Daisuke (POV)
Eren, Pyxis, and myself line the top of the wall facing all the soldiers down below. Mikasa, Armin, and Hikaru are with some of other elite soldiers going over the plan here atop the wall.
Pyxis- Attention!!!
Everyone down below stops what they're doing and looks up at us.
Pyxis- Take note. The blueprint of the Trost Recovery Operation is this. Our primary objective is to reseal the hole. Yes you heard right. What's more, it will be done manually. As for how the task will be done, that's where these two fellows come in. Allow me to introduce Cadet Eren Jaeger and Cadet Daisuke Tatsuo.
We step forward and give the salute.
Pyxis- Don't let appearances deceive you. These young men are in fact successful products of cutting edge science. Fantastic as that may sound, Cadet Jaeger and Cadet Tatsuo possess the ability to fabricate and control a Titan body, at will. Recall the massive boulder roughly a league from the gate. Having assumed Titan form, Cadet Jaeger and Cadet Tatsuo will hoist said boulder, schlep it to the hole, and voila. And this is where you all come in. Your job is to defend them. Yes. Defend Titans against their own kind.
Silence befalls everything until panic from most of the soldiers erupt. They start deserting and those wishing to stay threaten death to deserters.
Pyxis- Anyone wishing to leave will by my personal order not be charged with treason! Those who have seen a Titan firsthand will not be expected to revisit such horror again. Whomever this applies to, you may leave with my blessing. Additionally, anyone with family or loved ones they would spare from the same trauma may also leave. The crown will continue to recognize your service. Thank you and good luck!!
Most who are leaving stop for a second and turn back to rejoin the others.
Pyxis- Now, think back four years ago . Namely, the operation to retake Wall Maria. I bring it up because you all deserve to have your suspicions confirmed. Officially, we labeled it reconnaissance. But in fact, as most of you probably know, it was little more than a purge; a thinly disguised exercise in population control. We knew this in our hearts, of course we did. Yet we turned a blind eye. We supported the state sponsored myth because the deaths of our fellow human beings allowed us to survive. Pure and simple.
Daisuke *mind*- You did what?! You sent my mom deliberately to her death?!! It was basically a mass execution via Titan?!! Deep down I knew, I just didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe her death had meaning. Had value.
I look over my shoulder to see Mikasa holding a teary eyed and pissed off Hikaru.
Pyxis- The guilt is ours. We share the blame. All of us. The citizens of Wall Maria sustained themselves on the wholesale slaughter of the refugees who'd flown in to us for help. But turnabout is fair play, is it not? If Wall Maria succumbs, the population will fall by a whole other order of magnitude! The lands comprising Wall Sina wouldn't support half the people living now. If we're wiped out off the face of the earth, the culprits will not have been Titans, let me assure you. No no. We'll have done it to ourselves. If the line isn't drawn now, it won't be drawn at all. If we must die......let us die here!!
Daisuke *mind*- I can't dwell on the revelation right now. Right now, I don't know if Eren or I can even lift that giant piece of earth. But YOLO am I right? Is it naive? Yeah. Are we running on false hope? Maybe. But fuck it. I've been put in a role to make that false hope a reality.
The briefing concludes and Eren and I reconvene with Armin, Mikasa, and Hikaru.
As soon as we get there, Hikaru flings herself into my arms and silently cries into my chest.
Armin- I'm so sorry Eren, Daisuke. I wax just talking out of my head. It wasn't my intention for you to be pulled into all of this.
Eren- Stop apologizing. The fact is you have a gift for strategy and you know it. I believe in you Armin and so does Daisuke.
Mikasa- Eren, Daisuke. I really think you should-
Daisuke- Not this time Mikasa. You're on decoy squad.
Mikasa- No way! I'm not leaving you alone again! Have you forgotten alrea-
Eren- Knock it the hell off! Get it through your head that neither me or Daisuke are your responsibility! You're not our mother!
Mikasa looks on and I can see the hurt in her eyes. I pat Hikaru on her head and she looks up at me.
Daisuke- Give me a second to talk to Mikasa.
She nods and I grab Mikasa's hand and walk off far enough so no one can hear us.
Mikasa-..........Daisuke......
Daisuke- Ah nope. It's my turn to talk. Down there, I let you speak. Now let me. I broke our promise. For that I am deeply sorry. I never meant to. As the Titans gathered around me to finish me off down there, I swore I would continue to live because not only do I have Hikaru to live for, but you. One of the most important people of all. I swore to you some other things but that's a story for other time. Listen, I get that you'll always be by my side no matter what and I wouldn't have it any other way. But, there are going to be plenty of cases that we must separate for missions. Whenever those cases do arise and we must separate, remember this. I may not always be there with you but I will always be there for you. You have me. Until every last star in the night sky dies, you'll have me. And I'm not going anywhere.
I pull Mikasa into a hug and she returns the favor. She doesn't let go and we stay embraced for what seems like an eternity but in reality, it was more like a couple minutes. We release eventually and after a few head pats, I go back over to Hikaru who still has a few tears running down her face.
Daisuke- Hey there........wanna talk about it?
Hikaru-.........I know mom......I know she....... I don't if a small bit of me held on to the hope that maybe she was out there somewhere...........but hear that shit come out of Pyxis's mouth? To know that she was nothing but a lamb being led to slaughter........It hurts.........
Daisuke-.......I know......trust me, I do. I was shaking when said that, I was so mad. I thought her death would've meant something. Thought she died a hero. The ultimate sacrifice to keep her children alive and safe. But I guess it wasn't the case. I knew she'd die for us if it ever came down to it. I doubt it would've been that way though. But listen, she's up there in the clouds looking down on us. You know how proud she'd be of you? Her daughter turning out to be a fearsome headstrong warrior fighting to protect the people she loves. She would be so proud of you. Now, when this mission starts, do it for her. Get this victory for mom. Use her to reclaim this place and eventually, everything.
Hikaru wipes her tears and a faint smile comes across her face.
Hikaru- And this is why you're the best big brother a girl could ever ask for.
Daisuke- You're just saying that. Now come on, we have a city to reclaim and a breach to seal.
Indigo: That's the end of this one. Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. Later indigo fam. Peace.