You darlings really kept your fingers crossed haven't you? I managed to finish not only the scene I was working on, but the entire chapter. So thank you to everyone who prayed for me. But yes, we're now officially starting the Liberio raid part of the story so look forward to a couple of really action-packed chapters. But for now I'll stop rambling and let you guys get to reading!
As always my lovelies, go ahead and enjoy this chapter and don't forget to toss me a little review, to let me know what you think~ ;)
P.S. All Attack on Titan characters belong to Isayama Hajime. I only own my OCs.
38. Judgment day
~ 854 ~
"Look at them. Walking around without a care in the world; without giving any thought to what's happening out there. Just you wait, you pieces of shit. Judgment day is coming for all of you."
Floch's muttered rant eventually compelled Yelena to turn her eyes from the busy street to the man walking at her side.
"I'd advise you to stop saying things like that in public. In fact, it would be better if you didn't say them at all; you never know who is listening."
Adjusting the strap of the duffel bag she was carrying, in which they had hidden a few thunder spears, she at last turned into an alleyway from where they could enter the basement of a nearby building.
"Are you sure this place is safe?"
"We have used it before." the young woman replied. "No one ever comes down here."
"And can this guy be trusted?"
Smiling lightly, she reached for the doorknob and pushed open the door in front of them.
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Stepping into the dimly lit room, she closed the door after Floch who froze at the sight of the Marley military uniform on the man seated at the table.
"This is Elias." Yelena introduced him while placing the cargo in front of him. "Don't worry, he's one of our volunteers... and he's also an explosives expert for the Marleyan army."
Opening the bag, she carefully took out one of the spears and handed it to the man who immediately started examining it, clearly intrigued by the technology which had gone into making such a weapon.
"So..." she inquired after giving him a few minutes to look it over. "Think you can help us?"
"It shouldn't be too hard to pry open the powder chamber without triggering the fuse." Elias replied with a nod, setting the spear down on the table. "What do you need it for?"
"Let's just say Lord Tybur's stage play deserves some really... impactful effects." she smiled slyly.
"So you want the bombs placed under the stage?"
"I heard the brass of the military was invited too. Do you know where they'll be seated?"
"Yelena... you're playing with fire."
"Don't I always?" she smirked again, winking at the man's skeptical expression. "Come on Elias, for old times' sake."
Sighing with a shake of his head, he once again lowered his gaze to the spear in front of him.
"It's not official, but I heard Magath saying that they'll be grouped on the left side, closest to the stage. Depending on how many of these you can bring me, I might be able to make enough explosives to take out the stage and their seats."
"How many do you think you'll need?" Floch at last intervened.
Thinking it over for a moment, Elias shrugged.
"Give me two days. First I need to see exactly how much powder one of these things carries. Then I need to find out how many rows the military will take up, so I can estimate how many explosives we'll need. Then I can tell you how many of these it'll take."
"Then we'll be waiting." Yelena nodded. "We need this done in four weeks. That's when the others arrive and we'll be too busy that week to handle this."
"It'll depend on how easily I can make those explosives. There are too many variables for now... we'll talk again in two days."
"We'll be back then."
Gesturing for Floch to follow her, they emerged back into the sunny boulevard where Yelena suggested they go for a little walk so as to not draw any suspicion.
"Do you think it was wise to leave all of those with him?" Floch inquired as they reached an area with fewer people and sat down on a bench.
"Elias is trustworthy if that's what you're worried about. I wouldn't have taken you to him otherwise."
When he fell silent she again glanced over to him, tilting her head slightly.
"You seem displeased."
"It's not about this... there's one more problem that I don't know how to handle."
"Care to share it? Maybe I can give you some advice."
"I don't know if it's wise. You seem pretty fond of her."
"The only one I'm fond of is Zeke; he's the only one that matters, he and Eren. They'll be the ones to destroy our enemies."
"Not while Natalie is around. She's got her claws so deep in Eren, in Erwin, in Levi... she'll never let Eren fulfill his purpose. She's got him on a leash and convinced that we can achieve peace without any violence. I got my hands on some reports from their meetings with Zeke. Even he's starting to fall for her manipulation... very soon she'll have him eating out of her palm just like the others."
"Ah, I see." the woman replied, turning her gaze back to the people passing by on the street while she stretched out an arm along the backrest. "Well that's easy; there are always plenty of accidents that can happen in a fight. Also, this play is very important. They'll have all the latest weapons there to make sure nothing goes wrong."
Understanding that she was talking about the anti-Titan artillery Marley was said to have confiscated after the war with the eastern nations, Floch rubbed his chin in thought. Yes, maybe he could make it look like an accident. He wouldn't even need to kill her; just injuring her somehow, while making it look like Marley was at fault, would be enough to compel even Erwin to take action. Since they all loved her so much, that was exactly what he would use to push them into acting.
"If you're thinking that just injuring her will be enough, don't." Yelena spoke up, startling him. "If you're going to do this, do it properly. Unless you can be sure Marley gets their hands on her, there's no point in letting her live. Even injured, she can still convince them to not go to war."
"...You're right." he admitted after a long silence of weighing his options. "It may temporarily weaken our position to an extent, but she has to go; one way or another."
"If she survives, make sure Marley gets her. Then you can retake the power from whomever they'll feed her to. It's better than letting this charade go on, and risk losing all the powers that you have now."
"I'm surprised you were willing to discuss this. I thought you two got pretty close lately."
"The only thing that matters to me is the divine purpose Zeke has." Yelena replied matter-of-factly. "As I said, he and Eren are all that matters; as long as getting rid of Natalie is necessary to let them fulfill their destiny, I'll do whatever I have to do. I won't let anyone stand in the way of that."
=0=0=
"Relax... it's all going according to plan, isn't it?"
Frowning at Yelena's comment, though he didn't tear his gaze away from the open gate of the internment zone, Floch took another moment to watch the workers setting up the seating area before deigning her worthy of a reply.
"I'll relax when this is over."
"Then you're going to be sore for quite a while." the woman retorted humorously.
A few of the volunteers had snuck in disguised as Eldians and cunningly joined along the rest of the workers in order to set up the explosives, now that the stage and seating area were nearly finished. Elias had done an outstanding job, as far as Floch could tell, but he was still wary of any mishaps that could appear along the way.
"Did Commander Erwin suspect anything?"
"No." he replied. "It was a good idea to hide the empty spears at the bottom of the crates, so he wouldn't notice there were some missing."
"Well, they're not entirely empty. Elias and I thought that since we were putting them back, he would leave a bit of powder in them. That way when they're used in battle no one will notice they've been tampered with, in all the madness."
"Is that why you said he asked for more than you anticipated?"
"Yes, but it's worth it if we're going to avoid suspicion." the woman shrugged as they at last turned to disappear into the crowded street. "Erwin isn't an idiot and neither are the others."
=0=0=
As relaxed as everyone seemed, Natalie could swear the air was so thick that she couldn't draw a proper breath. She had dreaded having to see Zeke again, and the only thing to ease her situation was Reiner's presence. They had chosen the same warehouse which had served as their secret meeting place, again near sunset before the gates to the internment zone would be closed.
"This is a pleasant surprise." Zeke commented, spotting Yelena accompanying the group. "I didn't know you were coming."
"I have prior experience in disguising myself as a soldier; I had to come." the woman replied with an evanescent smile.
Nodding with satisfaction, the shifter turned his eyes to Erwin.
"So, Commander. Have you decided on a course of action?"
"We will have Yelena, under the guise of a Marleyan soldier, approach you before the play and claim that your commanding officer wishes to speak to you. That should be more than enough to lead you out of the crowd and the internment zone, without arousing suspicion. With so many people gathered there, it should go unnoticed."
"What about the others?" Reiner inquired.
"They don't need to know a thing." Natalie replied. "But—"
"Have you come to a decision?" Eren interjected. "We need to know before we can make any plans."
Though he was hesitant at first, Natalie knew from the moment he squared his shoulders that he would give them a positive answer; she could feel it with every fiber of her being.
"I'll help you." he nodded, his eyes trailing over to the redhead. "I thought about what you said last time... you're right. We have to be the last generation of this insanity. I don't want my cousin to have to bear this curse. I may not be able to save my mother after so many years of brainwashing, but I at least want to spare Gabi that fate."
Having silently regarded him with a side glance until then, Zeke's eyes trailed over to Yelena who had been staring intensely at his fellow shifter. Little did he know that Reiner's words had just confirmed Floch's fears for her.
'You really are a liability.' she pondered, discreetly glancing to the shorter woman. 'I don't know how you do it, how you gain so much influence over people, but I can't risk Zeke falling for this too. If he and Eren don't fight against Marley, we're all doomed.'
"On that account, I want to offer assurance that I am on your side." Reiner continued, drawing all eyes to him. "I know you've been unable to acquire an airship. You can find one near the internment zone, at the airbase. With most of the military called to guard the play and the foreign dignitaries gathered there, I know for certain that security at the airbase will be scarce that night. All you need to do is to make sure you get control of the ship with enough time to round it on the internment zone and pick everyone up."
"Good thinking, Reiner." Zeke agreed. "That just leaves the issue of how to get Gabi out of there."
"I can go back once the play is at its peak and get her. With a bit of luck, hopefully no one will notice us."
"Then it is settled." Erwin nodded. "We'll use these last two days to do a quick survey of the area around the airbase."
At last, and to everyone's surprise, Zeke stepped forth and offered a hand to Erwin. He wouldn't deny that it pleased him as much as it offered him a sense of security, to know that he was in control of the situation.
"Then we're in agreement, Commander." he smiled, knowing his gesture compelled the man to return it as a show of good faith.
~ oOo ~
"Are we ready for this?" Natalie murmured, watching the great plaza of the internment zone from atop the building where she was hiding with Eren and the rest of their squad.
"Everything should go smoothly." Eren assured her. "The Commander is waiting near the gates of the internment zone, where Yelena's supposed to lead Zeke and Reiner."
"There's Yelena." Mikasa pointed out, drawing their attention to the lone soldier walking towards the seating area that was by now teeming with people.
"Everything will be fine." Levi assured her with a brief squeeze of her hand. "Hange and the others are already taking care of the airship."
Though she nodded, Natalie couldn't help the bubbling anxiety in her chest. She was both eerily calm and yet nervous, again experiencing the same kind of bad feeling that had accompanied her through her darkest moments. But as she watched Yelena leading the two shifters towards the gate she began wondering whether this time it was just paranoia. Looking back to the seats, she eyed the other two Warriors still seated there along with the four children on the row in front of them. Reiner had given them a description of his cousin, so it wasn't too hard for her to pick the girl out from the group.
'I hope everything goes well.'
No sooner had she thought that, than she was startled by the sound of trumpets and the wave of applause that suddenly filled her ears as Willy stepped out onto the stage.
"Once upon a time, about a hundred years ago, the Eldian Empire used the Power of the Titans to take over the world." he began. "From the time when their ancestor Ymir appeared until now, who knows how many lives were taken? The latest research says that humanity today could perish three times over and it still wouldn't be enough to reach that amount. The Titans have stripped us of an atrocious number of races and cultures... of our history. These slaughters are now humanity's history. They are the path that the Eldian Empire chose to walk."
"I know it's supposed to be just a script." Jean sighed. "But is it really alright to let him turn everyone against us?"
"Everyone is already against us." Natalie replied. "This is just more of the same."
"Then, once the Eldian Empire ran out of enemies, they began killing each other." Willy continued. "The families who held the Eight Titans slaughtered one another in a vicious cycle of conspiracy and betrayal. However, in this chaos one Marleyan saw the hope to prevail; it was none other than the great Helos. He manipulated those families so that the Eldian Empire would continue to kill its own again and again. Then he joined hands with the Tybur family and successfully forced King Fritz to retreat to an island. The king was said to be impossible to defeat, and was chased away like a stray dog."
As he paused, another wave of applause rose from the crowd, and he only continued his speech once the sounds had quieted.
"Though the king retreated to the island of Paradis, he continued to rule. Tens of millions of Titans wander on that island, with the power to destroy the world."
"Even for a script that's such a stupid exaggeration." Eren commented.
"Whatever will make them believe it, I suppose." Connie shrugged.
"At the moment our world continues to exist, intact." Willy continued down on the stage. "But only by pure chance; it is the only explanation our Titan scholars can provide. When Marley, our motherland, sent four Titans to the island in order to remove this threat they were beaten back. The only one to return was the Armored Titan. We have sent a total of thirty-two survey ships to the island in the last four years... all of them have disappeared. The darkest blot on human history... the Eldian Empire is alive and well!"
"So how long are we supposed to stay here?" Sasha asked while Willy stepped behind the curtain at the edge of the stage, giving way for other actors depicting his story.
"Until the airship comes by to pick us up." Levi replied.
"Maybe we won't need any distraction in the end." Natalie sighed, glancing to the internment zone's surrounding wall and the soldiers posted there. "This is going well so far; they don't seem to have noticed that Zeke and Reiner are absent."
"Now, ladies and gentlemen, let me come to the point." Willy spoke up again, drawing her focus back to the stage. "Everyone knows the facts I've recounted so far. However, the truth is slightly different. I'm referring to the memories that we, the Tybur family, have passed down from generation to generation, unaltered and intact. Today that truth will be revealed publicly for the first time. The truth from a century ago... regarding the Great Titan War."
Pausing for a moment to let his words sink in, he spoke just as people in the audience had started glancing at one another in confusion.
"Who ended the Great Titan War? Was it Helos? Was it the Tybur family?" he spoke up. "It was neither. The man who saved our world by putting an end to the war... was King Fritz himself! It was Karl Fritz, the 145th King of the Eldian Empire, who lamented Eldia's dark history even before he had inherited the Founding Titan. He had grown tired of the war between families and countrymen. And most of all his heart ached for Marley, a nation under constant tyranny. When he inherited the Founding Titan, he decided to join hands with the Tybur family by offering himself as a way to end the history of the Eldian Empire. He worked with the Tyburs to present a Marleyan as a hero... that man was Helos. Then, as the Eldians began slaughtering each other, as we had planned, he moved as many of the Eldian people as he could to that island and enclosed them within the Walls."
Again he stopped, looking pensive, before taking a deep breath and speaking again.
"In doing so he left a warning that anyone who threatened his peace would be met with countless Titans as retribution. But he didn't truly mean it. In order for his successors to inherit his philosophy even after his death, he swore a vow to renounce war. He made a pact with the Founding Titan and that pact was passed down to his successors. Only one with royal blood can truly use the absolute power that is the Founding Titan, and only inheritors of this royal bloodline are affected by his vow. Thus Karl Fritz's ideology is passed down to each new King of the Walls. That is why the Titans have yet to leave the island and destroy us all. What I mean to say by this is: it was the detestable King of the Walls who protected our world... it was Karl Fritz's desire for peace."
The pregnant pause which followed his speech was interrupted this time by murmurs rising from the audience. However, Willy continued before they could debate the issue too far.
"Yes... his goal was peace and the liberation of Marley from its many years of persecution. 'If Marley grows strong and attempts to take the lives of the royal family or its Founding Titan, I will accept it. If Marley decides to exterminate all Eldians, I will accept it. That is how grave the crimes of us Eldians were... they could never be atoned for. Eldians... Titans... they should never have existed. I will accept the responsibility of righting this wrong. Only, until the day this retribution comes, I wish to live within the Walls. I want to enjoy this brief paradise, this world without conflict. Please, I ask that you only grant me this.' Those were the king's final words to us."
Yet again he paused, this time to the sound of voices rising from the audience.
"Huh? He's making the Eldians sound like heroes." Jean frowned in utter confusion.
"He's not done." Natalie interjected.
From where they were hidden she could see Willy's face clearly; and something told her that the worst was yet to come.
"But..." he spoke up, silencing the crowd and confirming her suspicions. "In recent years a rebellion has occurred within Paradis, suppressing King Fritz's peaceful ideology. Someone has stolen the Founding Titan; the world is once again in danger. A man has appeared, who opposes King Fritz's peaceful world. This man is a rebel against peace... his name is Eren Jaeger! And we, the Tybur family, are no saviors of humanity. After the Great Titan War, we sided with Karl Fritz, in exchange for our family's assured safety. We sold out the Eldians to Marley. And then, despite being Eldians, we enjoyed a life free from persecution and respected by the world. I learned these truths the day I became Head of the Tybur family. They shocked me and I chose to look away from them. Because acknowledging them meant that the Tyburs were nothing more than a bunch of petty thieves, growing fat on unearned honor. I stand on this stage, parting with my false glory because I understand the dangerous state our world is in. Yes, this problem affects me... but not just me – it affects everyone living in this world!"
When he again paused and looked to the side, where Natalie could see his family gathered to watch the play, the redhead felt a cold shiver running down her spine that made her entire body break out in goosebumps.
"Something's wrong..." she said, disturbed by the way Willy's expression had changed.
"What are you talking about?" Eren perked up next to her.
But she no longer answered, her eyes frantically scanning the area. She didn't know what she was looking for, but every fiber of her being was screaming at her that something was amiss.
"Karl Fritz used the power of the Founding Titan to give birth to massive Titans." Willy continued, his tone having gained a faint underline of urgency. "His three walls were named after the three daughters of Ymir; Wall Maria, Wall Rose, Wall Sina. These walls, both shield and spear, are made of what must be millions upon millions of Colossus Titans. The threat that Paradis poses to us is the threat of an earthshaking attack by these Colossus Titans. As I explained earlier, only those of royal blood can use the Founding Titan and they are constrained from using it to attack, due to the vow to renounce war. But according to the information from Reiner Braun, the Armored Titan, someone has appeared who can use the power of the Founding Titan despite unclear relations to the royal bloodline. That is the threat posed by Eren Jaeger, who now possesses the Founding Titan! In other words, Eren Jaeger could bring this living earthquake to our doors!"
For but a heartbeat he was silent and all of a sudden he seemed to loom ominously over the audience. When he next spoke his tone had lowered, though it lost none of its potency.
"We have recently seen the rise of weapons more powerful than the Titans, however... if the Walls walk even one time, we will be powerless to stop them. There will never be a weapon strong enough to defeat millions of Colossus Titans. All that humanity would be able to do would be to flee in terror from what would be the end of our world. They would crush our cities and societies, the flora and fauna in all ecosystems... they would turn the world into a flat, barren desert. It will all be too late then! If we want to stop this threat, now is our only chance!"
"...Should we let him finish?" Connie pondered, sounding unsure of what the right course of action would have been.
"What do you propose? That we go down there and kill him?" Levi retorted.
"We're supposed to keep this as quiet as possible." Jean agreed. "None of us wants a fight to break out here; if it does, it won't be pretty. And we don't have enough people with us."
"Of course, this danger that now threatens us all can be traced back to the appearance of the Eldian race!" Willy continued undisturbed, once again drawing their attention to him. "I would choose to have never been born if it was up to me. I've hated my blood more than anyone else. I wished for the extinction of all Eldians. But I do not wish to die. Because... I was born into this world. We may belong to different nations and races, but I ask any of you who do not wish to die to lend me your strength! Please... I want to ensure our future together! I want you to fight with me, against the devils of Paradis! We should be able to overcome anything if only we work as one!"
"Leave."
The unexpected sound of a female voice in her ear made Natalie gasp and jerk back, and all too suddenly her heart was pounding in her chest.
"Something's wrong..." she said far more urgently than earlier. "We have to leave!"
"What's going on?" Sasha asked, scanning the crowd below with concern.
"As ambassador for Marley, I Willy Tybur, wish for peace! And I proclaim on this day to the enemies on Paradis Island... this is a declaration of war!"
"We have to go!" she pleaded when she caught Levi's eye, just as Willy was stating the final words.
No sooner had the young Captain stood, intending to order everyone to pull back, than the echo of a blast drowned out the thunderous applause that had marked the end of the speech. As if time had slowed down Natalie saw Levi's eyes widen right before he grabbed her and pulled her down onto her stomach. Next to her Eren and the others did the same, just when the shockwave hit the building, in the same instant when three other blasts filled the quiet night. Getting up on her hands and knees, the redhead crawled over to the edge of the roof only to be left gaping at the destroyed stage and the chaos that had ensued in the crowd.
"Hey, hey... this wasn't part of the plan!" Connie gasped as they watched the terrified people trampling one another in their haste to run away.
As if on cue, they spotted one of the squads atop a building across the plaza.
"What are those idiots doing?" Jean said, pointing to the Scouts lining up on the edge of the roof.
As the mass of people reached the streets surrounding the open area, the entire squad was left staring in shock as three of their comrades used the gear to scale down to near street level, before emptying their reserve of thunder spears into the crowd. For only a heartbeat everything was quiet after the sound wave reached their ears, and they were left only to watch the plume of fire and smoke swallowing the center of the crowd. With how large the audience had been, the cacophony of visceral screams that rose into the night not a moment later was almost enough to rival the explosions themselves. And though the roof lights were centered on the stage, coupled with the blasts and then the flames that spread from one person to the next, they gave the squad enough visibility to witness the horror unfolding before them.
Truly the victims who had died instantly were the fortunate ones, for the hysterical mass turned into an unleashed herd of terrified animals, trampling one another in their desperation to get away. The explosions had merged into such a powerful blast that limbs, torn bodies, and blood kept raining down on the screaming crowd for what had to amount to almost a minute. It was surreal to hear the agonizing wails of the burning people, rising over the screams of the others like a hellish choir. It was surreal to watch them flailing around in a frenzied attempt to find relief, setting other unfortunate souls' clothes on fire before ultimately collapsing to the ground.
Those who were fortunate enough to escape the blasts were choking on smoke and vomit due to the stench that even Levi and his team could by now smell across the plaza. Others still, were swallowed by the crowd and trampled to death, while others were screaming for help begging for an absolution that wasn't coming.
"Those pieces of shit!" Eren scowled, at last giving in to the rage boiling in his veins. "This was their plan all along!"
"Eren!" Natalie called out after him when he took off scaling the building, clearly not intending to sit on his hands. "You idiot..."
"Jean, take Sasha and Connie with you and see if you can reach Erwin." Levi ordered. "Mikasa, you're with Natalie and me. We'll go after Eren and handle things here."
He had barely finished speaking when the redhead sprinted off the edge of the roof, leaving them to follow once Jean had assured him they would make it to their Commander.
=0=0=
The trio led by Yelena had just reached the rendezvous point when the explosions had startled all of them, just as Zeke was shaking Erwin's hand.
"What's going on? What happened?!" Reiner frowned, staring at the smoke column rising from the plaza a few streets away.
But when he turned to Erwin to ask if that had been their distraction, the shock on the Commander's face made his heart squeeze in fear.
"Gabi..." he gasped, turning on his heels and running back towards the square.
"Reiner!" Zeke called after him, left only to sigh when the other shifter didn't listen. "I take it this wasn't in your plans, judging by the look on your face."
"Of course not." Erwin replied, having taken a moment to reassess the situation.
With the frightened crowd reaching their spot a few moments later, they moved into an alley to avoid being trampled. Fortunately Jean and the others managed to reach their location as well, the young man immediately giving Erwin a report of the situation. Going with his gut instinct, Jean had also ordered one of the other squads to come with them so they could more easily relay any new orders to the others.
"This doesn't bode well..." Zeke pondered. "I have to go after Reiner. If any of the Warriors shifts and I'm the only one absent, they'll become too suspicious."
"What do you propose?" the Commander inquired.
Taking a moment to weigh their options, his eyes were drawn to the flash of lightning that lit up the night coming from the square.
"I suppose that's our answer." he said. "I have to go there and pretend that I'm fighting on their side. I'm sure you can still extract Reiner and me if we make it look like you took us down in battle and abducted us."
"I suppose we have no choice." Erwin agreed. "Jean... I need you to go there ahead of us. Find Levi and tell him we're switching to Plan B."
"Yes! What about Floch and the others?"
"We're not leaving anyone behind. We'll find them and take them back with us."
"Sir!"
Offering a salute, he scaled the wall back to the rooftops and took off towards the plaza.
"Lobov Squad, I need you posted near the entrances to the plaza. The army will mobilize soon; you are to delay them as much as you can and prevent them from entering the square. Do your best to avoid killing, unless you have no other choice. Sasha, Connie... you two come with me. Yelena, for now, you should return to Lady Kiyomi."
With Zeke nodding in agreement, the young woman offered a nod of her own and took to the back alleys to avoid the crowd while making her way out of the internment zone. Meanwhile, Lobov nodded and the soldiers saluted their Commander before scaling back up the building to get to their posts, while their Squad Leader was instructing them on how to split up.
"Then, I'll see you on the battlefield Commander." Zeke replied, emerging back onto the main street and trying to make his way through the frightened people while Erwin and the others switched to their gear and scaled the building to get there ahead of time.
=0=0=
"What the hell are you doing, Eren?" Natalie scowled, having at last caught up with him and grabbed his arm. "We can't risk being seen by the military!"
"We have to help these people." he replied, startling her when he reached for her hand. "Please..."
Though hesitant, she found it impossible to refuse him when he was staring at her with that agonizingly pleading expression.
"Just be careful that we're not spotted." she sighed, leaving him to lead the way after instructing him to pull up the hood on his cape.
As stealthily as possible they made their way to the blown-up seating area, trying to find any survivors. With the lights around the square still focused on what had been the stage from which Willy had delivered his speech, they could more easily see the gruesome sights surrounding them on all sides. Bodies blown to pieces by the blasts, or crushed by chunks of the stage; others more intact but missing limbs; piles of intestines spilling from bellies burst open and brains splattered onto the concrete; horribly disfigured faces pierced by shrapnel or splinters of wood from the benches; others singed, with the skin completely or partially peeled off – in some, all the way to the bone – others staring at the dark sky with glassy eyes, their mouths overflowing with vomit; others still, twisted into pure terror which was now forever etched upon their expressions.
The stench on the air was enough to make him cough, his eyes stinging and his stomach spasming with the urge to throw up. A combination of burning flesh and hair, smoke, the coppery scent of blood and the acrid odor of intestines, as well as the lingering tang of explosives. And Eren knew then that he should not have asked Natalie to come with him. She was far too kind for this horror to not leave some trauma imprinted onto her. But she soldiered on without a flinch, without complaint, though he could practically see her soul withering as she started digging through the debris to check if anyone had survived.
"Here, let me..." he said with an uncharacteristically gentle tone, bending over to move one of the stage's wooden beams off of a young girl, only to reveal her lower half had been completely crushed by the weight.
She was still breathing, albeit just barely, and she didn't even have the strength left to moan at the pain she was surely going through. It was more than obvious that she wouldn't make it, given the deathly pallor on her face. He could see the blood still pouring generously from a gash at the bottom of her belly, where the beam had hit her with such force that her flesh had exploded from the pressure. The heavy wood must have been the only thing to keep her entrails from spilling out. She was covered in sweat and trembling, but when she managed to regain enough sense to realize someone was there, she reached out a hand calling for her mother. It was clear that she couldn't see them, and it shattered his heart to watch Natalie kneel next to her and grab her hand in an effort to ease her last moments.
"Mo...mmy..."
"It's alright, honey." the redhead replied, reaching to smooth out her hair and bringing her clammy, icy hand up to kiss it. "Mommy's here... everything will be alright, you'll see."
It nearly broke her to see the faint smile on that child's lips, as if she was aware that she was dying and yet had made peace with the thought. Only Eren's hand weighing on her shoulder with a reassuring squeeze helped her swallow her sobs, allowing her to keep whispering comforting words to the girl until she drew her last breath.
"I'm sorry..." Eren said while they stared at the child's corpse, and he sounded utterly sincere in his regret. "I should have thought about what we would see out here, before I asked you to come."
"Even if you hadn't asked, I still would have come." she replied after so long that he had started wondering if she would ever speak again.
Pulling herself to her feet with a heavy sigh, she reached to wipe the tears Eren already knew had stained her face before even seeing it. She had just opened her mouth to say they should move on when a sudden flash blinded them, the crack of thunder hitting their ears like a hammer, while the shockwave blew off their hoods and nearly knocked them to the ground forcing them to cling to one another.
'If this is her... then that one next to her has to be Eren; the one who stole the Founding Titan.' Galliard pondered as he lunged straight at the two, knowing by the woman's red hair that it had to be Natalie – the one holding the Attack Titan. 'What a chance... I'll take back both of the Titans that Marley wants!'
Natalie herself was still coughing from the rising dust when the feeling of a strong grip on her arm drew her attention to their attacker. Next thing she knew Eren had flung her away from him with strength she hadn't ever imagined he possessed. At the last moment, he used his gear to pull himself out of harm's way, just as Galliard's armored hand came smashing down, causing debris and pieces of flesh to fly everywhere.
'I'll deal with him later... she's the bigger threat here!' he scowled, spotting the redhead getting back on her feet. 'I don't know what happened on that island, but what the War Chief said... it's like she can see the future. I can't risk trying to capture her; I just have to eat her!'
For a split second, he glanced around trying to locate any of his allies and scoffed.
'I know Pieck went to get the Panzer Unit... but where the fuck are Zeke and Reiner? Damn it... he's been useless since he got back from that fucking island. I'm not waiting around for them.'
With that conclusion he lunged at Natalie, forcing her to hastily switch to her gear; her only fortune was that her cable had been long enough to reach the nearest building, allowing her to avoid his first swipe. The second one which he launched with his other hand, however, was on a course of direct collision and she realized to her horror that his jump had propelled him right on top of her. It was on sheer reflex that she shot the cables out again in an attempt to pull herself away, but all she could do was to stare at his hand as it rapidly approached to crush her.
'I got you!' Galliard gritted his teeth, so focused on his prey that it took him a moment to even register the sound of gas next to his ear or the anchor that had hooked into his forearm.
Next thing he knew, a glint of steel caught in the lights overhead zipped over his hand knocking him off course. In the dust that rose as his hand missed its target and smashed into the base of the building, Levi grabbed the redhead and scaled the wall, trying to reach the roof.
'What? What happened?' he grunted, before even registering the searing pain shooting up his arm from where two of his fingers had been severed clean off.
In that same instant, he noticed the Captain taking his prey and his expression contorted in rage, the adrenaline making him forget about his injury.
'You!' he growled, grabbing a handful of debris and corpses and flinging it like projectiles at them.
"Levi!" Natalie gasped just when the young Ackerman himself had noticed the oncoming assault.
"Hold on!" he called out almost at the same time as employing a powerful burst of gas to get to the roof where they could take cover.
Though that did get them out of range of the debris, Galliard himself had prepared to leap after them. But just before his feet left the ground an anchor lodged into the back of his calf, preceding Eren's grunt of effort as his blades bit into the shifter's heel slicing off the tendons. This left him to jump awkwardly and fall onto his back before he even registered the pain in his leg, while Eren leaped aside to join Mikasa as she hung off the corner of the building.
'You annoying cockroaches!' he growled, his Titan echoing the anger as a loud roar while he hurried to right himself.
No sooner had he thought that than he spotted the brunette flying over him and her enraged expression was the last thing he saw before his left eye was taken out by the blade she chucked at him. His only fortune was that her second throw missed, the blade bouncing off the armor covering his face, and he saw an opening to jump in an attempt to bite her in half, thus forcing her to retreat with an annoyed growl.
'Shit, shit, shit!' Galliard gritted his teeth, deciding to withdraw for now and trying to subdue his anger enough that he could focus first on fixing his heel. 'Where the fuck is everyone? Why am I the only one fighting them?'
"Is that... really the same Titan that Ymir had?" Mikasa asked, looking to the redhead for confirmation. "It's like a completely different one."
"It is the same one." she nodded, watching as he stalked them from a rooftop across the plaza while healing himself. "I think... he was somehow linked with the kid Ymir ate to gain that power in the first place. I can't remember all the details right now."
"His face is entirely armored, so there's no getting through that." the brunette sighed, turning her focus to Levi. "And he seems much faster than Ymir was; I don't think we should prolong the fight. We should focus on trying to distract him so he'll expose his nape. Then we can blow it open with the spears. Or... it would be riskier, but we could try to get a spear into his mouth and force him out from the inside."
Having silently listened to her suggestions, Levi had just turned his gaze back to their target when the lighting striking a few streets away from them drew everyone's attention.
'About time...' Galliard scoffed, knowing it had to be Pieck. 'Get your ass over here already!'
"We need to bait him." the Captain concluded as if nothing had happened; they would deal with that other one once it got there. "He seems to have a short fuse so that shouldn't be too hard."
"He favored going after Natalie when he first attacked." Eren observed. "I think she would have better chances to lure him into a trap."
"It's a risky move." Mikasa interjected. "If we don't time it right—"
"I'll do it." Natalie cut her off. "We don't exactly have time to beat around the bush. Whoever just turned won't take long to get here. And by then Eren or I might be forced to shift, to try and balance out the battlefield. This is the best idea we've got on short notice."
Taking another moment to weigh their options, Levi then at last nodded.
"Alright. Here's what we'll do..."
=0=0=
'Come on, Pieck! What the fuck are you doing?!' Galliard huffed, again looking over to where he had seen her transformation.
He wouldn't admit it to save his life, but he was slightly anxious. He had a bad feeling about that fight if he continued to engage them alone. They were far too fearless of him being a Titan for it to be natural. He had just turned his attention back to his foes only to find the rooftop was empty.
'Shit! Where are they?!' he panicked, though his gaze instantly zeroed in on the lone figure that leaped up right in front of his face; recognizing Natalie he clenched his jaw. 'You won't get away a second time! You shouldn't have come to face me alone!'
By now his tendon had fully healed and his eye was almost back as well, and his confidence had returned. And so, when he saw her pulling out a knife and grabbing onto the blade, he pushed against the tiles and lunged himself at her.
'Like I'll let you do that!'
Of course, it was only afterward that he realized his mistake when he saw Eren leap out from below. For but a moment they stared at each other as the soldier pulled his arm back, his eyes glinting ominously in the light blaring upon them before he fired the projectile attached to his arm which impaled itself into his shoulder.
'What's that supposed to do?' Galliard scoffed.
No sooner had he thought that than he felt a second one hitting that same shoulder from the back. The next thing he knew, the pain that erupted in his leg blinded him for a second, and he stared over his shoulder to see Levi just finishing his rotation in midair, the blood flying off the Captain's blades while half of his Titan's limb fell to the ground in bloodied chunks. And then he saw Eren pulling back the string still attached to the spear, before he propelled himself forth with a burst of gas to grab Natalie and pull her out of range.
'What—?'
It was all he could think before the two spears blew out his shoulder almost down to the bone, very nearly detaching his entire arm and causing his Titan to roar in agony before he collapsed onto the street below.
'You... pieces of shit...' he gasped, breathing heavily as the healing sapped his strength.
To his horror, he found that he could no longer use his injured arm despite the hefty muscle having shielded his tendons from most of the blast. But he was now at a very serious disadvantage and when he saw Mikasa leap over him again, preparing another spear, a cold chill ran down his spine. In that position his nape was exposed, and if she got a direct hit on it—!
"Porco!"
The sound of Pieck's Titan voice had him glance to the nearest building where his comrade had arrived, and in his injured state he could barely leap aside before the gunners on her back peppered the area with bullets. To their fortune she also alerted the group, leaving them just enough time to take cover behind the debris scattered in the plaza while Galliard limped up the building to join her on the roof.
"What now?" Mikasa asked while they waited for the bullet hail to pause. "We're sitting ducks out here!"
"One of us needs to shift... we can't take both of them as Titans like this." Natalie concluded after a moment of debating with herself. "If I can get far enough from you guys I can turn without risking injuring you."
Having just opened his mouth to protest, Eren was silenced by the strike of thunder across the plaza, drawing their attention to the Beast Titan emerging from the clearing smoke and dust. For a heartbeat, as he exchanged a glance with Natalie, he wondered if Zeke had betrayed them and this had all been just a ploy to capture them both. But then he suddenly realized the bullets had stopped and next thing he knew Natalie had sprinted towards Zeke. He didn't know what made him reach for Levi's arm when he stood to follow, whether it had been his intuition or the way the hairs on his body stood up, but he managed to pull the Captain back to the cover of the debris a split second before another wave of bullets rained on the area.
Almost at the same moment, he heard Mikasa sucking in a sharp breath next to him, and followed her gaze to where Natalie had fallen after taking a bullet through the leg. With Zeke closing in on her the assault stopped once more and they watched the shifter reaching down to pick up the wounded woman.
"So we meet again—" he said, his statement cut off when the yellow lighting struck his hand causing it to explode as her Titan's body formed in his grasp. "Eeh? That wasn't very nice."
"Eren." Levi stated, spotting Reiner across the plaza to their right; so apparently they had to switch to plan B. "We're changing plans."
"Yes." the boy nodded.
So he would have to transform after all, to make sure both he and Natalie got out of there alive. Switching to his gear he took advantage of the fact that Zeke was now in the line of fire, leaving the Cart Titan's team with no good angle to shoot at them anymore. He was just about to stand and run out when he noticed Pieck re-angling herself, aiming to move to another rooftop from where her team could shoot the redhead.
"Go!" Levi ordered, realizing just like Eren that they had a very small window to move.
While he and Mikasa anchored into the nearest building to reach the roofs, Eren instead hooked into the large piece of debris that had served them as a shield. Using the force of the pull from the gear along with a strong burst of gas, he flung himself around the debris and up into the air in a slingshot motion. As soon as he had estimated that he was high enough he bit into his hand without hesitation, just when Pieck had reached the next rooftop.
'This is becoming annoyingly complicated.' Zeke sighed, subtly shifting his footing. 'We need to end this... now!'
At least Natalie seemed to have caught on to his game, and was trying her best to make it seem like she was looking to corner him so that he would have an excuse to block Pieck's line of fire and act like her shield. A few moments later the flash of lighting announcing Eren's transformation lit up the plaza, and his roar filled the still night as he landed a few feet behind the redhead. He was currently standing sideways, as if facing both Galliard – who was trying his best to speed up the healing of his shoulder and amputated leg – and Reiner who seemed yet unsure of what to do.
"Don't let them escape! Round them up and wipe them out!" Zeke called to the other two.
'Shit... this wasn't supposed to happen!' Reiner scowled, knowing that he had to transform if he was to not arouse any suspicions. 'Did they have a traitor in their ranks? No... this isn't the time to figure out what happened. We just have to go along with it.'
Reaching into his pocket he took out the knife he'd made a habit of carrying on him and trailed the blade across his palm. He really didn't want to have to fight Eren again, but they had to at least put on a credible show.
~ oOo ~
"What do you think happened in there?" Armin contemplated as he stood outside the airbase with Hange, watching the smoke still rising from the internment zone.
"Whatever it was, it's nothing good." the researcher scowled. "And those last few blasts looked like Titans transforming. I'm guessing Erwin was forced to switch plans."
"Hange-san... we're ready." Onyankopon announced.
They had had little trouble disposing of the four guards stationed around the airbase, and then the volunteers Yelena had left with them had gotten to work. Dismantling all the pallets they could find, they had nailed the wooden panels to the bottom of the airship's cabin so that the Scouts could use them as anchor points.
"Let's go." Hange called out, before reaching out to grasp Armin's shoulder. "They'll be fine. We'll make sure they all get out of there alive."
"Are we all ready?" Onyankopon inquired, taking up the pilot's seat.
"Yes. Remember... two streets to the south of the plaza." Hange replied.
"No problem. You're in good hands with me."
It wouldn't be easy maneuvering the airship in such a tight spot, but he would make sure to fly as low as possible without getting shot down.
=0=0=
'This is the worst possible outcome.' Erwin pondered, watching the standoff from the nearby rooftop where they had reunited with the other squads. 'The army hasn't made a move yet. They're probably confident that their four Warriors can take out both of them, but there's no telling when they'll decide to hit us. And with those new weapons Yelena mentioned, Eren and Natalie won't stand a chance. All we can do now is hope that Hange makes it here in time.'
He had dreaded the idea of having to fight in that kind of environment; and having to risk both Natalie and Eren was the very last thing he had wanted to do.
"Commander!" Jean called out, rallying back to them. "I apologize... I couldn't get close to the Captain."
"It's not a problem. It looks like Levi realized on his own that we were changing plans. Get your team ready to offer assistance."
"Yes, sir!"
Turning his focus back to the open area he inhaled deeply, waiting for any sign that they would need to join the fray. It seemed like forever that the shifters just stared one another down, no one wanting to make the first move and waiting for a clear opening. But then Eren half-stepped forth and tilted his head at a deliberate angle, taunting his opponent by exposing his nape. He had spotted Levi on the rooftop of the building next to the one where Galliard was positioned and would try to give the Captain a clear shot at taking him down.
'...What?' Galliard blinked, seeing red upon realizing he was being teased. 'You smug little shit! Don't you dare mock me!'
"Porco, don't!" Pieck called out when he leaped off the building. 'Shit... he and Zeke are directly in the line of fire. The Panzer Unit can't possibly get a good shot like this, without hitting them! We need to move...'
Her warning came one second too late, as Levi was faster in getting to him just when he had sunk his teeth into the side of Eren's neck. And she could do nothing but watch as the Captain sliced the seam of his jaw before hooking into Natalie's back to land on her shoulder.
'Eren can handle him until his jaw heals. I'm more worried about this asshole...' he pondered, turning his attention to Zeke.
'What happened? I can't bite through?' Galliard scowled, having yet to realize what had just occurred; with only the top of his jaw still in working condition, he could only hear the splashes of blood as he bit down repeatedly, trying and failing to tear off the flesh.
His answer came in the form of Eren reaching up to grab his Titan by the hair, pulling him off and smashing his face into the ground. Like in a rehearsed tandem, Natalie lunged forth while crystal encased her fingers to sharpen them into claws, swiping at Zeke's eyes and forcing him to retreat while his hand was still healing. But he grabbed her wrist with his other hand while stepping backward and diverted her attack, catching her off guard and nearly causing her to lose balance.
'I'd forgotten how strong he is...' she scowled, just barely avoiding the fall and immediately checking to make sure Levi hadn't been thrown off her shoulder.
Fortunately, the Captain had immediately anchored into her flesh, using a lock of her hair to hold himself upright. He looked less than pleased, though they both knew that Zeke had to put up a believable fight. Redressing her stance, the redhead turned back to face the male shifter and stepped forth just as his hand finished reconstructing itself. The only thing to stop her from a second attempt was the lightning strike which announced Reiner joining the fight.
"Oh? You're finally here..." Zeke replied. "Give Galliard a hand, will you? Pieck and I will handle Dietrich."
Having stomped a foot onto Galliard's head to hold him in place, Eren braced himself for Reiner by forging crystal covers across his knuckles as he had on their last fight. At the same time, Natalie moved to follow Zeke as he shifted positions, to make it seem like he was luring her where he wanted her, all while making sure she kept Levi out of the line of fire by shielding him with her neck.
With Floch's team still unaccounted for, Erwin again checked the sky for the airship, as he had several times while making his way to the plaza. But their escape was nowhere to be seen; they were running out of time.
'We have to do something about that fleet.' he mused, turning his eyes toward the harbor. 'By now they would have called in an attack. We don't have any more time to lose!'
"Jean." he called out, gesturing for the young man to approach. "I'm leaving you in charge for now."
"Huh?" he stiffened at the sudden responsibility thrust upon him. "Commander... what about you?"
"I have to do something about the fleet in the harbor. They would have called reinforcements by now, to deal with us. If they get here we'll never leave this place alive."
"You mean... you'll really...?"
"Yes. Make sure to protect Eren and Natalie at any cost."
"U-understood! Be careful..."
After a moment taken to watch as the Commander ran off the rooftop and switched to his gear in midair, braving the main streets to reach the harbor in time, Jean took a deep breath and returned his attention to the battle and their comrades. This, however, also made him blind to the actions of Floch and his closest teammates, who saw Erwin's departure as the perfect opportunity to act. While operating the anti-Titan artillery on their own would not have been possible, it was another matter altogether to effectively have the Marleyans do it for them; soon enough one such group emerged, rushing out to the rooftop nearby and loading up the pre-prepared weapon in a hurry to turn it upon the shifters in the plaza.
'Have a taste of your own medicine, you pigs!' Floch scowled.
With a hand signal to his teammates, they moved in, gas bursts propelling them out of the dark onto the rooftop with such speed the soldiers hardly even knew what hit them, before they had all been mowed down with the handguns grafted onto the handles of their new and improved ODM gear.
'There's no way they'll see us up here. We'll just say the crew got one off before we shot them; should be enough.'
Judging by how the anti-Titan weapon looked like a larger, more metallic version of the cannons back at Paradis, it wasn't difficult to guess what it did.
And so aim was taken with relative ease while the rest of the squad kept watch, and Floch himself pulled the firing string in the hopes of eradicating the redhead's nape in one shot.