"Erwin!" I call, as I run past the screaming children and troubled civilians. "Commander Erwin!"
I run through the frantic crowds, looking for the tall man. Shrieks and running villagers are everywhere; the sounds of the Female Titan's footprints clear as day. The seemingly calm and peaceful feeling to Stohess has been stripped away, now masked with terror and confusion.
Spotting him, I walk quickly to the horse carriage he's standing beside, a very bored-looking Lance Corporal behind him.
"Commander Erwin," I offer a quick, messy salute and don't waste any words explaining. "The capture attempt failed. The target has turned."
"So that's what that sound was," he furrows his thick brows but his blue eyes stay calm. "Hanji is already aware of our third back-up plan. Can you fight?"
I remember the injuries across my torso, pale blue and purple scarring me in a strange, uneven pattern. I know I don't have time to think; I have to consider my options carefully and quickly. Attack the Female Titan pretending I've healed or tell Erwin the truth and let everybody else handle it. It doesn't require much thinking at all, actually, because I've had my mind set on the answer to this all day.
"Yes," I lie, my voice coming out sharp and even. "I've healed."
Levi gives me a sideways glance and I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from letting any emotions that could take over.
"I see," Erwin looks down at my equipment. "Go make sure Eren is able to transform, and go after the Female Titan. You're the only one of the Special Operations Squad in the position to fight, after all."
"Understood, sir," I bring my hands down and draw my blades as I turn around.
"Estelle," Levi's voice is stern, and I almost groan dramatically at the tone.
"What?" I ask, my voice coming out a little too rudely.
"Be careful."
Even with my eyes open, I can see memories flashing in front of my eyes. The first day he dropped me off at the camp, his last word to me being 'live'. I wonder if this time, 'be careful' will be his last words to me, forever. I push these thoughts to the back of my head. That's ridiculous, I think to myself, I wouldn't die. I can't let myself die.
I give him a sincere nod and run in the direction I was going, looking up and spotting the head of the Female form. I latch my 3D maneuver gear onto buildings closeby, and in mere seconds I spot Mikasa attacking the Titan. I look around for signs of Eren and Armin, and get a bad feeling as soon as I see the pile of rubble stacked together.
Armin's blonde hair is visible, and he isn't facing me. He's kneeling on the ground, trying to push the rubble.
On a full-blown sprint I reach him, and gasp at the sight in front of me.
"Eren!" I yell to nobody in particular. My hands cover my mouth and I begin to shake.
"Estelle, help me get this off of him," Armin pleads, his eyes frantic.
I'm stronger than Armin, and manage to get off most of the rubble before Jean comes.
"What's wrong with Eren?" Jean demands. "Shoudn't he have transformed by now?"
"Eren can't transform," Armin explains.
"What?" Jean and I say in unison.
"I think it's because Annie is the Female-type." Armin comments, his voice panicky and breath uneven. "At any rate, I have to get this off of him. Could you give me a hand?"
Jean bends over and places a hand on Eren's shoulder. "Eren, don't screw around! I said we'd all be counting on you, remember?! You, of all people, are entrusted with mankind and the lives of its people! Is this what we get?!" He gets on his knees and buries his head in his hands. "Marco... Marco didn't-"
He's interrupted by a crash ruining the wall behind us, coming towards us. I jump quickly out of the way but fall on my already injured torso, and Jean and Armin are brushed away by the wind the force creates. I feel a stinging pain come from my chest as I make a rough contact with the ground.
"Armin," I give him a remorseful look as I see Eren's body being put under even more rubble and pressure.
"We'll have to take care of her first," Jean commands, drawing his blades. I follow after him reluctantly, knowing if I look back the weakness I hide in me will draw me to help Eren and Armin as innocent people are dying.
"Jean," I call, as I use my 3D Maneuver Gear alongside him.
"What?"
"I'll help you."
He nods as we draw in closer to the large body of Annie Leonhardt, and he damages her legs and back minimally.
"Annie!" I hear somebody yell from behind me. I retreat from my position of going towards her ankles and go on the roof of a nearby building. I see Armin and begin shaking my head. Wasn't he just trying to save Eren? Why is the idiot here?
"If you don't kill me this time," he continues, "you won't be able to make any excuses like 'we'll see if my gamble pays off'!"
She turns around and I see Jean coming in from behind her. I quickly follow his lead but go after my original target of the ankles. A few shards of blade coming falling near me and I retreat back to my roof to avoid them. I notice he was trying to go after her hardened hand, a mistake on his part.
"This way!" Jean yells, going forward. Armin and I take his lead, going towards the middle of the large district, leading her to Plan C.
I make short eye contact with Hanji, and a mere second later large rounds are piercing in the Titan's flesh, making her quite literally stop at where she's standing.
Jean and Armin just barely keep out of her grasp, and I look behind me, watching her get attacked from every point on her body as she falls backwards. Armin and I go to the ground a comfortable distance away from her restrained body, listening to Hanji.
"Okay!" She cheers. "I didn't think we'd have to resort to Plan C, so what a surprise. That's Commander Erwin, I guess. Now then..." She uses her 3D Maneuver Gear to get herself to the ground. "You're a good girl, so please keep yourself still."
She points a blade towards the Female Type's eye and continues speaking to her.
I decide not to talk to Hanji, assuming she's in her Titan-crazy stage. If you know well of Hanji, this phase of hers is not just about her curiosity of the Titans. She can reach a violent state of mind, and I prefer to not let the angry or bloodthirsty thoughts of others forever impact my image of them.
Suddenly, Annie uses her legs to kick the men surrounding her, and I get myself atop of a building, sighing. She manages to remove herself from the traps and run away, leaving an annoyed group of soldiers.
We go forward in squads, few of us successfully removing her flesh. Mikasa and I are the only ones still fighting after a little, but even she gets kicked away eventually.
"Annie!" I yell, as I stand from a roof tall enough for her head to be level with my body. "I'm quite sorry we couldn't stay friends." I brush my bangs behind my face nonchalantly, grinning as I throw my blades up in the air, taking steps towards her. "By we, I mean Mina as well." Images of Mina and I doing each other's hair while talking to Annie and Sasha flow through my mind. The girls of the 104th all got along pretty kindly, with a few exceptions. Although Annie normally dismissed most of the girls, Mina and I were two she seemed to be able to withstand. "But really, wasn't it because of people like you that she died?" I notice Annie's pupils shrinken, her body stiff. Annie's the one who discovered Mina's decapitated body that day, mere feet from Marco's, and I know she remembers it. The Corps assumed a while ago that the Colossal and Armored Titans were just like Annie and Eren, and if it weren't for them, the world would be in the place it was at before that fall.
"So now, Female Titan," my blades shimmer as I point them towards her. "Why don't you let me tear you apart to make up for the deaths you've caused, hmm?"
Just then, a flash of lighting comes from the sky, and my eyes widen along with Annie's. I can tell we're thinking the same thing; that Eren has transformed. Heavy footsteps sound as the wind flows, making my cape and hair sway along with the wind, time being infinitely slow. The vibrations of the ground match those of Eren's heavy steps, the building shaking underneath of my feet.
I smirk and close my eyes, already knowing what is going to happen. "Are you ready?" I look up at her and her expression is completely fearful as Eren begins charging towards her. She turns around, but she's too late. What used to be a beautiful round structure of a building has been crushed under the weight of her Titan form falling on top of it, completely ruining it.
Knowing that at this point my work for the time being has been done, I look for Erwin. Getting in between two Titan shifters is a bad idea right off of the bat, and Erwin most likely knows nothing about the current scenario. Thankfully, even through the complicated district's layout, I remember where he was the first time I looked for him and find him immediately.
"Commander!" I call, confining my blades. I'm about to raise a salute when I take in the situation in front of me. Multiple members of the Military Police, including Nile, have their guns pointed at Erwin. I'm already on the ground, so I begin walking towards them, keeping my hands on the handles of my blades just in case.
I'm about to question what they're doing when Erwin speaks up. "What's the situation?"
I clear my throat before answering him, halfly caught off guard. "Eren has managed to transform. Plan C has failed, but Plan B is being put back into action."
"I see," he keeps his eyes locked with Nile's.
Nile takes a quick look at me, and I assume he's questioning if I could be an enemy, too. I stand still and wait for him to begin speaking, knowing that the pesky Military Police are great at running their mouths.
"Erwin," Nile gives him a disgusting glare, and I refrain from rubbing my temples due to their complete idiocy. "This is clearly treason! Now give me an answer!"
I have absolutely no idea what they're talking about, and quite frankly, I don't want to die at the hands of humans.
"It was all for the benefit of mankind," Erwin answers plainly, his face solemn.
"Don't screw with me!" Nile yells, leveling his gun barrel to Erwin's head. "You're a traitor! Even if I were to execute you now, I doubt the brass would disapprove!"
"I wouldn't mind," Erwin stays still as he speals. "However, I'd be leaving everything in your hands. Don't let the Female Titan escape, no matter what. Paehl's in charge of deployment, Vyler's in charge of supplies. Cooperate with them and corner the Female Titan at the east wall."
"Wait, wait!" Nile begs, shaking.
I roll my eyes at them and notice Levi onlooking, his head slightly turned. We make eye contact for a slight second before I continue watching Nile mindlessly speak.
"You really believe this is for mankind's sake?" He asks.
"I'm convinced it's a step in the right direction," Erwin plainly replies. That's what I like about the commander; straightforward and honest.
"All of you, lower your guns." Beads of sweat drip down Nile's face as he lowers his weapon.
One senseless soldier keeps his weapon, except now it's pointed at me. This is noticed by everybody, but I just smirk as I walk towards him. He gives me a questionable look, but I just glare into his eyes, the wind blowing by as he keeps his weapon raised. For a fraction of a second, the breeze stops, and I lift my right leg up and kick his gun as I jerk my torso with the force of my leg. The force of my attack completely broke off the barrel and chamber, breaking the gun into two pieces.
He quivers and takes a few steps back, completely frightened. "And for what reason did you have to raise that at me?" I ask, my voice thick with authority and mocking curiosity.
"Handcuff him," Nile demands, pointing to Erwin. They do so, as Nile continues, "Assemble all troops here and evacuate citizens. Rescue operations are top priority."
"Sir!" They all yell, running towards the center of the city.
"Erwin, I'll let your punishment be decided by due process of the law."
"Once this is all over, gladly," Erwin replies curtly.
Levi begins walking, and I take notice of his outfit. A large jacket hangs over his shoulders, his arms not inside of the sleeves.
"Levi, you stay put," Erwin commands. "You dislike meaningless deaths, don't you?"
"Yeah, that's right," Levi's expression looks more uneasy than usual. "Whether it's mine or another's."
"I should go back," I say to no one in particular. Levi begins walking towards me, his eyes glistening.
He stops when he's an inch apart from me, and lifts up my green cape from the front. "You're bleeding," he comments.
"I am?" I ask. I hadn't noticed anything but the sharp stinging when I fell. That's right, I think to myself. I fell right on my injury. Did it somehow unheal?
Levi traces his index finger over my stomach, pulling it up in front of me. "See?"
It's covered with my red blood, and I nod. He wipes his hand off with a spare handkerchief he has.
"I'm still going," I comment, before he can object to my decision to help.
"You shouldn't," he gives me a dissapointed look.
"I am."
His lips part slightly, but he puts the hand originally under my cape on top of my head, slightly ruffling my hair.
"Le-" I get cut off my Levi's lips on mine, and I blush furiously at this public display of affection, especially when it's directly in front of the Commander.
"Don't do anything stupid," he requests, his expression stoic.
"Y-yeah," I stammer, as I use my gear to leave quickly, completely embarrassed. The wind flows through my hair and whips at my face as I get high enough above ground to see Eren and Annie fighting in their forms. I stay on the burning roof of a building, my mind on fire like the flames surrounding the city.
I promise you, everybody, I think to myself as Annie hardens her legs, I will avenge you.
[ A/N ]
{not edited}
Yes, a late update. I've been busy with a few things, but I won't bore or trouble you with my life. This story is drawing to a close; a new idea is coming together in my mind that I'm much more interested in bringing about. I'm excited to get it published, but promised to not start until I'm finished with this.
This story will end at the end of March, if you're wondering. Any other questions can be brought to my attention in my inbox or messageboard. Thank you for reading and voting, and for 16k reads. I never thought this would be seen by so many people, and I'm very thankful for the support I've gotten from all of you. Have a great day, all of you.