Alright, here it is. After having no internet for 3 days, I finally get to post an update. The much anticipated for both me writing it and you reading it: The Female Titan Arc!! Thank you EverydayWeeaboo for the review! Heavy divergance to what actually happened in the manga, but will have some of it's most important moments along with a few new ones that change things quite a bit, but hopefully still entertaining. This Arc will definitely be about 12 chapters, from the start of the mission to the aftermath into Stohess Arc. Though there will be major changes during the forest of giant trees part. As usual drop a review, and tell me how your liking it. Let us begin.
57th Expedition- Woman without skin
Annie stood at the top of Wall Rose, looking out over the plains. For nearly a full month since she joined the Mps, Reiner and Bertoldt had snuck information to her. The route being used, positioning of where they were assigned, and where James and Eren would be located. While Eren would be hard to get, most likely being around that captain and his squad, James was another problem that she would have to face herself.
His ability and will to use it on the mission could spell disaster for them. He was already a very proficient fighter in his human form, but his Titan also gave him deadly animalistic advantages. From the sharp teeth to scaly armor, he would be more than a match for her. She would also have to deal with his more primal side that seemed to channel most in his Titan form. The only thing she really has going for her was her crystallizing ability, which may be strong enough to resist or break his armor. She also has her fighting skill, but that has it's drawbacks as well.
If she wasn't careful enough when or if it came to them fighting, James might recognize her style and confront her in anger. He'd told her his secret but yet she kept hers, which would definitely piss him off. She didn't want to face his angry Titan form, she saw what he would do to save her, his friends. Him angry at her for lying about herself would be scary indeed. If she's careful enough, maybe she can convince him to come along with her. Reiner and Bert had agreed with her after Trost that he was somewhat on the fence about his "mission".
From the incident with that Garrison captain to their talk before the invasion, and the entire trial, it seemed James will to protect the humans of the walls may have been crumbling. It wasn't something she'd planned or wanted, but it would make it easier for her to bring them home. Perhaps Eren too had his loyalties shaken by that beating, but she knew he would always want to kill the Titans. How he did it, whether with humanity or with his own kind, remained to be seen.
She cleared her head and jumped off the wall, slicing her finger in the ring her father gave her. She felt the moment of lightning and the 14 meter creature that would be known as the Female Titan by the end of the day stood, her form feeling fresh after not being used for so long. James probably felt this way when he saved her back in Trost, since he most likely hadn't transformed since they joined 3 years ago.
'Focus, get him and Eren out of here. They'll be safer away from here, and we can finally go home'
Annie began to run towards the forest of giant trees that curved near the right flank to end momentarily before picking back up in the middle of where the formation would head. She could wait there to snatch James, but would still have to go near the middle to see if that's where Eren was. Hopefully there weren't too many Titans nearby, she didn't have the patience nor time to deal with them to complete her mission.
As she neared the trees she saw the expedition had begun, seeing the green smoke signals fired by the Scouts flare guns. Another thing she noticed was the odd stench that was pungent in this area, that stood out from the usual Titan smell. 'What is this smell, its so.. outdoorsy, like some sort of animal. James transforming so early? No, I would've seen the lightning, right? Then what else could it be?' she asks herself.
Her answer was a cluster of maybe 16 Titans ranging from 6 to 10 meters emerging from the trees, as she neared them before stopping. She saw that something larger loomed in the shadows. She tried to get a better look at whatever it was, but instead it stepped out to look at her. She froze, seeing the hair on it's tall form, the small head, and the long arms that nearly reached it's feet. 'No, a haired giant!? Here?!'
It got even worse when the haired giant she faced spoke, sending chills down both her human and titan spine as she realized what she looked at. The very reason she was sent to the walls at all, the killer of her people and humans alike.
The Beast Titan had appeared.
"Hmm my aren't you an odd one. An exceptional form you have, if I do say so myself. But why are you so far from your village? Something of interest in that group of humans leaving the safety of their little walls? Perhaps another like yourself? I remember one that I saw years ago being so close to them, and he too looked intriguing, with his curling hair."
At these words Annie's eyes widen with recognition, 'Is he..talking about James?' she thinks, not hearing the rest of her enemies little talk. But she snaps back to hear the last bit.
"...quite an animal, even for my liking. I thought he would've died with how many of my pets I left him to. Ah well, today I shall visit them as I go further in. She's all yours, this one no longer interests me." and he turned to walk further into the darkness made by the giant trees. Annie watches as the group of Titans begin to move slowly at first, before charging her in an all-out sprint.
'They have to be warned, stopped if need be. I need to get him and the rest out of here!' She turns and starts to jog, outrunning her pursuers, but they follow her no matter how far she is. She begins to see the smoke signals nearing her, showing that she is by the right flank. Wirh her speed right now, she only has a few moments before the Titans following her reach the scouts formation.
She doesn't mean to do it, but she needs to shake the group chasing her. The scouts in this section were more experienced than her comrades in the 104th, if the information provided by Reiner and Bertoldt was accurate. Hopefully the group would be busy taking the Titans down than to try and follow her, and she could slip in and out before they turn their attention to her. After all a 14 meter skinless female titan would tend to draw attention from anyone, especially the commanders of this expedition.
She sees the smoke begin to change colors, and she bursts through the trees to see a group of maybe 18 experienced scouts look at her in shock. She runs through and away from their formation, which confuses them momentarily, before a group of Titans emerges and charges at them. They stop and begin to feast, as the scouts call orders to repel against their attackers.
'Forgive me, it's all for the greater good. Your sacrifices won't be in vain. Just please stay out of my way' Annie thinks as she move further away from the battle. She sees black smoke ahead of her, meaning that the group she just left had deciamated the scouts she went past.
As she gains closer to the middle formation behind the command group, she sees an abnormal get taken down by a pair of veterans. Further ahead she sees a lone spotter, the signal flare already fired into the air. As she nears the pair she ignores them and continues forward, before feeling a hook pierce her shoulder. She can hear the gas burst and the scouts war cry as he nears her head.
She remembers something she asked James, after the cleanup of Trost. She'd asked him if He'd ever killed a human before as a titan. He'd shaken his head, but replied with a smirk on his face as he explained
"No, it goes against why I was raised, but I certainly didn't take anyone that chose to mess with me with a grain of salt. Since I traveled in my form for so long, I was seen sometimes. I tried to ignore them, and merely shook off their attempts at chasing me. So I gave them a chance, leave me be or else. If they insisted on attacking, then they would get their fight.
I never got to that point, because they got the message loud and clear as I showed that I held their life in my hands, but it has crossed my mind a few times. But now, Im not sure I would be so lenient if it happened again. I have to defend myself from everything, even the people I'm charged with saving, except you. It's quite simple: Leave me be, and I won't fight you. Insist on it, and face my wrath. The choice is theirs."
Flashback end
She catches the scout in her hand and rolls him to the ground, before doing the same to his partner. They recover and try again to strike at her nape, and she dodges their attack. 'One more chance, then I have to act.' She thinks to herself, ready to do what she must for the greater good. The scouts aim again and this time, she snaps back. Grabbing the cable, she flings the first hard at the ground, killing him instantly.
No pain but for a second, she does the same to his partner who tries to avenge his friend. She grabs him and crushes him quickly, not wanting to drag his death out. She sees the lone spotter up ahead fire a flare indicating an abnormal, and goes to see who it is. The spotter turns and flees with their horse, as well as the other one they held the reins of. They don't try to attack her, merely fleeing as she rushes up to them. She's grateful for it, it means one less person she might be forced to kill.
She thinks she saw a flash of blonde, and thinks perhaps it's Krista. She hopes it isn't, knowing Reiner would be furious if his love interest was accidently crushed by her. As she looks down at the spotter, she sidesteps. The spotter is thrown as her foot nearly hits them, rolling for a moment before stopping. She crouches and reached for their hood, curious to see who it is. 'So who's the smart one?'
As she pulls it back, she's surprised to see the other small blonde of the 104, Armin. She watches him for a moment, her mouth twitching upwards a bit, and recalls the last time she saw him. He looks up, terrified, and watched as she left him alone.
flashback start
"Hey Annie deep down, you actually a good person. Aren't you? That's why you say those things."
"T-thank you, but..I'm just trying to survive."
Flashback end
'You get to live.'