Historia's condition turned out to be a wish for her to be a part of the action that was about to take place. Nothing short of a noble and selfless desire. She now stood geared up and ready, placed between yourself and Mikasa in the strategy-room.
"When you're Queen, you can punch that runt in the face". Mikasa had a playful glint in her eyes that you'd rarely ever see from her. Historia looked shocked to hear that coming from her, but with further evaluation, it isn't really out of her character either. You snickered quietly, not wanting to draw the attention of the others in the room your way.
"Yeah, I like him and all, but he needs to be humbled every now and then I think", you winked at Historia. She looked back and forth between the two of you before smiling the most genuine smile you've seen from her ever since Ymir left.
Heavy footsteps caught your attention, and you turned your gaze to face a soldier preparing to speak.
"We've determined the location of Rod Reiss' titan. It's southwest, approaching Orvud. At this rate it should reach us by dawn"
'Dawn... That's gives us quite little time to prepare...'
"Understood. Commander Erwin, we'd all like to hear what your plan is", another high-ranked Garrison soldier asked him. "How do you intend to evacuate the citizens in time?"
"We won't evacuate"
"W-what?"
"We'll have the citizens remain in Orvud District just as they are". Confused noises spread across the room. Indeed it did not make sense to leave unarmed civilians at the scene of an attack... Or did it? Remembering how abnormal titans work, you already had Erwin's motives figured out.
"Are you insane? What the hell are you thinking Erwin?!". The Garrison soldier was clinging to Erwin's collar, getting all up in his face. "Keep the citizens here without evacuating?! By the time it's dawn, that titan will be all over us-"
"That titan is an abnormal", Hange tried to explain.
"What the hell does that even mean?!"
'Great... Another highly ranked military official who doesn't know shit about titans. Didn't we all go through the same training?!'
"It means the titan is strangely attracted to high concentrations of people; Hence, Abnormal. It will turn a blind eye to small villages, ignoring it in favour of reaching this fortified city. If you were to right now, evacuate the citizens past the main wall of Wall Sina, the titan will shift its main target over to the main wall instead of the one surrounding Orvud. We can therefor avoid it breaking straight into our last wall of defence, by letting its target remain as is; leaving the civilians there being a crucial step". The officials seemed to listen to her, a layer of stress-sweat visibly appearing by their hairline. "On our way back, we attempted to use Eren Yaeger's power to control titans, but it did not prove to be successful".
"If we are to stop that titan, we must do so outside the walls of Orvud District. For that to happen, we must have the citizens act as bait. However, this does not change the fact that our first duty as soldiers is to protect the citizens. Supposing we are unable to halt the target, we'll take measures so that not a single citizen is killed. We'll announce an emergency evacuation drill for Orvud District, so that if needed, they will be ready to evacuate at once". Erwin's explanation seemed to be enough for the officers to agree to his plan, this really being the only logical plan available.
"Considering the titan's size, it's an easy target. Wall-mounted cannons should prove highly affective, but if that's not enough to bring it down... The scout Regiment will throw everything we have at it", Erwin looked your way, the rest of the officers eyeing your squad.
~
You carefully opened the door to the women's restroom, looking around to see if you could spot her. You didn't need to search for long as Historia stood by the mirrors, captivated by her reflection.
'I wonder just what she's seeing when she looks at it'
"Hey...". She jerked away from the mirror, braking her intense stare.
"Oh, Y/N... You scared me", she laughed slightly, nervously fumbling with her wrist. You closed the distance between you.
"I, uh... I know you kind of already addressed it, but... uh"
'Why is it so hard to get to the point?'
"I was just wondering how you're really doing... You know, with everything that's going on". She looked at you with an emotionless expression for a second, before seemingly sucking it up.
"Oh, I'm fine.. Duty calls and all that", she huffed slightly, trying to brush it off.
"I mean it... How are you really feeling about all this?". Her weak smile faltered, and she exhaled harshly.
"I... I just can't catch a break", she admitted frustrated, letting herself sink down towards the floor, wrapping her arms around her knees. "And I don't mean the physical fighting part, but the never ending expectations and disappointments... Feeling like I'm never enough as I am!", she quickly mumbled into her knees. You crouched down in front of her, relieved she was finally able to air out her feelings to someone who would actually listen. She sniffled a bit, raising her gaze to meet yours. "I'm sorry, I kind of rambled... You probably didn't want to hear about everything-"
"Historia". She stopped talking, surprised. You placed your hands on her knees. "I know Crista, the person we spent many years getting to know, was a character that was based on the qualities people expect from you. But even though we never truly knew the real you, I still like to consider us friends, close friends, even though we clearly failed you when we never noticed your pain enough to question it. I'm sorry". Her eyes were wide.
"O-of course we are friends! That never changed"
"Well I'm glad to hear that, because as your friends we will from here on out do better", you promised her, grabbing her hands in yours. "And you have our support and help whenever you need it, even when you become Queen!". She smiled, even letting out a little giggle.
"I think I need the support especially when I become Queen. So much crazy stuff happens, I really can't keep up alone", she said sheepishly. You laughed with her, squeezing her hands a bit.
"Things will still be hard for a while, but thank you for this Y/N... Really"
You got up from the ground, helping her up in the process. "Don't mention it Historia, you are just as important to me as the rest, and I'll do anything for my family". Her eyes lit up slightly as she brought you in for a hug. The sounds of hurried footsteps outside brought you back to reality, and you broke the embrace.
"But first; our duty as Scouts and members of the Levi Squad calls", you said, and she gave you a curt nod while her demeanour radiated newfound energy and confidence.
~
Light had overtaken the darkness as pink and purple skies tinted the landscape. From atop the wall you could see Rod's titan closing in.
"Fire!". Dozens of cannons were fired simultaneously, and you tried to pay the excruciatingly loud noise no mind as you focused on your own task. There were still lots of last minute preparations yet to be completed, and Rod was coming closer and closer by the minute.
The cannons continued being fired, and there were almost no breaks in-between.
"It's so loud I can't even hear myself think!", Sasha yelled as the two of you pushed a heavy crate of cannonballs over to one of the stations.
"What?!"
"I SAID, IT'S SO LOUD I CAN'T HEAR MYSELF THINK!", she this time screamed directly into your ear, however, the cannon-fires ironically stopped the second she started screaming.
"Sasha! You're gonna give me tinnitus!", you cried out, covering your ear in agony. She gave you an apologetic look.
"Oops, sorry"
You figured arguing about it wouldn't do any good, so you took a deep breath and resorted to giving her a flick on her forehead with your fingers. Sasha rubbed the sore spot, but didn't bother protesting since she had it coming. You both ran over to Erwin and the rest to see just how much damage the vast amount of ammunition did to the titan .
"Well?", you asked them.
"The ground cannons seem even less effective.", Erwin answered you.
"Of course they are. The wall cannons barely hit the nape, even with the better angle... We might as well have been pissing in the wind". Normally you would laugh a little at Levi's remarks, but this was seriously bad news.
"Yet again, your strategy for the scouts boils down to another gamble. Just like everything else you conjure up"
"Erwin! I brought the goodies!", Hange eagerly yelled from behind you, and you all turned around accordingly. "All the gunpowder, ropes and netting I could find! We'll have to assemble it ourselves though... Oh! And this!", she pointed towards a contraption of some sort being pushed over to you by Moblit. It had vast, sharp spears connected to some rope and a crate. "There's another one on the opposite side". You moved closer to see how it worked.
"The trigger's held in place, so when it's fired it'll wind itself back up just like ODM gear". You noticed the handle were the same you use for your ODM gear and blades. "I take it the artillery isn't doing much?", Hange asked, looking over at the titan covered in tiny holes.
"Oh wow, how could you possibly have come to that conclusion?", Levi said sarcastically.
'Levi get's so sassy when he's frustrated'
Hange ignored his jab at her, well accustomed to his ways by now. "Then we're really planning on using this it seems.. This will be interesting", she mostly said to herself at this point.
"Levi, Sasha, Connie, Jean and Marco! You take that side!", Erwin ordered them, to which they quickly obeyed. You joined the rest on the opposite side, quickly getting started preparing the nettings, ropes, and crates of gunpowder.
"Historia, though we already discussed this, having you on the front lines poses a problem... Your survival is key to keeping the peace inside these walls", Erwin tried to reason with her, and you followed their conversation intently from where you sat wrapping hoops of rope around your arm.
"I doubt it will work. You think the people are so naïve that they'd bow to a ruler in name only?", she challenged him, her voice stronger than ever and her gaze never faltering. You felt proud of her for standing up for her ideas.
"What is it that you're thinking?"
"Y/N!", Armin calling out for you made you turn your attention away from the two. "Could you come help me lift this?". He struggled placing one of the crates.
"Of course!". You ran over to him, grabbing a hold of the other end. "D-do you think we ha- ugh- have a chance at beating him?", you asked with a strained voice as the crate was much heavier than you anticipated. Once it was put in place you both heaved for your breaths.
"I think it's definitely a possibility, but I don't know for sure. It's a gamble, as Captain Levi says"
"Yeah, that's what I was afraid of. Like how can we be completely sure he's missing his fa-"
"Hey...". Eren talking by the edge of the wall, facing the town, interrupted you.
"Yeah Eren?"
"The kids in this city remind me of us... You know, us that day"
You and Armin both took a few steps towards the edge, looking down at the people. It was a scene all too familiar, some adults and children pointing up at the wall, noticing the thick, vast steam coming from Rod's titan.
'They don't even know what's coming...'
"Yeah... Nobody thinks today is the day a titan bigger than the wall attacks... They might end up seeing the same sight as we did that day", Armin said while continuing tying the ropes around the crates. You felt a strong feeling boiling inside you, what it was exactly you didn't know.
"Oh I'm not gonna let that happen!", you said determined, your suddenly harsh tone startling Eren the slightest bit. "There is a big difference between today and that day five years ago... Here we are, soldiers atop the wall, ready to face the titan and protect them. And we will succeed!", you continued eager, looking at them with fire in your eyes.
Feeling more determined than ever, you hastily went back to tying the ropes with Armin, as well as lifting a crate or two. Mikasa finally joined to help lift, since she has supernatural human-strength or something like that. How does one even get that strong?!
"Eren, there's no time to stop. Keep your hands busy", Mikasa told him once noticing his frozen state. He looked down at his hands, before abruptly sending a right hook straight to his own cheek. You gaped horrified.
'What the actual fuck?!'
He didn't stop there, punching himself hard, over and over again.
"Eren!"
"Wh-whoa, Eren, what are you-"
"The fuck Eren, that's not what she meant by keeping your hands busy!", you yelled out, trying to restrain his arms while Mikasa held him in place.
You finally got him to stand still, blood running down from his nose.
"Making a wound already? It's too early for that!", Armin tried to reason.
"No... Just beating the shit out of a useless brat. I hope he's dead and gone for good", he finally answered. None of you said anything for a few seconds. It was kind of sad watching him go to such extreme lengths to stay sharp and motivated. You sighed, tearing off a little piece of cloth from the bottom of your shirt. Gently, you started patting away the blood running from his nose.
"You're too dramatic for your own good sometimes", you said playfully, successfully lightening the mood a bit as the others huffed slightly with a smile.
~
Rod was now about an arm's reach away from the wall, the crucial moment of the backup plan coming up. The soldiers by the wall-mounted cannons fired a last round of cannonballs in a desperate attempt to take him down once and for all. The titan stopped moving, and it almost seemed like they succeeded.
"Good! That ripped off its flesh!", an officer exclaimed relieved.
*Fooosh*
The intense, but well-known feeling of thick, burning hot steam filled the air in under a second. The strong gust accompanying the steam made everyone's hair flutter straight upwards. You held your hands protectively over your face.
"Shit, I think the wind changed direction!", you yelled out.
"Captain! We can't see a thing!", you heard someone yell.
"Doesn't matter! The target is positioned straight below! Fire away!".
Another round of shots were fired, something crashing into the wall making you struggle to keep yourself steady.
A ginormous hand appeared out of the smoke, Rod had seemingly already starting to hoist himself up using the wall.
"Get out of the way!", you screamed, noticing it was about to grab a hold of the wall where multiple soldiers were currently standing. They all started running, someone too slow to escape their deadly fate. Rod did the same with his other hand on the opposite side from you. With his hands now firmly grasping the wall, he slowly lifted himself up to stand on his feet.
Your eyes widened. His face was gone. Just like predicted, the friction of his body being dragged against the ground basically burned away layers after layers of his body, it looking like someone cut him in half. Frankly, it was a disgusting sight.
And as if that wasn't disgusting enough for you, his vast guts proceeded to fall out of his abdomen area, as the sudden change of angle didn't support them. They crushed unsuspecting soldiers flat on site.
You could hear the faint sound of screams from the city down below, concluding that there was no way the civilians hadn't seen the same thing you just did. You could understand their panic.
"Retreat! Everyone! Retreat!", the Garrison captain ordered, his soldiers all rushing past you.
"Hey! Y/N!", Hange waved you over and you quickly ran to her. "Grab a bucket and cool down. It's time for us to take charge". You gratefully grabbed a bucket, the cool water feeling heavenly as you poured it over yourself. The others did as yourself, moral actually being quite high.
"Eren, we're up!", Armin said, walking over to the spear-contraption.
"Armin! Y/N!". You both turned to look at him. "Another thing's different from then... It might not be all they hoped for, but now; humanity has an ace up its sleeve", he said with a tiny smirk, positioning his hand by his mouth. You smiled at him.
"That's more like it! Go save them Eren!"
With that he bit down and golden light erupted. You watched in awe, never getting tired of watching him transform. It was a truly impressive sight.
"We're good to go!", Armin yelled out as you quickly poured another bucket of cold water over your head for a last minute cooldown. You readied your blades as Armin positioned the contraption, him and Sasha having to fire it at the exact same time to be able to throw Rod's balance off properly.
A red flare could be seen breaking through the steam currently evaporating slowly. Armin shot the spears into Rod's hand and let go of the handles after pushing the buttons to retract the wires. The contraption, containing explosives, were send flying straight at his hands, exploding the second it came in contact with his burning hot skin. The sound of two bombs going off confirmed Sasha managed to do the same to his other hand.
The explosion tore up his flesh and cracked his bones, and he was no longer able to keep himself upright. As his upper body fell down, and his face hit the wall, Erwin sent up another flare, screaming Eren's name. Appearing out of the smoke right behind Erwin, Eren ran up to Rod's mouth with the netting filled with gunpowder-crates you worked on earlier, in his hand. You clutched hard around the handles of your gear, anxious to see if Eren would be able to do it in time.
You heard him roar as he threw the content of his hand into Rod's wide open mouth. Holding your breath, you waited for the sound of the explosion.
'Come on, come on, come ooon'
*BOOM*
You let out a breath of relief, watching the area around his whole back and up explode into hundreds of pieces.
"All troops! Finish it off with ODM gear!", Erwin ordered, and you leaped over the edge, attaching your hooks into the closest piece. Once reaching it you swiftly cut it, but as nothing happened, you took it as being the wrong one, so you quickly hooked into another piece close by.
'I need to find the nape... They all look alike!'
It wasn't the next one either, and you found yourself moving from one over to the other with no luck.
"Jean! Marco! Any luck?", you yelled, as you cut a piece close to where they were franticly searching.
"No, not yet!", Marco answered while cutting another.
"Shit, where can it b- huh? Historia?!", Jean exclaimed surprised, looking below himself. Indeed it was her, defying Erwin's wishes and joining the front lines.
"Come on Historia! I know you can find it!", you said confidently as you continued the search. After a few more failed attempts, you looked back up, seeing her fall down after cutting a glowing piece of flesh.
'That has to have been it!'
You tried reaching her in time to catch her, but she was way out of reach. Luckily, she landed on a large stack of hay, muting her fall significantly.
You tried getting down as fast as you could, using the remaining pieces to get as low as possible so the jump and landing wouldn't be that harsh. You managed to land on the roof of the house right by the haystack.
There was already a crowd gathered around her, asking if she was okay and if she was the one who dealt the final blow. You inched over to the very edge of the roof and watched as she got up from her position, taking a confident stance while addressing the crowd.
"I am Historia Reiss. The true ruler of the walls"
________________________
A/N:
God, I forgot how much Rod Reiss' titan, (after being fired at by the cannons) triggers my trypophobia hahah! I had to squint my eyes whenever they showed him while I wrote this lol.
I didn't actually plan on writing this today, but I found some time to do so, and boy did I have fun writing this chapter! I hope you enjoyed reading it!<3
Also, thank you guys so much for 4k total reads on this book! Knowing so many likes to read what I write and hearing directly from you guys just how much you love it, makes me really happy!<3
Have a great day!
~Jen