Near Defeat

Eren's POV

I wake up, the cool morning air but it's still dark. I check my watch and it's still 3 am, I get up and I notice that I had a blanket on me so I fold it up and place it on the bench.

I start taking a stroll on streets passing by patrols and wrecked buildings. Debris was still laying on the ground, some of the buildings even had giant holes in them.

I walk through the streets but I get to a certain part of the city and I bump into the Captain Ghost tending the bodies of our fallen comrades. He takes a look at their dog tags and writes something on his clipboard and continues on the next person.

I walk back instead of towards him because I know how much it hurts to lose someone. He experienced it way more than I have. But losing Annie hurt more than any thing, just as much as I miss my mom.

Tears begin to slowly come out of my eyes, streaking my cheeks. I continue walking as I watch helicopters and other transport vehicles pass by me. I had to somehow get Annie out of my head, thinking about her makes me sad and angry at the same time. I just never knew Annie would betray me like that.

"Eren?"

I turn around and there stood Mikasa.

"What are you doing out here so late?" she asks

"Oh I just came out for a breather." I reply

"Are you okay?" she asks

"Look I'm not a kid anymore, I'm fine." I reply

Mikasa nods and we walk together down the streets. It was silent for a couple of minutes until Mikasa breaks the silence.

"Did you really love her that much?"

"Before all this, yea." I reply, "Now, I lost it all."

"Eren..."

"Look, I can get over her don't worry, she's gone, we'll never see her ever again right?" I imply

She nods in response.

"We still have a long way to go and I can't just keep thinking about her." I continue

We continue walking and we make it to the helicopter platform and we see a helicopter landing. I also see Kit and Javelin getting off of the helicopter and running to us.

"What are you doing up so early?" he asks

"Oh I couldn't sleep so I decided to get some fresh air." I reply

"Eren," says Javelin, "by any chance do you know who he is?"

She shows me a picture on her device, on the screen was a man in a trench coat and had glasses on.

"No..." I mumble

"Wait I remember him." interrupts Mikasa

"You do?" I ask confused

"He was there when Reiner and Bertholdt were reunited with their parents." says Mikasa

"Shit it was that guy." says Kit

"Wait what happened?" I ask

"Well, he was working for the enemy." replies Kit

"Wait, if he's the guy from before, shouldn't he be with us?" asks Javelin

"Let's get this to Captain, then we'll know what we're up against." says Kit

They jog off in another direction so we continue our way.

"So how are you doing so far?" I ask Mikasa

"Well, being a soldier was something we wanted, but not this type. But I guess I'm doing what you and I wanted." she replies

"I always wanted to kill titans, which I kind of am. But with a purpose."

"We know who our true enemy is, so now we have to put an end to them."

I nod at Mikasa as she looks at me and smiles, I smile back and continue walking until morning.

A/N: I do not know how Yakutsk is actually like so please don't judge the setting

Kit's POV

"That's what we saw sir."

"You're telling me that Russians developed a bio chemical weapon that can turn people into titans?" asks Marksman

"Well the guy had to scream for them to turn into the titans." says Javelin

"Bring in Annie." says Ghost to Phantom

"How did he end up with the Russians?" I ask

"We put him with Sentinels in Germany with the other shifters and other Eldian soldiers." says Ghost

"Do you think the other titan shifters are with the Russians?" I ask

"It may be a possibility." responds Ghost

Annie comes in the room with Phantom.

"Sir?" asks Annie

"Can you tell me who this man is?" asks Ghost

She looks at the picture and her eyes widen.

"That's Zeke Jaegar." she replies, "He's one of the titan shifters. He's also Eren's half brother."

"Oh that guy." says Marksman

"Why is he with the Russians?" asks Annie

"Yea, we caught him with the Russians making some kind of gas." I reply

"The strange thing is, he's the only one that didn't wear a hazmat suit." implies Javelin

"The gas?" asks Annie, "The Marleyeans created a gas that had some his spinal fluid turned into gas. Once you breathe it in you are paralyzed and under Zeke's control."

"But why scream?" asks Marksman

"The scream is like a command, a command to do things." replies Annie

"How is that possible? Is that the power of the Beast titan?" asks Javelin

"Yes, but he also has Royal Blood, allowing him to use more powers of the titan. He can talk in titan form and do things even I'm not sure about."

"So looks like we gotta wear gas masks all the time." says Marksman

"Tell HQ, this is getting worse." says Ghost

"Oh another thing sir." I say, "We were being followed."

"By who?" asks Ghost

"We don't know, couldn't tell, I only got his heat signature." I reply

"Do you think it's Recon?" asks Marksman

"She would have done something then." says Ghost

"This is the last city in the west side of Russia, after that it's just forests and just small towns." says Phantom

"Russia is too big, this is going to be a hard fight. Especially in the winter." says Javelin

"China's attacking from the southern part of Russia, the only escape route Russia has is the northern region." says Kit

"Is there anything that can prevent the gas from doing its job?" asks Phantom to Annie

"Not that I know of." says Annie

"Killing him would be an option." says Marksman

"Yes, but will we have a chance? And the only chance we have is if the gas is released." says Annie

"This goddamn forsaken war." groans Phantom, "We're so fucking close."

"Russia could use the weather to their advantage. They're born to the cold." says Ghost

"Canadians?" I ask

"They're on the west." sighs Javelin

"Can't we divert their attention and send some army to the north, wouldn't that increase our chances?" asks Annie

"We already got that covered." I sigh

"South America, Canada, Mexico, and the countries of Africa are all under attack right now." says Marksman, "Canada and Mexico are almost under our control."

"We need to make a precise plan or everything is going to fall apart." says Ghost

"What about nukes?" asks Phantom

"If the president orders us to, but we're not firing on civilian areas." replies Ghost

"So what are we going to do now?" asks Annie

"We wait."

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Eren's POV

6 Hours Later

"There's literally nothing right now." sighs Kit

I'm on a roof looking out at Lena River near the city. It's one of the rivers that leads us to the sea on the northern part of Russia. But it's hard to see because of the mist in the air, we can barely anything.

"Hey Charlie how are you holding up?" asks Kit

She just shrugs at us as she was sitting down on a wooden box looking through a sniper rifle. I look through my binoculars with Mikasa, Jean, Armin and Marco

"This gas mask is killing me." groans Jean moving his gas mask around to make it feel comfortable

"What are we supposed to right now?" asks Marco

"Right now, we wait and hold this position until we get orders or we have plan. If we fuck up, everything goes to waste." replies Kit

"So we're just sitting ducks?" asks Armin

"For now." replies Kit

We continue scanning the river and other areas near our position until we heard an explosion behind us.

"What the fuck?" mumbles Kit

We move to the other side of the roof and I look through my binoculars and I see explosions in the distance.

"That's weird." mumbles Armin

"What?" asks Mikasa

"They're missing completely." points out Armin

"Probably because of the fog." says Jean

"No, even with the fog I don't think they'll miss that badly." says Marco, "Plus I can see the flashes of the mortar shots which means they're close by."

"So what does it mean?" I ask

"Either their luring us or..." says Armin

He stops looking into his binoculars and looks behind us, where we last were.

"It's a diversion." says Armin

Kit quickly grabs his sniper and runs back to our original position.

"Contact! Hostiles in the river!" yells Kit

I also grab my sniper rifle and head over with the rest.

"Pop them off, we have to hold them off, we have to hold this position!" yells Kit

I take aim through my sniper rifle and I start shooting, but because of the mist I can't see anything.

"I can't see shit!" I yell

"Switch the scope to thermal!" yells Mikasa

"Captain they're attacking from behind, be advised the hostiles may have surrounded us so focus on all sides." says Armin through the headsets

"Understood, hold them back for as long as you can."

After switching to thermal vision I was able to see the hostiles a lot better.

"Their Spetsnaz soldiers!" yells Marco

"This is going to be a hard fight." groans Kit

"I thought we were the most elite?" I ask

"Yea, but right now I'm getting intel that we're outnumbered 3 to 1." says Kit

"Shit, what about our armory?" asks Jean

"It's separated equally throughout Yakutsk." replies Kit

I zoom into my scope and began popping the hostiles crossing the river on boats. A bullet hits the side of my helmet, the impact knocking me off my feet.

"Eren!" yells Mikasa

"I'm fine!" I yell back

"Careful, the bullets might be able to kill you Eren." says Charlie

"Yea, why not." I reply

'Did she just say that'

"Charlie, find the sniper, Jean aim for those that successfully crossed the river. The rest aim for the ones that are crossing." says Kit

I keep shooting, killing the ones I hit, until I see some soldiers shooting grenade launchers at us.

"Incoming!" I yell

But instead cans landed on the roof and exploded, releasing gas.

"Gas!" I yell

"Don't worry about the gas, keep them back." says Kit

I look around and I notice that the gas was everywhere in the city. There are other units on roofs of different buildings firing back at the incoming hostiles.

"Zeke has to be nearby." says Kit

"I thought he was on our side!" yells Armin

"No, not anymore." replies Charlie

"Sergeant, friendlies coming up the roof." says a voice through my headset

A couple of Sentinels came up with mortars and ammunition.

"Set up the mortars at the other side of the roof!" yells Kit

They set up 3 mortars and begin launching mortars at the hostiles.

I continuing shooting at the hostiles down below. I take a look down the building and I see a couple of squads there at the barricade shooting at the incoming troops.

"Kit do you have any resemblance of Zeke?" asks Ghost through the headset

"Sir, I can't see shit because of fog!" he yells through the headsets

"Sir they're pulling back!" yells Marco

I kept shooting the hostiles as they tried to cross the river away from us.

"All, units if you hear a scream on your side, engage the opening!" yells Ghost through the headsets

I wait for the scream to be heard on my side but it was awfully quiet. I don't hear any scream or any shooting from anywhere. The yellow gas covered my vision making it a lot worse, especially with the fog.

After a couple of seconds I hear a scream in the distance.

"Engage!" yells Kit

I shoot aimlessly into the fog where the sound of the scream came from hoping that someone got Zeke.

"Cease fire! Cease fire!" yells Kit

I stop shooting, the mortars stop firing, the squads underneath us stop firing. It was just dead silent.

"Did we get him?" whispers Armin

That's when I heard another scream in the distance but not on our side. Gunshots and explosions could be heard from the distance. More screams could be heard in different directions causing more gunshots and explosions to ring out.

"What's going on?" asks Jean

The noise of the gunshots and explosions decreases, making it awfully quiet again.

"They were playing around with us." whispers Kit, "Check your ammo."

I quickly reload my sniper and took aim again. I wait for another scream but this time, multiple screams came and a whole wave of soldiers on boats crossing the river.

"Shit! Open fire!" yells Kit

I began to shoot but most of them were holding metal shields in the boats, causing my bullets to hit nothing.

"Shields? They can't cross the river carrying that." says Jean

"They're going to cross the river, make sure they don't!" yells Kit

"Shit they're crossing the river!" yells Mikasa

"Make sure they don't!" yells Kit, "Jean use your rocket launcher to take out the boats!"

Jean takes out his launcher and fires at one of the boats taking it out.

"We still have a lot more." yells Charlie

"Sir we're about to get overrun!" yells a Sentinel

"We have to hold them back!" yells Ghost

"Our tanks should be able to hold them back!" yells Jean

"We need air support now!" I yell

"Armin call in air support!" yells Kit

Armin starts contacting the HQ for air support, I continue to shoot and prevent them from making it to dry land. Some Russians already made it and were busy advancing.

"Air support is coming in 5 minutes!" yells Armin

"Understood, just hold on for 5 minutes!" yells Kit

I was busy shooting that I didn't know Marco got hit in the shoulder.

"Marco!" yells Jean

"Jean, focus on the hostiles, I'll take care of him!" yells Kit

I look over to Charlie who seems calm about everything that's happening around her. Mikasa was busy taking her time and taking her shots.

"I'm out!" I yell

"Eren, this is my last mag!" yells Charlie as she tosses me her last mag, "Make every shot count!"

I quickly reload and start shooting again.

"Sergeant we're out of mortar rounds!" yells the Sentinel with us

"How many more minutes until air support?!" yells Kit

"3 minutes!"

"Incoming missile! Eren look out!" yells Mikasa

Mikasa pulls me away from the edge of the roof, but the impact blew all of us away.

"Eren?! Are you okay?!" yells Mikasa

"Yea thanks!" I yell back

I look over to my left and I see Charlie's body laying there, not moving at all.

"Charlie!" I yell

I quickly drag her body to a safe distance.

"I'm fine." groans Charlie as she gets up

I grab my sniper rifle and I check my mag, I only got one bullet left.

"Sergeant I'm out." says Mikasa

"Here, take my ammo." says Armin, "You'll make better use of it."

"Everyone good?" asks Kit

"I'm good." groans Jean

But I notice blood coming out of his stomach and he collapses.

"Jean!" yells Mikasa

"Mikasa, I got him don't worry!" yells Kit

"1 minute!" yells Armin

I lay down on my stomach and I take aim at just one soldier. I breathe in and out before pulling the trigger, hitting my target, killing him.

"I'm out." I said

"So am I." replies Charlie

I hear the sound of jets coming from the distance and bigger explosions throughout the edges of the river. Balls of fire erupt into the air, killing everything in its path.

"Looks like we made it." sighs Armin

"Barely." whispers Mikasa

"The enemy is retreating, I repeat, they are falling back." says Kit through the headset

"We nearly fell apart." I whisper