Attack on Titan - S1E7 - The Tiniest of Blades/Attack on Trost Part 3
Previously, on Attack on Titan: “Attack on Trost Part 2”
At the Garrison HQ, the CO orders a small squad of troops to stay behind and hold the fort while he heads to the rear to rally together the remaining troops and gather reinforcements. The squad doesn’t want him to go for some obvious reasons. You know, they could use his help and the help of the soldiers he’s taking with them. When one of the soldiers subtly implies that he might be a coward, he threatens her with execution on the grounds of treason. What a prick.
Meanwhile, in the empty streets-that’s right they are empty. Thanks to the valiant efforts of the Garrison regiment, not a single civilian life has been lost to the Titans. But as we’ve seen already, the soldiers have also made the ultimate sacrifice. Mikasa gets herself to a high vantage point. The retreat signal has been given but she sees everyone just milling about on the rooftops. John is amongst the soldiers, sitting and sulking. You know nothing out of the norm.
He gets into an argument with Connie about all hope being lost. Everyone has either little gas or none at all to make it to HQ. On top of that, titans have completely overrun it because the Quartermasters Corps have abandoned their post. He goes on to paint a very *inspiring* picture of the inside of the building being packed with the 3 or 4 meter sized titans. Connie argues that then they just have to take the bastards out. They need that gas because their advantage is mobility.
Mikasa swings down from her perch and confirms what we already know. Shit’s looking pretty dire but she’s confident that they can make it. When she asks where Eren’s squad is, they point her over to Armin. He breaks into tears again when he breaks the bad news to her. Before he can go on about how it’s his fault Eren’s dead, Mikasa stops him and in an eerie calm tells him now is not the time to reminisce.
She then turns around and tells everyone within earshot to saddle up. They are going to reclaim HQ. This has everyone bitching and moaning. They might not be first-rate soldiers but they’re high up on stating the obvious. “There are too many titans” and “You can’t take them all on” and my personal favorite; “you’ll die.” Everyone’s concerned about Mikasa dying because she’s the best around. Mikasa turns to everyone and raises a sword.
She then proceeds to call everyone a sad group of bitches. They can sit on their asses and wait to be eaten. She knows for a damned fact that she is stronger than everyone there. She’ll scatter the titans; kill them all if she can so that everyone else can top off their rigs and retreat. When someone tries to tell her she can’t do it she calmly barks back that if she wins, she’ll live. If not, she’ll die. But she won’t know for sure if she doesn’t fight. That’s when she takes off. John lowers his head and mutters that her speech was a crappy pep talk. But it motivates everyone to move forward and fight. Between you and me, Mikasa graduated at the top of her class, how she motivates people is up to her.
What we see next is simply put one of the greatest displays of Human versus Titan action. She cuts through the air like a dragonfly, slaying titans without losing a beat. To everyone else; they see someone tearing shit up. To Armin he sees what others don’t; Mikasa burning through her gas at high rate. This discovery comes to light when she drops out of the air like a stone, crash into a roof and tumbles off. Luckily for her she lands on pad in an alleyway that spares her from serious injury. When she comes to, off in the distance is a titan toddling along to have her for a snack. Armin and Connie break off to check on her while John is forced to take the lead.
While they’re checking on her, John and the rest of them have stalled. There are titans that are trying to get at them and John stries to think of the next move they can make. What breaks his musings is the cries for help from a stranded soldier. He’s on the street, out of gas and shit out of luck as we see him being turned into a snack. Two more go out to try and save him but they’re quickly plucked out of the air and devoured. John didn’t even have a chance to stop them. Which makes him question if he’s suited to lead. Which if you ask me, isn’t the best time to ask that when you’re surrounded by giant monsters who are trying to eat you.
Meanwhile. Mikasa has given up. She’s lost Eren, the last of her family. She’s out of gas and out of fucks to give. So she waits for the titan who is now in arm’s reach to grab her. And at the last minute she slashes off a few fingers before rolling out of the way. She can hear Eren’s words echoing in her head. Fight. Fight. FIGHT. She apologizes to his memory and takes up a stance. She’s going to fight to the bitter end. There is no more giving up from here on out. Behind her is a second titan. It’s unique to say the least. Then it does something that shocks her. It takes out the other titan and ignores her. Once it’s finished with that one, it moves on to another. Mikasa can’t believe her eyes and when Armin and Connie arrive, neither can they. Where was this titan when they needed it?
