Chapter 23: The Maneuver of Love and the Horse-Faced Hero part-2
Jean dropped the peeler, nearly slicing his thumb. "Gah! Who is that? Conny? Sasha? If you are hiding under the table, I will kick you!"
(I am not Sasha. If I were Sasha, I would have eaten that potato already. I am your inner voice of reason. The voice that tells you that you are better than Eren.)
Jean paused, looking suspicious. "My inner voice usually just tells me to run away and live a comfortable life in the Military Police."
(Well, I am the upgrade. Look at Marcus over there. The new transfer from the Garrison. What do you think of him?)
Jean narrowed his eyes. "Marcus? He is... capable. A bit arrogant. He keeps trying to touch Mikasa's scarf. I don't like him."
(Good instincts. He is planning to stage an accident today. He wants to outshine you, outshine Eren, and make Mikasa dependent on him. Are you going to let a guy who uses more hair gel than Levi allow that to happen?)
Jean stood up, wiping his hands on his apron. "No. Mikasa doesn't need protecting by some show-off. She is the strongest soldier here."
(Exactly. But even the strongest have blind spots. Her blind spot is Eren. If Eren is in danger, she loses her head. Your job today isn't to be the strongest. It is to be the Leader. The Cool Head. The man who commands the chaos.)
"Leader?" Jean scoffed. "I am just a guy who wanted an easy life."
(And yet, you are here, wearing the Wings of Freedom. Embrace it, Jean-boy. System Shop, open. Buying Passive Skill: "Battlefield Commander's Presence". Cost: 300 Points. Effect: Your voice cuts through the noise of battle, and allies are 50 percent more likely to follow your orders.)
Jean felt a sudden clarity in his mind. The background noise of the mess hall seemed to fade, allowing him to focus. He looked at his hands. They stopped trembling.
(Now, gear up. The expedition leaves in one hour. And shave that patchy stubble. If you want to be a leader, look like one.)
.............
Location: The Plains Outside Wall Rose.
The thunder of hooves pounded against the earth. The Survey Corps was in formation, a sea of green cloaks billowing in the wind.
Jean rode in the center of the formation. Mikasa and Eren were to his left. Marcus was riding slightly behind them, his eyes darting around, waiting for his trap to spring.
(Keep your eyes open, Jean,) Ethan warned. (My sensors are picking up a seismic anomaly at two o'clock. A large Deviant is approaching from the tree line. It is ignoring the scouts. It is beelining for Eren.)
"I see nothing," Jean whispered, gripping the reins.
"Formation spreads!" Commander Erwin's voice echoed from the front. "Titans detected!"
Suddenly, a flare went up. Black smoke. An Aberrant.
From the forest to the right, a monstrosity burst forth. It was a fifteen-meter Titan with an oversized head and spindly limbs. It ran on all fours like a spider, moving with terrifying speed.
It leaped over the vanguard, ignoring the soldiers trying to engage it.
"It is targeting the center!" Armin screamed from the rear. "It is going for Eren!"
Marcus smirked. (Here it comes,) he thought. (Just as I planned. I used the 'Pheromone Bait' on Eren's saddle earlier. That Titan won't stop until it grabs him. I will wait until it has him in its hand, then—slice! Hero moment.)
Mikasa's eyes widened. "Eren!"
She drew her blades, ready to abandon her position and dive straight into the Titan's path.
(No!) Ethan shouted in Jean's mind. (If she goes now, she will be hit by the Titan's flailing arm. It is too chaotic. Jean, take command! Stop her!)
Jean didn't think. He acted.
"Mikasa, hold your position!" Jean roared. His voice, amplified by the System perk, sounded like a thunderclap. It was authoritative, commanding, and impossible to ignore.
Mikasa froze for a split second, surprised by the sheer weight of Jean's order. "Jean?"
"If you dive in, you block the support team!" Jean yelled, steering his horse to intercept. "Squad 4, target the legs! Sasha, Conny, go for the tendons! Mikasa, you take the nape, but only after it falls! I will draw its attention!"
Jean unholstered his blades. He stood up on his horse—a dangerous move—and fired his grapple hooks into a nearby tree.
WHOOSH.
Jean launched himself into the air. He wasn't flying toward the nape. He was flying directly in front of the Titan's face.
"Hey, ugly!" Jean screamed. "Over here!"
He spun in the air, using the gas burst to dodge a massive hand that swiped at him.
The Titan, confused by the sudden annoying fly buzzing in its face, hesitated. It slowed down.
(Perfect distraction!) Ethan cheered. (Now, Marcus is panicking. He is losing his window!)
Marcus, seeing Jean steal the spotlight, gritted his teeth. "Damn horse-face! That was my kill!"
Marcus fired his hooks. He ignored the order to attack the legs. He went straight for the nape, trying to kill-steal before the Titan was immobilized.
(He is reckless,) Ethan noted. (He is going in too steep. Jean, watch out! Marcus is going to collide with your line!)
"Marcus, break off!" Jean shouted, seeing the other soldier zooming in dangerously fast from above. "You don't have the angle!"
"Shut up!" Marcus yelled. "I am the hero here!"
Marcus swung his blades, aiming for the nape. But because the Titan hadn't fallen yet (since he ignored the leg-cutting plan), the Titan suddenly reared its head back.
SMACK.
The Titan's massive head collided with Marcus mid-air. It wasn't a bite—just a headbutt.
"GURK!"
Marcus slammed into the Titan's forehead like a bug hitting a windshield. He bounced off, his 3D gear spinning wildly out of control, and plummeted toward the ground.
"My leg!" Marcus screamed as he hit the turf, rolling painfully.
The Titan, annoyed, raised a foot to stomp on the little insect on the ground.
"Marcus!" Armin yelled.
.....
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