All of them gathered around Hange. Levi bandaged her wound and after a few minutes Hange thankfully woke up.
"How're feeling Four-Eyes?" asked Levi. Hange cracked a small smile.
"Like shit."
She slowly stood up and looked at the iron net.
"Queer enough that they don't have any guards around here.
"It's not like we have a way to bring it down anyway," said Levi bitterly. "We don't have any bombs or canons to explode it and we certainly can't cut through it with our blades."
Everyone fell silent and Mikasa bit her lip in frustration. Her Eren was in there and she couldn't go. Just then Lyla abruptly lifted her head.
"Didn't you hear that?"
Everyone looked at her in confusion. Lyla listened carefully again. It was the voice. The voice she heard in the meadow. It was again singing a soft melody. Lyla echoed the melody and it echoed back. She repeated it a few times. A smile crossed Lyla's face.
"Can't you hear it?"
Lyla's smile fell when she saw the rest of the soldier's confused face.
"Are you okay Lyla?" Armin tentatively asked.
"I'm totally fine. Why do you ask?"
"Because all we could see is you babbling about some nonexistent voice and singing into the air," said Levi pointedly. Lyla looked startled.
"But I'm not lying. It's true."
"We're not saying that you're lying. It's just—" started Hange but Lyla turned her head as she again heard the voice.
"It's telling us something."
"More like you," huffed Levi. But Lyla didn't hear him. She started to sing. First softly, and then she became louder. It felt amazing. It was like some kind of overflowing power was filling some kind of place in herself that was empty until this day. She felt like bursting, so she let go. And the next moment shards of crystals were blasting out all around her. It broke the iron net, revealing the entry of the cave.
Lyla looked around panting. She spotted Hange coughing as she came out from behind a pillar. She saw the now broken iron net and said.
"Nice work Lyla. But next time, try giving a warning."
Lyla looked bewildered.
"Did I do...?"
But she was cut off as Mikasa flew inside the cave without waiting for another second.
"Mikasa!" Armin shouted as she followed her.
"Great, she's moving on her own accord, again," said Levi irritably. He came beside Lyla and asked,
"You feeling okay Brat? Dizzy or anything?"
Lyla shook her head.
"Good, then let's get moving."
Levi shot his hook and Lyla followed suite.
When they got in Krista was trying to free Eren and Rod Reiss had a panicked expression across his face. Kenny was watching all of this with an amused face. Levi took hold of Eren's other handcuff which Krista wasn't struggling with. Mikasa and Lyla got to work on his ankles.
"Captain, throw me a key so I can release his ankles."
Levi immediately detached a key from the bundle and threw it to Lyla. Lyla tried it but it didn't fit. Lyla clicked her tongue and said,
"You should give me a key that works, sir," Lyla huffed out.
"Sorry for not knowing which key is which. Why don't you pick a key?" Levi hissed out through gritted teeth. He was clearly struggling with the handcuff. Lyla hurriedly took the first key she lay hands on. But even that key wasn't the right one. Lyla threw the key aside and soon the keys she threw made a small pile.
"For fuck's sake which one is the right key. Do people always have to carry a whole bundle?" Lyla hissed out. Mikasa's patience was wearing out. She drew her blade and struck the lock. Although it didn't make any difference Mikasa continued to strike it with ferocity. Finally, Lyla took hold of her arm and said,
"Stop it! You're going to hurt Eren and yourself. Besides, it's not working."
There was a loud clank as handcuffs dropped to the ground. Levi threw the bundle of keys to Lyla. Lyla easily caught it. She started jamming in every key until one key clicked. She hastily removed the chains and pulled up Eren who wobbled on his feet.
"Let's get out of here."
As soon as Lyla finished her words there was a blast of light and a giant skeleton emerged from below.
"What the fuck is that!?" Lyla exclaimed.
"Tsk, looks like Rod Reiss made an idiotic decision," said Levi.
"Armin, Jean. You go find a way out of here and take Hange," he ordered. They immediately followed and soon Jean found a hole that led outside. Jean and Moblit pulled Hange up and Armin followed.
"Now go get back up."
"Yes, sir!" Armin saluted and disappeared.
The ceiling started to crumble down and the whole squad stuck to the wall. Sasha shouted over all the noise.
"Any good ideas in getting out of here? Alive, I mean."
Lyla looked around and a purple bottle caught her eye. Her memories flashed back to the moment when Eren was training. Her body moved on its own accord as she lunged forward and snatched the bottle. She shoved the bottle into Eren's hands.
"Drink it!" she shouted. Eren stared at the bottle, then ran out. He bit into the bottle. Lyla facepalmed. When she said to drink it, she meant to open the bottle and drink it. Not bite into it like it was some cake. Now the glass shards would certainly be unpleasant. She watched Eren turn into a titan. The ceiling above them cracked.
"Everyone step back!" shouted Lyla as she shoved Mikasa and Sasha behind her. After that, she drew a circle around the squad with her hands and a bunch of crystals erupted. She continued to spray out crystals until she made a sturdy dome around the squad.
"There," she panted out. "That would hold out for the moment."
Lyla fell to the ground.
"Lyla!" everyone shouted out in surprise. Mikasa knelt beside Lyla and inspected her. She looked up and said, "She's only asleep."
Levi breathed out in relief. He picked up Lyla and sighed. "This brat…" He looked around. The dome was shaped like it was made of ivy vines. The holes were big enough for them to go in and out but not big enough for the broken ceiling to come through.
'She didn't do such a shitty job, considering the short time,' thought Levi. He faced his squad members and said, "We'll go out as soon as the sound dies down.
When Sasha deemed that everything was quiet they cautiously stepped out of the dome.
"Eren!" Mikasa immediately ran to him, who was sitting on the ground rubbing his head.
"Mikasa… did I do this?" He said, looking around. Mikasa gently nodded her head.
"The structure is loose as fuck but it kept us alive," said Levi. Eren spotted Lyla and tensed up.
"Relax, brat. She's only sleeping." Levi assured him. Eren tilted his head. Sleeping? At a time like this? Levi slightly shifted Lyla to carry her more securely.
"Rod Reiss has escaped sir," said Mikasa. Levi scanned the area.
"As it seems," he replied. "Which also means there's a titan as big as fuck headed toward the walls."
The squad exchanged glances.
"Well then, let's get out of here for real," said Levi. Everybody followed him out and they could see the Survey Corps coming from afar. When they came Levi gently laid Lyla in a wagon. Erwin raised an eyebrow.
"It's hard to explain. Anyway, Rod Reiss has—"
"I saw him on the way. He turned into a titan," said Erwin before Levi could finish his sentence.
"Well then?" said Levi expectantly. Erwin stared hard out into the open.
"We head towards the wall and try to stop him. I also stationed cannons on the wall. Thankfully the titan isn't fast so we would get to the walls first."
The whole Survey Corps headed to the walls at full speed. On the way, Armin suggested an idea. He remembered that Eren once controlled the titans before.
"Maybe Rod Reiss's titan would listen to Eren."
"It's no use," Lyla cut in as she slowly sat up. Everyone's head snapped toward her.
"How are you feeling?" Levi asked. It felt like he was asking this question for the hundredth time today.
"Refreshed," Lyla simply said. "Now it won't be any use Eren shouting at the titan. Though you may try if you want to."
Eren did try and indeed it was no use.
"There must've been a trigger for Eren to use that ability. There's no way he could've done it alone."
"And why is that?" asked Levi.
"Because—" Lyla started confidently but stopped midsentence. "Because…"
She didn't know. She didn't know the reason. She just somehow knew it wouldn't work.
"Can't you blast crystals again?" Sasha quipped. Levi shot her a look.
"You know that is out of the question Braus. Lyla just woke up."
"Even if I wanted to," Lyla started, "I can't. What I did in the chapel, it wasn't me who did it. It was like some unknown force guiding me and using me as a means to save us."
Everybody fell silent at Lyla's words.
...
...
When the Survey Corps got near to the wall they saw the Garrison shooting cannonballs at the titan.
"Tsk, none of them are really hitting its target properly," grumbled Levi.
When they got inside the walls and everything seemed to settle down a little Levi just abruptly said to Krista.
"You have to be the next queen."
Everybody's eyes widened and of course Krista's eyes were the widest of all.
"What do you mean! You can't just say something like that so suddenly!" Eren shouted. Levi narrowed his eyes at him.
"I am the captain so I'll say whatever I want, whenever I want—"
"No you can't," Eren outright objected. There was a dangerous glint in Levi's eyes.
"Brat," he said in a warning tone. However, Eren didn't seem to catch the hint as he kept on speaking.
"You may be the captain but that doesn't mean you can decide something like that without even asking! You don't know if Krista wants to be queen, hell, you don't know if she even is ready to take on such a responsibility!"
Levi's fist shot out but before it could connect with Eren's jaw Lyla took a firm hold on his wrist.
"Contain your temper, sir. Or I will."
Levi glared at Lyla for a moment which Lyla equally matched. Levi slacked and let out an irritated sigh.
"Look, it's not like I have a choice here. Erwin overthrew the throne and the justification was 'dethrone the false king and crown the true king.'"
"And that true king is Krista…?" Eren asked bitterly. Levi nodded. Eren shook his head.
"Still, there must be a way—"
"Okay,"
Everybody's eyes turned to Krista. She said calmly, "My next mission is being the Queen."
Lyla looked at Krista with sad eyes. She sighed and said, "Then it is settled."
The way to the operation conference was somewhat awkward between Lyla and Levi. Lyla looked down at Levi's wrist which had red angry marks.
"Does it hurt?" Lyla asked. Levi gave Lyla a questioning look. Lyla tilted her head toward Levi's wrist and Levi snorted.
"Like hell it would."
"I know you wouldn't have hit Eren if you weren't so stressed out."
"Then help me out by stop being so reckless and fainting all the time."
"I don't faint all the time."
"But you have been recently."
Lyla snorted and opened the door. Inside all the officers were already assembled. Erwin explained the current situation and all of them discussed different plans.
"I have an idea, though it is a risky one," said Lyla. Erwin nodded his head, asking her to continue.
"We'll let the titan approach the walls, and when it does, we'll anchor it and Eren, in his titan form would throw a bundle of gunpowder into the titan's mouth. The inside of the titan would be hot enough to act as a trigger for the powder to explode. Once the titan explodes, the Survey Corps would cut the pieces."
Hange thought for a moment, then said, "The titan is too heavy to walk so it's crawling its way here. Which means it would be grinding its head into the ground even at this moment. There might not even be a mouth to throw the gunpowder in."
Everybody thought for a moment. Finally, Erwin opened his mouth.
"We'll take the bet."
All of the officers nodded. Hange went to her lab to make a new weapon.
"After all, we need something to ground Rod Reiss to the wall. Considering the short time, I don't think I'll be able to make anything grand but—"
"It doesn't have to be 'grand' Shitty Glasses as long as it works," said Levi but Hange didn't hear it as she was already off.