Armin not to die, and Armin tells him the same before he goes for the decoy squad. While the others head for the shortest route.

Mikasa: Eren how do you feel?

Eren: Yeah.

Mikasa: Eren-

Eren: I told you I'm fine! I'm much better now then we were surrounded!

Ravus: Now is not the time for fighting!

Rico cames then up.

Rico: We've got no time for playing house, Jaeger!

Eren: I know!

Mitabi: I can't believe we've gotta trust the fate of mankind to a spoiled brat like you.

Ian: Enough chatter! We're almost at the shortest route already. As far as I can see, there are no Titans nearby. The others must be doing a good job playing decoy.

Rico tells then Eren that soldiers are not pawns, because they all have names, families and feelings. She tells Eren that he has the responsibility that their death will have meaning, and she advises Eren to never forget that. As they reach the destionation, they all jumps down and activating the ODM Gears while Ravus uses his Semblance to run very fast and high jumpings to reach the boulder. Rico stays on the wall and launches a green smoke signal, arlerts Pixis as signal the operation begins.As Eren and his group reach the boulder, he bites his hand and transforms into his Titan form, lands before the boulder and lets out a monstrous roar. Mikasa lands then on the roof of a house behind Eren.

Mikasa: *thinks* By human standards, that rock is way too heavy to lift. Even for Ravus. Self with this Aura, he could never make it.  But I'm sure Eren has the strenght to guide us.

Ravus comes then up standing beside her.

Ravus: Shouldn't he already move the boulder?

Something was odd with Eren. When he turns his head to Mikasa, Ravus grabbed by instinct Mikasa by the collar and throws her out of the way when Eren punched with his fist at Ravus and detsroyed the roof.

TBC