Unwanted Power: An Armin Arlert Love Story

19. Trapping Annie

Lexie had to wear civilian elegant clothes according to her title and she rode the same carriage as Erwin and Levi. Jean, disguised as Eren with a black wig, rode by himself in another carriage. They were already close to the HQ and they all hoped they had trapped Annie. This time, Lexie was wearing pants under her fancy dress, in case it came down to a fight, she also wore her elegant white gloves and her hair was half up with a big pink ribbon on it. Lexie was anxious, looking out the window and playing with the lace of her dress.

"Stop fidgeting." Levi told her. "You're making me nervous, and you'll blow our cover."

"Sorry." Lexie said dropping the lace and putting her hands on her lap. Levi took her hand comfortingly instead, giving her emotional support too.

And then it was heard, the explosion. Plan A had failed. Annie had figured them out. The carriage stopped and the three of them came out of it.

"Nile." Erwin called the commander of the Military Police. "Deploy all of your troops. We should assume a Titan has appeared."

"What? This is Wall Sina! There's no way a Titan could be here!" Commander Nile said. Just them Jean came out of his carriage and took off his wig when the soldier guarding him tried to get him back inside.

"Commander, I'm going too!" Jean said.

"Get your equipment from Squad 4." Erwin said. "Lady Lexie, you too."

"Sir." Lexie saluted and ran off with Jean to get their equipment.

"Are you going to fight wearing a dress?" Jean asked.

"Wouldn't be the first time. Or do you want to help me tear it off?" She joked.

"Nah, I'll leave that to Armin." Jean said with a smirk, Lexie blushed and Jean laughed.

Their amusement was cut short when they got their gear and glided towards the sound of the explosion. Mikasa and others were already attacking Annie's titan. But Eren was under the debris. Armin was trying to wake him up, it was him that explained Eren couldn't transform.

"He couldn't transform? Ngh... Eren, what the hell is wrong with you?! Didn't I once tell you that I'm counting on you?! We have to entrust the world, humanity, and our lives to you, and this is how you repay us?! Marco... You know, Marco... Damn it!" Jean vented.

"C'mon, we have to get him out." Lexie said trying to help Armin with the debris.

"It's no use... We have to do something about her first!" Jean said referring to Annie's titan. He ran ahead to join that attack team. Lexie looked back at Eren.

"Armin, you have to get through him. Just like you did in Trost. He listens to you." Lexie said and started to run after Jean.

"Lexie..." Armin tried to stop her.

"I trust you, Armin." With that, she jumped out, leaving the two best friends.

"Eren, I said this once to Jean. Someone who can't sacrifice anything can never change anything. To defeat monsters, you have to be willing to throw aside your humanity. Annie is certainly capable of doing that... although I don't know what her reasons are. But whoever can do it will win!" Armin tried. "You care about Lexie too, she is about to fight and Annie doesn't seem to want to keep her safe, she already tried to kill her on the expedition. Think about that too."

With that said. Armin ran with his team. Jean and Lexie were already attacking Annie. Armin joined them and was able to get some cuts in.

"This way!" Lexie yelled and they guided Annie exactly to the trap Hange was in charge of. They had created a net with heavy metals and spikes. They were able to pin Annie down for some seconds, but she was able to break free. "Dammit! The metal net should have been bigger and heavier!" Lexie cursed herself since she had designed it.

"Don't let her escape! Follow her!" Hange ordered. Jean, Armin, Mikasa and Lexie were the first ones to go. Mikasa at the front. Although that was not the best idea, since Annie hit her, sending Mikasa to the ground.

"Mikasa!" Lexie yelled. At her distraction, Annie also threw her away and she hit a building with her back.

"Lexie!" Armin called. He glided over and caught her before she could fall to the floor. He got them put on a roof and Lexie bent down coughing since the air had been knocked out of her, Armin crouched next to her.

"I'm fine." She said in a hoarse voice. Jean and Hange landed on the same roof too. Just then Eren's titan roared. He had finally transformed and went directly after Annie, successfully hitting her.

"This time, it seems he's retaining control." Hange said.

"Yes. But Eren's never managed to beat the Female Titan." Armin said.

"Now that he's a Titan, he must be prepared to fight" Jean said "He won't go down so easily-"

"Willpower alone isn't enough in battle. You know that, Jean. Defeating Annie will require far more than that!"

Lexie caught her breath and stood up, Armin with her. They watched the fight, it was evenly matched, Annie was trying very hard not to be caught, but Eren was determined to not let her go.

"They're moving, let's go." Lexie said and turned to Hange for confirmation, Hange nodded and they followed Eren and Annie from roof to roof to the open area they were fighting in. Soon, Mikasa joined them too.

"Eren!" She yelled and wanted to jump ahead and help Eren.

"Mikasa, wait. We don't know if he'll recognize you." Hange said. Mikasa turned to Lexie.

"Then you go." She told her.

"Eren will only get distracted to keep me safe, we need him focused on getting Annie." Lexie replied. Mikasa could only stare at the battle.

Annie's titan then ran and jumped to the wall.

"Does she intend to climb over it?!" Hange wondered. Eren tried to get her, but she kicked him and continued climbing.

"No! She's going to get away!" Armin said.

"No, she won't." Lexie said, Mikasa and her looked at each other and nodded, both jumping ahead.

"No, you won't!" Mikasa yelled as she cut Annie's fingers of one hand and Lexie cut the ones from the other hand. Annie fell and Eren was able to pin her to the ground and bite at her.

"He's going to eat her!" Hange said.

"Eren! Don't eat her!" Lexie yelled.

Eren continued biting through Annie's titan until he finally saw her human form, but he hesitated, and that moment was enough for Annie to cover herself in some kind of crystal, hardening it all around her and almost catching Eren on it too. Fortunately, Levi arrived and ripped Eren out of his titan body.