Unwanted Power: An Armin Arlert Love Story

37. Attack in Liberio

Eren had set up all the plans. Attacking Liberio, getting Zeke, and also getting the War-Hammer Titan. He had sent letters to their base and planned everything to the point. His friends didn't exactly agree, it was too much of a direct declaration of war and they hadn't even been able to get a strong military force yet, but Eren wasn't going to stop, and if they didn't help him, he would be killed and the Founding Titan stolen.

They knew exactly when to attack. Just when Eren was about to lose against the War Hammer Titan, Mikasa defended him and the rest of the corps attacked the Maleyan officials.

Lexie added something extra to Eren's plans. She built her own squad to avoid civilian casualties. Her and another three scouts were in chance of aiding civilians and getting them out of harms ways as much as they could. Lexie wasn't even in Eren's plan, but she didn't care, she had to join her friends.

"Everyone, grab any child and families you can find, get them as east as possible as fast as you can."

"Yes, ma'am!" Her squad told her. They all began picking up children, unfortunately, there weren't that many survivors close to the plaza where the fight had started, but they still did their best. Lexie saw an old man trying to run, but he was limping and used a walking stick. Other people were running around him and kicked his stick away, he fell to the floor. Lexie quickly glided down to him, grabbed his stick and glided with him away from the crowd. "Here, try to find shelter, an explosion is about to happen." She said and gave him his stick. As soon as he got the stick, he hit her with it. The hit didn't cause any injuries, but it definitely hurt her feelings.

"You devils! You horrible people! You destroyed our home!" He yelled.

"I'm sorry sir, we're trying to save as many civilians as we can." She tried to explain.

"Hey, stop hitting her." Another recruit from her squad came and pushed the man away a little. "Are you ok, your highness?" He asked.

"I'm fine." Lexie replied, although some tears had formed in her eyes.

"Highness?" The old man asked. Lexie ignored him and checked on her pocket watch.

"C'mon, we can still save some people before Armin transforms." Lexie told the recruit and he nodded. Leaving the old man confused.

Lexie's squad continued for some time. Lexie was able to save a baby and a woman with their child before it was time to retreat. She ordered the retreat to her squad left the area where the colossal titan's explosion would reach.

While Lexie was trying to save "enemies", Eren kept trying to eat the War Hammer Titan, unfortunately, they couldn't avoid the other intelligent titans to arrive to the fight too. The corps had to fight the Jaws Titan and the Cart Titan too. The Beast Titan was there as well, but mostly putting up a show since he knew he would get himself captured. As for the Armored Titan, Reiner was trapped under a building and not in a good shape to fight.

Armin transformed in the sea, destroying the port and most of the houses nearby. He took some steps into the land and then got out from his titan form. He looked down at all the people he had killed with regret. He then caught the eye of his lover. Lexie had glided towards him after the explosion ended. She looked up at him with tired eyes full of pity, mostly because she knew how he would feel. She then used her ODM gear to glide up towards him, landing on the Colossal's back.

"I wonder if this is the view Bertholdt had." Armin said. She looked sadly at him.

"We were able to evacuate about half the area." Lexie said, trying to make him feel better. "At least... those who didn't fight us as we tried to help." Now it was Armin's turn to look at her in pity, he knew she tried to help, and he knew how much it hurt her when people insulted her and her people.

He grabbed into her waist with one arm and she grabbed into his shoulders. With his free hand, Armin shut his wire up and got them to their airship. She could have gotten there herself, but both needed each other's support and, to be honest, Armin would take any chance he could get to hold Lexie close to him. They joined Hange and Okyankopon, they had to fly the airship through the lights the squad had put on the roofs for them so they could reach the plaza at a low altitude and the troops could use their ODM gear to get into the airship. That had all been Armin's plan.

"You came up with one hell os a dangerous plan. What? Did Erwin's spirit possess you or something?" Hange asked Armin.

"To be honest, I wish he had. In times like these I could use his strength. We're dancing on a knife's edge yet again. This has to work, because if we lose Eren and the others, we'll have no future in this world." Armin said.

Soon, all their scouts were up, Lexie's squad was the first one and she made sure all of them were ok, she hadn't lost anyone and sighed in relief. The same couldn't be told by the others, they had 6 fallen soldiers in total.

Armin helped Eren up as soon as Mikasa brought him. Then Lexie helped Mikasa up too.

"You look disgusting." Levi told Eren as soon as he saw him.

"Captain Levi." Eren greeted. He was then met with a kick on his face. Mikasa was about to defend Eren, Lexie was about to stop her, but to both girls' surprise, Armin stopped Mikasa instead. His look to Mikasa enough to let her know Eren had to be confronted.

"This brings me back. You have a kickable face. I'd like to have a longer chat after you are tied up."

"That is fine by me. But I explained everything in the letters I wrote." Eren said. He then turned to Lexie. "What are you doing here?" Eren said directly to Lexie.

"Keeping your actions in check, apparently." Lexie said. "I made a civilian protection squad. Did you actually think I wouldn't come just because you said I wasn't needed in your letters?"

"I guess I should have known." Eren said.

"Cheer up. Everything went just as you wanted." Levi said and then took him to a room where their special guest was. Mikasa, Armin and Lexie also went to the room, where Zeke, Eren's half-brother, was.

Suddenly, the door opened, it was Jean with two children tied up, a brunette girl and a blonde boy.

"Gabi. Falco. How did you get here?" Zeke asked.

"What about you? We thought that you were dead." the boy, Falco, asked.

"They took you alive? But how is that possible?" The girl, Gabi, asked.

"Who the hell are these kids?" Levi asked.

"They somehow killed Lobov and used his ODM gear to get here. This one shot Sasha before we could catch her." Jean replied and gestured to the girl. "I don't think she's gonna make it."

Armin, Lexie and Mikasa instantly ran out of the room. Lexie pressed on Sasha's wound to try and stop the bleeding while Mikasa tried to resurrect her and Armin yelled her, trying to get her to talk back.

"S-she's drifting off." Armin said.

"Shit." Lexie exclaimed. "Someone front me a knife and a match. NOW!"

People moved around her as she tried to peek into Sasha's wound. She couldn't see well, but there had been no exit wound, so she had to. She introduced her index and middle finger into the wound and Sasha yelled.

"You're hurting her." Connie said.

"Hold her down! I have to get the bullet out!" Lexie said. Mikasa instantly did as told. Lexie took more seconds than she wanted, but she was able to take the bullet out in between her finger, she took a good look and made sure the bullet was complete, which meant no more shrapnel was inside her. "Knife and match." Lexie quickly ordered and was given the instruments to them by another scout. She heated the knife's end as much as she could and then proceeded to cauterize the wound. Sasha groaned, but Lexie continued. Once she was done, she looked back at Sasha, who had tears in her eyes, but was lucid.

"Meat." Sasha muttered and closed her eyes.