"The identity of the Female Titan...is Annie Leonhart."
The room went quiet at the Commander's words, so quiet that their shaky breaths and racing heartbeats echoed throughout the area. They didn't know what to make of the revelation. It seemed so far fetched, so unbelievable that majority of them had their jaws dropped in shock as they heard the news.
Annie Leonhart was the Female Titan.
Taryn didn't know how to feel about the sudden declaration. She wasn't that close to Annie as the girl had always been keen on isolating herself from the rest of them. But her personality aside, Annie just didn't seem like the one who would be capable of murdering dozens.
She remembered the times they would sit together in lectures, how they would sometimes talk about nonsense once they were certain the instructor wasn't watching them. She remembered the nights they stayed up late in their dorm, how she would crack a smile at one of their silly jokes and sometimes even participate in teasing Sasha about her addiction to food.
Which was why she stood in the corner with her eyes wide, the voices of everyone blending together in an unpleasant manner.
She had been certain that she would despise whoever it was that caused so much death, that she would make them suffer just as much as they did. But now, she wasn't so sure. The fact that it was someone she knew, someone she spent three years of her life sleeping in the same room with made her reluctant. She knew, that a small part of her was still clinging onto the notion that the others were just mistaken, hoping that everything was all just a big misunderstanding.
But with Armin's explanation, it all made sense. The Titan looked like her, used the same techniques as her, and the fact that she presented Marco's gear for inspection was evidence enough. The Female Titan was no doubt Annie.
The deaths of Squad Leader Ness and Sys flashed through her mind, the memory of her swatting them away as if they were nothing but pests in her way caused mixed emotions to rise inside her.
She shut her eyes, coming to a decision. She would avenge their deaths, and whether it was really Annie or not, she would do everything in her power to assist in the Female Titan's capture.
Rubbing her eyes, Taryn stifled a yawn as she tried her best to keep herself awake and alert for the day they attempt to catch the Female Titan. They had all been required to rise from their slumbers at the crack of dawn, and even in the absence of the sun, she could already see some soldiers getting ready in the background, while the select few who were chosen to stay put by Commander Erwin listened as he ran over his plan with them for one last time.
"Kirstein will be the one in the carriage, while Eren acts as a decoy to lead the Female Titan underground. If we can get her deep enough, we'll be able to restrain her even if she chooses to transform," He said, his deep voice carrying an unyielding authority that traveled from across the room. "If she transforms before then, we have no choice but to ask for your help, Eren."
The boy immediately looked up at the mention of his name, and Taryn noticed that his green eyes were filled with what seemed like doubt for the upcoming mission. "Yes sir." He said shortly, although she thought he sounded a bit reluctant.
The Commander nodded, before landing his gaze on her and her squad behind her. "Franke, Taryn, Gerver, Mira. You'll be in charge of guarding the carriages," He began to say. "The Military Police will most likely send troops to keep watch as we enter the city, and you four will be disguised as one of them. That way, you'll be able to assist us with ease, if ever something goes wrong and they try to seize us."
"Yes sir!" They chorused. Truth be told, she was a bit nervous for her part in the mission. It seemed like an easy job at first, to just watch over the carriages as they pass by and hope that everything goes as planned. But the previous expedition taught her that no one ever knows how things will turn out, and that she should always prepare herself for the worst.
She let out a deep sigh. She desperately hoped that nothing would go wrong this time.
"Any questions?" The Commander's voice snapped her out of her monologue, bringing her focus back to the task at hand. Once he saw that none of them had any objections, he closed his eyes and appeared almost pleased. "Good. The plan to capture the Female Titan will now commence."
With that, all the soldiers gathered in the room immediately broke off, running off to their assignments and rejoining with their squads. Taryn, who was still feeling a bit groggy from being waken up so early in the morning, felt lost on where she was supposed to go. It didn't take long for her to bump into a soldier, one who looked particularly pissed at the girl for crashing into her so suddenly.
"Watch it, Cadet," The soldier hissed, before taking a good look at her and furrowing her brows. "You're with the fourth squad, aren't you? You should be in the changing rooms, putting on your disguise," She outstretched a hand, gesturing to the big double doors nearby the plaza. "Hurry up. We don't have all day."
She responded with small nod, urging her feet to get moving and make her way towards the area. Opening the doors, she found herself in a hallway which led to a few other rooms. She tried entering each of them, only to discover that they were locked, so she figured that the people inside were just the rest of her squad getting ready as well. With a yawn, she walked over to the final room, stepping inside as a look of surprise washed over her features.
The room was filled with all sorts of clothing—coats, dresses, wigs and all that other stuff. She's heard before that all military headquarters were required to have an apparel of disguises should the need to go undercover arose, but the whole thing still came as a shock to her. A small smile on her lips, she shook her head lightly in disbelief, before catching sight of a Military Police Jacket hung in the corner which she assumed was most likely for her.
She draped the jacket over her shoulders, her fingers feeling the smooth, almost lightweight fabric, something that made her scoff out loud. It was no secret that the Military Police received the best of everything, but for their uniforms to be made out of better materials than other regiments was downright unfair. Now this is just favoritism, she thought bitterly.
Taryn studied herself in front of the mirror, admiring the way the fancy jacket looked on her. She remembered her previous dream of becoming an MP, how she planned on getting to the interior to try and help her father get proper treatment. She sighed, feeling a bit blue at the memory. All of it seemed like a lifetime ago, when in reality she knew that it had only been a month since she graduated from the Training Corps.
She gazed at her reflection, the girl staring back at her looking almost unrecognizable. So much has happened, in so little time.
"You know, I'm feeling a lot better about joining the Scouts now. At least we don't have to wear jackets with goddamn unicorns on them."
She jumped at the voice, whirling around instantly only to find that the person with her was Jean, his hands tucked in his pockets as he leaned against the doorframe. She relaxed at the sight of him, realizing just how distracted she was staring at herself if she didn't even notice him enter the room.
"Goodness, you scared me," She frowned, putting a hand over her chest in an attempt to calm her rapid heartbeat. "Why are you here?"
He rolled his eyes, before moving from his spot and walking over to where she was standing. "The Captain told me to come here," He glanced around the place, and she saw the same look of surprise shining in his eyes as he took in the overwhelming number of clothes inside. "And this was the only room that wasn't locked, so..."
"Right, you're supposed to be Eren," She wiggled her eyebrows at him, earning a snarl from Jean at the mention of the boy's name. "The wigs are over there."
"Heavens, why does it have to be me..." She heard him grumble to himself as he begrudgingly trudged over to the section of wigs, looking up at the wooden shelves with disdain. "We don't even look like each other!"
Taryn hummed in agreement, joining him at the place and helping him search for a wig that would match Eren's hair. "Eren almost looks like an angel when he's all calmed down, but you still look like you want to punch someone in the face even though you're not angry—"
"What did you say?" He immediately interrupted, narrowing his eyes and glaring at her. Eren? An angel? He almost wanted to gag at the idea. Those were the two words that he definitely thought shouldn't be in the same sentence.
A nervous smile slowly etched unto her face. "Well, I guess the both of you do look like criminals."
Scoffing, he turned away from her, resolving to look for the wig in another corner. He tried to ignore the annoyance he felt when he heard her compare him to Eren. He doesn't look like an angel—more like a devil, with stupid hair that spikes up in all directions and eyebrows that make him look like an grumpy bartender half of the damn time, he thought angrily. I, on the other hand, look amazing.
Meanwhile Taryn, unaware of the storm currently going on inside of the boy's head, continued on browsing the shelves, looking carefully in every nook and cranny for Eren's hairstyle. Her eyes lit up the moment she finally found something similar enough, her hands reaching out to grab the wig before placing it on top of Jean's head.
He glanced at her, unamused. Swatting her hands away, he moved to stand in front of the mirror to put it on properly, almost crying once he saw how terrible it looked on him. "I hate this..."
Taryn let out a low whistle, trying her hardest to prevent a laugh from slipping through. "Looking good, Yeager."
"Shut up." He snarled at her, to which she only responded with a grin.
The girl then made her way over to a couch nearby, collapsing onto the comfy surface and closing her eyes. She was still really tired, not having slept enough the night before, so she figured it wouldn't hurt to rest for a bit. Just five more minutes...
Jean first stared at her with puzzlement in his face before eventually plopping down on the space beside her. Admittedly, she looked rather at peace while dozing off, his gaze catching on to every rise and fall of her chest. She also did appear very worn out to him, the dark circles under her eyes becoming more prominent as the days passed by. He could only wonder what sort of horrors she had to fight with every night, wondering if she was putting up with the same things he did. Dead bodies. Blood. Screams of agony and desperation.
He leaned against the couch's armrest, propping up his feet above her lap and using her as some sort of pillow for his legs. "Are you tired?"
She took a while to answer, her small breaths being the only things he could hear before she finally spoke. "Yeah," She yawned, lifting up an arm to cover her face as she did so. "Couldn't sleep last night..."
"Well, you shouldn't be," He muttered, looking up at the ceiling. "We're about to go on another mission, after all."
"I know," She sighed. She really did try to at least get a few hours of sleep last night, but it seemed as if her nightmares only increased a tenfold ever since they returned from the last expedition. They were always the same things over and over, but with each passing day, they get even more graphic, more disturbing, more real. "Just let me nap for a while."
"No," He sat up immediately, inching closer to the girl with a wicked grin on his face. "In fact, I know exactly what to do to wake you up."
She furrowed her brows at him. "What do you—"
She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence when his hands suddenly traveled to her sides, tickling her in the spots he knew she was sensitive to. Taryn immediately erupted into giggles, squirming and thrashing against the couch as his devilish hands attacked her. "Jean—hey—stop—!"
"This is just revenge for calling me Yeager."
Gasping for air, she could only manage to catch a glimpse of his terribly amused face before she felt his fingers dance over her neck, the one place she was ticklish in the most. "No—no—stop, cut it out!" He, of course, did not listen, so she ended up sinking lower into the couch, struggling to breathe as she wiggled her body in an attempt to escape his hold.
Having had enough of it, she kicked Jean off of her, the action successfully sending him to land on the other side. Now it was Taryn's turn to attack him, the sound of his laughter filling the air as her hands began to dig into his armpits and stomach. She managed to avoid him clawing at her face, the boy violently flailing and howling underneath her.
"Taryn—I hate—you—" He panted in between laughs, and his words only encouraged her to keep going. She, however, had forgotten to pin down his legs, so Jean immediately took the opportunity and kneed her in her abdomen, making her lose her balance and slump on top of him.
He then tried to push her off, but Taryn's tight grip on him caused the both of them to fall from the couch, their bodies plummeting down to the hard wooden floors. Though the two were still at it, rolling around the ground and taking every chance to tickle each other's sensitive spots, the sounds of their yelling mixed with their giggles echoing throughout the room.
"Get off me!"
"Stop tickling me—you bitch—"
"You're—the one who—started it!"
"Excuse me?! You were—the one who—"
"Kirstein, Freire, where have you two—hey!" As they heard the voice, they immediately turned to see one of the superior soldiers, Nanaba, standing in the doorway, her face donning an expression of shock.
The two hurriedly got up to their feet, and the both of them spared a glance at the mirror and saw for theirselves just how disheveled they looked. Taryn's hair looked like a literal bird's nest, while Jean's wig was nowhere to be found, his true hair spiking up in all directions. Not to mention that their clothes were all rumpled and dirty from them basically wrestling on the dusty ground.
Nanaba's eyes went wide, and her mouth kept on opening and closing as if she was working out on what to say. Finally, she cleared her throat, giving the both of them a hard look. "This is...very immature. We Scouts are about to go on a very important mission, and we need everyone's utmost concentration and efforts if we want to succeed," She said quickly. "You shouldn't be wasting time."
They mumbled an apology, sneaking furtive glances at each other. They could feel Nanaba's eyes darting between the two of them before they heard her sigh, walking away and heading towards the door.
"Kirstein, follow me. The Commander needs you in the carriage now," She began to say, looking behind her back expectantly. Jean instantly followed, not wishing to get himself into even more trouble. "Freire, get changed. You won't pass as one of the Military Police looking like that."
He heard her mutter a response of agreement, handing the boy his wig before shutting the doors and further disappearing from his sight. Gritting his teeth, he reluctantly put on the horrid clump of hair, fixing the messy strands in the way of his eyes as he walked right behind the female soldier.
They passed through the dimly lit paths of the barracks, and he could see a few other soldiers gathering and preparing the advanced weaponry they needed in order to capture the Female Titan. They walked in silence, before Nanaba cleared her throat once again and began to speak.
"I'm afraid I'll have to tell Captain Levi about what happened, so expect a few more tasks added to your workload once we're done for the day," She told him, her words making him silently groan. Now he regretted ever taking the tickle fight seriously. "If you wanted to mess around with your girlfriend, you could've at least chosen a proper place and time."
Jean almost choked on air at her statement, his eyes bulging out of its sockets at the implication. What? Girlfriend? He shook his head, instantly being stunned at the thought. No, he never really saw Taryn in that way. They were simply friends, and that's all there was between them. Just friends...
"No—it's not like that!" He exclaimed, only for him to realize that what he did might be a bit rude. He then calmed down, lowering his tone and casting his eyes down to the ground, correcting himself. "She's just a friend, Miss Nanaba."
The woman raised a brow at him, looking very unconvinced at his words. She fortunately dropped the subject, turning away from him and focusing her gaze up ahead. "Alright, if you say so," She said, before stopping in her tracks as she eyed the dozen carriages lined up right in front of her. "We're here."
He caught sight of Commander Erwin along with a few other soldiers by his side, appearing to be in deep conversation. Nanaba then began to approach him, waving her hand in the air to catch his attention. "Commander, the boy is here."
The blond man glanced up, nodding at them and gesturing to one of the carriages nearby. "Kirstein, you can enter that one. You can also rejoin your squad now, Nanaba, thank you."
"Yes sir." The both of them chanted, and Nanaba gave him one last pat on the shoulder before proceeding to walk away from him.
He stepped inside, settling himself down on the small cushioned chairs. The space was a bit cramped, and he was still a bit miffed from being dragged into this mess, but there was nothing he could do about it. This is the path I chose, he kept reminding himself.
His thoughts wandered over to Taryn, and he immediately recalled what Nanaba had said, the recent memory making his cheeks heat up slightly. But I like Mikasa, he thought. Yes, she's the one I like. Black hair, black eyes—heavens, she's so beautiful...
He then caught himself, mentally cursing for being so distracted. He was about to go on a mission and he needed to focus. Now was not the time to be thinking about girls.
With a heavy sigh, he looked out of the carriage's window, admiring the rising sun as an attempt to clear his thoughts. He really hoped nothing would go wrong, and that everything would go exactly as planned.
...
Taryn took in the full view of Stohess District as she stood on top of one of the buildings, the rest of her squad flanking her as she kept her eyes trained on the trail of carriages slowly making their way inside the city. Their task was to keep watch of them while still being able to remain inconspicuous, the latter already proving to be quite difficult due to the constant prodding of a few stubborn MPs. All of them seemed keen on asking question after question, and she was already beginning to run out of responses for their endless inquiries.
"I've never seen you guys before," A girl, whose sandy brown hair was styled into a bob, began to ask them, raising a brow as she studied each of them from head to toe. "Where are you from?"
"Backups from Trost." Mira said quickly, yet her answer only seemed to raise more questions than answers as the girl frowned, whirling around to face her comrades who were right beside her.
"What on earth is going on?" She began to complain, her voice being obnoxiously loud. "Why do we need backup? What are we even watching these carriages for?"
"At least use your head once, Hitch," A black haired boy chided the girl, now named Hitch, crossing his arms as he stared at the line passing through with a worried look. "They have someone who can turn into a Titan. I think that's enough reason for everyone to be cautious."
"So all that stuff was true, then?" Her hands outstretched, she let out a yawn before her face morphed into one of boredom. "I thought they were all made up. How can a human even become a Titan?"
Seeing that the conversation was going nowhere, she snapped her attention back to the carriages, deciding to walk away from the chatting MPs and gesturing to her squad behind her to get moving as well. They were already acting suspicious enough, and she feared that if they stayed any longer they might end up blowing their cover. She fastened her pace, only stopping once she was sure they had a safe distance between them. She then spared a glance at the vast area of the city and her mind briefly wondered how Armin and the others were faring in their part of the plan.
Admittedly, she was still a bit reluctant in having to fight Annie eventually. Taryn really wanted to believe that it wasn't her, but there were too many coincidences and evidence that proved that she was indeed the enemy. She heaved a deep sigh, already knowing that today was going to end up in even more deaths, more bloodshed, more casualties.
She lifted a hand to adjust her scarf, pulling the black fabric over her face to hide her identity. Her disguise had been simple—just a blonde wig and something to cover her face with, but it was enough to make her look different from her usual self.
But she'd be lying if she said they weren't uncomfortable, with the wig being too itchy and the thick woolen scarf being an absolute menace under the heat of the sun. Still, they couldn't risk getting recognized, so she was left with no choice but to endure it and pray that everything would be all over soon.
Suddenly, the deafening sound of an explosion brought her back to the current situation, and the green lightning that came with it only confirmed what she and the others thought it was. The plan failed, and she transformed. Taryn's hands immediately flew to her blades, readying herself to engage in combat with the Titan. It's inevitable. We're going to have to fight her.
"What happened?" Nile, the Commander of the Military Police, had a frightened look on his face as he glanced around. His eyes then darted to the MPs stationed around the roofs, barking out an order for them to search for the source of the disturbance. "Escort team, go see what's going on!"
They all plunged into the air, zooming across the city in the direction where chaos was starting to form. Franke from her squad began to move as well, and she had to grab the boy's wrist to get him to stop, reminding him that their job wasn't over yet. "Not yet. We won't move until the Commander says so."
"Nile, deploy all your troops. We should assume a Titan has appeared." They heard the unmistakable voice of Commander Erwin, and they stood in anticipation as they watched him approach Nile, the look on his face being more intimidating than all the soldiers who had their guns pointed at him and the Captain.
"What? This is Wall Sina! There's no way a Titan could be here!"
One of the carriages suddenly opened, revealing Jean disguised as Eren with his lips pulled back into a frown. He tried to make a beeline for the wide road, only to be held back by a soldier who had been guarding the door. "Wait—don't move Yeager!"
Jean then removed the wig and tossed it carelessly to the ground, shoving the stranger off of him before breaking into a sprint. "I'm done with this stupid disguise! Never call me by that name again, moron!"
He approached the Commander, saluting the man as he hastily put on his cape. "Commander, I'm going too."
The older male nodded. "Get your equipment from Squad Four."
"Yes sir!"
He made his way towards the only remaining squad on the roofs, peering up at the tall buildings from below as he yelled out to them and requested for his maneuver gear. Taryn took this as a signal to jump down, swiftly landing on the ground while carrying the heavy load of metal in her hands.
She immediately strapped the gear on him, snapping together all the buckles and necessary harnesses before finally handing him a few gas canisters and a set of blades. She patted him on the back, sending the boy a small smile. "Don't get killed."
Jean chuckled, waving at her goodbye before taking off. She stared after his figure as he flew in the air, his wires shooting off and retracting in a skillful and mesmerizing manner.
"Woah, he's kinda cute." Mira appeared from beside her, the rest of her squad following shortly. Taryn glared at her, something she didn't even realize she had been doing until the girl sheepishly backed away, intimidated by her stare. "Oh, I'm just saying..."
"Focus on the mission." She muttered, though her mind kept yelling at her to start taking her own advice. Shaking off the thought, she peeled her eyes off of Mira and focused on the scene in front of them instead. The Commander had been in the process of strapping on his gear as well, while Nile and the other MPs were all visibly taken aback, not quite processing what was going on around them yet.
"Hey, Erwin!" Nile began to point a riffle at the blond, his eyes almost bulging out in shock of what was happening. "What are you doing?!"
"Anyone who can move, follow me!" The Commander ordered before casting his gaze on their group gathered in the corner. "You four, rendezvous with the capture teams!"
They took this as a signal to get moving, and with one last salute, they began to head towards the chaos as well. From above, they all could see the Female Titan's gigantic form, her moves being precise and agile as she took down soldiers left and right. Just the sight of it made her fists clench in anger. Annie or not, I'm going to fight you. You've killed too many to be forgiven.
"Guys, we should split off for now!" She glanced back at the three behind her. She noticed that the other teams seemed to be taking severe losses, and she knew they'll all be wiped out if the deaths kept continuing at that rate. "We can make more progress that way, just don't attempt to kill it!"
"Roger!" They chorused, with Gerver taking off on his own while Mira and Franke headed towards the other direction. She then felt a bit of sadness creep up her heart as she thought of the possibility that this may very well be the last time she'll ever see them again. Taryn found herself wishing that she had gotten to know them better, or actually tried to have a conversation with them while they were all waiting on the roofs so that she wouldn't have any regrets if ever one of them died this very day.
But she turned away, instantly reminding herself of the situation at hand. She told herself that they won't die, that they'll capture the enemy before she'd even get the chance to kill any of them. With a determined gaze, she steeled her focus towards the Titan stomping its way across the city, her pace accelerating as she began charging towards it with a fast speed.
As she neared the target with every passing second, her mind was racing with thoughts as she tried to come up with a plan to possibly delay the Female Titan in causing any more damage. She knew that she shouldn't even try to cut its flesh with her strength alone, so she thought of getting past it undetected before proceeding to circle its legs, using her wires as some kind of rope in order for her to lose balance. It was a risky plan, but it was worth a shot.
She dipped down, maneuvering in level with the buildings so as to not get seen. Her heart gave a leap of joy once she successfully caught up with the Titan, her hooks attaching to a structure nearby as she proceeded to the next part of her plan.
Taryn knew the risks, so she wasn't really surprised—only scared shitless when the Female Titan suddenly grabbed her wires, tossing her away and sending her flying back a few miles. She catapulted into the air and she was almost certain that she was going to die, barely stumbling over a roof as she felt her whole body singe in pain.
Groaning, she tried her hardest to sit up straight. It's no use, she knows how the maneuver gear works. She gritted her teeth as she gazed at the chaos that had ensued in front of her, with civilians running around in panic and most of the infrastructure being crushed to dust. Her mind briefly wandered to the whereabouts of the other Titan shifter, wondering why he hasn't transformed yet. Where the hell is Eren, anyway?
She spotted Jean and Armin in a place not so far from where she was standing, the two of them crouching over a pile of debris. Her brows furrowed in confusion, she quickly made her way over to them, finding that they were talking to someone under all the wreckage.
"Hey, what's going on—" She stopped short once she caught sight of the familiar brown hair, gasping as she took in the person's bloodied and battered form. "Is that Eren?"
"We have to save him!" Armin shouted out, the boy looking absolutely desperate. "Jean, Taryn, help me!"
"He couldn't transform..." Jean trailed off, before his face contorted into one of anger, his jaw clenching. "Eren, what the hell is wrong with you? Didn't I once tell you that I was counting on you?!"
"We have to entrust the world, humanity, our lives to you and this is how you repay us?!" Jean looked anguished as well, his furious expression turning softer, more pained. "Marco...he..."
Taryn felt her throat tighten at the mention of the name, a sudden feeling of desperation surging through her. Without thinking, she pushed Jean out of her way, moving closer to Eren with look of despair on her face. "Eren! People are dying every second, dying for you to get up and fight!"
She couldn't take it anymore, the emotions she had been holding in for weeks finally bursting and pushing her to a breaking point. She didn't want to witness any more deaths, to witness any more of her comrades getting mercilessly murdered right in front of her. "You can't just lie down there, when so many lives are at stake—so please! Please, get up..."
But it was no use, as the boy made no effort to move. She could almost feel her heart sink in disappointment, although that feeling was quickly replaced with fear as an enormous boulder made contact with one of the towers behind them, sending a multitude of debris towards them.
Taryn immediately grabbed Armin and pulled him along with her, their eyes widening as a giant slab of rock landed right beside them. She let out a shaky breath of relief, knowing that the rocks would have crushed them had they lingered for a moment longer.
Her gaze immediately snapped to the blond. "Are you okay, Armin?"
"I'm fine, but..." He turned his head, looking at the growing pile of rubble in front of him. "Eren..."
"It's no use, we have to do something about her first!" Jean yelled from behind them, pulling out his blades as he plunged into the air. "Taryn, let's go!"
With a nod, the both of them began to head straight towards the Female Titan, zooming past the buildings in an attempt to get past it. They saw Armin get up from the corner of their eyes, and he had on a look of pure determination on his face as he faced the Female Titan head on.
"Annie!" He called out to her, successfully diverting the Titan's attention. "If you won't kill me this time, then you can't just make the same bullshit excuse that your bet's just beginning anymore!"
Taking advantage of the distraction, she and Jean seized the opportunity to sneak up on its nape, the two of them charging in for a coordinated attack. They moved to swing their blades at the area from both of its sides, with Jean on the left and Taryn on the right. Their positions gave them the perfect chance to take it down, right then and there.
Their attack might have worked if it was on any other Titan, but the Female's neck began to crystallize, creating a layer of hardening that had managed to shatter both of their blades in a single strike. As surprised as they were, they didn't give themselves any chance to react as they immediately fled from the scene, avoiding the Titan's hands as it tried to grab them.
"Armin, this way!" Jean shouted at him, sighing in relief once he saw the blond take off in the air. The three of them then began to head down the path that led to a trap, just like they planned, luring the Female Titan to its capture as it began to chase after them.
They caught sight of a dark green flag in the distance, marking the spot in which they had to pass through. Taryn's mind was a mess, with all sorts of thoughts and doubts circling around inside. We're going to do it, she tried to tell herself, her face scrunching up in worry. We're going to do it.
Finally, they flew ahead of the mark, the sounds of canons firing everywhere reverberating from behind them. They didn't dare look back, only focusing on fleeing before they all managed to land on a roof, with Taryn almost crying out in relief. I survived.
She then allowed herself to spare a glance at the sight, seeing that the weapons they prepared proving to be successful in immobilizing the target. The Female Titan was covered head to toe in hard, metal wires, giving it no chance to move. It didn't take long for it to collapse, its body falling to the ground with a deafening thud.
We...did it.
They couldn't believe what they were seeing, the three of them finding the whole thing hard to digest. They watched in anticipation as soldiers began to place a net over its form, further trapping it in and giving it no means to escape. Their eyes were wide with shock and disbelief, not quite trusting what was happening yet.
"No way..." Jean muttered, his jaw slack as he stared at the scene unfolding in front of him. Taryn mirrored his expression, not knowing whether to feel glad or uneasy about the whole ordeal.
"We did it..." Armin began to say, although they could still hear the uncertainty in his tone, knowing that he too didn't seem to think that everything was over just like that. "We captured the Female Titan."
...