4/27/21 Author Note: Apologize for the long wait. This is a long chapter. So after getting some series of writer blocks from reading CHAPTER 139, I just decided to just skip to the trio beginning their travels together. I was originally going to have a chapter section of the alliance having one last conversation, but I can't think of anything. Since I want to try to keep this story as a sweet and simple story, I'm going to focus on the Pieck/Jean relationship and the involved circumstances. So I'm going to make the other alliance members' fate ambiguous.
Author Note about updates: check out the recent update for TOE, GOT story will be updated next month. 50L is getting a revision. a possible rewriting of What Remains is coming this month. So look out for that.) UPDATE- MINOR EDITING.
As the sun rose into the hazy skies, Pieck, Falco and Jean trekked through the forest. It was a lovely morning. Pleasantly warm with picturesque skies slowly sharpened into a lovely sunrise of golds, orange, and reds.
If only Pieck could have enjoyed this spectacle. But no. In her Cart Titan's form, she was tired and hungry and anxious. She transformed no less than an hour after departing the campsite and she couldn't help but to worry that the light attracted attention.
Jean and Falco both perched on her back. Jean gave her directions as she galloped down the narrow path, brandishing his blade as they trudged through the vast forest. Golden light dribbled over the land like syrup on oatmeal. The leaves shimmered like a mirror flecked mosaic and the morning dew sparkled on the bejeweled cobwebs and grass.
"Draper isn't far. It's on the outskirts but we'll have to go the long way, of course.'' Jean said quietly. "You're gonna love it there, Falco. It's quiet, peaceful and full of kids your age."
Speaking of Falco, the boy was still silent. In fact, he didn't think he had uttered a word since their departure this morning.
"Falco," she whispered gently, well as softly as she could be in her machine-like, almost strident voice. "Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Ms. Pieck" His voice was not convincing, but Pieck knew that she shouldn't push him.
Silence descended on the three as they traveled. Pieck's eyes darted left to right, her breath came in short, sharp gasps that didn't really take in much of the humid, still, silent air.
Around the time morning began turning into early afternoon, it started to rain. Tiny, soft, scattered raindrops soon became a rather heavy downpour, and a noticeable chill rose up in the air.
The trio pushed on, deeper and deeper into the forest, with the unrelenting rain pelting down on them. Pieck struggled to maintain her balance. Briars and branches caught her pant legs, and she found herself slowing to push more and more of the forest's flora out of the way.
The sun began to sink behind the rainy gray clouds of gloom. The downpour had diminished to a light sprinkling now, and the clouds were beginning to part, revealing slight stretches of the lavender glow of dusk.
Time passed—she didn't know if it was minutes or longer than that. Her feet became sore and aching. She was so tired. Night was already falling on the forest, and the rainfall ceased along with it, Pieck could hardly see more than a few meters outside. Evening whisked rapidly into night The air grew cold, and an icy wind was picking up, and it felt so pleasant to her sweltering outer-skin. They made it about fifty yards downstream. "I think I see something up ahead. This looks like a good place to check out." Jean and Pieck survey the path for an overnight shelter when they come upon a long stream. They came upon a forest glade.
"Pieck, stop. I think this looks like a good place to set camp. I think it's as good a place as any to rest."
Pieck settled in the center of the glade and Jean and Falco jumped down to the ground. She noticed that Falco was shivering from the cold; she was trembling, too. Jean looked to be slightly shivering, even though his leather uniform is seemingly keeping him warm enough. Falco laid out his thin sheet that served as his bed, and settled beside her. Jean approached him, handing him his sleeping sheet as a blanket.
"Jean?" Falco suddenly said.
"Hm?" Jean crawled over to them.
"How far is Draper from here?" His little voice resigned much to Pieck's chagrin. But she was glad that he was talking.
"We'll be in Draper in no time, by tomorrow at best. I bet you miss their cooking," He gave Falco a small wry smile. "Mrs. Blaus's curried beef stew is just the best. It's just delicious.''
Falco nodded with a soft sigh. "Thank you," He whispered, settling down on the sheets.
Engulfed in the sweltering steam, Pieck surfaced from her Titan, half of her physical body embraced to her rubbery flesh of her Titan's body. The air felt fresh and cool from the rain on her hot skin. Sweet odors came from the wild grasses in the ravines. She wrenched out her arms from the flesh, and pried the strips of rubbery flesh that clung to her cheeks.
"So," she said, trying for an air of nonchalance, "Which one of us gets first watch?"
"I can do it now. You just get some rest; let me handle watch duty for tonight."
"But won't you get tired?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No, I'm going to be fine. It's just that, ever since I left the camp, I've been a very light sleeper."
Some small part of Pieck wanted to protest. She thought that it wasn't fair to pass the duty of watchman solely over to him, but at the same time, she was exhausted from protesting.
"Are you going to stay in your Titan?" asked Jean.
"Yes, I want us to be ready in the morning. So I'm staying in here, just in case."
Jean nodded, and plopped down in the center.
"Um, okay. Goodnight."
But she doesn't sleep.
All was quiet, only with the gentle pitter-pattering of the raindrops pelting the leaves, but it was so unnerving at the same time. Pieck was wide awake, too restless to close her eyes. Every passing second, Pieck felt more and more anxious. The overwhelming fear overtaxed her brain. Her ears became sharp and her mind paranoid, every snap of a twig is a predator to Pieck's mind. For each sound her brain jumps to the most fearsome thing it could be and her body prepares for flight, fright or freeze. Pieck could feel her nerves buzzing beneath her skin. Her heart was beating in a hard, steady rhythm like a drum. Her eyes roved the forest ahead of her, in search of signs of other life. Harsh winds brought a horrible chill to Pieck's skin. It cascaded through the forest, making the trees rustle like living things. At the crack of a twig, she nearly dove back into her Titan before realizing that it was most likely a small animal scampering about.
There was another slight crackling sound—one that even she could identify as the scampering of a squirrel over the blanket of crackling leaves.
She turned her attention down to Falco, shivering and his blonde hair matted. "You can rest up against me. It'll warm you up." Falco looked up at her with a small nod.
"I'm sure, Ms. Pieck." Falco muttered before curling up against her, head pressed against her side. She hoped that heat she could muster would be enough. "It's going to be fine, I promise." Pieck whispered loudly. "I'm sure the Blaus will be thrilled to see you once again."
Falco nods. "I hope so, I actually do miss them. They were very kind to me and-" Then his voice vanishes. Pieck could not see his face from her angle, from his hunched position, she could almost only imagine the pain that engulfed him. A soggy sniffle reached her ears and she chose to not push the conversation. "I'm positive that everything will be fine." She said in a gentle voice. "You should head to bed."
"Yes, Ms. Pieck." Falco went silent.
Her gaze fell on a drenched Jean was shivering uncontrollably, armed with his blade, positioned. Her mind flashed back to the events of the previous night: the livid argument between the group, Falco's depression, Jean's hopeful offer, the horrific memories that still plague her in her moments of drowsy, frazzled weakness, her genuinely wondering if she was on the cusp of losing her mind.
Her eyes fixated on his blade, and for some reason, she couldn't help but to wonder if Jean was willing to transform if a horde of Yeagerists ambushed them. Pieck remembered how adamant Jean was against transforming to fight the Yeagerists. The highly likely probability of him running amok once he transforms for the first time. But deep down, Pieck hoped that he would transform. She was beginning to see what advantages Jean could provide for her and Falco. The Armor Titan possessed prowess as a powerful combatant, with it's protective armor-like skin, great physical strength, and it's innate hardening ability. The Yeagerists would not stand a chance against him.
"Jean?" She started. He turned his head to her direction. "Hm?" For a second, their eyes locked in the near-blackness, and Pieck experienced a sudden onslaught of nervousness, a jolt like hot electricity that sizzled through her entire body.
Momentarily, Jean sat there in near silence, as if he was contemplating whether he should leave his post or not. Eventually he decided to comply with Pieck's request. He stood up, and as he did, there was a harsh wind that carried a barrage of steady rain. It slicked his hair to his forehead, and his foot stumbled over a fallen tree limb, hitting the ground with a hard thud.
For some reason, Pieck found this humorous, unable to stifle her giggling. He pushed up his soppy bang from his eyes, with an unamused look. Which made Pieck giggled harder underneath her breath. Jean picked herself up and locked eyes with her. "Thinks that funny, huh?" He narrowed his eyes. Pieck might have found this expression to be sort of intimidating, if he wasn't shivering like a leaf in a hurricane, flinching and grimacing from the ice-cold rainfall.
A rush of heat struck her cheeks. "No...no..I'm sorry...it's not funny." She snickered.
"I never pegged you as the sadistic kind," he said. but from such close proximity, she could actually almost feel the amused rumble coming from deep within his chest.
Pieck stopped her giggling, but couldn't help but smirk a little bit. "I'm sorry, it was so unexpected." she said softly. She looked down to see Falco sleeping peacefully despite the commotion.
Her eyes were drawn back to Jean. "I always wondered how it feels to be stuck like that." He commented. "That looks so uncomfortable."
Pieck shook her head with a small, but complacent smile. "No, it feels rather nice, warm and elastic," A small chuckle escaped her lips. "There were months where I would sleep in my Titan just like this." Then she flashed back to her unspoken question.
"You know, Jean. I wanted to ask," Jean crept over to her, leaning against her Titan's skin.
"What?"
A rush of heat stuck her cheeks all at once. "Since you're the Armor Titan now, are you ever planning on transforming?'' Jean went rather pale, his gaze darted away from Pieck's face, looking somewhere off toward the horizon. "I don't want to talk about it right now," he answered after a long silence. "Maybe some other time."
Pieck was curious to hear Jean's thoughts on his new powers—to hear anything about any story, really, since stories were the things that she loved so dearly—but the melancholy look on his face discouraged her from pressing the issue any farther.
"Okay," she said gently. "Maybe some other time."
He met her eyes again with a grateful nod. "It's so quiet out here. I was fully expecting someone to pop out at us.
"Maybe the Yeagerists do think we're all dead?" Pieck said questioningly.
Jean shrugged his shoulders lazily. "Most likely. We didn't accomplish our objective, so they probably think we got crushed by those Colossal Titans. They're probably at home, drinking beer until they throw up and celebrating for nights on end. I just hope the group makes it out okay. Mikasa and Armin are capable, Levi just needs more rest"
This statement made Pieck to think of Mikasa and her plan to take back Paradis from the Yeagerists. She could not see the plan panning out well. There was no strategy, no tactic, and most importantly no kind of contingency plan.
All they have is a crippled, the Colossal Titan, and an Ackerman. Pieck thought. "We can only hope that we killed the majority of the Yeagerists."
"As much as I want to think that, I'm sure that there are more. They have to be. A radical organization that is capable of overthrowing the government is not going to just vanish in thin air." he continued. "I can only just wish for the best." He shrugged his shoulders and went silent.
Pieck swept a soppy bang from her eyes. There was a long silence between them that Pieck found uneasy. The uncomfortable silence laid over the forest like a thick blanket. The rainfall had finally ended and there was only the faint sound of Falco's snoring that lingered in the air.
It felt more than a single hour when Jean finished his watch. "Well..it seems quiet. I think I'm going to check in." Pieck watched him plopped down on the damp ground. A few feet in front of her own spot, his lean frame huddled up atop the sopping brown leaves, with his knees tucked up to his chin. Shivering, if Pieck wasn't mistaken.
The sensation of something cool and slick striking her on the cheek caused her to jolt. Another soon followed, hitting against her forehead and rolling down the side of her face. Rain. Even the emitting heat from the steam couldn't drive away all of the cold.
Pieck instantaneously felt a pang of pity as she heard a sharp, shuddery intake of breath from just ahead of her. Since he gave Falco his blanket for warmth, all he had left was his sodden clothes on his back.
"You should get warm. Come on, before you freeze to death." She urged.
Another raindrop plopped down against her face, and another, and another. She could hear the tiny droplets pelting against the exterior of her Titan skin. "It's warmer up here, and you'll get a better view."
There was a strange mixture of expressions that passed across his face: somehow, he managed to look both encouraged and discouraged by this statement. He managed a small nod of affirmation, and began to climb. And since the Cart Titan is approximately four meters tall, it took him a couple of seconds to perch herself on the top. He was inches away from her and she felt a little safe, the warmth radiating out from him like invisible rays of sun.
"Wow this does feel warm," Jean mused. He settled into a comfortable position on the upper neck, and closed his eyes to sleep. 'Goodnight." He said gently.
Pieck was beginning to see what advantages he might have perceived in offering to forge an alliance with her. Pieck doubted her capabilities to survive in the wilderness of Paradis. In her human form and her Titan form, she lacked strength and combative finesse. All she possessed as the Cart Titan was long-lasting stamina and providing transportation.
Pieck felt her eyelids growing heavier under the pressure to sleep, she felt an odd sort of peace slowly coming over her.
/
As it turns out, despite that feeling of bleary exhaustion, Pieck found herself waking up in the dead of night. She swayed right to left about a minute, then realized how futile it was and decided to just stay up.
She gazed around to see if there was any outsider in the campsite,
There wasn't. But once she scanned the entire campsite she didn't care. Didn't care about lack of rain, the absolute tranquil silence, and didn't care about the gentle whistling sounds of the wind breezing through the trees. She didn't care how exhausted she was or that she could die tomorrow.
Because she saw that Falco was no longer in his spot.
Her eyes flew to a slumbering Jean curled up on her neck, mere inches from her. "Jean! Wake up!" Her voice shrill and thin.
Jean was startled awake with a start. "Huh?" He moaned. "Wha?"
"Falco is gone." With that, Pieck began to pry her arms out her Titan. "Help me out this."
Jean could see the urgency in her eyes, and scrambled behind her. His strong arms tucked underneath her shoulders, and he pulled.
He gave her a strong tug, managing to wring out her waist, he tugged once more, and wrenched her out of the sticky flesh. As a result, heavy steams ejected out from where she stood, and her Titan was slowly starting to evaporate.
"Come on, we need to look for him!" Pieck cried in horror.
Jean was calm, much to Pieck's chagrin. "He probably went out to pee." He reasoned.
As reasonable as that notion sounded, Pieck could not shake the sickening feeling in her gut. "We need to look anyway!" With that, she leapt off of her Titan, a icy wind brushed across her face, carving through her etched marks that decorated her face.
Jean joined her soon after, and the two hurried off into the forest. Pieck wanted to call out his name, but worried that if she did, she would attract unwanted attention.
Every passing second, Pieck felt her worry gnawed at her, the longer she thought of Falco, the more intense the worry seemed to grow.
Jean must have noticed this, as he gently nudged her. "I'm sure he's fine. Maybe he went off to pee and got lost." Jean clutched his blade tightly, the moonlight illuminating the steel.
Pieck quickly looked away, her eyes welling up with tender tears. It was when they traveled deeper and deeper into the forest, when Jean finally became concerned. "Falco! Falco!" He shouted out.
Pieck was so anxious that she tossed all caution to the wind, and started to shout with him as they trotted.
Then Pieck saw something that nearly gave her a heart attack. No more than five yards away, illuminated by the bright moonlight, there was Falco, trembling, perched precariously on the branch of a 20-meter tall tree and gazing down at the earth far, far below, at high risk of dying today.
"Falco?" Jean said in complete disbelief. A frantic Pieck flew over to the tree.
The boy gave a start, which almost sent him hurtling over the edge, and looked down. There was a look of desperation in his eyes that Pieck had never seen before.
Jean rushed past Pieck. "Falco, get down from there!"
Falco shook his head. He looked dreadfully awful, his horridly pale skin made him look like a ghost. "No," He screamed. "I-I don't want to."
"Yes, you do!" Pieck exclaimed, her voice shaking. "Get down! You're going to kill yourself!"
He shook his head again defiantly. "No, Ms. Pieck! I can't do...I can't take it back!" he wailed.
She paused, evaluating his face. "So you're going to jump off the tree?" she asked.
"I won't let myself heal when I land headfirst. It'd be faster, at least," Falco said in resignation.
"Falco!" Pieck's voice lumped in her throat, her heart racing at an unhealthy rate. She was too far if he decided to jump now, still a good four yards.
Jean raised his voice. "Falco, you just need to calm down, alright! Just remember the Blaus, they're looking forward to seeing you again. Everything is going to be fine. No need to do anything crazy!"
"No!" wailed Falco, his voice high-pitched and trembling. " Everyone is dead. Everyone is gone. And it's because of me!" He loudly sniffled. "All of it!"
"Falco, just—" Then Jean paused and took a step forward. "Wait, what did you just say?"
"Wait," Pieck was confused by his last statement as well but her concern outweighed her curiosity. "Just climb down, Falco" She fished around through her mind for a moment. "Gabi would not want you to do this!''
"Gabi would never forgive me if she knew what happened!" Falco protested. A inhabited sob escaped his throat. "I can't go back to the Blaus! They would never forgive me either! No one will!"
Momentarily Pieck's voice vanished. Her heart leapt into her throat and seemed to lodge there, choking her with raw, lurid fear.
"Falco, just climb down and we can talk!" Jean instructed, his voice growing louder than before.
Falco shook his head. "I'm sorry, Ms. Pieck, I'm sorry, Mr. Kirstein, I can't."
And with a deep inhale and a resigned sigh, he took one small step forward and jumped headfirst. And for one long and dreadful second, he seemed to be suspended in midair, a plethora of emotions flitted across his face; fear, shock, sorrow, and finally bleak acceptance. Hurtling toward the hard ground below to his death, of his own free, impulsive will.
"Falco!" Pieck shrieked. "No!"
In that abysmal split second, the weight of the world came crashing down on top of her. She felt the paralyzing agony of loss. Another loss of someone she held dear to her heart. At last, the spell that held Pieck immobile was shattered and she bit her hand instinctively. A scorching orb of heat manifested around her as the layers of her Titan forming onto her at a rapid rate.
Just as she launched herself out of the blinding heat, Pieck's attention was snagged by a orange glow that struck her with a sudden, powerful impact that seemed to shake her to the very core. Her entire body was slammed hard to the unforgiving waterlogged ground. Her head swirled with a devastating spell of dizziness, an extreme wave of nausea crept up her throat.
Time stood still as a piercing roar cut through the cool night air.
When the light dissipated, there was a thunderous crash to the ground that seemed to reverberate the forest itself. Unable to convey her thoughts, Pieck beheld the sight from afar. "Jean?"
The enormous Armored Titan stood tall like a menacing monolith, smoking emitting off of his all-encompassing armor plates, its red eyes glowing brilliantly in the blackness. In a heartbeat, the Armored Titan swooped down, kicking up a blast of wind that was so strong that Pieck had to momentarily close her eyes and burrowed her fingers into the damp ground.
When she opened her eyes, she saw a tiny Falco clutched in the Armored Titan's fist.
Slowly, and shakily he lowered the boy to the ground, dropped him to the ground. Jean slouched against the towering trees. Falco was standing in the background, his eyes seemed to bulge out from their sockets as he stared at her in disbelief and alarm.
Pieck took a moment to examine Jean's form. It was similar to Reiner, 15 meters tall, his hair layered on top, encompassed with white plates of hardened skin covering the entirety of its body, except for muscles in its cheeks that become exposed when it opens its lipless jaw, as well as the muscle tissue behind its knees, elbows, and feet. But unlike Reiner, Jean was leaner, sleek with a long face and a sturdy build.
Jean did it. Pieck thought flabbergasted. Jean was taking labored breaths that echoed through the air. Then all of her attention was snagged to a stunned Falco, she arose herself out of her Titan to come to aid. The veils of steam rolled over her as she took in the fresh air in her lungs.
"Falco, come over here." But before she could pry herself out of her Titan, a thunderous roar that pierced the air. And then, for the most fleeting of moments, time stood still once more. Jean's intimidating gaze connected with her own for absolutely electrifying half of a second. You've seen what happens when a Titan Shifter transforms for the very first time, I may lose control, and ruin everything. Pieck could hear his fading words from the campfire in her head.
He was right, Pieck has seen it a few times before with previous shifters. And now at this very moment, Pieck found Jean's mindless Titan absolutely terrifying, his slit eyes of piercing red that seemed to radiate and his hunched form, it looked wholly demonic. He let loose another snarl, and the world around Pieck seemed to grow bone-numbing cold as ice.
Then he broke into a mindless charge at her.
"Falco, run!" Pieck reacted quickly, sinking herself into the Titan. But as she just installed herself in her Titan, Jean's gigantic hand clasped around her entire head, he effortlessly lifted her into the air. Her shriek of fright was only drowned out by Jean's haggard snarling.
"Ms. Pieck!" Falco shouted. Falco's frantic cry brought her back to her senses in a hurry. Awareness flooded back into her, awareness of the sharp pain in her back, the mindless Armored Titan looming over her, and that the heart-wrenching fact she may be eaten by her companion. All she felt at this point was absolute pain. Physically and emotionally. She just wanted it to be over. Everything. All of the dismal cold and the despair and the death. She felt the unceasing tears welling up her eyes.
Pieck struggled, leaping and jerking around now, attempting to buck her off of Jean's grip. But his grip was so strong that it felt that he could crush her at any moment.
Without any sort of warning, Jean slammed her down to the ground with a bone-racking jolt. The overwhelming pain conveyed in waves throughout her body. He didn't release her, his grip compressed her into a limp, as he lifted her up into the air again. He slammed her once again, this time facefirst, her elongated mouth rammed to the ground so hard, that Pieck's teeth splintered into fragments, her cheekbones jutted out of her face, her eyeballs bulged horrifically out of her sockets. All she could do was scream, the white-hot agony across her whole body radiating into her brain like an electric shock.
In a heartbeat, Jean plucked her up from the ground once again, but this time, he held a battered Pieck up to his mouth, preparing to clamp his jaw into her nape.
"NO!"
In her blurring vision, Pieck could see the tiny, flailing form of Falco came crashing towards her. He looked very pale, but at the same time, very resolved. He leapt into the air, and clamped his jaw on his hand. A blinding light enveloped him in an instant, Pieck had to shut her eyes as the radiating rays struck her face.
Once the orb of light faded, Falco emerged as his birdlike Titan, he swooped down to Jean, colliding his full weight into him, Falco clamped his long beck on its neck, Jean went into a wild frenzy, swung around with an agonized cry, away from Falco, and whipping Pieck around like a limp rag doll, the sight of his unearthly eyes flashing in the moonlight sent tremors down her aching spine. In contrast to that moment's crystal clarity, the next several seconds came as a blur to her. A large quantity of blood gushed out the forming gaps of her skin, dyeing the ground below. She was wracked with pain like lightning coursing through her whole body. Pieck, no longer able to process the pain and heat, flailed around like a stranded, dying fish, too choked up to even scream. Her vision faded, with red and yellow light mixing together as Pieck felt herself flung into the air. The ground gave Pieck a rough welcome, buffeting her small body like a fallen leaf.
In her blurring vision, she could see Jean and Falco locked in combat. With Falco's powerful jaw, he managed to crack Jean's ankle plates, making him kneel as he fought. A conflict of emotions flitted through her mind: astonishment, panic, fondness, and most of all terror. Pieck's terror at this moment was equal to the terror she experienced during the Rumbling. The maddened roar of Jean, the horror and desperation in Falco's eyes—she felt numb and as cold as the bitter winter.
Pieck couldn't even react to the sudden sheet of rainfall once more. What could she do? What was she supposed to do? She had to protect Falco, but she was in no shape to do so. She didn't put much faith in her ability to fight Jean, someone that she built so much rapport with. She recalled her reoccurring transformations on Eren's Founding Titan, all to grant Jean the secure opening to blow up Eren's nape. How she had told herself to abandon Jean to die, that she would leave the others to their own fates so she could kill the devil herself, and how she would die serving Marley on the battlefield. But in the end, she chose to protect a man whom she once hated and now considered her dearest companion.
And now she had to do it again.
Agony still spread throughout Pieck's body from the damage she sustained, but she forced herself to her four feet. She had to help Falco against Jean. If she could get close enough, she could bite Jean out of his nape. In one swift motion, she rose out of her Titan, her human body still wracked with the sharp pain that synced with her Titan. She broke into a wild sprint on the trembling ground that withstood the clashing giants. Pieck's heart felt as if it would break when she heard Falco's wailing of pain, he was thrusted to the ground, followed by another fierce snarl from Jean. She caught a tantalizing glimpse of one of Jean's blades in the corner of her eye, but had no time to stop and pick it up.
When she was at a reasonably close distance to Jean, she leapt high in the air, and transformed, her wordless shriek morphing into an ear-splitting roar. At the same time, Jean roared and stomped onto the ground from which the rocks were erupting. The ground exploded, with the resulting cascade of rocks vaulting Pieck straight up. The scattering rocks pelted her body all over. She caught the brief glimpse of something gleaming silver soaring above her, Jean's blade. Skin breaking and bleeding, Pieck looked down from midair to see the two Titans wrestling. Jean buckled down, exposing his gap of his nape as he was grappling with Falco. Pieck, still above him, steeled herself for what to come.
"AAAG!" As she descended, a jolt of sharp pain pinched her back, something cold and painful penetrated through her Titan. Her eyes found the source, the silver tip of Jean's blade driven into the flesh of her Titan, mere six inches from the side of her head. In a matter of seconds, a wild idea dawned in her mind.
Now or never. I'm not losing another ally! Not today.
Pieck's Cart Titan landed on his back, her elongated jaw sank into his neck, her teeth instantly splintering upon sinking in his armored plates, but she clung on for dear life. Her sudden attack startled Jean, as he crashed to his knees, granting Falco the opportunity to retreat.
Heart hammering, still shivering, Pieck pried herself completely from her Titan, rushed for the lodged blade, yanked it out and kept running down her burning skin to Jean. Breathless, adrenaline pumping, Pieck launched herself to his nape, arching herself mid-air and managed to narrowly sliced the soft muscles of the nape.
The Armored Titan collapsed to the ground with a thunderous thud. The temperature in the forest seemed to drop twenty degrees, and Pieck's heart felt like it sank to her feet. For a moment, she just sat there stunned and panting breathlessly.
Between the wracking pain and the dizziness of the revelation, Pieck felt like passing out. But she could hardly care as she saw the familiar wisps of steam surfacing from the growing lump in the nape. In a mad rush, she grabbed his arm and draped it around her shoulders, using all the strength in her dainty little body to pry him out.
Her attention was snagged by Falco perching on top of Jean's Titan head. He himself popped from his Titan, and came crashing down to her side.
"Help me with him!" Pieck yelled, her voice hoarse and thin. Falco came to her side obediently, assisting Pieck in wrenching Jean out of his Titan. The section of the forest engulfed in fizzing steam that covered the area like a thick fog.
With one hard tug, Jean's limbs slipped out of the flesh, and his full body-weight collided into Pieck, sending her stumbling backwards. Pieck set a gaze on Jean's slumbering face. He was dripping wet and pale, but yet so peaceful at the same time. He was all right. Pieck's arms twined around his neck, locking him in a tight embrace. The tears were welling up in her eyes again and streaking down her face along with the rain.
A single teardrop fell on one of Jean's closed eyelids, and without warning, he stirred. His eyes slowly fluttered open. He gasped, and his chest gave one enormous heave, as if he'd had the air shunted out of his lungs and was only now starting to remember how to breathe.
His tawny eyes connected with Pieck's. "Pieck, I can't breathe..you're choking me."
She experienced an indescribable rush of relief that left her feeling lightheaded. "Jean, you're alive!" she blurted out, her words coming out in a shrill jumble that barely resembled human speech. She embraced him even tighter now, absorbing in his pleasant warmth as her heart fluttered.
"Pieck...I can't breathe.." Then Pieck snapped to her senses and hurriedly, she released him.
Her cheeks burning profusely. "Sorry, sorry.." She gasped. "You alright?"
Jean said nothing as he stared down at the evaporating Titan he was sitting on, a perplexed look took over his face.
"What…?" he began. His voice came out dry and confused.
"You transformed," said Pieck.
"Transformed?" Jean echoed, his eyes widened. His eyes then discovered Pieck's discard corpse still evaporating and a guilty look rolled over his face. "I don't remember much...of anything. But.." Jean's shoulders sagged, as if guilt carried an actual, palpable weight that bore down on him now. His gaze shifted from Falco to Pieck. "Did..I..?" Pieck could already tell what he was thinking, and wanted nothing more but to put his burdens to rest.
"No, everything is fine. Everyone is safe and sound." She reassured.
Jean averted his eyes, not even looking remotely convinced. But nevertheless he let out a resigned sigh.
Just a dozen yards to her right, a resounding crack of thunder boomed in the pouring skies. All three gave a start as thunder boomed in their ears.
"You did.. ..save me.." Both attention was snagged to Falco. He looked ashen, a remorseful look etched on his face. "I'm sorry..Ms. Pieck and Mr. Kirstein...I wasn't..thinking..straight.."
Jean exhaled, running his fingers through his sodden hair. "You're going to have to explain everything when we get to camp."
NEXT CHAPTER IS COMING.