—
AS THE URGENCY OF their situation intensified, the group hurriedly gathered their belongings amidst the forest's rustling leaves and filtered sunlight. Time seemed to compress as they scrambled to leave in a hurry, their movements fueled by a sense of impending danger gaining on them quickly.
With adrenaline coursing through their veins, the three navigated the dense foliage with determination, casting anxious glances over their shoulders as if expecting the Scouts to be closer.
"For now, we find a place without Titans," Reiner yells loud enough for the three behind him to hear, "As far away as possible. Juliet and I haven't recovered enough to outrun these guys. They surrounded us, there's jackshit our Titan forms can do right now."
Ymir yells from Bertholdt's back, "Then why the hell didn't we just wait for the sun to go down?" She turns around and looks behind Juliet to see the green smoke soaring in the air, "Smoke signals? Did the Scouts come to save us?"
"Dammit. That formation wouldn't work unless they hoisted a bunch of horses over the wall," Reiner points out, "Who gave that order? I honestly thought we had more time than this. It's gotta be Commander Erwin. Hard as nails, that one."
The sound of distant gunshots halts Reiner, "Damn. They're already that close? It's Eren's fault for losing his cool."
Ymir can't help looking for that one blonde girl, "Reiner! We have to go back! Now!" Juliet looks back to see what she is looking at, though she can't see anything but green figures on horses, "Krista's with them!"
"What?"
"This is our best chance!" Ymir yells at him.
"You're full of it! No way you can see that far!" Reiner yells back.
"Look, I just know! Think about it, okay?" Ymir tries her hardest to convince him, "She's a big softie, right? Stupid girl's come to rescue me! She had to!"
"Yeah, well so what?" Reiner responds, his head turned back forward, "I'm sorry! It'll have to wait!"
"What?"
"We can't grab her the way things are now! There's no way to bust that formation!" Reiner yells, "Another time!"
"How long do you want me to wait?" Ymir asks, "Maybe I should just hold off on that until I've been gobbled up by one of your Warrior pals? Oh no! I don't think so!" She was now mad and determined to take Krista.
"Don't be that way! Nobody's trying to trick you, I swear it!"
"Prove it, then!" Ymir yells, "There's no time like the present, asshole! Damn you! Get down there and bring her with us! I need to see her!" As she watched from a distance, Juliet couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy tug at her heartstrings as she observed the girl fighting and begging for Krista. Though, she knew going back for the blonde wasn't a good idea at all.
"You don't understand. The way things are going, I never will," Ymir cries out.
"Ymir, we can't!" Juliet yells, "It wouldn't work in our favor. Just trust us! We'll come back," Ymir looks back at her as she talks. Ymir held a downturned gaze as they rejected her plea.
"Let it go, Ymir," Bertholdt says calmly, "Who knows whether we'll even manage to survive this. Sorry. It's just too risky."
Reiner slows his pace down to meet Ymir's eyes, "Listen to me. You have my word. I want her out of this as much as you do. Bear with me. You have to trust us! This is what's best for Krista. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand," Ymir responds, "Real question is, do you?"
"Of course!"
"All right, then," Ymir responds. It seems like she's finally settled down and quit her arguing.
"Thank you for that," Bertholdt says. They continue to make their way through the forest, but Ymir's eyes are looking behind the whole time.
"Let's face it guys, I'm the one best suited for this," Ymir says before going to cover Bertholdt's face with her hands. He hollers, panicking at the lack of vision, "What are you doing?"
"Hey, shut the hell up and use your head for a second," Ymir turns his head to look at her, "In a forest like this I'm the one who can shine. Right?"
"Bertholdt! Look out!" Juliet yells seeing the pair heading directly for a tree. His gaze shifts, letting go of his rigs, and attaching them to another tree just scarcely missing the ground, "Ymr! Knock it off! We'll fall!"
"Do you think that I give a damn?" Ymir says, "I have the advantage. Any other time you three would outclass me. But my Titan form's more agile. I could leap through the trees, grab Eren, and rendezvous with the Scouts before you knew what hit you. Wouldn't be that hard."
Bertholdt decides on a safer option, resting on a tree while Ymir calms down. The other two stop at nearby trees as well.
"Either you agree to take Krista with us today, right now, or so help me I will throw your whole plan out of whack!" Ymir yells out.
"Uh! Are you completely insane? That doesn't help her!" Reiner screams at her, "I thought that you genuinely cared!"
"I do. In my way," Ymir responds, "If it robs her of a future then life's a bitch, but by god, I will live to see her again! I've made my peace with what that says about me. You guys have no idea what it's like. She knows what a shitty person I am, but she still smiles at me. I can't–" She choked back a sob.
"Dammit."
"Don't be pissed. I have a fairly decent plan. Besides, if I stay and fight, it'll be easier for you three to get away. Then again, if you don't like it," she takes hold of Bertholdt's face again, scaring him, "we can always tear each other apart like animals!"
"Fine! Have it your way," Reiner finally gives in. Ymir doesn't take another second to jump off Bertholdt's back, grabbing one of his blades to cut deep into her hand. The other three use their gear to move away to not get hit by the blast.
The bright light and the sound of thunder soon hit, proving Ymir's transformation.
The sound of the Jaws roaring fills the air. Reiner finds a nearby branch to rest on. Bertholdt and Juliet quickly join him. Anxiety fills the quiet air as they wait for Ymir's return, its presence palpable in the hushed rustle of the leaves above.
"I'm sorry," Reiner looks at the two, "There's nothing we could've done. We'll just have to trust her."
"We better hope she actually comes back," Juliet mutters, annoyed at this situation that unfolded before them.
"She will," Reiner responds, "Krista's safety is in her best interest. Here hold Eren, I'll do the running the first half, you take over once I get tired." Reiner unties Eren's still unmoving body and helps Juliet tie him up to Bertholdt instead.
"Got it," Juliet responds.
"Heads up," Bertholdt says, averting their attention to the Jaws Titan nearing them, "She's back."
"Good," Reiner stands up, knife in his hand ready to turn. He leaps off the branch, slicing his hand right away leading to another bolt of light appearing. It didn't take long for the Armored Titan to emerge after that.
Reiner takes off running. Juliet and Bertholdt quickly follow and attach their rigs to his back. With the Titan trembling beneath their feet, Bertholdt and Juliet instinctively reach out, their fingers curling tightly around Reiner's armor in a desperate bid for stability. With a big tremor, Ymir's Titan lands on the opposite shoulder. Juliet clung to the armor with white-knuckled intensity as Ymir's landing caused Reiner to shift, her muscles straining against the turbulent force threatening to upend her sense of balance.
"No way they're following us," Juliet speaks up, glancing behind them to see the Scouts in formation with numerous Titans following them.
"Dammit, Reiner. You've got to pick up the pace a little!" Bertholdt yells directly in his ear.
Ymir takes the time to grab Historia out of her mouth, saliva surrounding every part of her. She coughs the wet substance out. Gross.
"Krista!" Bertholdt looks back at her, as she tries to catch her breath. She soon realizes she's in the hands of her dear friend, "Ymir."
Ymir pulls herself out of her Titan from her nape, smoke comes from the same area, "Krista."
"No–" she coughs, not used to the feeling of releasing herself from her Titan, "Historia, I'm sorry about eating you. You're uh, probably pissed."
"Wha–What is this? I– What's going on? Talk to me! We came to rescue you and Er–" she explains but Ymir cuts her off.
"Just shut up!" she yells, "I don't need rescuing. Things have changed. I'm with Reiner and Bertholdt now. Like it or not, you're coming with us. There's no future inside the walls. Hear me out for a second, okay?"
Ymir takes a breath before continuing, "Life outside isn't as bad as you think, believe me. For starters, there's no one saying the world woulda been a better place if you'd never been born."
"Yeah, I don't think Titans would say much either way! They'd be too busy trying to devour me!" Historia argues.
"We've all got flaws! They're not so bad if you'd just give 'em a break! It's complicated, all right? Get off your high horse!" Ymir yells. She had obviously been offended by Historia's words.
"Ymir! I don't know what's going on in your mind, but you're not making any sense! Come on! What did those three say? You're doing this against your will, they threatened you!" Historia yells back.
"It's the opposite, actually," Berthold barely gets out. Juliet seems to be the only one who hears his words.
"I'm right, aren't I? Let go!" Historia continues, "Whatever they've got on you, I don't care! We can fight them! Put the past behind you! What matters is right now! I'm here! I will always be your ally!" The tenderness in her words hits Ymir right in her heart.
"Ymir!" Bertholdt interrupts, "Look. In case you haven't noticed, the Scouts are closing in. If we'd left earlier there might've been a decent chance of outrunning them. Going back for Krista was your idea. You forced us. Remember that. We waited. For what? Dammit, Ymir! What the hell did we do this for?" He looks at her with desperation as he searches for an answer.
"She'll rot inside these walls, Ymir! You know that already!" Juliet pitches in, "Don't be stupid! Think about this! You owe us this!"
"Let go! Don't listen to them!" Historia cries out.
"I can't!" Ymir says in frustration, "I wish I could. I'm sorry, sweetie. I know you think I did this for you. But at the end of the day, I did it for me. A long time ago I stole the power of the Titans from one of their comrades. Not much I can do against them. Sooner or later, I'm screwed. But, they said if I cooperate, hand you over, maybe I've got a shot at leniency. Maybe my crime gets overlooked."
Ymir's voice shakes every so often, "You're crucial to the church. You know the truth about the walls! When this world started going to hell, I thought to myself 'couldn't hurt to have a bargaining chip in my back pocket.' The castle's as close to death as I ever wanna get. Whole experience traumatized me. Gave me perspective. If I have to play dirty to stay alive, then I have to play dirty. Pathetic, yeah. Doesn't make me the ideal friend. Like I said, though, I didn't do this for you. You deserve better, but there it is. I need you."
Ymir looks up at Historia with begging eyes, "Please save me, Historia!"
It takes a moment for Historia to respond, but she does so confidently, "Well, like I said. I'm here, and I will always be your ally!"
Her consensus shocks the two Warriors, leaving them with their mouths gaped open. Their thoughts get interrupted by a rig landing directly in between them. Ymir hurries back into her Titan, grabs the line, and throws it, leaving the soldier to crash into the ground, likely to his death.
A green flash dashes across Ymir, landing a cut directly to her eye. Ymir roars out in pain.
"Shit– It's Mikasa," Juliet looks at the Scout coming back for more. As the figure drew nearer, Juliet felt a knot of anxiety tighten in the pit of her stomach, her heart quickening its pace with each second Mikasa got closer.
Bertholdt clutches onto Juliet's arm before pulling them both closer to the Armored's neck, "Reiner! Protect us!"
Juliet couldn't latch her eyes away from Mikasa, her eyes widened as she braced herself for the impending encounter. Mikasa swings her blades back, ready to land a blow, but Reiner quickly moves his hands up to his neck shielding them.
Even within Reiner's protection, Mikasa doesn't stop her eyes from boring into the two traitors from the gaps between his fingers. The intensity sent shivers down both of their spines as the chilling gaze seemed to pierce through the very depth of their souls.
Ymir quickly takes action, trying to land a hit on Mikasa with her sharp nails. Though, Mikasa dodges it quickly.
Juliet could hear her voice yell close by, but it wasn't clear what she was saying. She couldn't shake the feeling of unease that washed over her like a chilling breeze. She could feel her heartbeat through her entire body.
Bertholdt suddenly being knocked forward knocks her out of it. Eren was finally awake and putting up a fight.
"Knock it off!" With frustration boiling over her, Juliet lunged forward, her voice sharp with urgency as she aggressively tried to get the boy to stop putting up a fight. Her hands moved with purpose, grasping onto his legs in a firm grip as she tried to restrain his restless movements. He continues to kick at her stomach with full force.
"Quit struggling! It's not going to help!" Bertholdt adds.
"Good luck talking sense into that one, you guys. When something lights a fire under him, that's it. Getting Eren to calm down's a lost cause, take my word for it," Jean, alongside a few of their fellow Scouts, were now surrounding them, "I've been on the receiving end more than you have. Whaddya say we teach him patience? C'mon, show yourself."
Hearing Jean's voice makes Juliet nervous. The boy she used to consider her friend, now threatening her. Though she can't fuss about it, she's the bad guy here and she understood that very well.
"Give him back! Right now!" Mikasa yells out.
"Guys, really? This is some kind of joke, right? No way this is you," It was Connie, "You've been lying to us this whole time? We were supposed to be comrades!" Juliet can feel her teeth grit and the wave of guilt rush over her.
"They still are! This is all just a misunderstanding!" Sasha shouts.
"Where d'you think you're going? You can't keep running forever," Jean says, "We're not gonna let that happen. Rat bastards. Through thick and thin we slept under the same roof as soldiers for three years. Matter of fact the positions you could sleep in were an art form, Bertholdt. I'm not kidding. We all loved waking up to see your contortions in the morning. Used to predict the weather with 'em."
Jean pauses his words, "How'd you do it, Bertholdt? Must not've had a care in the world. Lying beside your victims, yet you slept like a log. Juliet, you made me look like a dumbass looking out for you when I should've been looking out for myself."
Some tears threatened to spill and Juliet tried helplessly to hold them back. Her jaw clenched a silent battle against the overwhelming surge of emotion welling up inside her.
Eren's fighting didn't quit for even a second. "Was it all just an act to you guys? What about the way we used to talk about surviving this together? About growing old, looking back on the worst of it over drinks. Remember? Was that all bullshit? Answer me!" Connie desperately yells for an answer.
Bertholdt shuts his eyes, the words his old comrades are screaming out at him hitting his core. "Go on. What was the point? What were you trying to do?" Connie asks.
"It doesn't matter anymore," Mikasa tries to knock some sense into her friends, "Shut up and focus on opening the traitor's neck. Hesitate for a moment and we forfeit Eren. Who cares what they pretended to be? This was their choice."
Juliet couldn't take hearing that. "That's not true!" she says loud enough for them to hear, "You think I chose to be this? Who chooses to be a monster?!" The Scouts suddenly become quiet at the sound of her voice, her sobs making a few of them feel sympathetic.
"It was never a lie to us! We're not who you think we are but our kindness was never an act! We genuinely made friends with all of you! And it only made it harder for us!" Juliet screams out trying to desperately prove her point. The tears had fallen out in frustration, she was never able to argue without shedding a tear anyway.
"People loathe us. And why wouldn't they? We're monsters. We deserve to die for the things we've done. We're lost. We could live a thousand years and never again know peace. Try to imagine that darkness. The only light was our brief time as soldiers," Bertholdt speaks out to them as Juliet tries to compose herself.
"And we're not stupid. We know we have no right to ask for forgiveness, but please. I beg of you. If we were comrades, someone find us," Bertholdt begs, the shakiness of his voice showing his sincerity.
Juliet had loosened her hold on Eren now that he was no longer kicking. The silence hung heavy in the air, a palpable presence that filled the room with an eerie stillness.
Unlike her comrades, Mikasa holds her ground, "Give him back. I won't ask again."
"I'm sorry. I can't," Bertholdt responds, "One of you has to do it. One of you has to stain your hands with my blood!" The tremble in his voice makes Juliet turn over to him. Her foggy vision doesn't stop her from seeing he shares a similar expression. Eyes watery and filled with a desperate plead.
The two inside could hear distant yelling, the voice came from someone further away. They can only assume they were given directions to flee, as their ODM gear is heard a second later. Juliet can suddenly feel Reiner picking up the pace and holding them a little tighter.
Reiner runs straight into the group of Titans in front of him, knocking only one. The Titans start to outnumber him, holding him within their arms not letting him move. He starts to roar in desperation.
Reiner soon decides to uncover them to try and knock the Titans off. As Titans loomed ominously before her, Juliet's instincts kicked into overdrive, her body moving on pure instinct as she scooted backward with urgency. Her heart hammered in her chest, each beat a thunderous reminder of the looming threat that lurked ahead. With wide eyes fixed on the myriad of Titans, she shuffled cautiously, her movements calculated to keep her out of harm's reach.
But a new threat lurks closer to them causing the adrenaline to surge through her veins. Mikasa came straight for Bertholdt, blades up and ready to cut. With a swift and selfless leap, Juliet threw herself forward with both her blades crossed up to shield Bertholdt from harm's way.
With unwavering strength she shoves Mikasa's blades off, knocking her into a new direction. She had unconsciously thrown her into the hands of a Titan and her wide eyes watched the scene unfold. Jean swiftly comes to the rescue, slicing the eyes of the Titan causing it to release its grasp.
"We've come too far to give up now," Bertholdt says as he walks onto Reiner's hand, "We are going home. And Eren is coming with us."
"Juliet! Bertholdt!" The hair on the back of Juliet's neck stood on end as the sound of Armin's voice came from behind her. With a cautious glance, Juliet turned to look at him, her eyes scanning his carefully.
The weight of uncertainty hung heavy in the air as Armin studied her expressions, searching for a glimpse of anything he could use against her. There was a flicker of concern in her gaze as she met his eyes, Armin's eyes widened as he caught it.
She received a look that cut through her like a knife, tinged with disappointment and hurt. A pang of guilt twisted in her stomach as she recognized the weight of her old friend's unspoken accusation. At that moment, Juliet's heart clenched with remorse, realizing the gravity of her actions and the pain she had caused as she looked at those eyes that seemed to show a glimpse of the sea. It was a silent plea for forgiveness that echoed in the depths of her eyes.
In a sudden and assertive motion, Bertholdt's hand shot out, seizing hold of the front of Juliet's shirt with a firm grip, redirecting her attention forcefully. Juliet's gaze snapped away from its previous focus, her eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected interruption. Caught off guard by the suddenness of the gesture, she turned to meet Bertholdt's gaze, her expression a mixture of sorrow and remorse.
Bertholdt's harsh gaze silently told her to focus and not be stupid.
"So, you're okay with this?" Armin's soft voice says, "Leaving your friend behind to face the music?" As the words registered in her mind, Juliet stood frozen in disbelief, her features contorted in shock as if struck by an invisible force. Similarly, Bertholdt's mouth fell agape, yet no sound emerged, as his mind grappled with the concern of their comrade and the girl he'd watched from afar for a while.
"I guess Annie was weighing you down?" Armin continues, "D'you know where she is? Way up north in the Utopia District. Being tortured. The silent treatment only goes so far. Her body may heal, but her screams are an object lesson on the limits of endurance. Oh, don't worry, they're taking special care she doesn't die...or get a moment's rest. So many methods, so little time."
Each word tugs at Bertholdt and Juliet's hearts, "Mustn't waste a prize specimen like Annie. She's too precious."
Bertholdt lets go of Juliet's shirt to leap forward, "Shut your mouth, hellspawn! I'll kill you!"
Suddenly, a blade slashes through Bertholdt's chest, setting Eren free. Commander Erwin had attacked with only one arm and one blade. Bertholdt suddenly unbalanced falls and hangs off his rigs. Mikasa sweeps in to catch Eren like she was called upon.
"All soldiers, retreat!" Commander Erwin yells as he falls.
In disbelief, Juliet gets up from her previous position. As she turned around, her heart skipped a beat as she spotted Armin still there, fear in his eyes as he realized he'd been spotted. Juliet's new harsh gaze bore down upon his adversaries with a chilling intensity that seemed to pierce through the very depths of his soul, but yet he couldn't move.
Her eyes, cold and unyielding, glinted with a malevolent gleam. There was a newfound bitterness within her at the mention of Annie.
She makes her way towards him, both her hands having a tight grip on her blades. As fear tightened its grip around him, Armin braced himself for the approaching impact, his heart pounding in his chest with a rhythm of dread. His teeth gritted together and his eyes shut, but the impact never came as he waited.
As his eyelids fluttered open, Armin was only to be met with the sight of Juliet standing over him, her gaze piercing and intense, "Didn't you hear? Erwin said retreat." In a tone devoid of any discernible emotion, Juliet spoke in a nonchalant voice.
She soon raised her leg and delivered a forceful kick to Armin's chest, sending him stumbling off the shoulder of the Armored Titan. As he falls, his wide blue-fired eyes never leave her figure.
"Armin!" Jean crashes into him, grabbing him before he hits the ground. Jean holds him at his waist as he lands back on his horse. With his face still facing the Titan's direction, his eyes remained fixed unwaveringly on Juliet, his gaze an unyielding anchor amidst the chaos. He watches as she sighs before turning around.
"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" Jean asks him, worried over his quietness. When he doesn't get a response, he tries again, "Armin! Dammit! Talk to me!" Jean glances behind him to see Armin's blonde locks bounce with every step the horse makes.
"No, I'm..." he whispers, "I'm okay." As he pondered the unexpected act of mercy bestowed on him from Juliet, Armin couldn't shake the lingering sense of bewilderment that gnawed at the edges of his consciousness. With furrowed brows, he searched for any clue or indication that might shed light on the motives behind her act.
Yet, try as he might, the answer remained elusive, a puzzle with missing pieces that refused to fit together. Why didn't she kill me?
Juliet had an opposing question in mind. She wondered why she could never act right when Armin was around. Maybe it was his innocence that made her hesitate or his wish to meet the sea that she didn't want to stop him from. No, she knew what it was, she was just too afraid to admit it.
She jumps off Reiner's shoulder and bites her hand harshly. Armin observes the bright light and Juliet's Titan forming. She doesn't take even a second to start swinging her hardened fists at the Titans on top of Reiner.
She grabs one of the Titans' heads and bashes it into her knee, killing it in one swift motion. Its blood pouring down onto the flowers spread below her, covering their once-pretty color. Reiner has another idea in mind. He takes the head of a Titan and throws it in the direction of the Scouts, directly towards Eren.
Unexpectedly, a sharp pain shot through Juliet's leg as the jaws of a Titan clamped down with vicious force. With a cry of shock and pain, she recoiled instinctively, her hardened fist instinctively reaching to pry the Titans' jaws away from her flesh but Reiner grabbed its head, ripping it away from her leg and throwing it far.
This one landed near Jean and Armin, "Reiner. What the–? Doesn't he care if Eren gets eaten?" Armin questions his dangerous actions.
"Move it or lose it, asshole!" Jean yells, "I'm tired of your shit!"
Reiner keeps going until the final Titan attached to him is gone. With a surge of determination coursing through their veins, Juliet and Reiner broke into a sprint, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on Eren.
Each stride propelled Reiner forward with unbridled energy, the thud of his footsteps echoing. Contrarily, with sheer determination driving her forward, Juliet sprinted with all her might, fueled by the unwavering resolve to seize success at any cost. She was evidently faster than Reiner.
A sudden electric shock rushes through all of the Warriors, accompanied by a scream coming from Eren himself. The Fighting pauses for a moment, abruptly confused at what stopped her movements.
Was that... the Coordinate?
The Armored recovered a lot faster, running past her. She knocks herself out of it, following him quickly, continuing their way to Eren. The moment Eren locks eyes with the two Titans he stops, Mikasa on his back holding on tight, "Get away from us!"
That same electric bolt pierces through them again, "Rat bastards! I'll kill you where you stand!" The sudden ominous sound of heavy stomps reverberated through the air, Juliet's heart quickened its pace, each thunderous step sending a jolt of fear coursing through her veins. The ground seemed to tremble beneath her feet with each approaching footfall as a new group of Titans was approaching them.
With a sense of horror rising within her, Juliet swatted frantically at the Titans swarming around her, their menacing presence sending shivers down her spine. She tries her hardest to kick, punch, and swing but they easily outnumber them.
Hearing Bertholdt's whines push her to push harder. Each punch was met with a chorus of blood, the Titans' relentless onslaught proving to be a formidable challenge. There are just too many. One grabs behind her pushing her toward the hard body of the Armored. Another two latch onto her arm, making it impossible for her to move.
Similarly, Reiner can't budge from his position.
Armin tries his hardest to push Jean's knocked-out body onto his horse, knocked from the Titan Reiner threw straight at them. He can't seem to make his eyes stay in one place, constantly switching from Jean and the Titan shifters fighting for their lives.
He's shaking and the tears are spilling out of his eyes involuntarily from the immense stress he feels. By the time he gets on his horse, with Jean resting on him, he notices Eren running on foot with Mikasa on his back, "Eren!"
"Can you ride?" he brings Jean's horse with him.
"Yeah!"
"Then hurry!" he yells out, handing Jean's horse to him. As Eren got on, helping Mikasa as well, Armin kept glancing at the shifters behind them.
A Titan was coming dangerously close to Bertholdt, biting down in an attempt to eat him. Unexpectedly, Ymir pushed the Titan away from him, coming to his rescue.
With every fiber of her being aflame with newfound determination from Ymir's arrival, Juliet pours every last ounce of energy into her battle, pushing herself to the brink in a relentless pursuit of getting out alive. Her fists meet the faces of numerous Titans. Once she gets enough room, she starts kicking them away with the hardened material on her feet. The Titans go flying from the impact.
Ymir jumps onto her shoulders, swiping at any Titans that attacked her from behind. Once there were only a few left, Bertholdt used his gear to climb onto Juliet's shoulders as well, "Reiner! Get out!"
Juliet takes the hint and starts to run. Another rig hits her back announcing Reiner's arrival. With three of them now on her, she pushed herself harder, her muscles burning with exertion as she poured every ounce of energy into her sprint. The wind whipped through her dark hair as she raced across the field with unbridled speed.
Finally, in the course of time, they arrive at Wall Maria.
Juliet's Titan came to a stop directly next to the wall. Ymir climbs it with ease. Reiner, using his ODM gear, latches his rigs to climb on top. Bertoldt waits at Juliet's shoulder, remaining to bring Juliet's most likely tired body up with them.
Juliet finally comes out of the nape of her Titan. As the burn of exhaustion spread through her limbs and her breaths came in ragged gasps, her chest heaving with exertion. Her limbs were still being caught in the muscles of the Titan. The red markings blaze on her face.
In that moment of stillness, she allowed herself a brief respite, the chaos of her thoughts slowing to match the rhythm of her pounding heart.
Bertholdt places his arms under her, pulling her out in a speedy motion. The muscles holding onto her break easily, allowing her to be lifted swiftly. He makes his way up the wall gripping her weary body firmly, instinctually protecting her from any harm.
As soon as they make it up, he gently drops her warm body, letting her rest. Ymir was lying with her back flat against the ground next to her, trying to catch her breath too. Juliet rests on her hands and knees, she focuses on the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, willing her lungs to draw in the air more deeply.
Struggling to catch his breath Reiner decides to speak, "What the hell possessed you to come back?"
Ymir sighs turning her gaze to the blonde, "Uh. Can't say, really. Probably wasn't the smartest thing. Seemed a little unfair to send you guys home empty-handed."
She turns back to the sky, stars starting to glisten within the dark atmosphere, "Just, think of me as a consolation prize."
"Are you serious?" Bertholdt asks.
"Look at it this way, if you hadn't come to bust up the wall, who knows when my nightmare would've ended? I owed quite a debt. This is me giving back what I took from you. 'Least somebody knows the shit you've been through. Even if it is only me," Ymir says.
Juliet turns to face her in a quick motion, making Ymir turn to see her. She didn't expect to see tears pooling from her eyes, a few streams falling down her cheeks and landing on the ground below them.
Juliet's teeth were gritted trying to stop herself from weeping, "Thank you, Ymir." She tried her hardest to control her voice but its shakiness peaked out, "You don't understand what this means to us. We owe you our lives." She sucks her breath in as she speaks, a whimper leaking out.
The way she was shaking showed Ymir that this really meant something to her.
"No worries," tears build up in Ymir's eyes, "Being a goddess had its perks while it lasted."
—
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April. 2024