Luke's POV
We see Reiner and Bertholdt talking about something, but what? I do my best to stand on my left foot. I still have a few minutes before my right foot is back. Shit, judging from the looks on their faces, they'll try to get us moving. Reiner then says something to him that causes him to get....flustered? Bertholdt then says something to him, then glares at me. That doesn't look good. Reiner then uses Eren's ODM gear to come over to us. "What are you two doing now? I thought we were waiting till dark" Eren said while I struggled to keep my balance. Reiner then responded "There's been a slight change of plan. I'm gonna ask you nicely not to put up a fight. And I don't think it's a good idea to be hopping on one leg is a good idea, Luke" I shrugged as I got ready to try and buy time. Eren then put on a friendly expression, but I knew it was fake. "Easy, there's no need for us to get all violent. It's not like I can resist like this, I mean take a look at me. Just calm down, ok?" Eren said, he stepped back, then stopped the facade by hitting Reiner in the face with what he had of his arm right now. He then proceeded to elbow him in the face, yelling "Die! Die! Die! Die!" You get the idea. Reiner then kicked him off and start to suffocate him. I was about to go over to help him, when Bertholdt grabbed me from behind. "Do you really think that's a good idea based on the condition you're in?" He asked as I respond "Better than not doing anything!" I struggle to get free, but he just ends up bringing me down. He was trying to tie my hands up, but I kept struggling. This kept going until Reiner slammed my head into the branch, giving Bertholdt enough time to tie my hands up. "Shit, that fucking hurt!" I see that Eren is now unconscious. Bertholdt then started talking to Ymir. Apparently when she was a titan, she ate someone important to them? I try to sit up, but fail. "What the hell are you two talking about?!" I wasn't staying calm anymore, I'm gonna show them that I'm pissed. "That's not important" Bertholdt responded "Like hell it isn't!" I was going to say more, but Reiner slammed my head into the branch again. "Shut the hell up" "Can you at least help me sit up?" I asked "Fine" Reiner helped sit me up as I noticed that my foot is a quarter of the way back now. "And how do you plan to carry all three of us?" "I'm gonna carry Eren and Bertholdt's gonna carry you two." Bertholdt must be stronger than he looks. "You know I'm not coming willingly." Reiner then started walking towards me again. "Oh, I know" Well fuck.
Third Person POV
Reiner and Bertholdt would be carrying Eren, Ymir, and Luke while getting away using ODM gear. Unknowingly to them, Luke was only pretending to be unconscious. Reiner believe that he made Luke pass out from lack of air when he suffocated him like he suffocated Eren. "So now, we find a place without titans. As far away as possible. I haven't recovered enough to outrun these guys. They surround us, there's nothing my titan form can do right now." Reiner said as Ymir responded "Then why the hell didn't we just wait for the sun to go down?!" She looks back to see smoke signals. "Smoke signals? Did the Scouts come to save us?" This caught Luke's attention as he thought 'I knew it, that would give me a chance to escape, but I'm still healing. I would be able to stand, but not transform. I need to wait for the right time.' Reiner then said something "Damn it, that formation wouldn't work unless the brought a bunch of horses over the wall. Who gave that order? I honestly thought we had more time than this, it's gotta be Commander Erwin. Hard as nails, that one" They then see another smoke signal, it was green. Reiner then blames Eren and Luke for struggling. Ymir then says "Christa's here. Reiner! We have to go back, now! Christa's with them!" "What?" "This is our best chance!" "You're full of it, no way you can see that far!" "Look, I just know! Think about it, ok? She's a big softy, right? Stupid girl's come to rescue me! She had to!" "Yeah, well so what?! I'm sorry, it'll have to wait!" "What?!" They continue arguing.
Ymir then thinks back to when she was human again. To when she made a vow. A vow to not deceive herself anymore. A vow to not fall for her own lies. From then on, she'd be real. "So, did that play out?" Said an unknown man. "Ah, the child was given the name Christa Lenz, then she was packed off to the Cadet Corps." "That is a pity. Poor wretch, would've been better was she wasn't born." Ymir was surprised at this.
She then thought back to their time in the Cadet Corps. She took notice of Christa when Jean and Eren were about to fight. She remembers Christa helping Sasha out by giving her food and water. "What're you doing? This you're idea of trying to be nice?" "Well, uh..." Immediately she could tell that they were the same. Christa nourished herself on lies, like Ymir did. She was the only person that got to understand her.
She then brought herself back into reality. She then started obstructing Bertholdt's sight. "What are you doing?!" Bertholdt starts to freak out as Ymir starts talking "Hey, shut the hell up and use your head for a second. In a forest like this, I'm the one who can shine, right?" They were about to hit a tree, but Bertholdt just avoids it, nearly dropping Luke. "Ymir, knock it off! We'll fall!" "Do you think that I give a damn? I have the advantage. Any other time, you two would outclass me, but my titan form's more agile. I could leap through the trees, grab Eren and Luke, and rendezvous with the Scouts before you knew what hit you. Wouldn't be that hard. Either you agree to take Christa with us right now or so help me, I will throw your plan out of wack." Reiner yells at her, but she responds with "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." She then tells them that she has a plan as Luke thinks 'I swear, I'm gonna kick her ass, but not now. I have to keep my cover.'
There was an effect that showed that someone had transformed. Only the four in the forest that were conscious knew who it was. Armin and Mikasa acknowledged this and Erwin gave the order to disperse. Many people died in the process of doing this due to the amount of titans. "Battle is not our objective! Locate, recover, and retreat!" Erwin shouted. A group from the Garrison Regiment went to try and spot the enemy. They then hear the scream of a titan, Ymir's titan to be exact. Connie tells the others that it's Ymir's titan form. Ymir ignores the others and looks around for Christa. "Ymir!" And there she is. "There you are! Thank goodness you're all right!" Ymir responded by jumping at Christa and trapping her in her mouth, then escaping.
Luke's POV
It feels like we were staying in one spot now, probably waiting for Ymir to get back with Christa. I then hear a booming sound coming towards us, damn it Ymir! I then hear Reiner transform. And now we're moving. I assume we're on Reiner now because we've stopped moving, but feel air hit my face. I just need to keep up the facade a little longer. I then hear Christa coughing. "Christa?" I feel Bertholdt turn to her. "Christa, no, Historia, I'm sorry about eating you. You're probably pissed." I hear Ymir say. "Pissed probably wouldn't even begin to describe it!" I say, I was done with keeping us this shit! I open my eyes and get out of Bertholdt's arms. "H....How long were you awake?" Bertholdt asked as I respond "I was never out in the first place, dumbass! Next time, make sure I'm unconscious!" I look behind him to see a bunch of people behind him on horses, two of them being Mikasa and Armin. I then look over to Christa, or is her name Historia? I heard Ymir call her that. "Are you ok, Christa?" I ask, getting in a fighting stance, struggling to stay standing because I'm on a moving titan. "I...I don't know" She responds as I look down at my foot. Just my toes need to regenerate and I'm all set. Christa then asks what's going on. "I'll let Ymir explain that for you." I say as I glare at Ymir, then send a punch towards Bertholdt, but he sidesteps it. Ymir explains what's going on. I really can't risk attacking Bertholdt cause I might hit Eren. Christa was lecturing Ymir right now. Maybe she'll reconsider. Bertholdt then says that it was her fault the Scouts were catching up. I have to make a choice. I either have to stay here, and try to free Eren and Christa, or I could jump, hoping that the Scouts brought extra gear. "Cut the shit, Bertholdt. Nothing you say can make what you're doing seem right. You're at a disadvantage" I then turn around "Your plan was fucked from the start."
I jump down and land on the ground. Armin stops by and I get on the horse with him. "Luke, are you ok?" "Yeah, I'm fine, is there any extra gear?" "Yeah, we brought a few extra sets" "Ok, where?" He points to a guy with a bag on. "Ok, thanks" I jump off the horse. "Keep going!" I then call over the guy and ask him for a set of gear and he gives it to me. I then tell him to get going as I put on my gear while riding on the horse with him. Ok, that's better. We then catch up to Reiner. I use my ODM gear to try and get up to Reiner. "I'll kill you!" I yell out. I try and get Eren, but Ymir swats me away. Mikasa then cuts her eye and we try and get to him, but Reiner starts protecting them. Ymir tried to crush us, but I dodged and came back as Mikasa went for Ymir. I try and cut the skin, but it's covered in his titans armor. We were now surrounding him. Let's try something then. I activate my anti-hardening power and punch the arm, but it does nothing. Must only work on the hardening. The others were trying to talk some sense into him while Mikasa was just threatening him. Hannes then tells us to get down from here. We turn around to see Erwin leading titans here. Oh shit. We then jump back to our horses, I was on Connie's horse with him. Reiner eventually gets stopped and is swarmed. We then get the order to charge and we do so. We then see Reiner remove his arms from Eren and Bertholdt. "Advance!!!" Erwin shouted as we keep charging, but see Erwin get caught by a titan. "Commander Erwin!" I shout. "I said advance god damn it!!" We keep going. "They will pay for this!" I yell. A lot of soldiers end up dying, but we keep going. I'm going to get my friend back! They were then in front of us as Mikasa and I use our gear to get up to him. I see Mikasa about to be caught by a titan, but I quickly push her out of the way and the titan grabs me instead. "Luke! You piece of shit! Get your hands of of my friend!" Jean yells as he stabs the titans eyes out. This causes the titan to let go of me. Armin then said something to piss Bertholdt off, which allowed Erwin to cut Eren free. As he was falling, Mikasa caught him. We all then got out of there.
When then see a titan flying at us, but it misses. "He's tossing titans now?! That son of a bitch has gone berserk!" Jean yells as Reiner tosses another one. We see Eren and Mikasa on the ground to our right. "Eren! Mikasa!" Armin yells as I run over to them. "Luke!" Armin yells, but I keep running. Once I got to them, I see a titan coming towards us. Eren looks especially terrified of this titan, like he's seen it before. It goes to hit us, but Hannes protects us."Are you insane?" Eren asks as Hannes responds by cutting of it's thumb, making it back their hand away. Hannes then says something that makes me go pale. "This is the least I can do for your mother! She'll finally have the vengeance she deserves!" Does that mean...that this titan....ate Eren's mother? He then starts attacking the titan. Mikasa stands up and gets her blades out and I do as well. "Mikasa, Luke, stop! You both are in no shape to fight." Eren says to which I respond. "We'll see about that" Eren then asks for Mikasa to cut his hands free. His fingers are still healing and so are my toes, we both still can't transform. Eren still tries, but nothing happens. Eren keeps trying, but still nothing. I look back at the titan to see the titan fall over, but it grabs Hannes. "Not again. Not again!" I use my ODM gear to get up to Hannes and cut the titans fingers, this frees Hannes. When the titan goes to grab us, we are able to get away. "Thanks kid" Hannes said as he goes to attack, but I stop him. "I'll get him" I then run over and try and activate my gear, but it doesn't work. Why?! Why now?! Why does this damn gear have to malfunction now of all times?! "No! Eren! Mikasa!" I run over as it reaches for them. I then see Eren scream and stop the titans hand. Not only that, but punch it away. I then feel something from him. He screams again and I see a group of titans attack the smiling titan. How?! We then were running from them. We then see Reiner running at us. "Get away from us!" Both Eren and I scream. I could feel the power coming from Eren again, but this time I felt power coming from myself. The horde of titans came at them again. I closed my eyes, then opened them. I look at myself to see I'm in a titan, I also see...myself? Not important right now, I run at Reiner and tackle him. I then close my eyes again, then open them. I'm me again. I also have a headache. I grab my head in pain as Armin comes by with an extra horse. He gave one to Eren and Mikasa to share while I just hopped on with Armin and an unconscious Jean. We then retreat.
Later, Eren was blaming himself for all those Scouts dying. "Eren, at least you put up a fight at the wall, Bertholdt was able to simply just knock me out. Armin then gave us an idea based on the way the titans acted. "Hear me out, suppose they acted that way...because of Eren." This surprised me, I then remember how I sort of felt like I took control of a titan without transforming, I could see myself. I then explain to them what happened at that time. They were surprised at this. "So you can take control of one titan at a time, but it would leave you open." Armin said as I responded. "That would be a logical assumption." Well, this could be a huge help.