in the middle of the chaos | jean kirstein x fem!reader

22 | in the middle of the baiting

No one moved, but everyone was ready to act if necessary.

Explosions started coming out of the forest, startling everyone, though no one was allowed to move their post without orders. Y/n had sat down on the branch by now, leaning her head on the bark behind her, listening to the explosions behind her.

''Y/n, Mikasa, what do you think is making those sounds?'' Sasha asked. ''Could they be cannons inside the forest?''

That, or the Female Titan. ''I hope so,'' Y/n said. But highly unlikely. They must've lured her here to capture her . . . the human her. Which means . . . Y/n's eyes widened. ''One of us is . . .''

''Hm? What was that, Y/n?'' Sasha asked.

Y/n quickly looked at her and shook her head. ''Nothing. I'm just thinking out loud.'

Looking down, Y/n watched as one titan attempted to climb up. Someone I trained with for three years is inside the Female Titan. Someone I trained with for the past tree years has been lying and hiding extraordinary powers, and are now using them against us. How is this mess getting worse and worse? Are there more of them? How many are out there?

A loud scream erupted from the forest, causing Y/n to sit up properly, eyes wide, and look deeper through the trees. Sasha looked terrified and Mikasa looked back, too. The ground shook and Y/n quickly looked down, seeing all the titans storm the forest, despite the huge amount of bait there was for them.

An order was quickly issued to engage and Y/n and Mikasa quickly readied their blades. ''Guys, wait! I recognized that shriek earlier. From the forest I lived in . . . It's the voice of a cornered animal that's abandoned everything. I was taught that the end of the hunt was the most dangerous.''

''So I should be careful?'' Mikasa asked, looking back at Sasha.

''Be twice as careful as usual!'' Sasha warned her. ''You'll die if you underestimate the forest!''

''I was also raised on the mountains, though,'' Mikasa points out.

''A girl that grew vegetables wouldn't understand!''

''I see.''

Y/n wanted to laugh at their exchange, but she was technically a city girl — if anything, she was supposed to have the least experience here. ''Do we go to attack them now?'' Most of them had made it far already. It would be hard to catch up.

''They're too fast. Are they all Abnormal?'' Mikasa pondered out loud.

Y/n nodded. ''Possibly. You think the Squads stationed further can manage?'' She didn't receive an answer, which was an answer enough.

Blue smoke signals were shot in the air, earning gasps of relief from each soldier. Y/n furrowed her eyebrows. ''That was it? They took them all down?''

''We have to withdraw now, right?'' Sasha asked.

What the hell is going on?

———

''Are we withdrawing because the plan was a success?'' Y/n rode behind Jean again, holding tightly on his waist as he talked to Armin.

''If it was, we may have already identified the one who was controlling the Female Titan,'' Armin said.

Y/n perked up at that. So she was right. ''It's someone from the 104th, isn't it?''

Armin hesitated before nodding. ''Yes.''

''I'd like to see them,'' Jean said. ''But what made the Commander so sure they would chase after Eren once he left the walls?''

''I think it had to do with why the titans suddenly stopped attacking during the last accident.''