AUTHOR'S POV:
"You damn traitors!" Eren yelled and bit his hand, causing a burst of blue lightning, and red flesh began to form.
The attacking Titan screamed, throwing out his fist right into the Armored Titan's face.
The Armored Titan's face smashed into the Wall, tearing it as they continued to descend.
The two Titans landed hard, the ground around them fracturing from the impact.
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Mikasa stared intently at the cloud of dust.
"Eren!" She yelled.
She gritted her teeth, glancing up to the cloud of stream, past which sat the Colossal Titan.
'If only...' Her mind flashed back to taking swings at Reiner and Bertolt with her swords. 'If only I'd cut off their heads! That was the perfect chance! I should've been able to do it, so why?!' Reiner and Bertolt's terrified faces came to her.
Mikasa turned her head back toward the ground. 'That was it.' she berated herself. 'There won't be another chance!'
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Atop Wall Rose, the Scouts faced the Colossal. Hange gasped when the Titan moved out his arm.
"Everyone, jump away from the Wall!" Hange yelled.
The Colossal Titan brought down his arms, trying to scrap the soldiers off.
The Scouts quickly fled.
"It got Ymir!" Nife screamed, carrying Christa. "And somebody else, too!"
The Colossal tossed them both in his mouth, clamping his jaw shut.
"He ate 'em!" Nifa yelled.
Christa whimpered, eyes widening.
Hange, Keiji, Armin, and Sasha hung from the side of the Wall.
"Th-This can't be..." Sasha trailed off.
"Bertolt..." Armin said softly, and Christa continued to stare, shocked.
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"All soldiers, prepare to attack! We're taking down the Colossal Titan!" Hange ordered.
She leaped, doing a backflip in the air and heading back up the Wall.
"It's a threat to all of humanity! Swarm the huge bastard!" Hange said.
The Colossal Titan brought his arm back then sent his fist flying at her. The Scouts dodged, flying around the massive appendage.
They continued to dodge his swings.
Keiji flew by its face, making eye contact. 'Just like the reports said, he's slow!'
'It might be big, but that's it!' Abel thought, flying behind Keiji.
'Compared to the Titans we normally fight, this'll be easy!' Another Scout glared the Titan.
'We've got this!' A brown-haired soldier dove toward the massive Titan.
"Now's our chance!" Hange yelled as they dove for his nape. "Slice up his neck!"
Out of nowhere, the Colossal Titan released an enormous amount of steam, forcing the soldiers back.
"Too hot!"
"Everyone, fall back!" Hange commanded and they quickly exited the large cloud of steam, landing on the Wall.
"My hand!" A Scout yelled, grunting in pain, holding his burned hand.
"Water!" Rashad yelled. "Bring water!"
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Hange stood behind Armin and stared at the Colossal continuing to release steam.
"He's trying to disappear again?" Hange said.
"No, something is different. The last time he vanished instantly," Armin explained, "but now, he's maintaining his form and emitting heat like a furnace. If he keeps protecting himself with steam..." He shot a hook toward the Titan, but it rebounded easily. "We're unable to attack him with 3D gear! Wh-What do we do?!"
Hange was quiet before she answered.
"We can't do anything. We wait." Hange said and the Scouts listened to her without a word. "Squads Three and Four, take position behind the target. Rashad has command."
"Got it!" Rashad replied.
"Squad Two will wait here. Lauda is in command." Hange ordered.
"Understood!" Lauda replied.
"It's yet to be seen how long he can keep his body burning, but... eventually he has to come out. We wait for that moment to attack. Listen up. Forget about capturing them," Hange said seriously. "Kill 'em... and don't hesitate!" She turned to Armin. "Armin... and Squad One follow me! We've got a date with the Armored Titan!"
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"Hot!" Connie said while carrying an unconscious soldier on his back.
"Christa! Connie! Get further back!" Nifa said, standing with her back to the two, swords out. "And take care of those two injured soldiers."
"U-Um!" Christa was kneeling, holding a passed out solider.
"Huh?" Nifa said and turned back to her.
"Ymir can't possibly be dead yet. Please... Rescue her!" Christa begged, tears in her eyes.
"Right." Nifa replied.
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"Where are Reiner and Bertoltolt?!" Connie asked frantically. "They don't have their 3D gear either! Please, go find and help those two!"
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The attacking Titan was roaring. Suddenly a punch sent him flying back into some tree, missing a part of his right arm. He bounced a couple of times before coming to a stop.
The Armored Titan straightened, staring at him.
The attacking Titan lay with his jaw cracked open, face steaming where Reiner's fist had connected with his face and left a hole.
'You shit...' Eren cursed, glaring. 'You big piece of shit. And here you wouldn't shut up about a soldier's duty...'
'During close combat training, were you always holding back on me? You're so strong, it's ridiculous.' The attacking Titan's arm twitched, stump steaming. 'I can't even move an inch of my body.'
'I always thought you were a stand-up guy.' Eren remembered memories of Reiner, admiring him. 'Someone who remained calm, regardless of the situation... A guy who put his comrades ahead of himself...'
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The Armored Titan took heavy steps forward.
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'And I... To think at one time I wished...to be as strong as you someday.' The attacking Titan lay still as the Armored Titan continued to advance toward him.
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Mikasa raced behind the Armored and shooting a hook, attempted to cut his nape. Pieces of her blades flew. 'That did nothing!'
'Eren's attack didn't... And my blades don't work either!' Reloading her blades, Mikasa tried again, going for his legs next. 'What's worse, unlike Annie, his whole body is hard!' She flew after the Armored Titan as he ignored her.
"Eren!" She yelled.
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One of attacking Titan's eyes cleared. It noticed the approaching threat. 'Hey, Reiner...' Within seconds, his hand healed.
'I don't know what kind of face you're making right now, but...' Eren's face twisted into an expression of rage. 'You guys...' His thoughts turned to the invasion of Shinganshina. 'You really are the worst pieces of shit. I bet in the history of humanity, nobody's done anything as terrible as you.'
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Mikasa couched on the Armored's shoulder, bringing her broken sword down over and over to no avail. She gasped, noticing the attacking Titan regenerate and begin to rise to his feet.
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'I've gotta erase you. You shouldn't be allowed to exist anymore. What the hell are you thinking?' Eren's mind went to a uniformed, saluting Reiner. 'I've never felt so revolted before. Just remembering you and your self-righteous face is making me sick.'
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Mikasa stared, eyes wide and mouth open.
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'It makes me want to vomit. You... big damn pest!' The attacking Titan let out a ferocious roar. And Mikasa quickly moved. 'It's time to exterminate you!'
The attacking Titan went for it, but the Armored slammed his fist into his face instead, once again sending him soaring and twisting through the air.
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Eren landed roughly on his back.
"Uhhh..." He groaned in pain.
Annie just stood there, holding a rifle.
"Nice technique, Annie." Eren appreciated, still on the ground. "Can you teach me this move?"
Annie then moved towards Eren and stood infront of him.
"You know. There's no point to any of this training." Annie said.
"Hmm?" Eren replied with confusion, standing up.
"We aren't graded on our hand-to-hand combat skills. Most people brush it off, like them, because only the top ten trainees are allowed to join the Military Police and serve in the interior." Annie said. "The only ones who take it seriously are naive idiots like you or just ordinary idiots."
"It doesn't matter if it is to be graded or not." Eren said. "I just wanna learn something new. So, can you teach me?"
Annie just sighed and tossed the rifle aside. "Fine."
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'Why am I remembering it now? Eren thought. 'Is this what they call having your life flash before your eyes?' The attacking Titan flipped over and stood. 'It doesn't matter anymore. I don't think I've felt... this awful in my whole life.' The attacking Titan hung his head, wounds healing.
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"Eren!" Armin yelled. "Don't do it! You can't win in a slugfest! Run this way! Eren! Don't try to fight him!"
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Mikasa landed in the grass, glaring at her blade-less swords. She looked up when she heard the attacking Titan roar.
"Eren!"
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The attacking Titan brought his arm back as the Armored Titan came within reach.
The Armored Titan brought up his arr arms and threw a punch the same time Rogue did.
The attacking Titan ducked and side-stepped the punch, then bringing his arm up, locked up the Armored Titan's head and arm.
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Mikasa was stunned.
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The attacking Titan tripped the Armored Titan and taking him down.
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"He threw the Armored Titan!" Moblit said and gaped.
"Wait..." Armin said. "Isn't that...the technique Annie used?"
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'I don't know what the hell you guys are trying to accomplish by doing all this, but...' The attacking Titan brought up his fist. 'Now that I think of it, your plan has been full of flaws from the start!'
The Armored Titan shoved him to the side. 'Your biggest mistake was this!' The attacking Titan quickly twisted his legs around his opponent's neck, trapping his arms and yanking. 'You taught me how to fight.'
He increased the pressure, forcing the Armored Titan's face into his shoulder and causing it to crack. 'It's working! I've got him now! I still have a chance!'
The cracks began to spread. The Armored Titan brought up a hand, shaking from the strain. He began to pull loose one of Rogue's legs, getting to his feet.
'Think again!' He twisted the Armored Titan's arm further, switching up the position of his legs to bring the Armored Titan smashing into the ground, destroying the earth and several trees.
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"Eren!" Mikasa yelled, running parallel to the fight at a safe distance.
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'You're not getting away from this!' The attacking Titan roared, on top of the Armored Titan, throwing his head back and ripping the captured arm as hard as he could. It began to shatter.
The cover over the Armored Titan's mouth lowered and he released a puff of steam. Rogue continued to scream until finally, the arm tore off and went flying, leaving blood spilling everywhere.
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Mikasa stopped running.
The arm fell a good distance away from her.
'He did it!' She took in the scene, amazed.
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The Armored Titan was on the ground on one knee, stump healing, while the attacking Titan stood with his arms up.
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Armin landed behind Mikasa.
"Eren! Can you hear me?!" He called out, grabbing his attention. "Run away! Get closer to the Wall! Their goal is to kidnap you and take you away! We've gotta escape and prevent that from happening!"
Mikasa glanced at the Armored Titan.
"But, Armin, Reiner isn't going to let us do as we please!" Mikasa said.
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Reiner got to his feet.
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"It's dangerous here!" A scout said, landing behind Armin and Mikasa. "Get back, you two!"
Armin did as he was told, but Mikasa hesitated, staring at the attacking Titan before retreating.
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The Armored Titan took a step forward. A large shadow fell over Mikasa as she flew and she looked behind.
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A wave of wind forced the Scouts hanging from the Wall to shield themselves.
Armin checked behind him.
The attacking Titan had joined them.
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"Nice, Eren! Good call!" Moblit yelled from higher up the Wall.
"He's back in control again." Mikasa said, joining Armin.
"Yeah, but like you were saying, it'll be almost impossible to escape Reiner." Armin said.
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Hannes and another member of the Garrisons flew to the top of Wall Rose, hovering midair.
"What the hell?" Hannes stuttered, seeing the Colossal Titan.
He slid to a stop not far from Christa. He looked over to where groups of Scouts were facing a transformed Bertolt.
"I knew it... The Colossal Titan." Hannes said.
Christa watched his hands tremble, clutching his swords tightly.
"Why did that bastard show up here?!" Hannes asked, turning to her. "Where's Eren? What's the situation?"
"Eren and the others are that way!" Christa replied, pointing.
Hannes ran over to the other edge of the Wall. Hange landed on Rogue's shoulder and he turned his head to her.
"Eren?!" Hange called out.
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"Is that Eren's Titan form?" Hannes said with wide eyes.
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Hange took a few steps closer.
"Listen up, Eren. If you're gonna escape, we've got to find a way to halt Reiner and buy you some time!" She hange said, watching the Armored Titan stalk toward them menacingly. "Can you break his leg with another one of those joint locks? Our blades don't seem to work on him, so use your head and figure out the best course of action!"
The attacking Titan nodded, letting out a grunt.
A deep blush covered Hange's face as she stared at him, making an awed sound.
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"Mikasa, use these." Armin said and held out his blades. "It's the rest of my blades."
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"I'm counting on you!" Hange said and returned to the Wall.
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'This time, running away is a guaranteed victory.' The attacking Titan faced the approaching Armored Titan. 'It's you guys that are screwed for revealing what you are. You're the ones backed into a corner.'
The Armored Titan suddenly took off running, the golden plates around his legs shattering, the force of the movement destroying the ground and the trees.
The Armored Titan shoved Rogue into the Wall. Growling, he tried to punch the attacking Titan.
'Shit! Leg! His leg!' Eren cursed in his head. The attacking Titan quickly trapped the Armored Titan's arm, wrapping his legs around it, moving his head left and right to avoid getting punched in the face by the other fist.
"Don't stay on the ground, Eren!" Armin advised, flying toward him.
"Stand up!" Mikasa yelled from next to him.
The attacking Titan used his right leg to trip the Armored and send him down. He jumped to his feet and pressed his back to the Wall, arms up.
'Dammit! His tackle is too much to handle!' The Armored Titan stood, ready to attack again and the attacking took a cautious few steps back.
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"Shit..." Keiji cursed, glaring down at the scene. "Since when could he move so quick?"
"Are we completely useless here?!" His fellow squadmate said.
"No..." Hange said, grabbing Mikasa's attention. "If his entire body was hard like stone, there's no way he could move like that. In the armor they used in wars of the past, it had sections at the joints not covered in metal to allow for movement. Like at the armpits and groin... And also... the spot behind the knee."
Mikasa turned to the Armored Titan's legs as he lowered to the ground, ready to charge.
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With a growl, the Armoured titan charged forward.
'I can't evade it...' Eren thought furiously. 'Since I'll get knocked over anyways... Bring it!' As soon as the Armored shoved his shoulder into the attacking Titan's midsection to tackle him, he brought up his legs and circled them around his attacker's back, wrapping his right arm around his head.
'Gimme that neck'! The Armored Titan fell face fell into the ground, caught in the attacking Titan's lock. 'You're mine!'
The Armored Titan struggled, but couldn't break free.
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Nifa, Keiji, and Armin stared, surprised.
"Yeah! That's it, Eren!" Keiji cheered.
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'I've got 'em! Now it's a battle of strength!' The attacking Titan struggled to keep him from breaking free as the Armored Titan grabbed his leg. 'This freak...'
Mikasa shot toward them as fast as she could.
She ran down the side of the Wall before launching herself and tearing the muscles in the back of one of the Armored Titan's knees.
"Eren!" She yelled.
'Mikasa!' The attacking Titan tilted his head to watch her.
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"She cut him!" Hange said, grinning she and her squad hanging from the Wall.
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Mikasa landed, suspended from a tree.
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Steam rose from the wound and the Armored Titan growled pathetically, knee collapsing to the ground.
'He can't fight back as much anymore!' The attacking Titan exerted more pressure. Yellow plates flew up into the air as the armor on his back cracked and exploded up.
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"You've got this!" Armin said.
"Go for it, Eren!" Keiji yelled.
Other Scouts joined in.
"Tear the head off his neck!"
"Pull the traitor outta there!"
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'I can win!' The attacking Titan was on his back, pulling as hard as he could. 'Against Reiner... I can win!'
Teeth cracking from clenching his jaw so hard, the Armored Titan brought down his hand, fingers digging into the dirt. He began pushing forward, causing the attacking Titan to slide up.
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"Wh-What the... " Armin said.
"Heh, it's useless." Keiji said with a smirk.
"Keep at it! Don't let up!" Nifa yelled.
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The Armored Titan's plates kept cracking.
The Armored Titan's foot slipped, and he stopped, next to the crater that was caused by their fall earlier.
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"He stopped..." Armin said. "But why there?" He looked up.
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With tremendous effort, the Armored Titan lifted his head and cried out. The Colossal Titan sat almost directly on the Wall on top of them.
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The Scouts stared wordlessly.
"Be on your guard! He's calling in Titans!" Hange said.
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"No other Titans spotted in the area!" A Scout reported, joining Hange's group.
"What a useless struggle," Keiji said. "Try screaming for help with your head ripped off, you idiot!"
"Look, he's tearing it off!"
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Blood gushed from the Armored Titan's body between the fractured pieces of armor where the skin was exposed.
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"What's with the Armored Titan?" Connie said, staring down. "Why'd he scream like that?"
A cracking sound was heard and he looked up.
The Scouts atop Wall Rose watched the sounds grew louder. Connie stood.
"Hey..." Connie trailed off.
Suddenly he and Christa and Hannes behind him put it together.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey!" Connie said.
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The attacking Titan refused to let up as the Armored Titan kept screaming. More and more blood kept flying out as the skin was ripped apart.
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The ribcage like bones securing the Colossal Titan to the Wall began to snap. The gargantuan body tilted to the side.
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Connie and the others could only watch, horrified.
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"Above you!" Rashad screamed in warning. "Look out!"
Hange, Armin, and Mikasa looked up.
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Eren finally moved his gaze up, startled.
Mouth open, red glowing orbs in his eye sockets, the Colossal Titan fell straight down.
'I got you, Eren.'
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