Twelve Years Ago, One Month Before the Appearance of the Gates
Nothing could compare to the stare of disappointment a mother would give. And Ymir was being given that exact look right now by her own mother sitting across the table. She was remembered how much she was identical to her mother. Except her mother was not tan. She had lighter skin that shined in the light.
The whirling of the overhead fan was the only noise keeping the room from falling into silence as Ymir waited for her mother to say something. Anything. I just want to leave and go out with my friends.
Her mother then took on a more sympathetic look. That's when she spoke.
"What happened to you, sweetie?"
Ymir glanced side to side, as if her mother was talking to someone else. She directed her eyes back to her parent. "What do you mean?"
"When you were younger, you were so kind and…"
"What? Feminine? Girly? Mom, I am fifteen. I have changed. I am deciding who I am."
"A troublemaking punk rock girl?"
Ymir groaned and leaned back, placing her feet onto the table, showing her black combat boots to her mother. "If that's what I want to be."
"Ymir!" Her mother frowned at the young lady's behavior.
The teenager rested the back of her head in her hands. "What? Oh. I am sorry. Do you want me to become like you and dad? Boring jobs and a boring sex life?"
"Ymir!"
The teen threw her legs off the table and stood up. "What? It's true! You wanted an 'honest little girl' right? Well here I am! Being honest!"
Her mother stood up and pointed at the stairs. "Go to your room now, young lady!"
Ymir smirked. "No."
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, sorry...let me put it in simpler terms: No."
"I swear, Ymir, I am going to-"
"Spank me? Oh god, not that! Please! I would probably get more pleasure out of it than when I was five!"
"What is your father going to think when he hears you say that?"
Ymir was already going towards the door. "He will probably give me a big hug and tell me 'Ymir, do whatever you want, you are a free girl'. Oh wait. He isn't going to say that, because he is boring and shitty like you!"
"Where are you going?"
"Out. With my friends. I have had enough of this bullshit!"
"No you are staying here until-"
"Oh yeah, one more thing mother. That boyfriend I told you about? It's a girl."
Seeing the shocked look on her mother's face gave her glee as she exited the house, walking out onto the sidewalk, she smiled at the suburban neighborhood around her. Goodbye, shitty world, once again, she thought to herself as she began sprinting down the street.
"Why do you still even live with them, Eemee?"
"They are my parents, Alfons. I mean, they gave birth to me. I gotta give them some level of respect."
The young lady looked at her friend dead in the eyes, trying to keep her face serious, before bursting out laughing. "Nah I am just shitting with you!" She took a sip of the beer in her hand. "I am actually setting up with my girlfriend so that we can live together on our own. We already found a shitty apartment."
"When is your girlfriend coming anyway?" Alfons looked down the street from the bar they were hanging around.
"She should be here soon."
"Well anyway, congrats, Eemee! When are you moving in?"
"I was hoping in a month. Maybe less, if I am lucky. I just want to get away from my parents as quickly as possible."
"Well if you need a place to crash, I can see what my parents will do."
"Really? You can do that? Your parents are fucking awesome."
"I know, right? Ahh...I love 'em."
They sipped their beers in silence, occasionally looking up and down the street. After several times doing that, it wasn't until Ymir went to sip her beer and find out it was empty that she got suspicious.
"Okay, seriously, where the fuck is Helena? She never skips out on me."
"Maybe she is having problems? With family or something?"
"Maybe," Ymir muttered, looking down at the bottle in her hands. She sighed and threw it to the ground, the glass shattering into pieces.
"I should get to bed. I will go see how Helena is doing tomorrow."
"Alright, Eemee. Goodnight."
Ymir nodded to Alfons as she walked past him. "G'night."
Ymir stopped outside of her house, seeing her father's car in the driveway. "Shit," she whispered to herself. He was probably waiting for her in the dining room. She didn't want to deal with his crap right now.
"Looks like I am climbing."
She looked up at her opened bedroom window on the second floor. Stepping up to the wall, she spat on her palms, rubbed them together and began to climb. She put her left foot up onto window frame, then grabbed the roof of the porch with her right hand and pushed herself up to use her right foot to boost her up to the window. She caught a hold of the sill and slowly pulled herself through.
Quickly she walked to the door and locked it. Then she grabbed a chair to jam it between the doorknob and the floor.
She took a step back, marvelling in her handiwork. "That should keep them away."
Ymir turned to her bed and flopped down onto it, not even taking her boots off as she instantly fell asleep.
"Honey, open the door," she heard as she woke up, her mother knocking. She raised her head, blinking the sleep out.
"Honey...I am not angry. Please open the door."
Ymir yawned as she swung her feet off the side of the bed and approached her blocked door.
"Hun?"
Ymir hesitated, looking at the door knob. She reached out to grab the chair, but stopped, her eyes glanced up, unsure over whether or not she should let her mother in.
"Is everything okay?"
Ymir reeled back instantly, twisted around and jumped out the window, not in the mood to see her mother. Not in the mood for another lecture. Definitely not in the mood to face someone who looks almost exactly like her who would think of her as a brat.
When she landed, she quickly went into a sprint, exiting the neighborhood as fast as possible.
She stopped just where she wanted to be. Helena's house. Time to see what is wrong. She thought to herself as she walked up to the door. She raised her fist and rapped her knuckles against the wooden surface.
A moment later, it opened and a man stood in front of her, a very sad look on his face.
"Oh, Ymir. It's you."
"Oh, hey Mr. Peterson. I was wondering if Helena was home?"
He froze at the mention of his daughter. "Oh. Helena?" Ymir noticed that he wouldn't meet her eyes, they were looking everywhere but at her. "Yes, Helena is-was out, with-with her friends. She-" he stopped.
"She was supposed to go out with us last night," said Ymir.
"Oh, was she? That's right. Yeah. She is just-just out with her mother. She will be back here soon. Would you like to-to come in?"
Ymir cocked an eyebrow. Something is wrong. "Sure."
"Do you want some coffee?"
"No thanks. I am more into beer."
The father didn't laugh, instead he pulled a chair out for her. "Please, sit."
"Okay," Ymir sat down and stared at the father as he walked to one of the cupboards in the kitchen and opened it.
"Do you want anything to eat?"
"No. Will Helena be quick? I really want to see her?"
He inhaled, sitting down. "Uh, yeah, she will be...be here soon."
"Okay."
They sat there in silence. Not saying a word. The curiosity grew in the teenager as the seconds grew into minutes.
Fifteen minutes later, Ymir was ready to explode. But she wasn't the only one.
Mr. Peterson suddenly bursted into tears. Ymir jumped back a bit. "Mr...Mr Peterson?"
He didn't calm down until a few minutes after. "It's...it's Helena. She...she…"
She stood up, eyes wide. "Where is Helena?"
She didn't know she could run for so long. She hated running in P.E.. Helena knew that.
Helena.
She looked up at the building she was running to. Karanese Hospital.
Ymir skidded in front of the automatic doors and dashed through the crevice it created, not waiting for it to open fully. The people waiting in the lobby jumped at her sudden appearance, and the nurse at the front stared at her like she was mad.
Ymir leaned over the counter. "Helena Peterson! Where is she?"
301, 302, 303, Ymir counted the numbers she ran past, knowing she was close to Helena's room. 304, 305, 306, 307! She skidded to a halt in front of the door, grabbing the knob and turning it before bursting in.
There she was, her head lying back on the bed. Her eyes closed, one of them were slightly swollen, her light blonde hair clean. Her mouth was slightly opened, but it was split, showing her white teeth to the world. She didn't have those injuries before.
Sitting next to her was an older woman, one that had some resemblance to the girl. Her head snapped up, red and puffy eyes wide in surprise, but then calmed as she saw who it was. "Oh, Ymir. It's you...I am guessing my husband told you?"
Ymir walked further into the room, stepping up to Helena's side, shaking her head. "No...uh, not really. He just told me she was here. What happened?"
She was about to answer Ymir when the door opened once again, a nurse coming in. "Mrs. Peterson, I got the results for the rape kit and fortunately your daughter tested negative for all STIs."
Ymir's light brown eyes widened, her head turning slowly from the mother to the nurse. She opened her mouth but no words came out. She didn't know what to say. Her mouth closed and she covered her mouth and nose with her hands, resting her elbows on the bed.
She shut her eyes, hearing the two talk.
"Is she going to be alright?"
"Yeah, she is just...friends with my daughter. Very close."
"Oh."
Ymir ignored the rest of the conversation, opening her eyes to look at the girl in front of her. Memories ran through her mind, remembering the small, platinum blonde haired girl whose blue eyes shined so bright. She remembered how happy she always was about everything. A complete opposite to Ymir. But she loved her so much. She brought out her lighter side.
And now, Ymir thought, she is going to be changed in so many ways.
Ymir suddenly felt walls encroaching upon her. She jumped up, I gotta get outta here. The nurse and the mother stared at her as she bolted out of the room, needing to escape somewhere peaceful. Somewhere safe…
"Tears streamed from my squeezed-shut eyelids
My reason and the fragments of my blood
are repeatedly undermined"
Episode Two
The Story of Wind
"Just these, thank you," the tan woman said, giving a brief smile and a nod to the bag boy before grabbing her groceries to leave the small store. As soon as she got outside, her walking speed increased, wanting to get back "home" quickly before she gets found. The streets were quite empty, only a few people walking here and there.
Ymir looked around every few seconds, keeping an eye out. They have dolls, they probably know where I am. She walked past some construction site.
That's when she saw it.
A specter. Appearing from out of the dirt piles.
She set off in a sprint, bag clutched close to her chest. Have to make it home, she repeated in her head, gotta make it home.
Home wasn't far. She was running down the street to the abandoned building that housed her and her friend.
But then the specter was there, peeking out from the dirt of what was where small trees went on the sidewalk.
I can't go home with it watching me. They will find us.
She twisted left into an alleyway opposite of the building, trying to get them off of her back. Down the alley she went, quickly turning right into another alley, stopping to drop the grocery bag and push her back against the corner. She waited, breathing calmly.
Ymir turned her head to look down the alley she just turned into. No dirt, no specter, she thought to herself.
The light that illuminated the first alley she entered was suddenly obscured as a figure stepped into it, casting a shadow. Ymir held her breath, waiting as the sound of boots echoed down the alley, coming closer.
Then they stopped, just before coming to the corner.
Ymir's eyes glowed red, her body emanating blue, as she twisted around the corner and began to swipe at her opponent.
Before she could even swing her arm, it was caught by a gloved hand. Ymir looked up from her hand to see she was face-to-face with the masked assailant from the other night.
It squeezed Ymir's hand, their grip like a vice, reaching up with their free hand to press and hold a button on their mask. It spoke, their voice deep and modulated, "The doll, where is she?"
Ymir frowned. "Nowhere you will fucking find her!" She raised her left fist and brought it under, towards their throat.
It leaned their head to the side, her fist missing by a centimeter, and brought her knee up into Ymir's stomach, causing the girl to double over. The attacker brought their knee up into her face, causing her to shoot up, before being grabbed by the throat and pushed into a wall, which was strange for Ymir considering the attacker's small size.
It reached up and held the button, "I'll ask again. Where is the doll?"
"Why? Why do you want her so bad? What does the Syndicate want?"
"None of your business. Now where is she?"
Ymir smirked. "None of your business."
Her eyes glowed red as she flicked her left hand. The attacker was thrown to the side by some unseen force.
Ymir dashed up to them, giving the attacker a right hook to the ribs before stepping back and giving them a snap kick to their jaw, which sent them onto their back.
Ymir got down on one knee and grabbed the mask, about to pull it off when the person's hand grabbed her wrist. It pulled her to the ground before it jumped back to their feet. Ymir quickly got up to face her opponent.
The attacker pulled their leg back to shoot their foot out at Ymir, hitting her in the chest and knocking the wind out of her. This made her stagger back a few steps before recovering and dashing in, her eyes glowing red as she pushed out both hands towards the cloaked person's chest, who flew backwards into a bunch of trash cans. It picked one of the lids up and got up to throw it at Ymir.
She stepped back and caught it, looking up and holding it as a shield as the attacker shot some crystals into the aluminum metal. Dum, dum dum! The noise echoed throughout the alleyway in rapid succession.
Ymir ran in with the lid, swinging it at the assailant. It ducked under, allowing Ymir to raise the lid up and slam down it down on their back using the crystal end. Some of the crystals stabbed into their back.
The cloaked person shouted in pain and stepped back several paces. They reached over their shoulders and grabbed the lid, beginning to push it off before grunting, stopping and looking at the woman in front of it, their breathing irregular.
It reached up to hold the button, "This isn't over. We'll be back."
Ymir smirked, crossing her arms. "I bet, Arnold. I bet."
The attacker reached into their cloak and threw out a spherical device. It shot out hooks, which buried themselves into a lamp post nearby. Pressing a button on their belt, the assailant was pulled up, grabbing onto the lamp with one foot on the post, it pushed itself to a nearby roof.
Ymir waited a minute, making sure no one else was coming, before picking up her grocery bag and exiting the alley to walk across the street. She reached the door to the abandoned building, looking around for any specters. Satisfied, she opened the door and entered, closing it behind her. She was in what looked to be an old bar. Dust was everywhere, as if the place wasn't cleaned in years. She looked at the counter, dirty and unscrubbed.
She walked past that, holding the bag close to her chest. Ymir opened a door in the back, looking over her shoulder at the entrance door, just to be sure, before closing the door. She walked down some steps in front of her to get down to the basement.
"Ymir?" A light voice was heard.
"Yes. Don't worry, Historia. It's me."
"I am hungry."
"I know. Me too." Ymir reached the last step and looked out to the whole room, seeing a single girl in the center of the room underneath a single light, sitting with her legs crossed. Her eyes were set on the taller woman walking into the light. Ymir smiled at her as she set the bag down and sat in front of the doll. "How you doing, Historia?"
"Hungry. But fine."
"Alright. Well I will see what I can do. We can't really cook so I can make a lame sandwich."
"If it's being made by you, then I am happy."
Ymir's head lifted up from the bag, staring at the girl. I never thought I would hear a doll say that, she thought to herself before giving a big smile. "Thank you."
Suddenly, Historia's hand shot out and grabbed Ymir's. "I mean it."
Ymir blinked. This is getting weird. She never did this before.
"Historia...I love the affection but...I should get to making us dinner."
She felt Historia's grasp weaken before she let go.
Ymir nodded to her. "So...mustard or mayo?"
Meanwhile...
"God, Leonhardt, how'd you manage to let them hit you with your own crystals?" Reiner said as he grabbed the lid. "Ready?"
Annie was on her elbows and knees, gritting her teeth. "I wasn't fast enough." She looked up at him. "Do it."
Reiner nodded and wrenched it out, blood flying through the air as Annie balled her fists tighter, hissing in pain.
Bertholdt walked over and took her cloak off. Then he pulled off her straps and sweatshirt, leaving her bra on as he grabbed the bandages. "How are you going to work at Section 3 if you have these injuries?"
Annie shook her head. "It's not as bad as it looks."
"It looks pretty bad," he said, beginning to wrap the bandages around her torso.
"So what? Now we are back to square one?" Reiner asked, crossing his arms and glancing at the doll in the corner of the room.
"We know she is still in Maria," Bertholdt said, finishing wrapping Annie's wounds.
Annie stood up, straightening out her back and wincing. She then walked over to one of her straps and reached down to pull a knife out of a sheath.
The contractor looked at her hand, which was bandaged. She unwrapped it to reveal that the skin between her forefinger and thumb was covered in scars.
Bertholdt glanced over at her and puckered his lips. "That's a pretty bad payment you have there."
"I don't feel the pain here anymore," Annie said, laying the blade against her skin. She pushed deep and pulled it toward her, cutting into it. She showed no emotion as the blood ran down her palm. She re-wrapped it.
Twelve Years Ago, One Month Before the Appearance of the Gates
Ymir glanced up at the stall door, remembering that this wasn't the school's bathroom, so she didn't see the "Adolf was here" or the "Genevieve is a bitch" written on there. It was clean. And that made it worse.
It meant she can't focus on something other than the current situation.
She was sitting on the toilet, head hung low, trying to keep away from the others. She didn't want to talk, she didn't want to see anyone. She just wanted to be left alone for a bit.
Why her? She thought to herself, Why sweet little Helena? She didn't deserve it.
She heard the door to the bathroom creak open, and steps lead their way in. "Ymir?"
She glanced up at the stall door. "What do you want, Mrs. Peterson? Shouldn't you be with your daughter?"
"Yes, but she is asleep and I am worried about you. Are you going to be okay?"
Silence followed the minutes that came.
"I could've escorted her. She would've been protected."
"You can't beat yourself up over tha-"
"And why the hell not!?"
More silence.
"Because you didn't know."
"Why are you like this? You should be blaming me! Blaming everyone! Blaming the whole fucking world!"
"I did, for the first hour of knowing. Then I realized it wouldn't get me anywhere."
Ymir's eyes widened. She was quiet, not knowing what to say.
"Why don't you go back home? I know you want to be by Helena's side, but you can see her later. I will tell you when she wakes up, okay?"
"No I have to-"
"Ymir...your parents are probably wondering where you are."
"My parents don't give a shit about me. I told them...I told my mother yesterday about me and Helena."
A sigh of relief emitted from the other side of the door. "I was hoping you would let it out someday. How did she react?"
"She looked kinda shocked...but I ran out before she I could really hear her response."
"I bet she will get around to the idea. She still loves you, no matter how different you are from her."
"Yeah, right."
"Ymir, just...go home. Helena will be fine."
"She will not be fine. She is gonna have to live the rest of her days with the memory of being attacked."
"And for the rest of those days, you will be there for her. But for today, Ymir, let me do your job."
The teen turned her head up at the door. She lifted her hand up, reaching out to the lock. She stopped just before her finger touched the metal, hesitating.
She sighed and twisted the lock, pushing the door outwards.
Three Weeks Later
"Ymir...Ymiiiiiiiiiiiiir…"
The first thing she spotted once she opened her eyes were two beautiful blue orbs, staring into hers. A smile graced her face as she knew who the speaker was.
"Helena...why do you always get up so early?"
A giggle. "You know me, Ymir. I am just a little bundle of energy."
"Yeah," the tan girl supported herself on her elbow, leaning in to kiss the smaller girl on the lips, "my little bundle of energy."
Helena smirked and cupped Ymir's cheeks to pull her into the kiss again, relishing in the taste of her lover.
Ymir pushed away gently. "Helena...get ready. I gotta walk you to school before I go to work."
Helena pouted. "Awww, fine…"
The blonde rolled out of bed and walked to the closet to change into her uniform. Meanwhile, Ymir got out of bed and picked up random articles of clothing scattered across the ground.
Helena's eyes searched their low class apartment, something they could actually afford to keep. The walls are torn in places, the windows didn't shut properly, and the floor creaked like crazy. But it's ours, she thought, spotting some papers on the dining table.
The short girl straightened her skirt out before walking to the table and grabbing the paper, bringing them up into view. She frowned.
"Ymir...what's this?"
The taller girl turned around, getting her leather jacket on, seeing the papers. Her eyes widened as she walked over, extending a hand. "Oh, uh, those are-"
Helena turned her back to Ymir so that she couldn't take the papers, scanning the words before her. "Private investigator…"
"Helena…"
"No, Ymir! No! I told you to forget this whole thing! And here you are going behind my back? What's wrong with you?"
"Helena...those bastards need to get what they deserve. I mean…"
The girl sighed and looked down, tears stinging her eyes. "And you don't think I know this? Ymir...all I want is to forget this happened. That's what I want. Can't you see? We have a chance. We finally have a chance to live a normal life. Just you and me. And this...this stupid revenge that you so desperately want...will just ruin it all. I am alive...isn't that all that matters?"
"Helena they hurt you! In more ways than one! I can't just let them get away with that! They will do it to some poor other girl!"
Helena slammed the papers onto the table, then supported herself on it with her hands, her body shaking. "Please, Ymir...just forget it...please…"
Ymir looked at her lover worriedly, not sure what to do. She glanced at the papers before stepping in and wrapping her arms around Helena, pulling her close.
"Alright, Helena...alright, I'll...I'll stop. I promise."
Ymir looked down at the papers on the table as she held her lover in her arms. Should I stop?
She then began to think of Helena, or someone like her, alone in the dark streets. Scared. Afraid someone will…
She closed her eyes. No, she thought to herself, I can't just stop. I can't.
Ymir bit into her sandwich, watching Historia as she did the same, without emotion. Something is different about her. She's changing...slowly, but she is changing, she thought to herself, I know dolls can earn some emotions back...but this is quick. First a compliment, then she grabs my hand. All in a matter of thirty seconds.
Historia stared at her. "What is it, Ymir?"
She was jolted out of her trance. "Hm? What?"
"You're staring. You don't stare. Usually."
"Oh. Right. Well, I am just thinking of...people."
"Who?"
"An old friend."
"Tell me."
"I don't think so."
"Why not?"
"It's...I don't like to talk about it."
"Why?"
"It's back when I...was human. And then the gates…"
She trailed off, glancing around before her eyes finally set on Historia's. She could see something in them.
Curiosity.
"Why do you want to know so badly?"
"Because it upsets you. Your voice is upset."
"Yeah. It upsets me. So please don't ask anymore about it."
"Maybe it can help?"
"Keyword: Maybe."
"Is there any bad it can do?"
Ymir glanced down at the floor. "It can make you judge me has a horrible person."
"You care about what I think?"
"Yes. I do."
"I don't judge a person's past."
She turned her head up. "Huh?"
"I would rather judge a person's present. How they act now."
Historia stared at her, still with curiosity in her eyes. Ymir sighed as she thought about it.
Quickly she put her half-eaten sandwich down and stood up, holding her hands out to the doll. "Come on. Let's dance. I'll tell you about her."
Historia stared blankly at Ymir's hands, her blue eyes looking so innocent in the light. She reached up and took them, being pulled to her feet.
Ymir smiled. "Alright, let's try this again. Just simple steps."
Historia nodded. Ymir stepped to her left, while Historia stepped to her right, perfectly starting a slow dance.
At first, there was silence between them. They wanted to get into the rhythm before they went into a conversation.
Ymir sighed, glancing to the side in thought. "She looked a lot like you…"
Twelve Years Ago, One Week After The Appearance of the Gates
The neighborhood was like any other in downtown. Dirty, desolate and dangerous. There is a risk just walking down the street, much less walking across it. It is a wonder anyone even lives here.
Ymir kept the hood on her military jacket up, hiding her face from anyone that crossed her path. Others would've noticed a change in the girl's posture and walk. It was straight. Uniform. No hands in her pockets, but by her sides. Something happened.
Certain people have changed like her. Ever since the Gates showed up.
She walked up to an apartment building, turning her head up so that she could see it fully. It was run-down. A place only scum would live.
And she was looking for scum.
"Nah, man, I have smoked better than this."
"What? Dude, this shit is amazing."
"What shit have you been smoking?"
"This!"
"That's shit."
"This is not that shitty, Isaak!"
Isaak laughed as he pushed himself off the table. "Can you believe this guy, Lars?"
Lars was inserting bullets into a clip. He looked over. "I don't really care, Isaak."
Isaak chuckled. "Why? More focused on your stupid little guns?"
"The guns that we use? Yeah."
"Well you can focus on those later, we-"
A loud pounding at the door interrupted him. All three of the men in the room looked towards the front door.
"What was that?" A man from another room called out.
Isaak shrugged. "I will check it."
As he walked over, Lars put the clip into his gun and pulled back the slide, holding it at the ready.
Isaak wrapped his fingers around the doorknob and twisted it before pulling it wide open, with Lars aiming at the visitor.
In the entrance stood a tall figure, hood draped over their face.
Isaak cocked an eyebrow at the person. "And who are you?"
They lifted their head to reveal the face of a young tan woman, at least fifteen, with eyes staring blankly at them. "Is this the apartment of an Isaak Bäcker?"
He looked over his shoulder at the others before looking at her, a small smirk appearing on his lips. "It might be. Who is asking?"
She reached up and pulled back the hood, showing her dark brown hair. "My name is Ymir."
He leaned against the doorway. "Uh-huh...and why are you here today...Ymir?"
She remained silent for a moment, staring at him with intense eyes. He began to feel uneasy when she spoke again.
"It was really easy to find you once I got my head focused. I didn't need a private investigator."
He frowned. "W-what?"
"You ever heard of geographic profiling?"
"Excuse me?"
"It's a criminal investigative methodology that analyzes the locations of a connected series of crimes to determine the most probable area of the offender's residence. They mostly use it for serial murder or rape...I am here for the latter."
"What are you-"
"May 3rd, 2009. Abigail Klein. Thirteen. Raped and found almost beaten to death in a gutter. She was a classmate of yours."
"Wha-"
"September 24th, 2010. Leonie Färber. Fifteen. Raped. Found dead in alleyway. She was a small friend."
"I don't-"
"November 16th, 2011. Jessika Kaufmann. Sixteen. Found tied up and sexually assault by a table leg. She worked for your mother."
Isaak began to take steps back into the apartment. Ymir followed him in. Every step back, she took a step forward.
"March 20th, 2012. Wanda Koch. Seventeen. Chained. Beaten. Raped. All in a small warehouse by the docks. She was also a classmate.
"January 9th, 2013. Sara Zimmerman. Eighteen. Gang raped and left in an alley. She was living in the same apartment block as you.
"June 29th, 2014. Lucia Adler. Sixteen again. Raped and killed. Her body was found on the beach. She was the girlfriend of one of your old friends."
She eventually backed him to a table, he leaned back as she leaned in. Venom was in her voice as she spoke, "August 13th, 2015. Helena Peterson. Fifteen. Found raped in a dumpster. You worked with her father at some point."
"Uh…"
"I found you out. You had a little comfort zone to kidnap or rape girls. I tracked you down. Found the connections. And now here I am."
Isaak's surprised face disappeared. "Well you made a mistake."
"Oh really? Why?"
Isaak's friends came out and surrounded her.
"Because I got my friends here with me."
Ymir glanced at the other three. "And?"
He smirked. "Get her, boys."
The first one to step in was Lars, who pointed his gun at her head, smiling. His teeth were yellowed. Cracked. Ugly.
Ymir's eyes turned red as she flicked her finger.
Shing!
The barrel to his pistol suddenly fell off, clinking against the floor. He held the rest of the gun into view, wide eyed. He looked back at Ymir. "What the-"
He was interrupted by her slightly swinging her arm to the side. Lars was sent flying off to the right, hitting a wall hard.
Isaak's eyes widened. "What...what the fuck are you?"
Ymir blinked at him, holding her hand up. "I am Ymir." She sliced her hand down towards his friend, her eyes glowing red once again.
Blood spattered across the wall behind him as she sliced his head clean off. His headless body slumped to it's knees before slamming the ground beneath it.
Then she looked over her shoulder at the man behind her, who had a terrified look on his face. He twisted around to run for the door when Ymir's eyes glowed red and she sliced diagonally at him.
The only part that made it out the door was a half of his upper half.
Ymir looked back at Isaak, who was paralyzed with fear. She leaned to the side to see Lars getting back up. She held her hand out, turning it into a finger gun. Her eyes glowed red as she jerked her hand back.
"Pow," she muttered.
Lars looked at her before he pushed back against the wall, but this time with a hole punched through his head. Blood leaked down his face.
Ymir leaned back in to look at Isaak. She blinked. "You hurt someone that is very important to me. Right now I have no conscience to spar for the likes of you. Yet she is all I think about. That's why I am going to make you pay for hurting her. Right here. Right now.
Isaak crawled back onto the table, shaking his head frantically and whimpering, "No...no...please, God, no."
She raised her hand, her eyes glowing red. "Trust me, Isaak. He isn't listening."
Helena glanced up at the clock, seeing that the short hand was already at six. Ymir is late, she thought to herself, wondering what the girl could be up to. She stood up from the chair, walking over to the window and peering out at the streets below. She saw couples, and families.
But no Ymir.
She stepped away from the window, crossing her arms as Ymir's new found behavior. Ymir...what has happened to you? Something is different about you. You aren't the same person that I knew. That...I love.
Suddenly, the door opened, Helena turned towards it to see Ymir entering the apartment, an almost apologetic look on her face. "Sorry. I am late again, aren't I?"
With a sigh, the smaller girl nodded. "Yes."
Ymir closed the door behind her. "Sorry. Got caught up in a few things."
"Like what?"
"Errands."
"Like?"
"Looking for a job. What's wrong? You'd have thought I was gone for a whole fucking day, Jesus Christ," Ymir said as she walked past.
Helena's eyes widened.
"Ymir...is that blood?"
The taller woman looked over her shoulder at Helena, who was pointing at her back. Ymir pulled off her military jacket and held it in front of her, seeing a splash of red against it.
She glanced at Helena. "I honestly have no idea how that got there."
Helena frowned. "Don't lie to me, Ymir. How did that get on your jacket?"
"It doesn't matter."
"It does matter! Ymir, are you in trouble? Is there something going on?"
"No, Helena, we are fine."
"Then why is there blood on your jacket?"
"Like I said, I don't know," she said, continuing to walk to the bedroom.
"Stop lying!" Helena reached out and grabbed Ymir's hand, trying to pull her back.
Ymir struggled to pull her away. "Helena, let go of me!" She started to get angry, and swung her arm side to side, trying to wrench it from her friend's grasp.
Her eyes then began to glow red.
Ymir was finally able to pull her arm away. "Why are you so god damn-" She turned, her face changing from one of annoyance, to one of shock.
Helena stumbled back, a pained look in her expression as she fell to her knees and leaned back.
Her top half dropped to the ground.
For the first time since she was a child, Ymir screamed, "No!"
She kneeled by Helena's body, taking it all in. She didn't know what to do. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Oh my god!"
She pulled Helena's head up. "Helena...Helena, stay with me!"
Her blood and organs were spilling out onto the ground. She breathed heavily, trying to keep herself alive, as she looked up at Ymir. She opened her mouth to say something.
Only a whimper escaped from her lips before her head hung back, her eyes wide open.
Ymir covered her mouth with her hand, horrified. She reached over to run her fingers through her light blonde hair. Tears were beginning to fall from her eyelids as she hung her head onto Helena's. Eventually she wrapped her arms around her and pulled her top half closer to her body.
And she cried. For the first time since she was a baby.
The room was silent. Neither Historia nor Ymir said anything after the latter finished her story as she told Historia everything from talking with her mother to accidentally murdering her lover. They just kept on stepping back and forth, left and right, dancing.
"If you have anything to say about me, go ahead. If you want me to leave you alone, I will understand."
Historia just stared up at her. Eventually she let go of Ymir's hands and stopped.
Ymir stopped with her, standing still as she watched the smaller girl. Is she thinking?
Suddenly, Historia reached out and hugged Ymir, holding her close.
"Wh-wha…?"
"You just got your powers then. You didn't know how to control them. Are you worried you might do that to me?"
Ymir was surprised at the small doll whose arms were around her. She didn't know what to say. Slowly, she hugged Historia back.
"Yes. Yes I am."
"Don't be. It's been a long time since then. You are able to control your powers. Ymir?"
She looked down at her. "Yeah?"
"I trust you."
Ymir glanced at the wall, her mouth opened but no words coming out. She tightened her grip on Historia.
"Thank you...Historia."
Twelve Years Ago, One Week After the Appearance of the Gates
The teenager moved gracefully through the alley, dancing with elegance. Like a ballerina she twirled and hopped past the trash cans. She looked like she was having fun, like she was happy.
But if one were to look at her face, they would see that is not the case.
She stopped, breathing heavily, her puffy red eyes looking for something to sit on. Finding nothing she just dropped to the ground, sitting and hugging her knees to her chest.
Her hands were covered in blood, her pants spattered with the red liquid. She wants to be able to sleep in a comfy bed, but she can't go back home. Not after what she did.
So this alley looks comfortable enough, she thought to herself.
Just as she was about to lay down, she heard footsteps approaching. Her eyes searched around, looking up and down the alley over and over.
She turned her head down one end to find a man in a suit standing in the middle of it. He turned and looked at her, a grin spreading across his face as he walked over.
She crawled back, away from him, slightly frightened by the man's appearance. "Wh-who are you?"
He stopped in front of her, his face covered by the shadow of his hat. "No one important. Is your name Ymir, by any chance?"
She frowned. "Why?"
"There is a new organization created since the gates have appeared."
"...Gates?"
"Right...your powers? The appearance of the gates have given you those. There is a name for people like you. Contractors. This organization I speak of is gathering them up to work for them."
"What is this organization called?"
The man smirked.
"We call ourselves The Syndicate."
"Without knowing I'm alone
underneath this moonlight,
I called out only your name"
Studio Ereannie
Writer:
Freelance7
Supervising Producers/ Editors:
Nakamatoo
Insomniatic Titan
Dorminchu
Ghastmine
Euregatto
A/N: Thank you guys for reading! As you can see I decided to focus more on a single character and I think I shall do this for the whole season. Of course the story will progress but I want to get these character's backstories out there. Hope you enjoyed!