Ties in with the 3rd OAV, in which Krista is kidnapped. In this version, Krista shares a room in the barracks with Mikasa, Annie and Sasha.

Chapter 1

Rescue


Krista struggled against the burning ropes that clasped her wrists, but it was little use. They were knotted around a beam at the top of the stagecoach, and held fast in spite of her best efforts. The wagon lurched over a large stone in the road, sending her flying suddenly forward. Yet the restraints held, and for an agonizing moment hung suspended only by the weight of her thin wrists. Her arms felt as though they would be ripped from their sockets, but she refused to scream. She groped for the floor with her toes, and found it just as she heard a faint cracking noise in her shoulder blade.

The kidnapper beside her glared at her, and she glared right back, unwilling to show any signs of fear. He was a middle aged man, with blonde hair that thickly coated the sides of his face. His eyes dropped to her body, and he shook his head.

"I can't figure it out," he said at last, still glaring at his captive. "You sure she's really worth that much? I mean, I guess she's pretty and all but she's all bones… can't even call her a woman yet."

The man driving the stagecoach didn't bother to answer. It was hard enough discerning his path in the dim light before dawn. He didn't need ignorant, pointless questions ruining his concentration. His skin was a dark, warm hue and his head had been completely shaven of its black hair. The blonde man stared down at the gun against his shoulder, and furrowed his brow. He seemed annoyed at his comrade's disrespectful silence.

"Guess some perverts are into that, but I don't know…" continued the blonde man.

"Will you shut up?" said the driver. "God damn. You've got no damn clue who she is, do you?"

The blonde man didn't know who she was, of course. But his pride had already been wounded, and he didn't want to admit his ignorance.

"Well, she don't look special," he muttered.

The driver groaned and opened his mouth to curse his annoying subordinate. But before the words escaped him there was a loud crash, and screaming coming from the stagecoach behind them.

"What the hell's going on back there?" demanded the driver.

His fellow kidnapper didn't know himself. Krista craned her neck backwards and tried to make sense of the chaos taking place behind them. It was difficult to tell just exactly who was attacking who. In the wild blur of shapes she saw Eren grab one of the bandits by the first, and flip him on his back. Then Jean leaped forward and ensnared the bald driver in a tight headlock.

"Damn brats!" shouted the blonde man, and he aimed his rifle at their pursuers.

Krista panicked. Everything was happening too quickly, she knew she had to do something, but- then their coach struck another rock with a violent jolt. This time the ropes didn't hold. When the wagon swung forward, Krista fell. She careened forward, her head striking the floor in a blur of white, painful stars. Somewhere a gunshot rang out. She shook her head free from the fog of pain and tried to stand. It was no use. Though she was free, her hands were still bound tightly by the coil of rope, and she had a difficult time steadying herself.

"Damn! This one won't miss," said the blonde man, who fumbled to load another bullet. Krista's heart raced. Chance had saved her friends last time, but it was too much to hope that it would do so again. She steadied herself against the side of the wagon, and drew herself to her feet. The blonde bandit took careful aim, and found his target. It was now or never.

"Stop!" she shouted, and grabbed the barrel of the gun with her bound hands.

She pulled it downwards, determined to wrest it from his grasp. Eren shouted her name; or at least she thought he did. Everything was moving so fast. The inevitable shot rang out- just as she'd managed to jerk the barrel downwards once more. The shot went astray, and struck one of the front wheels of the wagon behind them. Wood shattered in an explosion of splinters, and the coach fell on its axle. It careened along the wild dirt road, until at last it struck a large tree and shattered to pieces.

Krista's muscles slackened as she watched the crash, horrified. This was the chance her captor had been waiting for.

"You bitch!" he cried. "Get off!"

With that, he tossed her hard against the wagon floor. Before she knew it he had the barrel of the gun pointed between her eyes. Her gaze traveled up the length of the weapon in as she struggled to hide her fear.

"Don't kill her!" said the tanned driver. "She's worth a hell of a lot more than the rest of the bounty."

"So that's how it is," said the blonde man, as understanding finally dawned into his dim skull. "Guess you're the real reason why we came. All the same, your friends cost us. All that gear… that's nothing to sneeze at. I don't like losing money, you hear me?"

Krista refused to answer him. She couldn't show fear; not now. Not when she was so close to escaping…

"You did bad, and now you're going to have to take responsibility for it, understand? " said the blonde man. "After all… boss only said I couldn't kill you. But you're tougher than you look. You could likely stand a whole mess of pain without dying, couldn't you now?"

Krista's eyes narrowed as he drew closer, ready to spring on him with all the fierceness of a cornered beast. This was it…

Suddenly something struck the man's rifle with a metallic 'clang!', and it flew from his hands. The bewildered captor drew another weapon from the cache at his side, and rushed to meet his attackers at the rear of the wagon. Krista looked back and saw that Jean and Eren were in hot pursuit, soaring between the trees that lined the road. The blonde kidnapper fired at the boys, but it was little use. They were flying so fast now that it would take an expert marksman to stop them.

As they swung past the wagon, they struck at its wheels. Splinters flew everywhere, and the wagon fell. It slid until it reached a sharp corner in the road, and fell tumbling down into a the neighboring ravine. The coach flipped and thrashed; everything was a haze of dust in pain. When at last it stopped, Krista staggered to her feet, her head swimming and her body wracked with pain.

"Run, damn you…" she hissed to her legs; but they would not obey.

After a few shaky steps, she felt a pair of strong arms grasp her tightly. She fought as hard as she was able, kicking and trashing like a wild beast. But this time, there was no escape.

"Stay still for once, damn it!" said the rough voice of the tanned driver.

Krista was ready to sink her teeth into his wrist when she felt something cold against her neck… something sharp. Its edge gently tore at her pale throat, and she thought better of resisting; at least for now. The driver breathed heavily as he labored to pull her back up the ravine they'd fallen in.

"Stay back! Hand over your weapons, and the 3D gear!" shouted the familiar voice of the blonde kidnapper. "Come on, hurry up!"

She cast a glance in his direction and saw a rifle rested on his right shoulder; aimed at Jean and Eren. The others in their squad stood behind them. No one dared move.

"Shit, you've got to be kidding me," murmured the tan driver, once he'd caught sight of the other cadets.

All of them were armed now. True, the kidnappers had a hostage, but they were now heavily outnumbered. To make matters worse, their transportation had been destroyed. They were backed into a corner now; and that made them scared… and unpredictable.

"Why'd this have to happen to me?" continued the driver. "Even if we run from the titans… What kind of life is this? Stuck out here, with nothing to risk. Don't burden others, I said… I should have at least taught my daughter that much. Damn…"

Suddenly, all of Krista's fear was gone, replaced instead with pity for the poor man. She knew all too well of the chaos that followed the attacks four years ago. Food shortages, riots, murder… the animal savagery of those days left deep scars on the survivors. Many envied those who went quickly between the teeth of a titan. This man, with his wild, glaring eyes had to be one of them; a refuge from Wall Maria. No doubt he had a family- and he was trying to keep them alive the only way he knew how. Her heart sank with regret as her thoughts wandered to her own family…

"Come on!" screamed the blonde man. "Drop them! Hurry!"

Was she imagining things? Or did Armin just smile? She followed his gaze to the canopy of trees above them just in time to see two dark figures crashing down upon them. Mikasa fell atop Krista's captor, striking the back of his neck. The kidnapper howled in pain, and his grip went slack. Krista leapt forward, away from his grasp. She spun to face the man just in time to see Mikasa pivot, and swing the edge of her sword towards the kidnapper's neck.

"Stop!" Krista screamed. "Don't kill him!"

The blade stopped, kissing the driver's tanned flesh. Blood trickled down from the wound, yet he remained standing. Mikasa's cool glare fell upon Krista, and she felt her heart thump loudly in her chest. Warmth crept into her cheeks as a gust of wind tossed Mikasa's shiny black hair across her cheeks. For some inexplicable reason, she couldn't look away.

Krista had always felt drawn to the mysterious brunette in a way she couldn't really understand. They were roommates, and sometimes even slept near one another in the barracks. Though four years had passed since they'd first met, Krista still knew so little about her. She was always so silent… so strong; as if nothing in the world could ever move her.

This was not the first time Krista had caught herself staring shamelessly at her alluring roommate. Normally she'd pull her eyes away in fear; fear of the gravity that drew her towards the silent beauty. But not this morning. This morning, she wasn't going to look away for anything. As her adrenaline faded, her body grew weak. Before she collapsed, she felt a pair of firm arms around her.

She cast a blurry glance upwards and realized Mikasa was holding her. It was so warm, so comforting… so new. Krista's mother never held her, never shown her affection natural between mother and daughter. The first fifteen years of Krista's life had been spent feeling hurt and unwanted. But not anymore. None of that mattered now. To be held like this, in Mikasa's arms… it was all she'd ever wanted.