"Return of the Fallen"
An Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin Story by MysticalHexanes
Part One: The Female Titan
Petra could feel the wind pulling at her cape as she flew past the trees alongside her fellow squad members. Traveling through the forest in her 3D Maneuver Gear was always such an exhilarating experience, no matter how many times she did it. Longing to feel the breeze dance in her golden hair, she turned up her gas output a notch, increasing her speed. And speed certainly mattered here, for the sooner the squad reached Levi, the sooner this hazardous mission could be put to an end.
Much time had passed since Petra first learned of Eren's ability to become a Titan. Now that she had seen his powers of transformation firsthand, she recognized more fully the importance of studying the Titan Shifters. For, it seemed, Eren's ability was not unique. Just how many Titan Shifters existed was a mystery to the Survey Corps, and none of them knew how such an ability could even arise. Nevertheless, these powerful individuals could be just the advantage humanity needed to overcome the Titans once and for all.
Now, on their 57th expedition outside the walls, the Survey Corps was attempting to prove to the Military Court that Eren's powers could be safely harnessed and used to humanity's advantage. If this mission failed to be successful, it was very likely that Eren would be killed and his body would be put under examination. Perhaps this could yield some information about his abilities, but Commander Erwin and Captain Levi were firmly convinced that Eren was of better use to humanity alive than dead.
But just as this crucial mission seemed to be getting underway, a new threat had emerged and taken the Survey Corps by complete surprise. A pack of fierce Titans, some of them Aberrant, had lain waste to one of the side flanks of the Corps' scouting formation. And to make matters worse, this first wave of Titans was only the beginning of the troops' troubles…
An enormous, bare-muscled and fleet-footed Aberrant Titan had come sprinting up on the horizon. This Titan proved to possess both superior intelligence and formidable combat skills, as was evidenced by the trail of brutal carnage it left in its wake. Its decidedly-feminine physique had earned it the nickname of "Female Titan," although she was no less fearsome than any "Male Titan" the soldiers had ever witnessed. Countless Survey Corps members had been pulled aside by the cords of their Maneuver Gear, only to be pummeled underfoot or propelled into the wall of a building by the merciless female Aberrant. However, despite the ease with which she dispatched these hapless warriors, the great Female Titan seemed interested in only one goal. One which lay some way ahead of her, deep within the Corps' formation. She ran with all of the strength and grace of an elite Olympian, her eyes trained on her target and her terrible fists ready to knock aside anything and anyone who tried to stand in her way.
Her target, Erwin knew, was Eren Jaeger. For some reason, Eren's presence as a Titan Shifter had made the other Titans uneasy, and now they wanted to take possession of him. As Petra, Oluo, Eldo, Levi, and Gunther found themselves riding straight into a vast forest of coniferous trees with the female Aberrant hot on their trail, they realized that no matter how terrifying the situation became, they must not allow her to take Eren.
Thanks to the brave sacrifice of the rear-guard soldiers who had distracted the Female Titan while she trailed Squad Levi through the woods, Commander Erwin and his ambush team had been able to deploy the trap they prepared at the center of the forest. Countless metal grappling-darts were fired like cannons at the Female Titan's hulking form, piercing through her flesh and holding her motionless and at their mercy.
Captain Levi, grateful to see that the plan had succeeded, told the rest of his squad to keep an eye on Eren while he and Erwin examined the Female Titan in search of her true identity. For she, like Eren, was a Titan Shifter. Her uncanny knowledge of the human military's fighting techniques had told the Survey Corps that much. Now all that remained was to extract her human body from the Female Titan's neck.
And finally, after having hitched their horses to a grove of nearby trees and gone to a larger branch to wait for Levi to finish up with the Titan, Petra and the others saw the signal they had been looking for. One dark smoke round, streaking up into the air like a firework. Petra's heart soared along with it, as she imagined Levi standing there at the base of the smoke plume, lowering his flare gun, preparing to meet up with them and share his findings.
Minutes before, when she had heard those unnerving screeches echoing across the treetops, coming from the direction of the trapped Titan, Petra had trembled with sheer fright. What could have caused such a clamor? Had the Female Titan broken loose? Was she screaming with rage, tearing apart the Commander and his helpers? Was Levi safe? She tried not to imagine her beloved Captain, groaning in agony as the horrible Titan crushed his body against a tree.
But now she breathed a sigh of relief. Nothing had gone wrong, after all! Levi was there, waiting for her! Those awful sounds she heard must have been the Female Titan's dying moans as she succumbed to Irwin's and Levi's assault. And now, the mysterious Shifter's identity was about to be revealed! Petra smiled softly as she watched Gunther leap up to a higher branch, raising his flare gun to the sky. She heard the sound of the signal round going off, envisioning the slight nod of his head which Levi was sure to give after noticing it.
"Come on, let's go meet the captain," Gunther called to the squad, leaping into action with his Maneuver Gear. Eldo and Oluo followed suit, with Eren and Petra close behind them. Petra closed her eyes and let out a small chuckle, as she basked in the wonderful feel of the wind rushing against her face. She was certainly ready to have this terrible day put behind her. She had seen so many of her comrades fall that day, she knew her nightmares were bound to be bloody. But still, their loss had helped the Survey Corps to succeed in bringing down the Female Titan, so those soldiers had surely not died in vain. This thought comforted Petra as she rushed forward, ready to meet Levi.
All of a sudden, she noticed Gunther pause and look to his left. Following his gaze, she saw a figure some distance away from them, clad in 3D Gear and a Survey Corps uniform, coursing through the forest with all haste.
"Captain Levi?" she heard Gunther call, and she looked to the figure again with heightened interest. "Levi!" she was about to shout over to the figure, when she began to sense that something was not right. Levi didn't like to wear the hood of his cloak up over his face like that! It made his hair terribly messy. And surely he would've acknowledged his squad already in some way, rather than speeding past them like there were other things on his mind. The more Petra looked at the strange figure, the more she felt certain that this was not her Captain. A lump of unease formed in her throat.
Gunther, too, seemed to notice that something was afoul. He blinked quickly and pulled back in alarm. "No, it's not him!" Petra heard her comrade stammer. His eyes widened. "Who are you?" he demanded. Petra heard her pulse begin to roar furiously in her ears. Why wasn't the hooded soldier saying anything?
She then watched in horror as, without warning, the mysterious soldier turned to face Gunther. The figure headed straight for the squad, spinning like a ballet dancer, before viciously plunging both of his blades into Gunther's chest. Eren, Petra, Oluo, and Eldo looked on in utter shock as their squad-mate tumbled head over heels to the forest floor, coming to a halt in midair, his Maneuver Gear breaking his fall. Dangling by the cords of the Gear, Gunther's lifeless form swayed gently in the breeze, rotating ever so slightly, just far enough for Petra to catch a glimpse of his pale, blood-stained face.
A surge of terror coursed through her body, and Petra knew without a doubt that she and the others must flee, or they would surely be killed, too. But, Gunther was dead…How could that be? How, after she had been so sure that they would end up victorious that day, and everything would turn out just fine?
These thoughts plagued Petra's mind as she continued to propel herself through the forest with her Gear. Meanwhile, down below, Eren remained beside Gunther's body. He was stunned at the sight of the proud warrior's expressionless face, splattered with his own blood. Oluo saw what was happening and came up quickly behind the boy, seizing him by the hood of his cloak and urging him onward. "Don't stop, Eren!" Oluo roared, determined to keep the young Titan Shifter safe from harm.
"But, Gunther!" Petra heard Eren cry. She shuddered, realizing that for a moment she had forgotten about her ultimate objective in this mission: To protect Eren. She had allowed herself to become distracted by Gunther's death, and if it hadn't been for Oluo's quick thinking, the hooded figure might have gotten Eren, too.
"Eldo," Oluo called to his squad-mate, "what do we do now? We can't let anything happen to Eren."
"I know. And there's no time to get back to the horses," Eldo grunted in reply, creases of frustration lining his brow. "No, we have to get back to headquarters. As quickly as possible."
Petra watched the hooded figure dart about erratically from tree to tree, apparently keeping his eye on the panicked squad. He seemed to know what he was doing in that 3D Gear, but who was he? And why did he want Gunther dead? There was only one answer. He—or she—must have something to do with the Female Titan, Petra realized with an ache in her chest.
Her suspicions were echoed by Oluo, who muttered aloud, "Do you think that guy has anything to do with the Female Titan? Or maybe there was more than one of 'em…"
Petra now felt quite sick to her stomach. Could Gunther's cloaked murderer really be the Female Titan? She turned with rage to glare at the disguised soldier. "Curse you! How dare you!" she roared, swords raised. She gritted her teeth, amber eyes blazing. "Come at me!" she challenged in a rough voice, the sight of Gunther's limp form still fresh at the back of her mind. "I'll defeat you, even if it kills me!"
"The Female Titan?" she heard Eren mumble behind her, as he struggled to keep up with the conversation. "Impossible. Why? Didn't we catch it already?"
Petra made no effort to respond to Eren. Nobody in the squad did, for they were focused on one thing, and one thing alone. The hooded figure had darted into the shadows beyond the tree-trunks, and a strange, vibrating haze had begun to settle over the woods. Time seemed to stand still for a moment…
When suddenly, great bolts of electricity surged forth and split the air all around them, as an enormous sphere of energy erupted among the trees. It looked like the Sun, so white-hot and blindingly bright as it expanded to consume the forest in its sickly golden glow. Steaming gusts of wind smacked Petra and the others in the face, as the Female Titan's body emerged from thin air, surrounded by dancing yellow embers.
"I…I knew it," Eldo stammered. "She's coming for us!" He backed away in terror at the sight of the Titan's lithe, muscular form crashing to the ground before him, steam rising from her skin, her eyes savage and glistening like a wolf's.
The panicked squad members hurriedly aimed their Gear at the branches looming above them, anxious to escape from the Female Titan. They coasted into the shadows of the trees ahead, hearing the Titan crashing along behind them in hot pursuit. Petra felt her blood become hot and thick in her temples, causing beads of sweat to break out on her face. This couldn't be happening. Not when she was so close to seeing Levi again! Not when they were just about to find out who the Female Titan was!
Well, they knew who she was now, although they had not been able to see her human face or identify her real name. Somehow, the hooded figure had escaped Erwin's trap and managed to follow Eren and the squad through the forest. The commander's plan to subdue the Female Titan had not succeeded, after all. There was no guarantee that Levi or any of them had made it out alive. And now Gunther was dead. If nothing was done to stop the Titan, and quickly, more deaths would surely follow.
Eren seemed to recognize this too, as he roared, "How dare you! This time, I'll defeat you!" Glaring at the Female Titan, the boy raised his hand to his mouth, preparing to bite down and unleash his Titan form upon his murderous opponent.
"No, Eren!" Eldo spoke to stop him, his voice commanding and rough. "The three of us will take care of it. You, get back to headquarters immediately!"
Sweat beaded on Eren's forehead as he considered the prospects of leaving his squad alone to face the raging Female Titan. He took in a sharp breath. "But I can fight, too!" he insisted.
Eldo shook his head, his gaze unyielding. "No. This is our only choice. Your powers are too unpredictable, too risky."
Oluo pulled up right beside Eren, agreeing with his comrade. He looked calmly into Eren's eyes. "We've faced plenty of Titans before. What, do you doubt us?"
Petra studied Eren's face for a moment. There was doubt in his eyes, that much was certain. He was afraid for their safety, and willing to risk his own life in order to protect them from harm. But they could not allow it. Petra shuddered, thinking back to earlier that day when they had been thundering through the forest on horseback, leading the Female Titan to Erwin's trap. Eren had considered using his powers then, too. If he had transformed then and there, the Commander's ambush would've certainly been a failure, and who knows how Eren's Titan form would've responded to the situation? It was a well-known fact that, soon after becoming a Titan during the recent victory at Trost, Eren had tried to crush his adoptive sister Mikasa with his fists. What if, there in the forest, he had gone berserk and tried to kill her, or Oluo, or Gunther, or Eldo?
"Do you doubt us, Eren?" she heard herself saying, her breath fluttering as the words tumbled out. "Do you find it that difficult to trust us?" Her eyes were meaningful, shining into his own.
She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Eren drop his hand reluctantly to his side. Grimacing, he turned away from the Female Titan and accelerated off into the forest with his 3D Gear. He looked ahead into the trees, hoping against hope that his squad would be as victorious as their outstanding battle record implied.
"Good luck!" Petra heard him call back to her and her comrades.
She looked to his fleeting form with an exhausted smile on her face, before taking in a deep breath and moving to join her squad in observing the massive Female Titan. Now that Eren was out of harm's way, it was time to bring this monster down once and for all.
Or die trying.
That's all for now, I'm afraid! I hope you liked it. The next chapter should be ready by Wednesday. There, we will experience the heart-rending deaths of Petra and her comrades, which will set in motion the rest of this exciting plot. Stay tuned!
-MysticalHexanes