Rescue

A/N: So for those who don't read the manga please skip my note but apparently it's confirmed from the latest Attack on Titan chapter that Annie likes Armin which I find pretty stupid but whatever. Now I just don't know if I want to continue but I'll continue.

Eren's POV

"A special operation?" I asked

"Yes, I know I'm asking a lot from both of you since you already have kids but please take care of them." replied Lieutenant Colonel Ghost

"With no problem sir." replied Annie

Ghost nodded in approval but then Malvik tugged his father's hand.

"Daddy are you going somewhere?" he asked

Ghost kneels down and pats his head.

"I'm going to be somewhere for a while so Uncle Eren and Aunt Annie are going to look after you and Emma. Be a good kid and a good brother, I'll be back by tomorrow." he said

Malvik hugs his neck and Ghost hugs him back and stands back up.

"If I don't, please look after them." said Ghost

"Well Colonel, if we lose you then everyone would lose hope in saving humanity." I replied

"They have you, Eren." he replied

"Sir what am I?" I asked

"A hero." he replied

I stood there speechless as he pats my shoulder and leaves me and Annie with Malvik and Emma.

"He's right we still have you Eren." said Annie

"But I'm nothing compared to Colonel Ghost." I replied

"Doesn't mean that you can't lead." replied Annie

I looked down and saw Malvik looking towards Ghost's direction as he got on board an Boeing with the original Ghost team 116.

"Hey Malvik don't worry your father and your mother is going to come back for you." I comforted him

He looked up at me so I smiled and he smiled back.

"Why don't you go play with Ashely and the others?" I asked

He nodded and ran off to the other kids.

"But I wonder why he chose us to look over his kids." said Annie

"Me too, he has Kit and his team but why us?" I asked

"Cause he believes in you two." said Kit as he approached us from behind

"What do you mean?" asked Annie

"He sees all of us as a family which he won't admit but ever since he saved you from Eldia, both of you have proven yourself capable of doing things that even Colonel can't do himself." he explained

"What are those things he can't do?" I asked

"I don't know but if I were to take a guess, it'll probably be giving hope to others." said Kit

"But Colonel gave hope to his men." I said

"Only his men." said Kit

"Only?" questioned Annie

"You guys have hope to all of the Eldian people, civilians from different countries without you, there is no hope and Colonel knew that." explained Kit

"But why did he ask us to look after his kids, that has nothing to do with hope." asked Annie

"So that they can learn about their father from you." replied Kit, "Obviously they have us to tell them about their parents but Colonel wanted true heroes of nations who weren't undercover."

I looked at Annie and she seemed to be at a loss for words.

"Anyways, I need to overlook their mission so I'll leave you guys." said Kit

He leaves so I grab Annie's hand and gently pull her in for a hug.

"I have so many questions to ask Colonel." I said

"So do I but we're going to have to wait." replied Annie

I gently hug her tighter and she does the same.

"I love you Annie, thank you for being at my side until now."

"I love you too Eren. But I want to thank you, for loving me even though the actions that happened in the past." she replied

"Oi brats." snapped a voice behind us

We turned around to see Levi with his arms crossed.

"Captain." I quickly saluted with Annie

"Get ready." he bluntly replied

"For what sir?" asked Annie

"We're going to be on standby for now. If Ghost team needs our help we're going in." he replied

"Oh yes sir." I replied

Levi leaves us and we get ready with the others.

"Colonel, rescue team is on standby." said Kit through his headsets with a bunch of computers and radios on a table.

"Kit, do me a favor." replied Ghost through the radio

"Sir?" he asked

"Call off the rescue team." said Ghost

"Colonel?"

"If we get spotted and shit goes down then we're dead. There's no point in trying to retrieve us after all." replied Ghost

"Colonel with all due respect that's very unwise." replied Kit

"Kit, why do you think we're doing this mission without Ghost team 117?" he asked

"I don't know sir." replied Kit

"Ghost team 116 is supposed to be dead, we're supposed to be with them." said Ghost

"Sir I don't understand." replied Kit

"Sorry, it's a thing I promised Ghost team 116." he replied, "Kit if I don't come back, I'm appointing you as the 4th Captain of the Sentinels and team leader of Ghost team 117."

"Colonel no not now I don't know what to do, I can't do anything properly." argued Kit

"I believe in you." he replied

And the transmission cuts off and Kit looks at us and shakes his head.

"What are we going to do?" asked Connie

Kit looks down and rubs his forehead.

"I'm not calling off the rescue squad." he replied

Even though Kit was defying orders, we all agreed that we needed to save Ghost team if shit goes down.

"Commander Erwin is there a Naval squadron located near the USA?" asked Kit

"We do have Tigris stationed there." replied Erwin

"I want the rescue team to be stationed there and when shit goes down that's when you deploy and save Ghost team 116." said Kit

"Wouldn't we be a bit too late?" I asked

"No, we won't." he replied

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

7 hours later

"We got the titan horde's attention, you are clear to go sir." said Echo through the headset

I nodded as we began cutting up the bars blocking the entrance of the sewer. After about 15 minutes of cutting we entered the sewers and turned on our night vision goggles.

"Spread out, the sewers system is complex so whoever finds the survivors contact us." said Recon

I nodded and I took a different route with Emily towards Oklahoma City.

"Emily, how do you feel about Eren and Annie?" I asked

"My answer is the same as yours, I trust them like I knew them for a long time." she replied

"You gave them your trust pretty early. You gave me yours a year after." I said

"Sorry." she whispered

"There's nothing to apologize for. It's just the way you are and that's what makes who you are." I replied

She stayed silent so we walked through the sewers looking for the survivors for about 20 minutes. We threw glow sticks at every corner so that we don't get lost in the sewer system. Then I saw a teddy bear float on the little stream running throughout the sewers. I signaled Emily to be cautious of our surroundings and we moved deeper into the sewer system. About another 20 minutes later we heard distant chatter and muffled cries. I slowly turned the corner and there was an opening with a bunch of survivors. I turned the corner and approached them and they noticed me and gasped but I quickly signaled them to be quiet.

"We're here to save you." I said

Most of the survivors sighed in relief and cried.

"Recon we found them." I called in

"Got it moving to you. Get them ready to leave." she replied

I looked at the survivors as they were happily chanting amongst each other. But then I noticed something odd about the group.

"There's supposed to be 50 of you yet there's only 20." I pointed out, "What happened to the other 30?"

"The other 30 left a day ago because we were running low on food and water but I don't know if they made it out." whispered a woman

"Which way did they go?" I asked

"The way you came from, we were hoping you saw them on the way here." she replied

"No we didn't meet anyone." I replied

Phantom quickly tells Recon about the situation through her earpiece.

"Pack up your stuff and get the kids ready to leave now." I said

While the survivors were packing up, my team arrived and helped the others. Once they were done packing Aid and Recon led the group in front, Marksman in the middle and me and Phantom in the back where most of the kids were. One woman was holding a newborn baby sucking on a pacifier while sleeping in her arms.

We walked through the tunnels following the glow sticks we put throughout the tunnels for about 30 minutes until the baby woke up and somehow the baby spit out his pacifier causing it to start crying. The entire group gasped in fear as the woman tried to shut the baby up. After about 30 seconds of crying it stopped crying and we all stood still for 10 seconds.

"Colonel, whatever happened down there it got the titans' attention." said Echo

'Oh fuck.'

The sewers began to shake and tremble from above. The survivors began to panic and scream in fear.

"Everyone stay calm, focus on getting out of here not crying!" yelled Recon

We all began to jog back towards the entrance of the sewers but once I turned the corner the top collapsed behind me.

"Colonel I'm trying to get their attention but they don't seem interested at all." said Echo through the headset

"We're just going to have to run." I replied

We ran through the sewers as the ground shook above us and parts of the sewers collapsed. One kid trips and falls down so I pick him up and carry him throughout the tunnel system.

"Sir, permission to engage?" asked Echo

"No, you'll kill us and the civilians." I replied

We kept running but then the top of the sewer came down in front of me and Emily, cutting us off from the group.

"Colonel!" yelled Marksman through my headset

"I'm fine we'll find another way!" I yelled back

Phantom takes point and I follow close by with the child in my arms crying in fear. Phantom takes multiple turns around corners until we got to a dead end. We backed up but ahead we saw the top of the sewer collapse as it gets closer to us. We ran towards the collapsing sewer and just in time we jumped around the corner as the sewer collapsed next to us. We got up and kept running through the sewers until we got to another exit but was blocked by the bars. Phantom takes out her saw and starts cutting the bars.

"Sir we're blocked off, there's titans blocking our exit!" yelled Marksman through the headset

"Do you have a plan?" asked Emily

"Civilians come first." I replied

"I'm taking that as a no." she replied

"Don't worry the rescue team will be coming." I replied

"You told them not to." replied Phantom

"Do you think they'll listen?" I asked

I put the kid down on the floor and kicked the bars off before Phantom was half way down with cutting them down.

"Yea I don't they will." said Phantom, "What if they do though?"

"I have a plan." I replied

I pick up the kid again and set him down at the edge of the river.

"Do you know how to swim, kid?" I asked

He nodded in response.

"I want you to swim to the other side of the river and stay there, can you do that for me?" I asked

He nodded so I cock my gun and watch as he enters the river and starts swimming.

"I suppose there's no point of these silencers." said Phantom

I take off my suppressor off my gun and move towards my team. In the distance I saw titans smashing at the ground where the entrance of the sewer is. I started shooting my gun at a titan's nape, killing it after taking 4 rounds. That got the attention of the other titans, turning towards me and heading towards me.

"Now what?" asked Phantom

"Set up some mines." I replied

She started setting up some mines while I focused on taking out some of the titans' eyes.

'6 titans and multiple other titans heading towards our direction.'

"They're set." she called out

"Recon once you hear the explosions, that's your cue. Get out of there with the survivors." I said through my headset

"What about you?" she asked

"We'll find a way." I replied

She doesn't so I run back to Phantom who had all the mines set in place. The titans were running straight for us but their legs exploded and they fell onto the ground behind us as we ran away. More titans began to fall as the mines went off exploding their legs.

"We're crossing the river." said Recon

"Echo come in." I called through the radio

"Sir I'm here." he replied

"Drop a load on my position." I said

"Sir?" he asked

"Do as I say." I simply replied, "The flare is my position."

I popped a flare as we continued running.

"This is your plan?" asked Phantom

"We have the river as cover." I replied

I heard jets approaching us from the sky so I threw the flare stick towards the titans behind us.

"Flare on sight, bombs away." said Echo

We jumped into the water as bombs exploded right behind us on top of the titans. Balls of flame erupted into the sky as we splashed into the water. I swam back up to the surface but then something grabs me out of the water.

"Ghost!" yelled Phantom

A titan pulls me out of the water and examines me. Both of my arms were free so I pulled a grenade out, pulled the pin and threw it into the titan's mouth.

"Ajax!"

I look back to see Phantom swim back to the surface and aim her gun at the titan.

'I guess this is it.'