The Titan of The Paths (AOT x male reader)

Part 8: 57th Expedition Beyond the Walls

Abel: "Team Ten is approaching!" Abel signalled the members of Squad Four in the centre. Lauda pulled off to the side with those on horseback. Quickly dismounting from his carriage, Lauda pulled back the covering over the equipment as Y/n with the others took them out. Hange came down from one of the trees above to check on the equipment.

Hange: "Good to see you all in one piece. How's the equipment?" Y/n looked at the equipment in the carriage and realised they were carrying the harpoons.

Y/n: "They look to be in good condition. A few minor scratches but nothing serious." Moblit and his small team helped pull out the harpoons and place them in the Titan capture equipment. "Are you sure this will work?"

Hange: "It's too late to change now. Don't forget, with only six barrels in a standard set, just a few stacks can halt a fifteen-meter Titan, and five or six stacks are sufficient for complete immobilisation. We have twenty-four barrels here so there's no need to worry."

Nifa: "Hange!" Nifa shouted as she landed on the ground. "A Female Titan has been spotted entering the tree line! She's in pursuit of Eren!"

Hange: "Make sure those barrels are loaded and ready on Commander Erwin's order!" Moblit and his team finished loading the barrels and managed the mechanisms. The rest of Squad Four hanged off the sides of the trees and waited patiently.

Y/n: "What a fool you are Annie." Y/n thought to himself. "What possessed you to do something so stupid? It was a trap. You're smart enough to realise that as well. So why?" Crunches and bangs of the ground became ever more difficult to ignore closer the Female Titan came. Eventually, the inevitable occurred as the Female Titan fell into the trap.

Erwin: "Fire!" A whole plethora of cannon fire erupted as the Female Titan entered the targeting range. Its skinless form was even more ugly than Y/n anticipated. Still, though, Annie's eyes and hair could be easily identified, even with its hideous appearance. Y/n was so focused on the Titan that it took him a moment to realise that Eren had even run through. Furthermore, Levi was now standing next to the Commander overlooking the nape of Annie's Titan. "Second and third waves, fire!" Any remaining cannons that hadn't been fired at the first command now fired their rounds. It was a rather impressive operation that Commander Erwin had pulled off, at least that's what Y/n thought to himself.

Hange: "Poor thing. Can't so much as bat an eyelash, can we? Must be terribly frustrating. Get used to it, my dear. Heh, biology can often be a curse. Case in point, the more your wounds heal, the stiffer your joints become. So, what's taking so long on the extraction of our esteemed guest? Strike when the iron is hot I say!" Miche and Levi came swinging down on the wrist of the Female Titan, in hopes of cutting her hands off. Yet, they failed as Annie hardened the skin on her wrist. Erwin signalled to Keiji to come down to receive orders. Against his better judgement, Y/n walked over to the leg of the Female Titan and looked at it right in its eye.

Nifa: "Get back Y/n! It might be dangerous!" Ignoring Nifa, Y/n placed his hand on the leg of the Female Titan. Steam began to evaporate around his hand due to the high temperature of the Female Titan. Like he had been able to do in Trost, Y/n had managed to create a connection between himself and Annie. This allowed Y/n to telepathically communicate with Annie.

Y/n: "Annie." The Female Titan's neck creaked down at Y/n on the floor. Although the Titan's emotions did not change, its eyes ever so slightly began to shake. "I know you have a way to get out of this. I'm also certain that you are going to go after Eren again. You're more than likely gonna fail. Just make sure you make it back in one piece." Y/n pulled his hand off, walking back in the direction of Nifa. His hand was burnt but Y/n decided to not heal it back. The Female Titan watched Y/n walk away with Levi landing on its head.