Content Warnings:
•Season 3 Spoilers
•Strong Language
•Panic Attack
•Violence
•Choking
•Demons
•Blood
•Death
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Flashback
"So, based on our limited research, Titans are essentially immortal." Your school teacher finished off her lesson and scanned the small classroom. "Any questions?" She asked, hands shot up immediately. "Yes, Izaak?" The teacher pointed to a brown-eyed ginger. "How is that possible? We all die, so why don't they?" The fair boy asked, utterly confused on the subject. "Well, with more research, hopefully, we will find out more but they do have a weak spot which is the nape of their neck." She drew a sloppy picture for reference to show the class. "If this chunk of flesh is removed, Titans are no longer immortal, and die. Otherwise, they live on, and on."
The rest of the questions from your classmates were drowned out by your wandering thoughts as you stared off into space. Figures slowly pooled into the small, square classroom which left you no other choice but to ignore the class. The room was then packed with kids and deceased relatives, no room for anyone else to join. Eventually, it had all gotten overwhelming but there was nothing you could do. You were still trying to figure out your powers since you only became aware of them over a year ago. Never before had you seen so many spirits loom about, even going somewhere as busy as the market.
Claustrophobia soon rose and restricted your movement which caused you to ball up in your own seat. Their silence was painful, which became the only thing you heard. It morphed into a sensational ringing in your ears and buzzed through to your brain which tickled it in an uncomfortable way. They would not go away. Instead, they grew closer and closer until they grazed your skin, causing you to claw at it for relief. You had lost your breath in the madness, hyperventilating in order to retain some amount of oxygen. You forgot how to breathe.
You sunk deep in the insanity, in a pool of transparent baby-blue faces of the dead. They begged to be heard, stealing your energy to remember what it felt like to be alive once more. There was nothing you could do. You lost yourself in them with no way out.
"Y/n!" The boom of your teacher's voice echoed through your dizzy head. When you slowly lifted it up, all eyes were on you. Your classmates were as silent as the dead but their eyes were the opposite of empty. Ms. Rees' amber eyes bored into your own, hands on her hips. She was irritated you had disrupted the class for no reason but you could not remember what happened. You sat still in your seat and held your breath, not daring to scan the room of piercing eyes from your peers. You already knew what they were thinking.
"Can she be any weirder?" A girl's voice spoke in your head. You recognized it as Mara, the girl who sat directly behind you. Then, more voices sprung about. "I always knew she was strange." "No wonder she doesn't have any friends." "She's doing it for attention." "She's probably crying over mommy again." The final voice hit you hard. Why would Izaak say such a thing? He was always polite to you but maybe that was only surface deep to save himself the trouble. It stuck with you, hurting your heart terribly.
It was not until tears pricked your eyes and cascaded down your puffy, red cheeks when Ms. Rees' face contorted. Immediately, she rushed to your side and knelt down, worried. All along, she thought you had turned and decided to be disruptive when in fact, you were in distress. She should have known since you were always well-behaved in class. "Y/n, what happened? Are you sick, dear?" Her voice was much calmer and motherly, something you had wished to hear before. When you did not answer her, she got back up and helped to escort you outside, away from your classmates and their internal teasing.
"I-I'm sorry! It was an a... accident!" When you were calm enough, you profusely apologized to your teacher, feeling terrible that you disturbed class time. "Shh, Y/n, don't worry about it. I think you're just overwhelmed right now." Ms. Rees was understanding of the situation. "Why don't you stay out here for a few minutes and when you're ready you can join us again." She offered which you gladly nodded your head to. While you got fresh air, she talked to the class to ignore what had happened without making you feel any more guilt.
School was still hard after that incident, unfortunately. Everyday, the kids still teased you but only in their own heads. They never spoke to you outwardly. Even though they only thought those things, you could still hear them. Their internal taunts caused you to fail in school but there was nothing you could do about it. You could not tell your teacher because she would never believe you. Times like that made you wish you were normal.
Flashback End
Your surroundings are gloomy, the surface damp from a previous rainfall. As you walk along the cool path, slightly shivering as more rain trickles against your exposed skin, a force knocks you to the ground. Landing on your side, you roll over to suddenly get pushed back down. Looking up at the dark night sky, simply an empty void, stolen of stars, everything disappears along with the rain.
Peacefully laying on the stone ground, a sensation trails up from your chest, tickling the base of your neck as it slowly rises. The touch is gentle enough to not disturb you until a grip takes ahold of your throat, restricting any further air flow. Your steady breathing comes to a halt, desperately searching for a way to breathe again. Silent coughing and struggling wakes you out of your slumber, staring up at a dark ceiling. The invisible enemy crushes further, your entire face turning scarlet from the lack of oxygen. Clawing at your throat, nothing is there, although, it feels as if a Titan is sitting on you. Then, as you blink, a man comes into view. The baby-blue figure is a stranger but you get a vision of his lively face. One of Kenny's gang members you had crossed paths with. The man certainly held a grudge as he attempts to steal your life away just as you had done to him.
As your regular vision begins to fade away again, you keep fighting to stay conscious. His eyes stare into yours without life or any blinking, making it all the more demonic. Chest heaving, you thrash your body around in an attempt to throw him off but since he's a spirit, it does not work the same, he has all power over you. In a final attempt to save yourself, you reach your arm out to the side, searching for anything to grab. That's when your fingers hit a hard object, immediately stretching out to grip onto it. It was the wood Armin used to help you earlier. Once the piece is successfully in your grasp, you raise your arm, ready to swing at him for a distraction. Just as your arm is ready to thrust forward, a different tight grip wraps around your wrist, this time, from the living. Without hearing their voice from your choking, you keep your focus on trying to battle off the evil spirit. Letting out a small noise, your arm falls and drops the piece of wood, air abruptly penetrating your deprived lungs.
"Y/n, what the hell happened?" A deep monotonous voice breaks the new silence, catching you off guard. When you try to answer, your breath hitches in your throat, sending you back into a coughing fit. "Shit- you're choking!" He grumbles, pulling you to sit up to try to stop it. "N-No! I-I'm okay!" You cough out, swallowing hard when the second choke passes. He immediately releases you, crouched on the ground as he watches you from behind. Taking a few breaths to calm down, you graze the tips of your fingers over your neck, sighing. "Sorry I woke you up, sir." You whisper, waiting to be reprimanded by your Captain. "I was already up. What was your dumb ass choking on?" Captain Levi responds, voice still low to not disturb your sleeping comrades. Thinking for a moment, you realize you can't truthfully answer his question. "I think a bug crawled into my mouth, sir." You answer as soon as you come up with an excuse. Captain Levi stares at you without much expression, keeping you wondering if he believes you or not. "Idiot." He eventually mutters, standing back up straight, ready to walk away.
You let out a small sigh of relief, not at all offended by his response since Quincy has called you much worse. If anything, he's the fool for believing your poor lie. "Must have been a big ass bug for you to almost tear your own skin off, then." His next remark stops you. You touch your throat again, realizing it is tender and sore. The evil spirit had done a number on you, almost breaking your skin. Luckily, it is only red and will form a bruise in time but still, how are you going to explain that? "Yeah... I must have thought it was bread or something, sir." You respond, glancing over your shoulder to look at his back. "Again, you're an idiot." He says, barely looking back at you.
Before he's gone, you speak up again. "Captain?" You chew on your bottom lip as he pauses to face you briefly. "Thank you... for saving me. I'm a true idiot." You muster, grinning a little from jokingly degrading yourself. You see him exhale as he processes your words. "Its my duty to keep my squad alive." Is all he says before turning back around to leave. "And, one more thing, Captain?" You quickly say, biting your lip, hoping you aren't annoying him. Captain Levi pauses once more, showing his patience as he expectantly waits for you to continue. "I noticed you were bleeding from the mission, are you all right? Sorry if I'm being nosy or intrusive, I just want to make sure you're okay." You look up at him, honestly waiting to be scolded for your question. The others made him out to be terrifying and his stare alone is enough to make you shit your pants. "I'm fine. Get some more rest, cadet, before I make you stay up for watch." He answers, finally leaving. You grin again, letting yourself lean back into a crate, overall relieved you overcame the attack with his help.
Of course, you see the good and the bad people as they pass on. Now that you're in the Military and fighting humans, the bad ones will personally be after you. New experiences come with new challenges but you aren't ready to back down from a fight. This is something you have always wanted and you won't let a little difference about yourself ruin that chance to live your dream and help the people of your community. If anything, it may be an advantage.
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Sitting on the ground in the middle of a forest, you adjust the cloak laying across your shoulders when you hear a skinny twig snap as someone walks over it. Looking up, you spot the rest of your squad returning from town. "Captain, we bought the supplies." Jean announces, setting a sack down. "The MP's were handing out these flyers." Armin approaches Captain Levi, handing him a paper with Scout information on it. "If this is true, the Scouts will be disbanded. They say they'll be hunting for us in the mountains tonight. They're also posting guards at all the vital roads, no one can get through them without a pass. So Captain, what now?" Armin crouches in front of him, ready for the next step in the mission to recover Eren and Historia.
"We need to hurry and find Eren." Mikasa says, determined to get him back. "He'll be fine. They're taking him on a wagon, that gives us one day before they reach Reiss's estate and we need every second we can get to come up with a plan." Captain Levi responds. Your stomach churns at the mention of the MP's, chills covering your arms. Tristan could be sent out to kill you and neither of you know it. How would he react if he knew you were part of the Scouts? Would he be angry? Understanding? Would he help you? Out of nowhere, you feel a tickle in your head, alerting you of your surroundings. Two figures walking through the forest and holding guns flashes past your eyes.
Has this become a regular thing?
The sudden snippet visions of the near future seems to be a new part of your power you did not have before. Wondering how far it'll go and how useful it will really end up being, its also become a bit of a nuisance, considering the headaches it leaves after even a split second of seeing something. Just as you're about to open your mouth when you sense the growing presence, Sasha beats you to it. "Captain, I hear footsteps. Sounds like they're approaching." She warns.
Your squad devises a plan to somehow capture the two MP's, setting Armin as bait to lure them in. By the stream, he collects water in buckets until the officers approach him from behind, guns loaded and ready. Before they can do anything, Mikasa and Captain Levi leap out of trees, restraining them on the spot. Once they return and tie up the threat, your squad searches through their belongings for any valuable information. Fortunately, Jean discovers a few papers folded in one of their pockets. "Now then," Captain Levi stands up from the ground, scanning the papers. "Stohess District Military Police, Private Marlo Freudenberg. Same assignment, Private Hitch Dreyse. As for how we'll dispose of you..." The Captain wonders as he circles the two captives. You notice them flinch, sweat beading on their foreheads from fear.
"Because of you guys, over one hundred people from Stohess District were killed!" The female suddenly spits out, pear-green eyes wide with rage. "Huh?" Captain Levi listens, raising a brow at her. "You people... you might think that you're all heroes of justice but the victims and their families were dropped straight into hell!" She continues her rant. "Yeah, I know." The Captain responds, keeping a calm demeanor. "You there... you're from the Southern Cadet Corps, yeah? Just like Annie Leonhart. Were you friends of hers?" The woman looks at Jean, Armin and Mikasa. Before they can answer, a girl's face pops into your head. Blonde hair tied back and the brightest blue eyes capture your vision. The girl who was inside the Female Titan.
"No... I doubt she had any friends. Being as gloomy and aloof as she was. Its like she was a kid afraid of other people... I never got the chance to know anything about her and the reason they still haven't found her... is because she was pulverized by a Titan into a puddle of jelly!" The female officer shouts at Captain Levi. "No... because the Titan in hiding was Annie Leonhart herself." He replies nonchalantly, catching them off guard. "Goddammit, it makes me sick. Nobody knows a damn thing about this world... not us or anyone else. Except for those bastards at the center of it all. We'll release you both as soon as we get out of here." Captain Levi continues. "Annie was..." The woman looks down at the ground, shock-ridden. "Captain Levi, please let me help you! I don't think what you guys are doing is wrong! If I can help correct this world's injustice, I'll do whatever it takes!" The male officer offers. From a distance, you can sense his feelings, telling he is genuine but you have to let your superior make the call himself.
"What's with this guy?" Captain Levi mutters, looking down at him. "I beg of you, Captain Levi!" The other man quickly says. "Not a chance. I can't tell how prepared you are about making an enemy of the government. Let's go." The Captain begins to walk away. "Sasha, tie them up somewhere nearby." He orders. "Yes, sir!" The brunette springs out of the forest to follow her duty. As the Captain walks away, Jean catches up. "Captain, please let me do it." You hear him ask. The Captain hesitates for only a second but responds. "Knock yourself out."
Before Jean can takeover, you approach him as he leads the two officers. "Hey, are you sure you don't need back-up?" You offer assistance, waiting for an answer. Jean pauses, looking over his shoulder and down/up/straight at you. "I don't need any help, especially from you." He grins slyly, resuming his work. "Because I embarrassed you in front of the squad the other day?" You chime, knowing that was exactly the reason why he declined you. Jean visibly cringes, playing it off and pretending like nothing is bothering him. "No way, I just don't need help, got it?" He glances towards you one final time before heading off in a separate direction. "Just scream and I'll come help!" You call out to him, knowing damn well he found that the slightest bit amusing.
You eventually catch up with the remainder of your squad, slowly setting out for the next course of action while you wait for Jean to return. You wanted to let Captain Levi know that what the male officer said was true, every word he meant but you have to hold back on a lot of information. You forget you can't tell them everything, otherwise, they would begin to question you and your mysterious knowledge for things. However, another tickle in your head says differently. You feel like things will turn and play out how they're meant to be so you decide to go with the flow, hoping that what you feel is indeed true.
After a few minutes of walking, you sense Jean's presence again but he's not alone. Quickly turning around, you see the two Military Police officers following behind him. "Captain, if I may," Jean calls, approaching your squad again. The Captain turns around as well, waiting for an explanation. "Sir, this one right here is authentic with his words and promised to help us get through the Wall if we let them. Please, let us accept their help." The sandy-brunette boy explains. Captain Levi thinks over it for a few seconds, really taking it in whether its a good idea or even safe. Then, he comes up with an answer. "So be it. If you two dare to interfere I will not hesitate to kill you." He answers, turning to face forward and continue walking again.
Once you reach a checkpoint guarded by other MP's, you all hide out amongst the shrubbery and foliage, scanning the area. "That over there is the least manned checkpoint around." The male, Marlo, quietly shows the Captain. "All right. We'll handle it ourselves. Get back to your squad before its suspicious." The Captain responds, keeping his eyes on the other guards. "Yes, sir." Marlo and Hitch follow his order, retreating. Before they're too far, the Captain stops them once more. "Marlo, Hitch, we're grateful." He looks over his shoulder at them. "Sir!" They salute him. "Let's go! Its our turn to pick a fight!" The Captain announces to your squad.
With a wagon, you all manage to break through the gate without interference from the sudden charge. Once past the checkpoint, you hide out on a small hill, waiting for Captain Levi to return. Hearing footsteps, you all look over and spot the raven man, dragging someone behind him. "Its me." He announces as you drop your weapons. "Captain, he's..." Armin says but stops himself short. "With the Interior Police. I've got a few questions for him. Let's move." Captain Levi finishes his sentence. Staring down at the man beside your Captain, your stomach twists slightly. He's part of your brother's squadron, both with the Interior, so he definitely knows him. You can only hope he is not involved, although, the chances are sounding more slim everyday.
When the sun is set and the darkness has overthrown the land, you station yourself around Captain Levi and the captured MP officer as security, making sure no one attacks. "Stop it..." You hear the older man struggle to speak after several rounds of blows to the face from the Captain. Immediately, he kicks him in the face again, causing Armin to flinch at the horrid noise. You glance to your left at the blonde boy, feeling bad that he's unable to block it out and distract himself from the cruelty. "Hey, Armin," You whisper to him, noticing his eyes avert to your figure. "I won't tell you useless shit like "try not to think about it" but I will tell you to talk as a distraction." You quietly tell him, keeping your eyes forward. "Sorry... I just hate to hear someone suffering." Armin mumbles, returning his gaze to the front as well. "Don't worry about not being able to tolerate it. Focus on where this will lead us. If he talks, we can find Eren and Historia." You reply.
Armin thinks for a moment, clearly concentrating on something. "Then... how do you tolerate it? I know you haven't been here very long but you seem like you're already a veteran. So... how? How can I be as strong as you or close?" His words touch your skin, slowly seeping beneath the scarred flesh. Your pondering makes him all the more curious on how you, a brand new cadet along with them, can put on a brave, unbothered face everyday. The fact of the matter is that you're simply used to hearing such pain. Being able to see and communicate with the dead also comes with enduring their pain, whether that be physical or emotional. Unfortunately, its second nature to you. So much so, you begin to wonder if its your own pain or someone else's. You've heard the cries and pleas of many, in the beginning it was terrifying to witness but over the years, you learned to drown out the screaming. You can't explain anything to your comrades and help them on this journey, you have to go about on your own even with their company.
"People can only take so much of anything. Those same people express their thoughts differently, whether that be inward or outward. You're an outward type, Armin, and there is nothing wrong with that. I can't teach you to retrain your brain when it is already wired and calculated to you. I can only tell you to void your emotions but... even that is impossible sometimes." You explain your best, hoping some part of that is able to ease his mind a bit. Jean listens as well, biting his cheek as he takes in the information himself. You don't mind those who happen to overhear your conversation, you want to help as many people as you can in your life. Although, this is not the only way you want to do it.
As Armin processes your answer, his eyes wander back onto you, catching a glimpse of your slightly reddened neck with forms of periwinkle where a hand would have been. His sky-blue eyes tingle your skin, causing it to burn up as you hear his thoughts, your heartbeat increasing by a fraction. "Is she still burnt from the Colossal's steam?" He internally questions. Thankfully, he only thinks its just that and nothing more but the fact that he noticed still makes you nervous and not want it to be known by anyone else. Now is not the time to confess that a dead man strangled you in your sleep.
Once his eyes leave your form, your ears perk up at the sound of your Captain's voice. "Where are Eren and Christa?" He asks the rattled man, taking his shoe out of his mouth. "Its no use! All that's left for you now is to run and hide inside these walls, covered in mud and shit! If you don't turn yourselves in, every last Scout captured will get the noose! Starting with the one most guilty of all, Erwin Smith!" The officer raises his voice. You feel your throat go dry at his words, chill bumps forming on your clothed arms and legs. Immediately, Captain Levi turns the man around to push him into the tree, twisting his arms up until you hear a crunch. His cries of pain make your eyes pinch shut, knowing Armin had done the same, wishing he could cover his ears.
"Shut up. That's for not answering my question. Some Scouts' lives are more valuable than others. Only those dumb enough to acknowledge that join us. Tell me where Eren and Christa are at." The Captain tries one last attempt at getting the MP to talk. "I-I don't know! I'm not allowed to know! Kenny Ackerman is a very cautious man!" The man cries once Captain Levi releases his grip on him. The name makes Mikasa freeze on the spot, you feel her begin to question everything as they share the same surname.
"Ackerman? I know Kenny... is that his last name?" Captain Levi responds calmly. "It is but..." The man stops himself from finishing his sentence. "True, there's a lot of things he doesn't divulge... especially the important stuff but you must have a rough idea. You best try to remember." The Captain approaches to grab him again. "Stop it!" He pleads, not being listened to. "You still have plenty of bones left to break." The Captain mumbles, slowly pulling his left arm behind him. "You... you're insane!" Tears fall from his eyes as he looks over his shoulder. "Maybe I am." Captain Levi says slowly, looking down at the officer.
"Someone's coming from that way!" Sasha calls abruptly, already pointing her arrow towards an enemy. You quickly dive onto the grass along with Armin, pointing your gun, prepared to defend. "More than one!" She also warns. "Told you so, Captain. Its no use. One way or another, the Scouts will soon come to an end!" You hear the man threaten your Captain. Sweat beads on your forehead as you concentrate on your surroundings, almost able to hear your own blood flow through you as the silence follows. As the figures draw closer, a sense of familiarity washes through you. Captain Levi seems to notice as well, dropping his guard, realizing its only Section Commander Hange and Moblit.
Section Commander Hange brought a newspaper for Captain Levi to read, explaining all that happened back in the Capital while Commander Erwin was under fire for the wreck of Stohess District. "And there you have it, the coup was successful. Premier Zachary now has full control of the Capital and government for the time being, at least. The nobles seem to be staying in line." They finish as you gather around the Captain, trying to read the paper. "Okay but what about the incident with Mr. Reeves?" Armin asks, looking up at them. "We got a public confession out of one of the interior police. Reeve's son, Flegal, really pulled through for us. Its all written right there. The abuse of power, the bogus charges against the Scouts, and that King Fritz was both a puppet and a fraud. Its clear that we only acted in self-defense, in short, we're no longer criminals." Everyone slowly turns to face each other, faces contorting into smiles as you all burst into cheer, jumping and hugging each other as part of the fight has finally been won. Armin smiles your way as you return it, relieved you no longer have to hide in the shadows from the government.
When you come down from your high, letting go of Sasha who hugged you tightly, you notice that Section Commander Hange is discussing something with Captain Levi. "Here's the thing, the interiors may have lost but not all of them know it. They still have Eren and Historia, too. We need to find them quickly." Captain Levi mentions. "Right, I think I know where they might be. Let's get there and put an end to this fight." Section Commander Hange replies, holding up a black book.
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Coming up to a chapel belonging to Lord Reiss, you hop off your horse and enter the stone building with your squad along with Section Commander Hange and Moblit. "Found it, a hidden door. Reiss and Eren should be inside. Hopefully, the layout's close to what I predicted." Section Commander Hange kneels down in front of a hatch, partly covered by a rug. "These presents better pay off, considering the time we spent prepping them." Captain Levi crouches beside them. "Okay, we should be ready to go now." Armin announces once he finishes tying gas tanks together. "All right then. Is everyone here ready? Because you're all about to dirty your hands." Captain Levi quietly asks, looking up. You quietly stand near the center of the chapel, watching the front doors, ready but also hesitant to go inside. "I guess that's a yes." He mumbles.
When the second pair of doors open, you help the others push barrels down the stairs, tanks tied to the sides. Once they reach the bottom, you charge inside, covering Sasha as she releases a flaming arrow at one of the barrels, causing it to explode. "Here they come!" You hear a man shout beyond the thick black smoke. "Shoot them down!" Another yells.
Mikasa and Captain Levi go ahead, counting the enemies among your squad. You stay back with the others, helping to shoot green signal flares to aid in their protection, making it harder for the enemies to see them. "35 total in the upper parts of the pillars! Continue the plan! We'll take them all out right here!" You hear Captain Levi shout to you. "Everyone, scatter! Let them spread out then surround them!" A woman commands her squad. While the rest of your squad takes off on their ODM Gear, you stay back. "Armin, do you need help covering Sasha?" You quickly ask, looking down at him. Armin returns the look, reloading another signal flare. "You're skilled in ODM Gear, so go ahead! We need as many of you out there as we can get!" He replies, firing another signal. Turning around, you run towards the edge, shooting out your anchors to join your comrades in combat.
Luckily, Armin had figured out what type of gear Kenny's gang uses. They're weak in rear attacks and can only shoot two bullets before needing to reload, giving an open window to go in for the kill. To add on top of that, their guns can only face in the same direction as the anchor, meaning they can't maneuver and shoot while in the air.
You stay closer to the top of the smoke, maneuvering lower when needed in order to disguise yourself amongst the cloud. As you soar through the crystallized underground, constantly checking your surroundings, you almost feel a whisper brush right against your ear. Quickly following your instincts, you release your anchors and shoot them to the left, just barely dodging a bullet whistling past you from behind. Looking over your shoulder, a man comes after you, releasing his anchors to aim at you. Clenching your jaw, you ready your swords, changing direction to go back towards him. In a split second, your anchors pierce a pillar behind him, your speed faster than his blink as you drive your sword through his chest and against the pillar. You'd be lying if you said witnessing the life leaving his eyes and body didn't scare you. You then pull the sword back out, pushing off the crystal pillar to continue your fight.
Dodging more stray bullets, you glance to the side, seeing Section Commander Hange pass by you, happily chasing a blonde woman. Something in your gut feels wrong about it but you know they can win the fight. Deciding to follow your gut instead, you turn around to follow. Just then, you hear them gasp, hitting a pillar and falling to the hard surface, a trail of blood following. Your breath hitches, catching yourself on a different pillar to look down at them. "Hange!" You hear Jean shout in fear, worried you lost another Scout. Focusing on them, you feel a second heartbeat, only this one is slower but its still pumping.
No... they're still alive!
"Now! We'll regroup our defense at the fallback point! Time to regroup!" The blonde woman shouts to her team, retreating through a large tunnel. You shoot your anchors out to meet your squad on the ground, checking on Section Commander Hange. "They're still breathing, thankfully." Armin sighs, assisting Moblit to lift them up. You follow Captain Levi and Mikasa through the shallow tunnel, noticing a large net covering the other side of it. Captain Levi turns around, looking up at the ceiling and spotting a hole but its also blocked with a net.
Just then, a bright, yellow-green light beams through the crystal underground, meaning someone transformed into a Titan. "Damn it, no!" Captain Levi mutters. "Eren!" Mikasa gasps. The sheer force of the transformation causes the cave to shake, crystals from the ceiling breaking off into shards and falling to the ground. "Hey, guys, this place is about to collapse!" Sasha looks up at the ceiling. Crouching down, you pierce your anchors into the surface to hold yourself in place from the strong gust of wind. "Captain! It opened up!" You hear Armin shout, pointing up towards the hole. "Okay, Armin, Moblit, you two take Hange and find a way out of here!" The Captain orders.
Eventually, you find a way through to the other side, making it to Eren and Historia just in time. Mikasa catches her before she hits a wall while Captain Levi, Conny, and Jean unlock chains restraining Eren. Staying back with Mikasa and Sasha, you pierce your anchors into the ground again, helping to secure Historia. "Whoa, its even bigger than the Colossal Titan, crazy!" Sasha looks up at the humongous Titan in front of you. Rod Reiss had transformed. As his Titan grows and pressurizes the cave, the ceiling collapses some more. "The ceiling! Look out!" Mikasa shouts. "Get back!" Captain Levi yells, pulling Eren away before they get crushed.
Pressing against the wall with your entire squad, you try to brace the wind and heat, still holding Historia. Glancing beside you, Eren slides down the wall, tears forming in his eyes. "Sorry... I can't! I've been doomed every step of the way. This power never should have been given to me, I can't be humanity's hope, I'm just too weak!" He cries. "Come on, stop playing the tragic hero. Of course you're too weak to accomplish jack by yourself but no one expects you to." Jean responds, looking down at him. "Yeah, calm it down. We've been through a whole lot worse than this, man." Conny reassures him. "Not that I really want to get used to it!" Sasha adds to it. "Still, its gonna suck trying to fly through that mess." Conny looks at the Titan.
"I'll take Eren." Mikasa steps in. "Its gonna take all that we have to not get hit, so hold on for your life." Jean warns Historia. "Right." She replies. "Its useless, you know we won't make it!" Eren intervenes. "So we should do nothing?! Want to sit here and hold hands till we're crushed or till we burn to death? You know dying here won't make anything better!" Historia yells at him. "Listen, I really hate that I do this to you all the time but you've got to make a choice here." Captain Levi speaks up. As soon as he finishes, you feel a needle in your head, making you pinch your right eye shut. Everything is crystal white with a Titan in the center... Eren's Titan. When the vision fades, you hear Eren yell as he grabs a bottle, running towards the edge of the small cliff and Rod's Titan. "Eren!" Mikasa shouts for him.
Before you know it, Eren transforms into his Titan, vine-like crystals spurting out and connecting together. "Whoa... what the...?" Conny gasps, amazed but confused. "Come on! Get under Eren!" Captain Levi shouts, running his way. You uncouple your anchors, following your comrades to protect yourselves under Eren's crystal shield as he let's out a loud roar. That's when the cave completely collapses.
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Words: 6,148
10/11/21
Hello, readers! I started to add art at the beginning when I can or if it relates to the chapter! I'm also tossing around the idea of listing music or making playlists for each chapter to really elevate the experience. Let me know your thoughts!
~AlpineBreadStick