Love in a Time of War

Chapter Twenty-Three

Eren looks at Emiko in shock "A sound blast?" he asks. "What are your jobs? Do they involve getting overwhelmed by fickle emotions? That shouldn't be the case. Our squad's duty is to keep this brat from getting a single scratch on him. Even if it costs us our lives. We'll continue to flee on horse. Got that?" Levi asks. "Yes, sir!" Petra responds. "Ah... Flee? To where exactly?! Besides, it's already right on our tails... Ah! Again?! Reinforcements! They'll get killed like the others if we don't help!" Eren exclaims, looking back as more reinforcements appear. "Eren! Face forward!" Gunther tells him. "Gunther!" Eren says, shocked. "Don't slow down! Keep going full speed!" Eld orders. "Eld? Why?! If we, the Levi Squad, don't stop it, who's going to?!" Eren asks. Emiko stares straight ahead, trying to block out the sound of the soldiers dying behind them "Ahh... Another person died! We might've been able to save him! Ahh... There's someone still fighting! If we go now, we can make it!" Eren exclaims. "Eren! Face forward and keep going!" Petra tells him. "Are you telling me to turn a blind eye?! You want me to run, leaving a comrade to die?!" Eren asks. "Yes, that's right! Obey the Lance Corporal's order!" Petra responds. "I don't see why we have to abandon him! I don't get why you won't explain, either! Tell me why!" Eren exclaims. "It's because the Lance Corporal decided against it! You don't understand because you're still a newbie!" Oluo tells him.

"Ah..." Eren trails off. "If you do, shut up and obey!" Oluo tells him. Eren sheathes the blades of his ODM gear and holds his hand up to his mouth, getting ready to bite down "What are you doing, Eren?!" Petra asks, making him stop "That should only be done when your life is in grave danger. Didn't you promise us that? Eren!" Petra continues. "You're not in the wrong. Feel free to do it. It's clear to me. He's a true monster. And not because of his Titan abilities. No matter how you try to hold him down, no matter what cage you lock him up in, forcing his mind into submission is an impossible task. Eren, the difference between your decision and ours arises from the gap in experience. But you see, you don't need to depend on such a thing. Decide. Either you believe in yourself or the soldiers of the Survey Corps, myself included. I don't know the right answer. I never have. Even if I believed in myself and the decisions of the 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." Levi tells Eren. Eren puts his hand down as they continue riding before pulling it up again as more soldiers get killed "Eren! Believe in us." Emiko tells him. Eren looks over at Petra and sees the still healing bite mark on her hand "Eren! Hurry up! Decide already!" Levi tells the teen.

"Ngh... I'll keep going!" Eren tells them. Emiko looks forward again, Levi looking at her and giving her a small nod. The Female Titan begins running faster "The target is accelerating!" Gutter exclaims. "Faster! We'll outrun it!" Levi tells them, all of them making their horses go faster. Eren tilts his head back to look at the Female Titan, Emiko smiling slightly when she sees the trap they planned for the Female Titan in place. The Female Titan stops in its tracks "Fire!" Erwin orders, a barrage of hooks being shot into the Female Titan. "After securing the horses up ahead, switch to your ODM Gear. I'll act separately with Emiko for a while. Eld will take charge of the squad. Hide Eren a good distance away from that Titan. I'll leave the horses to you." Levi tells the squad, he and Emiko swinging up to Erwin with their ODM gear. The squad continues on their way, Emiko giving them one last look before following Levi up to Erwin "Looks like it's immobilized." Levi tells Erwin. "We can't let our guard down yet. At any rate, good work guiding it to this point." Erwin tells them. "We were able to buy time thanks to the rear squad that gave their lives fighting. Without them, it wouldn't have been possible." Levi tells him, Emiko nodding in agreement. "Is that so?" Erwin asks. "That's right. Thanks to them, we can meet the one in this thing's nape. I just hope they're not pissing themselves inside." Levi responds.

Emiko looks back in the direction of the entrance to the forest "Go check on your friends, make sure any injured are being taken care of. Come back when you know how many injured there are and report." Erwin tells her. "Yes, Sir!" she nods. "Be careful." Levi tells her. Emiko nods and takes off with her ODM gear in the direction of the rest of the Scouts. Reaching them, she sees Jean and Armin being corned by a Titan. Glaring, she swings down and slices it's nape before swinging up to them "You both okay? Armin, what happened to your head?" Emiko asks. "I'm alright." Armin tells her. Emiko nods, she and Jean immediately checking each other over "They've started to figure it out. They seem to keep getting better and better at climbing." Jean says, looking at the Titan that Emiko just killed. "That means, scary as it sounds, that they can learn. Although some are better than others, I'm sure." Armin adds. "Armin... Sounds like something is going on deeper in the forest. I think I have some idea what. They lured that Female Titan all the way here in order to capture it. More precisely... to capture whoever is inside of it. That was Commander Erwin's goal from the very start." Jean realises, Emiko confirming his theory with a nod. Emiko looks round, beginning to take count of how many people are injured "Is this all the injured?" she asks. "So far, yes. People are still being brought over though." Jean responds. Emiko nods "Erwin wanted me to get a look at the numbers." she explains.