Annie knew she couldn't panic; she needed to think through this. What would Gemini do if he ended up in her position, what the hell Annie knew Gemini would've seen this coming from a mile away and would never get himself trapped unless it's a part of his plan? This is not part of the plan; she needed to escape quickly with every passing second Eren would get further away from her. Whilst she could easily make up the distance, Annie couldn't be sure they were following the same path of the forest or deviated in another direction to keep her from finding them. She'll lure then to her, but first, she needs to escape her binding. The scouting regiment had utterly caught her off guard, from the equipment it looks like they were expecting another titan shifter to show up. Maybe they shouldn't have dismissed Erwin as quickly as the warriors did, he's smarter than they expected and if he believes there are other titan shifters out there, then Annie needs to be careful.
She feels something land on her head; she needs to get out of here. Annie can't climb out her nape; the scouts could easily see her, so she had little choice she has to draw the closest pure titans to her, they could consume her titan form distracting the scouting regiment enough they hopefully won't notice her escaping. If her suspicions are right, Erwin will order the scouting regiment to protect her titan form whilst she disappears amongst the scouts' movement. She's lucky Gemini gave her a green scouting regiment cloak should anything go wrong. She needs to hide alongside their enemy. Inside her titan form, Annie pulled her one arm free from the tissue connecting her, grabbing the hood of the cloak, pulling it firmly over her head and shrieked.
Eren's heart is pounding in his chest as he forces his horse to push on, leaving Levi and the captured titan behind. He didn't get why he had to keep moving forward when he would be safer being near Levi. Not that Eren wasn't capable of protecting himself from titans or that he doesn't trust Petra, Oluo, Gunther and Eld to protect him… he prefers Levi's company, he always has since he's little. Getting further away from Levi without any way of knowing what was happening is distressing. What if something goes wrong and Levi needs their help? Many what if running through his head, each scenario he comes up with the ending is worse than the others? What if the titan escapes and attacks Levi? What if returning to his squad Levi's equipment becomes damaged and accidentally leave him behind as they continue to Shiganshina? Then he hears the shriek; it sends chills down his spine as he turned around looking back at the titan. He doesn't know why, but he recognises it. Something in the back of his mind tells him he's heard it before or something similar, but he's not sure where. Another thing kept away from him by himself.
"Look a flare, Captain Levi must want to meet up with us there," Eld spotted, "Switch to ODM gear."
Eren jumped from his horse, following Eld as they travelled through the trees to the flare. Something missing, they're missing something. He can feel it in his bones. He somehow knew Levi didn't fire that flare.
Annie waited, hidden in the trees after shooting the flare. It's her only hope that they will believe it belongs to their captain. With the element of surprise, she can quickly kill one, maybe two scouts protecting Eren before taking on her titan form again to kill the rest, she knows Eren will attack her, try to bring her down. Eren hasn't beat her in a fight, and this Eren doesn't know the capabilities of his titan form. She ultimately had the upper hand.
Stepping off the tree branch, Annie followed parallel with Levi's squad, eyeing them up. They're strong. She couldn't underestimate them as they had with Erwin, which means she needs to quickly take out one of them before the others can react. Annie catapulted herself around a tree, bring her blades up her eyes briefly connected with the surprised face of short brown crop hair. He didn't have the chance to react as Annie slit his throat with her one blade and disappeared behind a tree. She couldn't risk going after another scout. One on one she had a chance; four on one, they can easily overpower her. Annie sighed, sheathing her blades, pushing herself off from the tree and bit her knuckle.
Eren recognised the lighting from anywhere; he'd seen it encompass himself and his brother when they shifted. Unlike the others, he's not surprised when he sees the female titan burst out of the trees. The human who killed Gunther; they are like him; they can shift into a titan. Does that mean the Armored and Colossal titans, did they have titans hidden inside their napes? How many other people had this ability? Is the motherland behind the attack on the walls? Did they send the Armored, Colossal and Female titans to breach humanity and if so, why? What did the humans living peacefully behind the walls do to offend the motherland, or was this a long time coming?
"Aim for the nape; they are a shifter like me. We need to get the human controlling this titan out of their nape" Eren shouted, the rest of the squad needed to understand the threat they're facing. Erwin must have suspected that other shifters existed after the revelation that he could turn into a titan. It must be why he kept Eren's location secret to protect him from other shifters who might come after him, but that leaves the question. If only a small group of people knew about Eren's shifting, which one is inside the nape or is there a traitor amongst them. Is this person Gemini? Have they finally come after him?
"Are you sure?" Petra asked, looking a little sceptic. Eren looked the titan's face over. He can't help but feel like he knows this person. He knows whoever is hiding in the nape.
"Yes," Eren said.
"Eren, if this is a shifter they must be after you, leave the fight to us," Eld said, and Eren looked at him in disbelief. Eld wants him to sit out the fight.
"No, we're a squad. We stand by each other's side no matter what" Eren said, he isn't leaving them behind. Eld sighed but didn't press. Eren can be stubborn when he wants to be, he isn't going anywhere, and that's final. Instead, Eren turned his attention to the female titan who seems to eye each of them up, discovering their strengths, their weaknesses. Eld moved first, almost teasing the titan as she reached for him, only for Eld to dart away in the cloud of smoke. Oluo and Petra suddenly appeared to the side of the titan's face, quickly cutting her eyes. Eren grinned, shooting his cables into the back of the female titan's legs, slicing at the ligaments of both knees. The female titan stumbled back, collapsing to the floor, but not before she covered her nape with the hand. Steam poured out of its eyes as Eren attached himself to the tree beside the female titan's face. It looked pathetic now, every ounce of power it once had gone after being quickly destroyed by the strength of Captain Levi's squad.
"Who are you?" Eren asked, even though he knew the titan couldn't reply. There is no such thing as a talking titan, well that humanity knew about. When Zeke shifted, he could speak in titan form. Even if this shifter could, he doubts they would talk in front of the scouts, "Why are you coming after me? Who sent you?".
"Are you from the same place where I got my powers?" Eren said, it's hard to read the titan when you can't see their expression through one eye… wait what. Eren's eyes widened as he stared into the singular regenerated eye. That's impossible these types of injuries dealt to a titan would take at least 30 seconds to heal, but barely 10 seconds had passed.
"Eren watch out" Petra screamed, shoving him into the tree he'd been attached to for the hooks to give way and end crashed to the ground. His eyes never left Petra; the titan had moved, snatching Petra out of the air biting her body in two before spitting her onto the floor. Petra had saved him, he'd been so distracted with the titan sudden regenerated eye he didn't see it move to attack him, yet Petra had, and now she's dead. He heard Oluo scream as Eren could only assume as he attacked the female titan, but Eren could only stare at Petra's broken body.
"Eren run" Eld shouted. Eren didn't; he couldn't move. It's like his entire body had forgotten how to. Out of the corner of his eye, Eren saw the titan stand, its leg ligaments healed. He saw it raise its leg; a strange crystal substance appeared as the titan brought it down onto something sending it flying. The body landed in front of him – it's Eld.
"Damn you!" Oluo screamed, and Eren looked up only to watch the female titan grab hold of the cable as Oluo shot towards its nape and slammed it into the ground. Oluo's body smashed into the ground beside Petra's. They're dead, all of them. Levi's squad died protecting his pathetic ass. It didn't matter how strong he is; he couldn't do anything to save them; he didn't help. He watched, sat on the floor as they died. They should've stayed with Levi; he'd protect them. He could bring the female titan down, but he isn't here. He didn't defend him, protect them.
Eren narrowed his eyes as he pushed himself to his feet; he's not useless. He's not helpless. He will avenge his fallen comrades, every single one. Eren brought his hand up to his mouth, biting into it hard, breaching the skin. His body surrounded by the yellow lightning as his titan formed around his human body, the tissue is connecting to his face, arms, and legs. He stared at the female titan through his titan's eyes as he let out an enormous roar. The roar Levi would recognise, he'll know Eren's shifted, and he can come to help him destroy the female titan, to get revenge on the death of his squad.
The female titan smirked as she stepped forward, it's like she wanted Eren to shift. Did she need to confirm that he could transform into a titan or is there something else? Eren hated being in the dark. The female titan lifted its left hand, clamping her fingers except one together as she lifted it to her ear and slowly rotated her finger around it. Eren felt almost hypnotised as he watched the finger turn before collapsing to his knees and blacked out.
Armin heard the roar deep inside the forest as he stood beside Mikasa. They tried to lure the nearest titans to them whilst whatever operation Commander Erwin planned took place, except that failed after they heard a blood-curdling shriek emanate from inside the forest. The Titans ran in like they all suddenly become abnormals. They'd tried to stop them, but the rampaging titans were on a mission and the most escaped into the forest before anyone could stop them. Then they heard another titan roar, and Mikasa took off into the forest, and stupidly Armin followed. He didn't know where Mikasa's going, charging through the woods with some destination in mind.
"Eren!" Mikasa shouted, landing on a tree branch as she started at something. How did Mikasa know where Eren is? Isn't he meant to be in the right-wing with Captain Levi and his squad, why would they or at least Eren be here? Armin landed beside Mikasa and looked into the small clearing, the abnormal female titan he saw earlier stood in front of another titan, its mouth stretched out wide as it leant over the other titan's nape, but there's no sign of Eren. Armin went to look at Mikasa, questioning her where Eren might be when he saw something sticking out the unconscious titan's nape. His eyes widened as his eyes went from the brown hair on the figure's head to the scouting regiment uniform it wore. Even at this distance, Armin recognised who it is – it's Eren. Eren's sticking out of a titan's nape, his arms attached to some red tissue keeping him from falling out the titan's nape.
The female titan's eyes locked with Armin's as its mouth covered Eren's body, ripping him from the nape and swallowed. Eren's a titan… and he's been eaten.
Eren felt like he's floating. His body unattached to the laws of his world and instead hovered in the air. He looked down at the ground yet; he could only see barrels of steam coming from whatever hidden behind it.
"This is the future, not even five years from now," a familiar voice said, Eren turned around, or rather his body seemingly floated around. Ymir Fritz stood behind him. She didn't look any different from the last time he saw her, still wearing her tattered dress with a cloth headband and leather sandals.
"What's happening?" Eren asked, looking down at the steam as it moved forward, leaving nothing behind except some marks on the group which Eren couldn't fully make out from this height.
"Life is being destroyed; it will destroy humanity unless you come to me with the founder. Together we can stop this future, but first, you need to wake up. Your true memories are slowly returning, but at this rate, the world will die before you truly remember who you are. Eren Yeager, the attack titan, my descendant only you can save the world form its destruction" Ymir Fritz said before disappearing, leaving Eren stranded in the air. He didn't know how long he stayed there, watching the steam move until it started climbing the mountains. Only then did Eren realise what it hides beneath the steam. Titans hundreds of Colossal titans, marching forward as it crushes everything in sight. Is anyone still alive, or is it like Ymir Fritz said, humanity has been wiped out and the titans won? Where did all these colossal titans come from? Are there more, is the titan he saw sticking its head over the wall in Shiganshina one of many? There isn't anywhere outside the walls where you could hide hundreds of colossal titans without the scouting regiment finding them.
Yet, deep in his mind, Eren knew. It's like every time he ends up in this realm with Ymir Fritz, he comes away with answers to questions he never asks; he learns more about the world he lives in, which he still can't understand. He can hear the answer whispering to him in the back of his mind, luring him in.
'They hide in plain sight. Where the scouting regiment can see them but will never notice the titans. The hundreds of colossal titans make up the walls that protect humanity' the voice whispers and Eren doesn't want to believe it. How can hundreds of colossal titans hide inside the walls with no one noticing, without the scouting regiment or the garrisons finding them whenever they add additional features to the walls? He knows he shouldn't trust this voice, but he does. He accepts titans are the walls surrounding them; he accepts it like he accepts his titan form. One day in five-year time, the walls will collapse, and the colossal titans will destroy the world, kill everyone he holds dear to him, and like hell is Eren going to let that happen. Eren isn't anything, if not stubborn, and he will willingly sacrifice himself to protect the people he loves, Levi, Reiner, Armin, Christa, Ymir, Shadis, Hange, Moblit, Bertholdt. This destruction won't happen, not if Eren's alive.
Annie didn't know what hit her. One second she's pulling Eren's unconscious form from his titan's nape, the next a blur spun around her body, cutting her arms and legs faster than she can harden her skin. She'd been so distracted with Mikasa and Armin appearing; she hadn't noticed the other figure who came flying at her. This can only be the strength which belongs to humanity's strongest. Gemini had warned her, told her how dangerous and powerful Levi is, that she needed to be careful and get away before Levi found her.
Each of her senses and control went one by one, first her arms, then her eyes, her ability to stand. It's like a tornado has enveloped her body, destroying every part of her in one go. Annie knows she's lost before she hits the ground, there's no way she can get a message to Reiner or Bertholdt that she is being attacked or even send them to destroy the walls, all of Gemini's plan thrown out the window because she hesitated. Annie should've grabbed Eren when she had the chance instead of killing the squad members; then she might've gotten closer to Wall Maria before the scouting regiment realised what happened. Her wish to see her father is dust; she'll return to Wall Sina having failed her mission waiting for instructions on their next move.
Her mouth fell open, and she felt Eren being dragged out and taken away. She heard Captain Levi snapping at Mikasa and Armin, but she didn't listen to what was being said. All she can feel is the pain washing over her, the fatigue settling into her muscles. She's reaching her limit; she needs to return to the safety of the walls before she falls unconscious in titan territory. She waited until she is sure that the scouting regiment was long gone before pulling herself out of her titan form, her eyes scanning her surroundings for any slight movement from either a scout or a titan, but she found nothing. All are still in the titan forest.
'Gemini won't be pleased' Annie thinks as she fires the grappling hooks into the nearest tree and takes off.
