Dun Dun Duuuuuuuun. Y'all know what time it is XD Female Titan time! Whoopedy... whoop whoop?

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Disclaimer: nope, don't own AOT, just love the characters!

Normal POV

As we refuel in silence, I think I'm doing a pretty good job at looking normal. I don't want to let him know the toll that just took; he might use it to his advantage when punishing me for my actions later on. Plus I didn't want him thinking I was fishing for pity. I never wanted that. As I fix the nozzles into place and sort the gas tanks, I feel a tremor run through me at the memory of what just happened. It had all gone to shit so fucking quickly, and yet even with me transforming, it made no difference. It wasn't that I was used to making a difference exactly, but I was used to feeling powerful when I shifted. Now I just felt useless.

I feel a cold sensation prickle at the back of my neck.

Having lived in the wilds for a long time, I'd developed something akin to an animal's sense of danger. At least that was what I'd summarised it as, to my squirrel friends. They'd tended to agree with me, so I surmised that meant I wasn't crazy. Again, they tended to agree.

The prickle stings my skin again.

I sheath the fresh blades and look around, the quiet only making the sensation intensify. I hadn't noticed, but I was holding my breath. I see Levi watching me look around, but he doesn't get the chance to demand what I'm doing.

We hear a far off pop. Then green smokes rises through a break in the canopy. It's our colour; the colour of comradery, of safety, of hope. Only now it makes me feel nauseous. That would have been our signal to the group when we'd refuelled, only we hadn't fired it yet. They wouldn't signal us, they were waiting on orders. I grab my handkerchief again and wipe my nose once again free of the leaking fluids. Someone else is trying to find them.

My mind moves like lightning as I realise the blonde had obviously had a lot of intelligence, and more skill. We'd seen her Titan eaten, but I for one hadn't seen her eaten. Maybe she was like me, able to keep moving about after having transformed. And if she was like me, and had been able to maintain her skills better than myself, she was likely able to shift again. And soon.

This wasn't over.

The fucking squirrels were right.

"Levi we need to—" another flare rises into the sky and I feel my stomach churn as the Squad gives away its position. They'd flagged down the grim reaper. My whole body tenses, and I hear Levi draw a quick breath. It's his equivalent of a panicked gasp, but I know most people wouldn't have even heard it. I turn to him and we speak at the same time.

"Shit."

"We need to get over there, like now." I say, getting my gear set. Levi fires off ahead and I follow him close behind. The momentum alone makes my head spin, but I keep pace. They weren't too far, but far enough to make my heart pound in anxiety. I didn't even know their last names god dammit. So why am I freaking out so much? I swallow hard. It seemed I'd grown a little too attached to human company. Shit.

"Stay out of the fight, brat." The Captain orders calmly, but I see him shoot me a glare. At first I wonder if he's concerned, but that glare hints rather more towards the fact he doesn't want me shifting again. This seems a bit of a contradiction; surely he'd love an excuse to kill me? And then I flinch a little, that was unkind. Sure that might have been the case in that cell, but recently he had been almost kind, almost comrade-like. My mind scoffs at my softy understanding.

"And let you have all the fun, sir?" I laugh a little faintly, "Not likely."

"You can barely fly straight. What use are you to anyone in a fight?"

"In this form? Very little." I say, gaining height in order to get a good velocity going.

"Don't you fucking dare, brat. You can barely walk, and I'm not looking after you."

"Not asking you to, Levi. Just do your fucking job. Just let me save them before you kill me." I hiss, readying myself. Levi growls as he zips up to my level, lips pursed into a thin line as he seems to toy over whether or not to say something else. His grey eyes flicker to mine and I shiver a little. "Please Captain, let me try out this 'helping' side to my character?"

"Just remember your orders." He snaps, heading back down where he can move faster with his technique. I feel my body ache and wonder whether or not it can really take another transformation so soon. But I don't have much choice. It was shift, or sit on the side-lines doing nothing but commentate and encourage. I was never the type for that.

And what did he mean?

Remember my orders…

I feel fire, I hear rushing wind, and I sense his unbridled rage as I transform and hit the ground running at full pelt. I cry out; the heat searing into my aching bones, but it just sounds like another feral roar. No one had to know. I glance back, the captain is falling behind, but that might allow me to do something before he gets in the way, or even gets himself hurt. I knew Levi had skill, I'd seen it myself, but it seemed like this blonde fiend was on an entirely different level. My kind of level.

I need to protect Eren.

I need to protect the team.

I need to protect my Captain.

My captain.

I grit my teeth against the pain in the back of my head, and push myself faster. I can smell the bitch already. I'd make her pay for all those soldiers already rotting into the earth, and I'd make her pay for anyone else she'd planned to hurt today. Not that she'd get the chance now.

As I approach the area of the signals I hear shouting. I look to the far right and see Eren is in retreat, he'll be doing as told no doubt. My god the kid really did trust them didn't he? I almost envy him that. Seemed they had it under control—

…

Gunter?

I keep running but have to swallow hard as I nearly vomit at the sight. Left to swing to and fro, glassy eyed and head askew from his shoulders, Gunter was dead. The blonde bitch must have done that in human form, the cut was too clean to be a Titan's work. It was one thing to be a Titan killing humans, but to do so in human form took real coldness. Soon enough I reach the battlefield, and I watch the amazing take down before me. Oluo and Petra take out her eyes, after Eld's already sliced her knees. Damn these guys. I was glad I'd never had to fight them. The beast falls against a tree, arms once again held over her nape. Damned coward.

I give a roar. The beast jolts, and the team swoop out of the way. There was no point in them getting hurt if I was here to take the brunt. It was what I was for right? I stumble slightly as the pain at the back of my head increases, but I just use it to propel myself forward and thrash the bitch against the tree. I go for the weakest points of her arms and begin tearing at her flesh. She's trying to protect her nape, but I won't let her get away this time. She forms crystal over her joints, but I keep snapping it away, it isn't as strong as before. I believe she's preoccupied with protecting her nape, and regaining her sight. She's tired. My hands are in little bits from clawing at the crystal, but I ignore it and focus on healing my claws. They were my best bet here.

I've got through!

Her arms fall down by her side, but suddenly her knee raises up with a crystal tip to it, and she rams me backwards, casting me away with a gaping hole ripped into my chest. I grunt against the searing pain of the steam, but before I can even try to get up, the team sweep in front of me. Eld gives a little wink as he passes me by.

"Good work Alexia, but we can't have you do all the work! Let's get this bitch!" he cheers sweeping in. It really felt like we'd become a team, and even with my newly made confession. I hold my breath as they go in for the kill, her arms are slack by her sides and she's breathing heavily. Go on guys, fucking rip whoever it was out into the open. Destroy her. "Let's get whoever this is and—"

"Eld!" they scream together as I feel my vision spin.

No.

Crunch.

I hadn't even known his last name… I hadn't even known…

His legs fall away to the ground, her one eye staring at us all in turn, as she spits out his other half in what seems to be disgust. He lands with an awfully dull sound and stares up at the clouding sky.

So quick, so heartless.

The other two are obviously caught off guard, and I can't really make out their panicked shouting. It refracts like a broken mirror, and I try and grasp onto what the hell is even happening. Petra is freaking out, she can't focus as fear turns her mind to mush.

Soldiers into children.

Nerves into jelly.

Life into death.

The Female beast lunges, arms still slack by her side as she creepily pitches forward. She chases down the flailing figure of Petra mercilessly, hungrily grunting against Petra's screams. I hear Oluo yell out, begging his comrade to come to her senses, to evade. But I know she can't. Of all the monstrosities I'd seen created by Humanity, this Female Titan was the worst. Perhaps worse than me. I'm still steaming from her previous attack, and the wind chills me as it swirls into the gaping wound, but nevertheless I plunge after them. I catch the beast's ankles and wrench her back before she can get a good hold of my comrade. The blonde gives a pathetic howl when I stomp on her spine, immobilising her. I then go to Petra who is sprawled against the ground, having only just missed impacting with a tree as she was propelled into the dirt. I think her wires broke.

I reach down and lift her to a high up branch as carefully as I can, my hollow breaths shaky as I desperately rein in my strength. So delicate, so small. She's breathing; it's shallow and forced, but it's there. She sobs a little, and shakes her strawberry-blonde head, her hair shining a little in the dim light of the woods. A pretty little thing. I hear the monstrosity coming up behind me, I nod at a bleary eyed Petra before I turn back into the fray. Ignoring the fuzz of my vision, I rugby tackle the beast before she can swipe out Petra and Oluo, who swung in to tend to his injured comrade.

The Female's under me for a moment, but right now her strength greatly exceeds my own. I'm basically just wanting to buy them time to escape, but I'm not sure they will. Too many people have died today to run away without retribution. The Blonde punches my gut, hand slipping inside the original attack's remaining wound. She flips us over, using the momentum to throw me into a tree. I hiss, steam billowing from my wounds as I try and regenerate as quickly as possible. Get it together Senefold. I reach out to grab her head, to bend it forward to rip out the nape, but her knee turns into a sharp crystal blade and she slices into my gut. She's so fast.

I sag to my knees.

Ow.

My claws rip at her flesh, but she keeps hardening it. Damn this woman had skill, and a lot more practise than me at present. I wish we'd met when I was in the swing of this, when I was able to transform multiple times a day, and barely break a fucking sweat. I'd have destroyed her then. When I had no humanity left. But currently that wasn't the case, currently I felt like a damn rookie, sweating my balls off in the first day of training. My head is on fire with pain, and it's trickling through every nerve I possess. It's been barely a second since I sagged to the ground, and in that second she has managed to heal one of her arms. She hardens the fingers and strikes at an odd angle. I feel it in my legs, my real legs, agony sweeping over me in a fresh typhoon. She's found my real body.

I fall back with a pathetic wail.

Oluo swings in as the blonde looks at her handiwork; yes, incapacitate her while she's distracted. Go on you stupid bastard, do it. Just don't bite you tong—

No!

She reformed the other arm already?

I ignore it all; the pain, and the need to regenerate. I had to get them out of here. She was fucking unstoppable. I pull her arm down as she swipes at him, I hear a crunch but can't stop to see the damage done to the man. I can't get distracted. I throw the Female Titan into the dirt and run. I grab Oluo and scoop up Petra as well, running full pelt towards where the Captain should be. I see him and give a call; it's strangled, but he knows it's me. My two passengers are shouting at me, but I just get to the branch, and lay them there, battered and bruised. But alive.

And then my legs give out.

No, not on their own accord.

They're taken out from under me, I yelp in surprise, hands dragging down the dark of the tree as she claws down my back. I see nothing but white as I feel her scrape away most of the nape, slicing my own back as well. I feel like I've been ripped in two, straight down the middle. I can't breathe. I wonder which way the coin is going to fall.

Another bolt cuts through the air and I hear a harrowing cry.

No, Eren, please don't.

The Female is clever enough to drop my sorry ass and turn to see the Beserker Titan bounding towards her. He wipes her out like a damn bug on the wall. They slam through the undergrowth, and I hear trees groan as they're snapped and damaged a little ways off. I also hear the zip of wires, and know that the Captain has arrived. He stands upon the branch with Petra and Oluo, conversing with them quickly. I hold onto the trunk as I try and focus.

"Senefold!" roars the Captain from above.

Yeah, yeah I'm on it… I think.

Instinct takes over, I grab onto the trunk and haul myself up. I can hear the thunder of Eren's battle with the beast, but I can't turn to look yet. If I do, and him failing, this will only be worse. For now I need to do something about the sorry state of my Titan. So much for being formidable. The cold air is swirling through my hair, and I feel it sting against my wounds. Had she actually injured my real body? I can't be sure. But I'm feeling colder with each second. I stand and step away from the tree, trying to think as I wobble a little.

"Get out of there, now!"

"I can do this!" I shout aloud, suddenly feeling myself snap back into my normal body's consciousness. gasp a little as I feel the full extent of what that thing did to me. I think she's sliced me from nape to tailbone… But I'm still attached to my Titan, I'm still in this fight. I look up at the Captain as he binds rags round Petra's torso, and I think she must be badly wounded. I swallow hard. He keeps glancing my way, face unreadable as ever.

"Get them out of here, Captain! I'll get the bitch! I'll get Eren out!"

"No, just—"

A sickening slicing noise halts everything.

We look over and watch the top half of Eren's Titan's head slide away, and the tree next to him has been decapitated also. This wasn't a choice, there was only one option. I swallow my cries as I grit my teeth, and let myself submerge into the muscle once more. It's beyond agony as it slides over my flesh, and I quickly form a make-shift shield of crystal over the gaping hole in my nape. It wasn't as good as full regeneration, but it was a lot quicker.

"No! Senefold stop!"

I ignore the Captain.

"Brat this is an order, stop and get yourself out! We can regroup and…" he continues to shout, but I just ignore his harsh voice. I stagger forward, trying to create some momentum of my own as she drops Eren's limp body into her gaping jaws. Ugly bitch. I shriek at her as I get into a decent run.

Just run.

Just get Eren out of here!

She's turned tail to scarper, but I'm hot on her trail.

There's zipping next to me; Levi, the She-Wolf and Oluo are on my left side. Where the hell did the She-Wolf come from? She wasn't anywhere near us. The blonde loops round and starts heading back towards Oluo and Petra, or perhaps towards the walls is her ultimate goal. Perhaps she didn't have anywhere to go out here, and had a plan to get inside the walls somehow. Well not so fast sweetheart. This is my kingdom.

I lunge and trip the beast.

I suppose the She-Wolf came of her own accord. She seemed bull-headed enough to do that, especially when realising something was up and it involved her Eren. I just hoped she didn't get in the way.

I latch onto the blonde's arms and groan loudly as I feel my body pound against my decision to use my crystal ability again. I send the black brittle tendrils into the blonde's arms and fuse us together.

Dammit.

Blood dribbles down my back from beneath the crystal covering.

She howls in pain and I feel a fresh surge of power, I was hurting her. Good. I hold tighter and look over to the branch. Captain gives out orders: Mikasa and him swing in, whilst Oluo keeps a distance at the perimeter. Oluo has his legs bound by sticks, brave bastard. Stupid, but brave. I know we're not far from Petra, having looped back a decent way, but I hope we're far enough that she isn't still in danger.

The Blonde writhes beneath me. She's struggling better than I'd hoped, I feel the crystal bend as she fights it, and I shriek as it sends flames along my nerves. Just stay still, you're beat! I ignore it and bend down, jaws agape as I go to each of her cheeks and slice them open with my fangs. Her mouth lolls open, and she stares with wide, frightened eyes.

Do I see tears?

"Hold her still, Senefold!" roars the Captain as he descends with the She-Wolf by his side. He dips in and grabs the unconscious boy; the kid fought so well. I hear them zip away, Levi hauling Eren to safety, albeit unenthusiastically.

Snap.

One side of crystal breaks and her great hand clutches my throat and begins to squeeze, trying to break the crystal barrier over my exposed self in the nape. Clever girl. But there's the sound of zipping again, as I feel the crystal begin to scatter over me. I feel cold. She grunts, and suddenly I'm swung round, against a tree, and I hear Petra scream from a little way off.

"Oluo!"

I turn as best I can, and see a smear of blood behind my shoulder. She just… she just used me to kill him. I grit my teeth and sink the crystal further into her. She freezes. I've caught her nape. I can kill her. I can do this! The Captain appears, and is about to attempt an attack on her nape, when I see the blue orbs swing round to him and feel her tense the other arm. No. Not him. Fuck you. I make a strange primal noise as I grit my teeth and try to send my crystal further. But I'm spent. I can barely breathe as I hold her still as possible so she can't swing out at him. Idiot man, get the fuck away.

"S-STOP." I choke out and Levi reacts instantly, swinging back and up. His wide eyes stare at me as he does as told, confused by the weird noise of my Titan voice. Even it sounds pained, and strangled. How fucking pathetic. I growl as I hold the Blonde in place, she makes little twitches as her arm aches to reach and snuff out another life. But I won't let her. She won't have my captain. I throw my head back and sob as I use the crystal to slice into her real body. The Blonde shudders as I do.

"A-Alex please!" sobs Petra, voice echoing through the tense air. I freeze, the pain and desperation in her voice wakening me from my slushed consciousness. "Just incapacitate her and get out of there! Please! You don't need to die, to prove yourself!"

Yes I do.

Don't you see that, Petra?

I've failed so many people in my life, and even now with this power, I'm still failing.

Shit.

I'm caring all over again, and I feel the human mess sink into my scattered mind.

I see Levi and the She-wolf regrouping a few trees away. They were actually going to try again? I hear Petra's sobbing, and I know Eren's still unconscious. This wasn't a fight I could win. My pride snarls at me, and eggs me on, but I slap the bastard down. I accept the fact I can't risk anyone else getting into range, as I know I can't protect them. I wonder if I'll even make it back to the wagons in this state.

But I have to try.

I gather what little I have left to give. I pull the blonde beast closer, knowing I can't use my crystal again without seriously leaning over to death's doorbell. I sink my teeth into the front of her throat. It shocks her enough to shift her uneasily. If this was to be my end, if I was going to get halfway to those wagons and simply cut out from sheer exhaustion, then I was going to make ensure this beast fucking remembered me. I wanted to etch my existence onto her soul, and make her wake every night in a cold sweat, howling for mercy. I crunch my fangs down until she goes slack, and then I get up. Somehow. I swing her body and discard it into the dirt with an unceremonious crash.

The world stills.

"She's down, move it, Brat!" I turn and nod to the captain, we regroup at the branch and whilst he carries Eren, I take up Petra whilst the She-Wolf keeps an eye out for any other trouble. They rush off, but as I feel Petra tremble in my hand and hear her soft cries, occasionally mumbling 'I'm so sorry Oluo.' I stop and return where he died. I delicately remove his crushed body from the tree trunk, cradling it like an injured bird. The wings upon his cape are soiled by blood. I shake my head against the spreading dark patches, and head to the original battle scene. Petra is still sobbing, but she's holding onto my thumb and nodding slowly, thanking me. Her gratitude makes me queasy. With the same hand holding Oluo, I collect Eld and Gunter. I'd left enough of them out here to rot. I had to make up for that somehow. I had to make up for letting them die… somehow.

"Stop it brat." It almost sounds like an order, but it also sounds like he's pleading.

I look at him with unabashed grief. I have no bravado left to cling to.

"You can't do anything for them."

I snarl at him and hold the dead in one hand, and my Petra in the other.

I'd get you home at least pretty thing. Just hold on.

Levi pauses, nods and gestures for me to follow him back. I do as told.

"That's it Alex, just keep going." I glance at the hand cradled to my chest, and I whimper a little as Petra's pale face lolls forward. "You're… doing… great…"

She lies there, curled into a small bundle as she seems to sleep. Only I fear for the depth of her slumber is now beyond my reach. The others are far ahead, and from what little I can still see through the growing darkness, we aren't far off from the wagons.

But I stop.

I have to know.

With a slightly shaky hand I hold her in front of me. She's so still. I listen, but there's nothing. No heartbeat, no breathing. How had this happened? She was talking, she was moving… I peer closer at the make-shift bindings the Captain used. I see the purple bruising. Internal bleeding. Perhaps she'd been crushed after all. Perhaps I'd been too late anyway. The ice clutches me tighter, and my hate dims as the fire is stabbed by the cold.

After all that, I still hadn't saved any of them.

What was the point?

What was the point in me?

The Captain lands on my shoulder.

"The hell is the hold up here, Senefold? Get yourself and Petra to the…" his voice falters. He walks along my arm, and stands over her body. His eyes are cast in shade so I can't see them clearly, but I can hear the slight shake to his breath. Slowly he kneels down and looks for a pulse, I pretend to not notice the tremor to his hand as he does this. My whole form is shaking, and he hasn't mentioned that, so it seems the least I can do.

He finds nothing.

He sucks a breath through his teeth.

"Get us to the wagons, Senefold. We can't afford to linger."

I walk forward, concentrating on remaining upright as we find the rest of the regiment. I kneel down once the cadets have cleared, and I lay the bodies in the cart, growling a little as the soldiers grimace at the crushed body of Oluo, and separate parts to Eld. I look to another wagon where Eren is laid, Mikasa tending to him as she looks my way and gives a firm nod. I take it as thanks, and small confirmation of him being alive. I give a doff of my head. The cold has died away to a strange numbness now and I straighten up, with the Captain still on my shoulder.

I'm still shaking though and I feel more blood trickle down between my Titan flesh and the crystal cap I made. I'm not sure what kind of pain I'll wake up to when I disengage from this form. If I can disengage, and if I can wake up.

"Your orders still stand, Brat. Don't do anything stupid." He mutters, I glance at him but consider the fact he can't move quite yet. He's as numb as me right now. It's a very full wagon.

I smell something and I tense, shivering halting all of a sudden.

"What is it?"

"TITANS." I growl, turning and dipping into a fighting stance.

"We need to go, you can't keep going like this. Get out of that thing, and we'll make a break for the walls."

And get everyone killed. Great plan Short-arse.

I chuckle and grab him from my shoulder, he struggles and snarls at me but I put him down on the wagon and begin to stagger in the direction of the scent. Leave me to die out here fighting. At least I'll do something in the end. My mind is a mess of pain and anger.

Cold, faltering anger.

"Brat!"

The wagons begin moving and I turn to bid farewell to the idiot. I'd always wondered why he wanted me to survive, guess it didn't matter now. I was a troublesome brat indeed it seemed.

"Senefold!"

Good bye Captain.

"Alexia!"

Good bye Levi.

Hope you enjoyed!

See you next time!

To those that reviewed Chpt 9! Thank you so much!

LynnStark: good to have you back! And thank you so much for the praise, I am literally incapable of NOT including sass. It just... doesn't happen.

Ashnic: Oh yes indeed my friend, I have finally gotten tired of teasing... almost.. nearly?

bae: Wow, thank you so much! I'm just happy with any praise I get in all honesty, and you guys are too awesome already!

Guest: Thanks! I hope you continue to enjoy!

Timothy73: Yeah... I love me some over the top speeches, its a guilty pleasure, but I will try and um... rein it in :P

xBeccax and Gracexxxx: glad I caught you off guard, and thank you so very much for the reviews!

Lilly Manchester: stop abusing your caps lock! But thank you nevertheless! You crazy woman!

Guest : that's incredibly high praise and I am mega blushing even now.

Basically thank you to EVERYONE who reads, follows, favourites, and those that take the time to review ^-^ but you're all awesome really!