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"We've lured away all titans nearby!" I heard as I moved forward placing myself beside Heichou. "Thirty seconds until the gates are open

'This is it. The 104th training corps' expedition. I..... Why do I have a bad feeling for this expedition? I need to get my guard up for this. Cuz my gut never lies'

I look at the people who were waiting for our departing. Until I saw a boy who's clothes were ripped and dirty as he looked at us with such desire. The boy had brown hair with his bangs over his one eye.

'He reminds me of Eren back then before Wall Maria fell... Those passion in his eyes..'

From behind the brunette boy was the same girl with blonde hair and shaggy clothes.

'How the heck? Every time I have seen her was when an important event occurs... Where is her parents??'

"It's time!" A superior shouted as I turned back my focus infront.

'I shouldn't lessen my guard...'

"In mere moments, mankind will advance once again. Show us what you're made off!" The Superior shouted as it was followed by people who raised their blades and shouted.

"Open the gate!" The gate was going up.

"Do not lower your guard, Yeager. You're more skillfull, if you do that." I heard shorty spoke beside me as I gave him a determined nod.

The gate was fully open.

"Forward!" Everyone's horse ran forward following Erwin. "We now begin the 57th expedition! Advance!"

______________________

Everyone went up to their own formation as we, the special operation squad, we're in row 5, center standby. The most secure position in the formation. Even more than where the supply wagons are.

'Don't be nervous, Y/N. Concentrate and keep your guard up like usual.'

I look at the right and saw a black flare fired up. An abnormal. That's where Armin was placed as well with our other friends.

'I should relax. Maybe Armin is ok.. I hope so..'

"An abnormal in the left." I spoke.

A few minutes later, a purple was fired.

"Emergency in the left." I informed the group.

After a while, green smoke signals began to be seen.

"Y/N, fire." Levi commanded beside me.

"Ok." I replied as I shot a green smoke signal up.

'I think everything is going smoothly for now.'

"Reporting in! It's an operation report" A superior went up to us. "The right flank's scouts have suffered heavy losses! Scouting ability is crippled! Please relay this report on the left!"

'No way... Is there a swarm of titans?.. I hope everyone's ok' I thought

"Hear that, Petra? Go" Levi ordered.

"Sir!" Petra answered as she went to the left.

I tsked and I look down, thinking and worrying for Armin and the others.

"Face infront, Yeager. There's nothing to look on your horse." Levi spoke as I look forward. "Remember what I said earlier"

'Focus And concentrate.'

I look at the right once again and saw more black smoke signal.

"An abnormal!" Eren exclaimed.

"Eren, you fire it." Levi ordered.

"Sir!" Eren replied as Levi looks so done.

"What a mess. We let them too far into the formation." I heard Levi said.

Eren fired the signal.

'Under those smoke signal, what are they even fighting? But..... I think everything is probably going to Erwin's plan.. We both discussed the plan yesterday...' I thought as the sight of the forest was now there. 'Luring the thing that attacked Armin and the others.'

__________________________

'The sad thing is, only a small amount of people only knew what Erwin's real plan for this expedition. Erwin really is a wise man with a questionable choices.'

"Lance Corporal.... Lance Corporal Levi!" Eren exclaimed.

"What?" Levi answered with a hint of annoyance.

"What, you say? This is a forest! If only the center line enters the forest like this, we won't know if a titan is approaching! It seems like something is coming from the right, but how will we avoid it or protect the wagons?" Eren asked as I kept looking around on guard if something were to come.

"Quit whining about the obvious." Levi spoke. "There's clearly no way we can do either of those."

"Then why?"

"Look around you, Eren. There are more gigantic trees larger than our combined height alone." I answered. "This kind of environment is ideal for using our three dimensional maneuver devices. My dear brother please use your brain more often. With that, we won't die."

"Ok" Eren replied.

'I know the others don't comprehend the situation at all.. Everyone wasn't sure why we're in the forest but they still followed Levi...' I thought as I felt Eren staring at me as I gave him a reassuring look. 'Don't worry Eren.'

A black smoke signal was fired from behind us.

"Black smoke signal!" I exclaimed.

"It's right behind us."

'That thing that attacked Armin and the others.... it probably wants Eren, considering the fact that it keeps going on our trail.... It probably has a mind of its own..'

"It's the thing that came from the right, huh?" Eld spoke.

"Everyone, draw your blades." Levi ordered as I let go of Horse's reigns and draw my blades.

'Good thing Horse is a smart animal. Horse strangely knows Levi for some reason'

(Levi is a Disney princess, waht do u expect:))))

"It'll be over in an instant once it appears." Levi said as I look at my squad mates' unsure and wary looks.

It was like slow motion as I begin to hear stomping. I look behind me and saw a scout got punched by a blonde haired titan who had no skin but muscles and and that had a feminine body.

"Faster!" Levi ordered as I patted Horse and obeyed Levi's order.

The titan came up as fast as it could and tried to get Eren but failed. It landed on tree but it got up and began to ran again.

'So it is trying to get Eren. Well, blonde haired titan... I won't let you get, Eren.'

"It's fast. There's no way to avoid it in this forest!" Gunther exclaimed.

"It's catching up!" Eld shouted.

'It looked like it's about to murder someone. Those light blue eyes.... Where have I seen those before?'

"Lance Corporal, Let's switch to three dimensional maneuver!" Petra asked the Lance Corporal but got silence instead. "Lance Corporal!"

'Its definetly catching up... but I trust Levi'

"Reinforcements from the rear!" Petra exclaimed as scouts began to show...

Unfortunately, they got smashed and punched by the female titan. My eyes slightly widened at how fast it happened and decided to just look infront.

Everyone looked horrified and hope was drained from their faces. For somehow a spark felt up to my spine.

'This is.... danger... somehow I like it...?'

"Lance Corporal, orders!" Petra screamed.

"Let's do it!" Olou shouted as well with no hope on his face. "It's dangerous! We should handle this ourselves!"

'If we handle the female titan ourselves, we're all dead. A titan with intelligence of a human is different and more harder to handle.'

"I'll rip it to shreds." Eld spoke as he took out his blades.

'Riping it to shreds sounds like suicide to be honest..'

The Lance Corporal was still quiet.

"Lance Corporal!"

"Y/N, Just give us orders please!"

'Wow. I'm shock. They even went to me.' I thought as I didn't give them orders and stood quiet. Eren looked at me with confusion as I looked a little bit mentally ok than the others.

"It'll catch up at this rate!"

"We'll kill it here! We entered this forest just to do that!" Eld spoke. "Right, Lance Corporal?! Y/N?!"

'omg I didn't even expect them to drag me into this.' I stood quiet once again.

"Lance Corporal, orders?!"

'I look ahead and saw they were there. It's time for the signal' I looked at Levi as he looked back at the others.

"Everyone, plug your ears." He ordered as he filled a smoke signal in a gun. I covered my ears and continued to look forward.

The flare gun fired as I took away my hands from my ears.

"A sound blast?" Eren asked.

"What are your jobs?" Levi asked. "Do they involve get overwhelmed by fickle emotions?"

'I remember the time that he told me that. It was when we trained and he brought up, Eren in the fight. He told me those words.'

"That shouldn't be the case. Our squad's duty is to keep this brat from getting a single scratch on him." Levi continued. "Even of it costs our lives."

Everyone looked at Eren.

'That is my goal.... to protect Eren even if it costs my life... Maybe that's the reason, Levi made me in the Squad.'

"We'll continue to flee on horse. Got that?" Levi said.

"Yes, sir!" Petra answered.

"Flee? To where exactly?!" Eren asked as he looked behind. "It's already on our tails."

I hear more scouts fleeing in.

"Again?! Reinforcements! They'll killed like the others if we don't help them!" Eren spoke.

'As much as I agree to do what you just said, I can't. I have to follow the plan'

"Eren, face forward!" I ordered as Eren looked at me in suprise.

"Keep going, full speed!" Eld said to Eren.

"Eld! Why?!" Eren exclaimed. "If we, the Levi Squad, don't stop it, who's going to?! "

"Another person died!" Eren exclaimed once again. "We might've been able to save them!"

'Its a soldier's duty, Eren'

"There's someone still fighting! If we go now, we can still make it!" Eren once again shouted.

'I had enough.'

"Eren, I told you to face forward and keep going!" I shouted with a serious demanor.

"Are you telling me to keep a blind eye?! You want me to run, keeping a comrade to die?!" Eren shouted.

"Yes, Brat! Just follow the shorty's damn orders, okay?!" I shouted back as irritation filled in me.

'I can't believe we're having a sibling quarrel right now'

"I don't see why we have to abandon him!" Eren replied while shouting. "I don't get why you won't explain it either! Tell me why?!"

I tried to answer but it seems like I ran out of voice. 'Ah fuck. This is why I don't like shouting.'

"It's because the Lance Corporal decided against it!" Olou answered. "You don't understand because you're still a newbie!"

"Then what about Y/N!?" Eren replied.

"There's a difference between a dumb mind of a newbie and a smart mind of a newbie" Olou answered. "If you do, just shut up and obey!"

'I know you urge to do the right thing, Eren but... it'll cost you your own life... that female titan is after you..'

"That should be only be done when your life is in grave danger." Petra spoke as I saw Eren almost biting is hand. "Didn't you promise us that?"

'Eren never listens... but he follow what's right... That's a good thing, I think.'

"Eren!" Petra shouted trying to stop Eren as tsked.

"You're not in the wrong. Feel free to do it." Levi said. "It's clear to me. He's a true monster and not because of his titan abilities. No matter how hard you try to hold him down... No matter what cage you lock him up..."

"Forcing his mind to submission is an impossible task." I continued his sentence.

'How can I forget? It's Eren we're talking about.... Eren will never submit...'

"Eren, the difference between your decision and ours arises from the gap of experience. But you see, you don't need to depend on such a thing." Levi continued. "Decide. Either believe in yourself or the soldiers of the Survey Corps, I and Y/N included. I don't know the answer. I never have. Even if I believed in myself and the decisions of my comrades who've earned my trust, the result was always a complete mystery. That's why, you should just do your best to make a decision you won't regret."

"Damn, shorty" I smirked as I smacked his arm jokingly even though we are being chased. "I never knew you can say wise words underneath those tsk's of yours"

"Stop fooling around, Y/N" Levi commanded.

"Yeh yeh. I know" I replied.

"Eren, believe in us!" Petra said as she looked pleadingly.

Flashback.

Eren was in a dry well but as for me, Hange and Levi, we were on ground.

"Ready to start, Eren? Once we're ready, we'll fire a smoke signal " Hange said as I held the smoke gun. "What you do after that is all up to you."

"Understood!" Eren shouted.

"This dry well will be able to restrain a titan even if it's out of control. Probably" Hange muttered as I ready the smoke signal and fire.

We were now far away from Eren.

"I wonder if he didn't see the signal" Hange said.

"If he didn't see it then he's blind. The kid is probably too hyped to this that he didn't see anything. " I answered.

"No. We weren't particularly certain of this in the first place." Levi said.

We went up to Eren.

"Eren! The experiment is on hold" I shouted as we went up closer to the well.

"Is something wrong?" Hange asked as she took a peek in the dry well as I followed her as well...

"Ewwww.." I exclaimed as I saw Eren had blood on his mouth and his hand that he bit.

"Hange. I can't turn into a titan.

~~

We were gathered up on a table outside with our squad mates. I sat beside Eren who looked bummed out from the failed experiment.

"The wounds you got from biting yourself aren't healing?" Levi asked as it still bothered me on how he was still holding a cup.

"Yes." Eren replied as I look down at his bandaged hands.

"If you can't turn into a titan, sealing Wall Maria and all is nothing but a dream. This is an order. Do something about it." Levi strictly said.

"Sir." Eren replied as Levi went away. I glared at the small angry clean deprived elf as I patted my brother.

"Don't worry, Eren. We'll probably figure it out some time soon." I said as I stood up from my seat and went up to my horse and gave my unfinished bread to Horse. I kept patting it's head.

"I wonder if I should just call you Jean instead. It'll be less confusing" I spoke as Horse neighed in complete disagreement. "Hahha. Ok."

I look back at the others at the table as I saw Eren picking up a spoon. Lightning began to fall where Eren was as my eyes widened.

Smoke disappeared around it as I saw Eren outside a remnants of a titan. He struggled to get his arm out of it as I rushed up to him.

"Why now?!" I exclaimed to Eren.

"I don't know!" He replied as he kept on struggling to take his arm.

I look behind me and saw my squad mates who were now holding their blades as Levi appeared beside me trying to defend Eren.

"Calm down." Levi spoke out to them.

"Lance Corporal Levi! This is..." Eren silenced himself as he saw what situation I was in.

"I'm telling you to calm down." Levi ordered. "All of you."

Everyone looked wary and ready to kill Eren.

"Well that didn't work, Heichou." I spoke beside Levi as I was on top of a rib just chilling. I look at my squad mates who were now surrounding us holding their blades.

"Eren"

"What's the meaning of this?!" Eld shouted cutting off they're leader.

"Sir?" Eren asked.

"Why'd you transform without permission?!" Eld shouted. "Answer me!"

"Eld, hold on" Levi ordered but got cutted by Olou.

"Answer him, Eren! What're you thinking?!" Olou shouted.

'The people who were surrounding as had a face of fear.

'Fear always blinded people on making bad choices.'

"No save that for later." Gunther spoke as he slowly went up. "Prove to us that you're not our enemy. Mankind's enemy. Hurry up and prove it to us! It's you're responsibility to do so!"

"Don't you so much as dare twitch that arm!" Olou shouted. "The moment you do, your head will roll! I'll do it! I'm serious! Want to try me?!"

'Wow Olou. I thoight the only thing you're serious about is trying to become Levi. Such a suprise.' I thought as I swing my legs just chilling on Eren's supposedly titan body.

"Olou! I'm telling you to calm down." Levi spoke.

"They're clearly not calming down" I replied.

"Y/N! Lance Corporal! Please step away from Eren!" Petra exclaimed. "You're too close."

"No. You're the ones who should step away." Levi answered. "Stand down."

"Why?!"

"My instincts tell me so" Levi replied.

"Well, Eren?!" Eld shouted. "Say something!"

"I-"

"Don't make any funny moves!"

"Prove it already!"

'This is going out of hand. Even if I try to reason out, they won't listen to me. It's for the best if I stay quiet.'

"Eren!"

Babbling by my squad mates were just getting louder and annoying that I decided to not listen to it.

"Please shut up for a minute!" Eren finally shouted.

"Eren!!!" Hange shouted who looked so excited as fuck that it looked cute. I smiled and waved. Hange pushed out Eld and Gunther out of her way and went up to Eren's titan. "Can I touch that arm?!"

"Hey is it okay?!!" Hange pleaded while they began to drool and her cheeks blushed. "I'm just gonna touch it!"