Unwanted Power: An Armin Arlert Love Story

22. A New Family Member

The castle was swarmed with titans, Hange's team had arrived just in time to save their friends. The same could not be said for the soldiers who actually had their gear when they were attacked.

Mikasa was quick to slide down a titan who was about to grab Krista. Soldiers started attacking too, even Eren slid down a titan, he was very proud as it was his first titan kill, but he ended up getting tangled and fell. Lexie couldn't help the laugh that left her lips. Armin turned at the sound, he knew what she was laughing out, and he loved looking at her smiling and laughing, it was contagious, he found himself smiling a little too.

The friends of the 104th reunited. It was discovered that another one of them was also a titan shifter, Ymir. Once all the titans were killed off, Lexie started tending to Ymir's wounds. Hange knelt next to her and Krista was in the other side of Ymir and in front of Lexie.

"Ymir, please." Krista pleaded.

"She looks bad, but... she's already healing. If she were normal, she would have died, but... well, she's not." Lexie explained. Ymir then started opening her eyes a little, Krista smiled at her.

"Ymir, I have to tell you, just like we promised." Krista said. "My real name is Historia, Historia Reiss." Lexie's head shot up at that. Ymir smiled and closed her eyes again, Krista smiled at her until she looked up and caught Lexie's eyes, she lost her smile and looked away, almost in shame.

"Let's start tending the wounded, everyone. We need a stretcher over here!" Hange ordered and everyone stood up to help as they could and get up in the wall.

Lexie went to help some wounded, the only one injured seemed to be Reiner, but Lexie knew for a fact that he would be fine, so she gave him a quick check up and focused on Ymir instead. She was, however, distracted as she watched Krista/Historia telling Hange everything that happened and defending Ymir. Armin then approached Lexie, he, like everyone, had heard Kista/Historia's confession.

"What are you going to do?" Armin asked her, Lexie frowned and looked down.

"I feel bad." Lexie admitted.

"Why?"

"I just... I think I had heard of my uncle's... affairs before, it was wrong of him, but... it's not her fault, she shouldn't have had to hide who she was." She said. "Why didn't she tell me? I would've... we could've... I don't even know." Armin put his hand over her shoulder and offered her a small smile, showing his support to her, she smiled back and stood up. Lexie then decided to approach her newly found cousin. "Kri- Historia." She called.

"Oh... hi." Historia said sheepishly, nervousness in her gut.

"I um... in our family, when a new baby is born, they are given a piece of jewelry with the family crest, I was given my bracelet." Lexie said and looked down at her wrist with it. "When I was younger, my mother was pregnant, but... the baby was born dead."

"I'm so sorry, that's horrible." Historia said with sincereity.

"That's ok. Still, a necklace was made for my baby brother." Lexie said and touched the necklace she was wearing. "He never got to wear it, so I wore it instead. But I guess there's no point on me having two family crests." Lexie then took off her necklace and put in over Historia's head.

"What are you doing?" Historia asked with wide eyes.

"I am assuming you were never given your own crest so, here it is. It's yours now." Lexie said. "My family is difficult, but it is your family too." Historia's eyes started filling with tears and she looked at the necklace. "Welcome to the Reiss family, cousin."

Historia then started crying and threw herself at Lexie in a hug. Lexie smiled and hugged her too.

"Well, there's that." Connie said. "Who would have thought?"

"I knew they looked alike." Sasha said "They have the same nose!"

"Okay team, let's start moving!" Hange said, and that's what they did. However, Lexie was able to see Reiner and Berthold talking to Eren, Mikasa looked tense, which meant they were about to blow the cover, and then it happened, the explosion.

Lexie was quick to anchor herself to the wall and grab on Historia to keep her safe. The Colossal titan was right in front of them, and so was the Armoured titan jumping off the wall, before Lexie could register everything, Eren had transformed too.

"Help the fallen soldiers." Lexie told Historia.

"Everyone, swarm and kill the Colossal titan!" Hange said. Everyone attacked. The Colossal Titan was indeed slower, but, just as they started to get to his nape, he started letting off steam. "He's disappearing!"

"No, this is different." Lexie said landing between Hange and Armin.

"Lexie's right. He is not disappearing; he's protecting himself with the steam." Armin said. He shot a hook to the titan and, as he had thought, it was thrown away by the steam. "We can't use out gear. What do we do?"

"We wait." Hange decided. "He will have to stop eventually. Squad 3 and 4 to the back, Squad 2, stay on the front, Squad 1 with me, we're going to help Eren, look alive. Lexie, you too."

Everyone nodded and went to their positions. Mikasa was the first one to rush ahead and try to attack the armored titan, but it was useless, her blades broke easily

"Mikasa!" Lexie yelled as she landed on a tree with her. "His armor does not cover all of his body." She said, truth to be told, Mikasa noticed the spaces.

"Lexie! Mikasa!" Armin called as he landed below them. They then turned to Eren. "Eren! There's no way to win to him on a fist fight, you have to make a run for the wall, you have to escape!"

"Armin, wait, there's no way Reiner will let him go." Lexie said. They were then interrupted by Eren throwing Reiner off and doing as Armin said. Mikasa, Lexie and Armin went back to hang from the wall too, but Reiner took a fighting position, ready to launch himself at Eren.

"Dammit, you were right." Armin told Lexie. Hange went to Eren's shoulder and told him some advice and a plan to get Reiner.

The fight was very evenly matched, Eren was smart and had a good technique, but it was clear Reiner was stronger and pinned him to the floor, Eren wouldn't let go and tried a choke hold, but Reiner started dragging the both of them.

"Mikasa, remember what I said about the armor?" Lexie said.

"Yes, tell me where to cut."

"The back of the knees, as deep as you can."

"You got it!" Mikasa threw herself ahead and cut Reiner, it was good, Eren finally had an advantage, but then, Reiner's titan screamed.

"He's calling for help!" Armin said. Everyone stood ready, but there were no other titans in sight.

"Above you! Look out!" Came Connie's warning, but it came too late.

Berthold's titan fell, and with it, it brought a lot of hot steam. Lexie was quick to cover Armin with her body, not caring if it burned her. She fell unconscious, Armin held her in his arms and he watched Eren be taken away by the Armored Titan's jaw.