A/N: Hello everyone, JkAlex18 here with a new chapter, this being the last chapter of the 57th Expedition.
I must say that I can really surprise myself on some occasions, I hope I have done the same with you by the end of this chapter.
This will be the climax of the Expedition and I hope you like my own spin on the canon story. From now on, things will be different. There will be those who like it, and there will be others who don't. But the hard truth is that as a writer you can't please everyone.
And, in Levi's words, I made the decision I least regretted.
And without further ado… Let's go!
Chapter 26: The 57th Expedition Final Part
A victory? Or a loss?
The Female Titan looked at the appearance of the Eren Titan as he let out a deafening roar that echoed throughout the forest.
Her goal. Her mission. Her safe return pass to her home with her father. The reason why she was here now… And the reason why she had bloodied her hands and broken the heart of the person she loves.
Now that she was finally facing the person she had come to capture, her blue eyes turned cold and hard as she prepared to fight. Because if there was one thing she knew about Eren, it was that he wouldn't give up easily.
After exchanging a few words with each other, the remaining members of the Levi Squad split up and disappeared into the trees. If they were simple Scouts, the Female Titan would ignore them and focus on the 15-meter Titan in front of her. But she would never make the same mistake again. It was because she underestimated the Scouts that she came close to being defeated on more than one occasion.
She would never let her guard down again. Not when she was so close to finally fulfilling her mission.
Eren's fierce yell made her focus on the impending battle.
He lashed out fiercely, the ground trembling with every step he took. He retracted his arm and delivered a powerful blow to the face that the Female Titan dodged by stepping aside. She landed a powerful right sidekick to the knee, but Eren was able to dodge it just in time by stepping back.
Again, he tried to land a powerful upward punch to her jaw, but she backed away just in time to land a powerful front kick to Eren's chest, causing him to be sent crashing to the ground, though he quickly got up.
'She's… not an amateur,' he acknowledged, watching the Female Titan stalk him as she kept alert for an interruption by the Levi Squad. 'She has combat training, but…'
Eren raised his arms and was on guard, remembering everything had been done to get here. All the sacrifices that had been made with the intention of capturing the Titan that stood before him. More specifically, the person was hiding inside.
He gritted his teeth in growing rage, his eyes narrowed predatory and an animal growl emerged from his Titan's throat.
'I'm going to beat her... No... I'm going to tear her to pieces!'
In the high branches of the trees, in the place where Alphonse was, Furlan landed next to him, delicately placing the body of Oruo, who had been knocked unconscious by hitting a tree trunk due to being directly exposed to the stun grenade of the Lieutenant.
In the same way, Isabel lowered Petra, who, despite still being aware and slightly stunned, her ODM had been shattered due to the impact.
"Get ready," Alphonse ordered, preparing one of his grenades that he had obtained from Furlan and Isabel. "We will act at any time."
Both soldiers nodded. Both had their swords unsheathed and ready to intervene on behalf of their comrade whenever necessary.
"Me too..." Petra muttered, trying to get up.
"No," Alphonse stopped her. "Petra, you're in no condition to fight."
"But I can still...!"
"You will stay here," Alphonse said in a harsh voice. "And it is an order."
Petra clenched her fists in frustration, but she ended up reluctantly nodding. As much as she wanted to have a rematch against that Titan who had humiliated her squad and was the cause of the death of many of her comrades, she was in no condition to fight. Her equipment was in tatters and her head was a little dazed. She wasn't cut out for combat right now.
"We will intervene to help Eren at any time," Alphonse announced. "The Female Titan is more skilled and has much more experience than him in controlling her Titan. Eren won't be able to beat her alone."
The three soldiers turned to watch Eren attack his opponent with renewed ferocity, using brutal and precise blows. But even with his melee skills, the Female Titan was able to dodge his well-aimed blows in the final seconds, proving to be far more skilled and experienced than him.
That was in evidence when she dodged a blow that went straight to her face and went inside Eren's guard to deliver a powerful hook to his stomach. The force of the blow resonated in the clearing and caused Eren's Titan to arch and spit out saliva.
The Female Titan raised her arms, ready to bring them down hard on Eren's Titan's head, but her vision was partially blinded when a small object exploded on the side of her face, causing her right eye to explode and part of her face will be destroyed.
"Don't think this is a one on one fight!" Alphonse growled, landing on a nearby branch.
She grunted and backed away due to her partial blindness, but she didn't get very far when the muscles in her ankles were sliced by Isabel and Furlan in one quick move. Eren used that moment to deliver a vicious cross-punch to the Female Titan's jaw with a thunderous battle cry, causing her to be sent crashing to the ground.
Eren wasted no time in launching himself at his enemy with a wild cry, grabbing her shoulders and smashing her back to the ground to prevent her from getting up. He raised his arm and brought it down viciously, intending to crush the Female Titan's head. But she was able to evade it just in time by knocking her head away and causing Eren to hit the ground. The force of the impact was such that the ground cracked and shook around they, shattering Eren's Titan arm to the point that his bones protruded from the flesh.
Even with his arm shattered, Eren didn't take his eyes off the enemy below him. The person inside had humiliated his companions, and though she had spared the lives of some Scouts, she had also killed others. And that was something inexcusable for him.
Without ceasing his attack, he brutally struck the Female Titan's head again, but she again pushed her head away from him, dodging the blow. The earth shook again and the ground split into pieces, just like Eren's Titan's hand. His frustration and anger grew more and more at his failed attempts to destroy his enemy.
'Why don't you give up?!' he growled in the inside, bringing his face closer to the Female Titan's 'Why are you doing this?! Do you know how many have died because of you?!'
He let out a fierce cry as he brought his face within a few feet of hers. Screaming, claiming and demanding answers. His anger began to bubble through his veins in a way that was almost painful, but also intoxicating. He wanted nothing more than to beat the Titan that was under him to pieces and take out the spy that was inside, not caring if doing so would bring the person inside to the brink of death.
The Female Titan said nothing, simply stared at him with her one good eye cold and hard as her wounds smoked, letting them regenerate.
When her regeneration finally finished, the Female Titan grabbed Eren's arm and broke free of him. Eren struck again with his regenerated arm, but his opponent dodged the blow and kicked him hard in the stomach, sending him crashing into a tree.
Not willing to give him a single second to recover, the Female Titan attacked again. She crystallized her knee and brutally rammed it into Eren's Titan's face, causing his face to be partially shattered into a mixture of bone, flesh, blood, and steam. The tree bark cracked under the force, and Eren's Titan stood motionless for a few seconds as his face began to smoke and his wounds slowly healed.
Thinking that she had defeated him, the Female Titan extended her hand with the intention of exposing the back of Eren's head and finally capturing him, but the characteristic sound of ODM and high pressure gas being released caught her attention.
She turned just in time to avoid a smoke flare that was fired directly into her face courtesy of Alphonse. The Lieutenant then reached into his jacket and pulled out an object, throwing it directly at the Female Titan's face.
Eyes widening in alarm, she raised her arms and stepped back to shield herself from the impending explosion, but it never came. Looking into her arms, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that the object Alphonse had thrown was just a stone.
'A stone...? He cheated on me!'
And judging by Alphonse's victorious grin, it had worked, for then she heard the sound of the ODM and Furlan and Isabel sped past her shoulders, severing her muscles and causing one of her arms to fall uselessly. Although the cut, Isabel had made, was not deep enough to disable her arm.
'It wasn't deep enough!' Isabel reproached herself.
And that was her grave mistake.
She cursed her lack of strength as she looked over her shoulders, and her eyes widened in panic as she saw the Female Titan's huge hand coming straight at her.
"Isabel!" Furlan exclaimed.
The Titan's hand reached for her, too fast for her to make an evasive move. But before she could grab her, someone else stepped in and roughly pushed her to the side. Isabel went to collide with a tree, but she was quickly able to recover and straighten up to turn to see Alphonse being grabbed by the Female Titan.
"Alphonse!" She screamed in panic as she saw her friend being caught by the Female Titan.
The Lieutenant was trapped under the Female Titan's firm grip, futilely trying to free himself. As the Titan brought it close to her face, he could see her blue eyes soften.
'Why...? Why she doesn't kill me?' he thought to himself, struggling under her grip.
She had an iron grip on him. And while they were painful, they weren't lethal. She just had to squeeze a little harder and his body would shatter, but she didn't. She stared at him for a few seconds, and it was then that he saw it. Alphonse saw the conflict, the doubt, and the sorrow as the Female Titan looked directly at him. Her hands were shaking and he could feel it.
'She... doesn't want to kill me' he deduced, 'Why?'
He couldn't reflect on that when Eren's enraged shout caught the attention of those present.
The Female Titan turned and was surprised when she saw Eren attack her again with an almost savage fury, his face still smoking and his wounds still regenerating. She barely managed to dodge his blow, though he grazed her cheek and partially cut her, causing her to unsteady and release Alphonse.
The Lieutenant quickly fired his hooks and landed on top of a branch as he began to catch his breath, he felt like his ribs could have broken at any moment.
Furlan and Isabel quickly came to his side to find out the state of his Lieutenant.
"Alphonse, are you alright?!" Isabel asked with concern.
"Yeah... I'm fine..." he replied between gasps. "She... didn't want to kill me."
"But... why she wouldn't want to?" Furlan asked, puzzled.
"I do not know... "
The three of them turned to watch as Eren and the Female Titan were once again engaged in a brutal and savage fight. The force of the blows caused the air to hum, and Eren's screams and growls became more audible. He felt the frustration and anger start to boil in his blood that he wasn't able to land a true blow, though that didn't stop him from trying.
In the eyes of the Female Titan, she didn't look like she was fighting a person, but rather a wild beast that didn't seem like it would stop until he ripped her apart. His green eyes shone in a terrifying way, and she was beginning to feel overwhelmed by Eren's savagery in his Titan form. She knew that she had to end the fight as soon as possible.
When Eren drew back his arm with the intention of giving her a brutal blow, she narrowed her eyes and found the opening she needed. She stiffened her knuckles and entered Eren's guard to deal him a blow so devastating that it shattered his jaw. That didn't stop Eren though, as even with his jaw shattered, he kept moving forward and landed a powerful upward strike on the Female Titan in the stomach. The force of the blow was such that he sent her flying into the air and caused her to crash into a tree brutally.
'I'm going to end this...' Eren thought angrily. His footsteps shook the ground as he approached the Female Titan. 'I will rip you off your neck and tear you apart with my bare hands!'
He lunged at his fallen opponent with a knee to the head, the same way she had done to him, but the Female Titan was able to evade it in time by ducking to the side and rolling on the ground before getting to her feet, turning her back on Eren.
'Enough...'
She was tired, not so much physically, but mentally. This fight had dragged on too long. Now that the other Scouts wouldn't dare interfere, she would put an end to this fight once and for all.
With that in mind, she turned to look at Eren, who was panting like an animal. He felt exhausted. It was the first time he had forced his Titan form to this point. He had already reached his limit, but he refused to give up.
He raised his fists, intending to continue fighting, but his eyes widened in shock and froze in his place as he stared at the Female Titan.
'It can't be...' he gasped, observing the posture that his enemy had adopted, 'An...'
A devastating blow destroyed his upraised arms, along with the top of his head and the tree. Eren's Titan body collapsed to the ground, like a puppet whose strings were cut. Pieces of his body fell to the ground, just like his body.
'Finally... it's over'
The Female Titan approached the inert body of the decapitated Titan with the intention of finally taking back what she had come for, but an object that was thrown in the air stopped her. She widened her eyes in alarm as she recognized Alphonse's grenade, this being a genuine one, as it exploded and forced her back.
"Protect Eren!" Alphonse ordered. "Don't let her catch him!"
'No! Not when I'm so close!'
The Female Titan desperately extended her hand to the back of Eren's neck, but her fingers were cut by Isabel and Furlan, who began to spin around her with the intention of cutting her and distracting her while Alphonse went to Eren's Titan's body and tried to pull him out from the back of his neck as he plunged his swords in and began to slash. When he could see Eren's body, he grabbed him and pulled with all his might with the intention of pulling him out, but the strips of meat were sticking so much to his body that it was really difficult to do so.
"Damn it, Eren..." Alphonse growled, struggling. "You and I will have to review the saying 'Learn to let things go'."
"Eren!"
The scream caught his attention, and Alphonse turned slightly to watch as someone landed on the Titan's body. Even if he never spoke to her directly, Alphonse recognized her as one of the 104th's rookies. A fellow recruit of Eren. His childhood friend.
"What happened?" Mikasa asked, looking at Eren with alarm. "How is he...?"
"No time for that!" Alphonse interrupted. "Help me get him out! It's too dangerous to leave him here!"
Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, Mikasa hardened her features and nodded. Together, they were able to pull Eren out of the strips of flesh binding him to his Titan, but before they could fire their hooks and get into a safe position, Furlan's scream alerted them.
"Alphonse! Watch out!"
The Lieutenant looked up in alarm to find the Female Titan, who had overtaken Furlan and Isabel, and was rapidly approaching them with an intense look in her eyes, reaching out her hand with the intention of grabbing Eren.
Mikasa tightened her grip on her swords and prepared to face the Titan. She would do whatever it takes to protect Eren, but she and Alphonse widened their eyes in surprise as they saw the Female Titan stumble and fall to the ground with a bang.
'What...?! I was attacked?! My ankles were cut!' she acknowledged and immediately protected the back of her neck and hardened her hand, 'Who the hell is this time?! Levi?! Dammit! Who...?!'
Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as she raised her head slightly to see who had done this to her, and her eyes widened in shock as she met silver eyes staring hard and coldly at her.
Everyone was shocked when the new figure attached itself to a tree directly in front of the fallen Titan, who was staring at him in shock with her mouth slightly agape.
"It can't be..." Mikasa whispered, feeling her heart flood with relief at seeing who was.
But none of them was happier than Alphonse.
"Victor..." he whispered, with a smile full of relief, feeling an enormous weight disappear from his shoulders at the sight of his brother alive.
The young soldier turned to look at them urgently in his silver eyes.
"Get Eren out of here!" he exclaimed. "Now!"
Even if he was immensely happy to see his little brother alive, and somewhat worried to see dried blood on his face, Alphonse quickly pulled himself together and started pulling Eren's body again. With Mikasa's help, the two of them were finally able to free him and wasted no time getting him to safety on top of a high branch. They were quickly joined by Furlan and Isabel, who watched in amazement at the interaction between Victor and the Female Titan.
"He's not attacking her..." Isabel pointed out, puzzled. "Why?"
Furlan didn't say anything, just watched the interaction between Victor and the Female Titan. He felt like he was missing something, like he couldn't see the big picture.
Mikasa narrowed her eyes warily as she looked at the Female Titan, cradling the unconscious Eren protectively, but one of her hands was on the hilt of her sword, ready to interfere at any moment.
Seeing that Eren was safe, Victor turned to look at the Female Titan, who was beginning to get up with her arms while her ankles began to regenerate.
At no time did she take her eyes off Victor. Even when he cut her off, even if he got in the way of fulfilling her mission to return to her father, all she felt was relief flood her heart to see him safe in front of her. The smallest of her smiles stretched from her lips as light tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.
Victor's hard, cold gaze softened noticeably at the sight of her, and he smiled sadly.
"I can't let you do it..." he said in a soft voice. "I am sorry."
'No... I am the one who has to apologize to you'
The Female Titan's wounds finally finished healing, and she stood at the towering 14-meter height. The other Scouts tensed and prepared to fight again. They knew they couldn't escape her. Not without first incapacitating her.
Even seeing the Female Titan at her full height, having to look up to see her, Victor was not intimidated.
During his journey here, he had thought of all the things he might say to her.
How is it that she can transform into a Titan?
Is she in league with the Colossal and Armored Titans?
Was she involved with the Wall Maria crash 5 years ago?
Was she involved with the invasion of Trost a month ago?
And, above all, why?
Why was she doing all this?
He wanted answers. He felt that he deserved them. But when he opened his mouth to speak, his words were:
"You... won't stop, will you?"
He knew her answer just by looking into her eyes. He had always thought he knew Annie, but today had proven he was wrong. He didn't know her, he didn't know who she really was.
But there was one thing Victor could say for sure, and that was that he could understand Annie. He could do it just by looking into those blue eyes of hers. And he knew what she was feeling right now: sadness, grief, pity, regret, and guilt. But also a cold determination. She was willing to go all the way.
Annie had made a decision. And that was evident when she sadly shook her head.
Victor sighed, feeling a stabbing pain in his heart. He felt as if was had plunged a rusty knife into his chest and then twisted it.
"I see... I guessed, but... I needed to try," he muttered in a broken and hurt voice, squeezing his eyes tight before opening them and hardening his gaze, even if there were slight tears at the corners of his eyes.
Seeing that, the Female Titan tensed up and prepared for an impending fight.
She knew that Victor had made a decision.
'I'm not going to stop... Not now that I've come this far!'
"Then you leave me no choice," Victor said, acknowledging Annie's intentions and readying his swords. "I'll do what I must... Now, Captain!"
The Female Titan's eyes widened in surprise, and she turned to look at her attacker. That was her mistake, for in doing so, the last thing she saw before her eyes were shattered, was Captain Levi's enraged face.
"Levi..." Furlan muttered.
"Big Bro!" Isabel exclaimed, relieved to see him.
Even in her slightly dazed state, Petra could see her Captain's arrival.
"Captain..." she whispered, smiling slightly at the sight of him and feeling relieved. She had no doubt that he could take care of the Titan that had defeated and humiliated her entire squad.
The Female Titan staggered back and, unable to protect herself as Levi demonstrated his exceptional abilities with the ODM and severed the muscles of her arms, causing them to fall uselessly to the sides of her body. But Levi wasn't the only one to attack. Victor attacked with equal ferocity, showing that although he wasn't on the same level, he wasn't too far from being able to keep up with Humanity's Strongest Soldier as he deftly sliced through the Female Titan's leg muscles using the same techniques as Levi, with his unique grip style being the most prominent.
They both acted exactly as planned.
Minutes before reaching the clearing where Eren and the Female Titan were locked in fierce and savage combat, Levi used his ODM to rush through the giant trees urgently. He knew what that roar that he had heard earlier meant. His squad made contact with the Female Titan, and Eren had to transform to face her.
Levi was never a positive person. He always acted based on the worst case scenario. And the worst case scenario right now was that his entire squad was dead and Eren had transformed to avenge their deaths, or because he was cornered and had no other choice.
He felt a pang in his heart at the thought of his entire squad dying, and that made him pull the trigger harder to release more gas and move even faster.
When Levi could hear the screams of Eren's Titan, he knew that he was close. As he crossed over one of the giant tree branches, he became aware of a figure ahead of him. It was wearing the military coat, which was sooty and torn in places, but he could make out the Wings of Freedom on it, identifying it as a fellow Scout.
Quickly, Levi moved to the soldier's side, and his eyes widened slightly in surprise when he recognized him.
"You... you're alive..."
Victor turned to look at the Captain. It was then that Levi could see the deep cut he had over his left eye, along with the dried blood on his face, which had several scratches. It seems that the young soldier had been through hell to get there.
"Captain..."
Levi's eyes hardened at the sight of him.
"What the hell are you doing here, brat? You should have seen the retreat sign. Leave away!"
Victor frowned and stared straight ahead of him.
"I will not retire, sir," he answered. "I have unfinished business with that Titan."
"This is not the time for pointless revenge," Levi growled. "The withdrawal order was issued. You have to go back to Karanes. That Titan is too dangerous."
"I know, sir. The reason why that Titan is so dangerous is because..."
"It's a person with Titan powers. We know," he interrupted. "That's why we tried to capture her to get information from her. But the whole plan went to shit. Eren is most likely fighting with her right now, but we have to back off."
"He won't be able to win," Victor said. "Even in his Titan form, Eren won't be able to beat her."
"You sound pretty sure about that, kid..." Levi arched a slight eyebrow in his direction. "It's because you faced her and survived?"
"No... It's not because of that... And I didn't survive. She let me live. I guess she didn't expect me to face her... And one carelessness of mine was all her it took to incapacitate me..."
His response struck Levi as curious. When the Captain looked at him more closely, he could see the frown on the young soldier, along with the expression of urgency and anguish on his face.
It was then that the realization hit him. Levi stepped in front of Victor as they continued forward, looking at him intently.
"You... you know who she is, don't you? You know the person inside that Titan. That's why you came back."
With a sour expression on his face, Victor looked away and nodded after a few seconds.
"Who is she?" Levi demanded in a low, authoritative voice.
The young soldier hesitated for a few seconds, looking reluctant to reveal the identity of the Female Titan. Victor wanted to finish this as discreetly as possible without anyone else knowing, but he knew that was too naive a wish. Annie had committed many crimes and had become an enemy of the Scouts with her actions today. She had even intentionally killed Bertholdt, one of their 104th comrades.
She would have to pay for her crimes, but Victor didn't want to kill her. He couldn't do it. He wanted to capture her and get answers from her. And he knew that to do so, he would have to resort to force. Because he knew Annie wouldn't give up willingly.
Victor looked at Captain Levi, who was waiting for a response from him. Alphonse had told him that the Captain was a trustworthy man. His unrivaled strength, coupled with his great sense of duty, made him respectable and admirable. In the month of training he had with the Scouts, Victor had seen all of that. Levi had been almost like a teacher to him. Instructing him as much knowledge as he could in order for him to survive outside the walls.
And if Victor wanted to stop Annie without killing her, Captain Levi's support would be of great help.
"Member of the 104th Cadets Troop..." Victor answered slowly. "Fifth place among the best graduates... Annie Leonhart."
"Leonhart..." Levi mused. Then he widened his eyes slightly in surprise and looked at him. "Alphonse mentioned her name once. He said that she is..."
"My girlfriend," Victor agreed, gripping his swords tightly. "That's why I have to be the one to stop her, Captain. This... is something personal."
Levi stared at him impassively for a few seconds before turning around and facing forward.
"Do you think you can reason with her? Alphonse tried to talk to her and failed." Levi looked over his shoulder at him, waiting for his response as he pierced his gaze. "That girlfriend of yours has been the cause of many deaths among the Scouts. She is a murderer, and an enemy of humanity."
Levi knew he was being hard on the boy, but he needed him to know what was at stake. Right now, there was no room for sentimentality. They had too much at stake to be carried away by feelings like love, hate or sadness.
Victor had a dejected expression before answering.
"Still, I have to try..."
"And what will you do if she refuses to cooperate?" Levi pressed. "Will you hesitate again?"
The young soldier closed his eyes for a second, and when he opened them, there was a hard look on his face.
"I won't hesitate," he assured. "I'll stop her, no matter what it takes... I'll do what I must."
The remaining members of the Squad Levi and Mikasa watched in amazement as their Captain and Victor work together to disable the Female Titan once and for all, and while she was able to regenerate her eyes, there was nothing she could do to prevent both soldiers from precisely slicing her muscles at an overwhelming and inhuman speed. They moved too fast for her to dodge or defend by hardening her skin in the areas where they would attack.
"They're... too fast," Furlan said, his eyes widening in amazement. Almost unable to believe that there was someone who could almost keep up with Levi.
"They're amazing!" Isabel exclaimed in astonishment.
Mikasa could only nod without looking away from her. There was a time when she had a hard time admitting it, even disliked her, but she came to accept that Victor was far superior to her. As she watched both soldiers use the ODM in a monstrous way, she wondered if she would be able to do the same as them.
Alphonse smiled proudly, seeing his little brother in action. He knew about his circumstances, but seeing it firsthand was a different matter. He knew the potential that Victor had. If in just three years he could almost keep up with Levi, who is considered the Humanity's Strongest Soldier, what could he do in another 3 years?
'Really... He has become a great soldier' he thought, 'Mrs. Hilda would be proud...'
Working together, it only took Levi and Victor a few seconds to sever all the muscles that kept the Female Titan stable. She staggered back, unable to support her own weight, until she ended up collapsing against the trunk of a giant tree.
'No... Not again!'
Frustration was evident on her face, along with growing panic, as she watched helplessly as the two soldiers continued their attacks on her, severing every muscle in her joints, rendering any movement on her part impossible.
For a fraction of a second, her eyes met Victor's silver eyes, and she could see anguish, sadness and pain in them. It seemed as if doing this hurt him more than it hurt her.
But he also seemed determined. And she knew he wouldn't stop.
She knew that she was completely cornered. It was only a matter of time before they finally took her off the Titan and subdued her.
In her vulnerable and panicked state, the Female Titan used her last desperate card and opened her mouth.
Realizing her intentions, Levi widened his eyes in alarm and quickly pushed himself up to cut her vocal cords. When his blades made contact with the Titan's skin, they shattered due to the crystal layer that protected it.
The Female Titan's shrill cry echoed through the forest a second time. Levi knew what that scream meant, and he knew that all was lost.
"Victor, back up!" he ordered. "We have to...!"
His words were stuck in his mouth as he watched Victor thrust himself into the back of the Female Titan's head. She widened her eyes in surprise and began to redirect the stiffening of the back of her neck, but failed to do so in time as the large blades dug deep into her neck and wounded the person inside, causing the Titan's screams will cease.
Without stopping for a second, Victor began to cut at an alarming speed the skin and muscles that covered the person inside. Steaming blood and scraps of flesh flew through the air, landing on the young soldier's body, but he didn't stop, he didn't hesitate for a single second until he could see his target.
With one last cry of effort, Victor swung his swords hard, causing Annie's arms to be viciously severed at the elbows.
Annie cried out in pain and watched with wide-eyed surprise as Victor grabbed the collar of her jacket and yanked her off of her Titan. She met the predatory gaze of Victor, who quickly aimed the edge of his bloodstained sword at her neck.
"It's over, Annie..." he growled softly.
"Vic... tor..."
He narrowed his eyes at her. Annie looked exhausted, sweat covering her entire face, along with strange marks under her eyes. Her amputated arms began to smoke, signaling her slow regeneration, but he knew she was too exhausted to transform back. And if there was one thing he knew about Titan powers, it was that she needed a lot of energy to transform.
There were so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he wanted to ask her, but when he heard the sound of footsteps getting louder, he knew he didn't have time for that.
Victor gave Annie one last look of pity before removing the sword from her neck.
"I'm sorry..." he said with a broken voice.
Before Annie could reply, Victor struck her in the temple with the butt of his sword with enough force to knock her unconscious. He grabbed her body as she collapsed and held her gently. He took off his goggles and put the straps in Annie's mouth, and then tightened them tightly, preventing her from biting her tongue in case she woke up.
'It's not a gag, but it will do,' he thought, looking at Annie in a sorrowful way.
But he didn't have time to get carried away with his feelings when the Titans finally reached the clearing where they were. He turned in alarm to watch as a 7-meter Titan sprinted towards them with its jaws open.
Victor was about to launch himself with the ODM, taking Annie with him, but it wasn't necessary when the Titan crashed to the ground with a deep gash on the back of its head.
"We're out of here!" Levi ordered, landing on the Female Titan's shoulder. "Now!"
Victor nodded and fired his hooks into the treetops, grabbed Annie with an arm around her, then propelled himself with a jet of gas. Levi quickly followed just in time, as the horde of Titans reached the clearing and began to devour the Female Titan's decomposing body, but there were a few that began to chase after both soldiers.
"Victor! Levi! Get out of there!" Alphonse called from the top of one of the highest branches.
"Damn it," Victor growled, glancing over his shoulder at the three pursuing Titans. "Why do they come to us? There's a 14-meter body they can devour over there! Is it because they are attracted to Annie in some way?"
"We'll think about that later," Levi said. "Now our priority is to get out of here alive."
Victor nodded and squeezed the trigger on him to release more gas, but his eyes widened in alarm as the gas release nozzle blew out one last, weak spurt of gas, then nothing.
"Fuck! Not now!" he exclaimed, looking at his now empty gas tubes.
Levi turned to watch in shock, as the young soldier had run out of gas and was only moving forward on his last push.
Victor glanced over his shoulder to look at the approaching Titans, and then looked at Annie's unconscious body in his arm.
He knew what he had to do.
"Captain!" he yelled, gaining the man's attention and throwing Annie into the air with all his might. Annie's unconscious body flew into the air, and she was caught by Levi, who grunted slightly at the force with which she was thrown. "Get her out of here!"
"What the hell are you...?"
"The objective of the mission is to capture the Female Titan, isn't it?! We have already done it! Now go away!"
The momentum of his last gas came to an end and Victor released the grappling hook, landing on the ground and immediately started running, putting as much distance as possible between himself and the Titans as he disappeared into the bushes and trees.
Alphonse's eyes widened in panic as he saw his little brother at the mercy of the Titans.
"Victor!" he called, ready to go look for him.
"Stop!" Levi interrupted, landing on the branch where everyone was as he carried Annie. The Captain quickly covered the shifter's face with his cloak, but Mikasa caught a glimpse of strands of blond hair. "It's too dangerous to go after him! Let's retreat!"
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the Captain, none more so than Alphonse.
"Are you saying to leave my brother?!" he exclaimed, completely incredulous, and indignant.
"We're in Titan territory," Levi replied, keeping his conflicted feelings at bay and thinking logically, though there was a hint of remorse in his voice. "The formation will have already reached the edge of the forest, and if we don't hurry, we'll be stuck here. Also, we have wounded with us, along with the spy we came to capture. We must withdraw. It's an order."
Alphonse gritted his teeth in conflict. He knew that Levi was right. The mission was successful. They had captured the shifter. Many would have sacrificed to achieve it. And, in the grand scheme of things, Victor would be one of them. They must withdraw before it's too late. In addition, they had wounded with them who needed their help to be able to mobilize.
But still...
Alphonse turned his back on Levi and walked to the edge of the branch.
"Alphonse!" Levi called.
The Lieutenant turned to look at him with a serious look on his face.
"I know I said we have to take big risks, and be prepared to sacrifice everything. But..." His features wrinkled sadly as he tightened his grip on his swords until they trembled. "I don't want to sacrifice my little brother... I already abandoned Mrs. Hilda... And I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I also abandoned Victor."
Without hesitation, Alphonse spun and jumped from the branch, firing his hooks and launching himself to where Victor had disappeared into the trees.
"Alphonse!" Isabel called, but it was too late.
He was already gone.
Levi gritted his teeth in frustration. The first time, Alphonse disobeyed his orders and he did it to head towards the Titans that terrified him so much to save his brother. It was crazy, but it was something he would expect from his Lieutenant.
"Captain..." Mikasa called. "Are we seriously going to leave them?"
She looked at the place where Victor had disappeared, feeling an almost painful urge to go find him and save him. He had already saved her in the past, and now she wanted to do the same for him. She wanted everyone to get back together.
"If Alphonse manages to get Victor to safety, he'll send out a distress signal," Levi reasoned. "If we are with the formation on the outskirts of the forest, we can see it and send someone to help them. But it won't do any good if the formation leaves us behind."
Mikasa nodded slightly before his words, though she still couldn't calm her worry in her heart, nor the desire to go find Victor herself.
"I will inform the people who need to know that we have captured the spy shifter," Levi announced. "You will keep this information secret. You won't tell anyone. As far as anyone else knows, this expedition was a failure, and we want to keep it that way. It's understood?"
"Understood..." they all answered, still somewhat stunned by what just happened. Levi couldn't blame them.
"Furlan, Isabel, you'll take Eld and Gunther," Levi ordered. "Petra, do you think you can take Oruo?"
"I can do it," she agreed. Even if she was still a little dizzy, and she doubted that she would be able to fight if the situation called for it, she could still carry her wounded partner.
"Good. I'll take the spy. And you..." he turned to look at Mikasa, who was still holding Eren. "You will take Eren."
"Understood, sir..." Mikasa replied in a low voice, squeezing Eren, but her gaze went to where Victor had disappeared, expecting Alphonse to appear at any moment carrying his brother with him.
"Move."
Levi carried the unconscious Annie and fired his grappling hooks into one of the trees. Before pulling the trigger to release the gas, he turned to where Alphonse had gone.
Gritting his teeth guiltily, he released his gas and prepared to return to formation, leaving behind who had been his Lieutenant for over 5 years. Waiting for a distress signal from him.
Just outside the forest of giant trees, the Scouts had stopped to tend to the wounded and prepare to return to the walls. Mikasa walked over to one of the oversized carriages and looked inside to see Eren together with the Levi Squad. They were all unconscious, but the one who seemed to have the worst time was Eld, who moved uncomfortably in his place with a grimace of pain on his face. Of all of them, he was the one who had taken it the worst, since his right leg was destroyed. And although he had received first aid to avoid losing too much blood and consequently his life, it would be awhile before he could walk again. Or if he ever did it again.
Mikasa turned to look at the long lines of fallen soldiers, all of them wrapped around a white blanket, all of which were stained with blood. She wondered how many of the people she knew were there, and if she would ever see someone close to her wrapped in the same white blanket.
Her gaze then went to the forest of giant trees that she could see in the distance, expecting to see a distress signal, as she had been doing for over half an hour. Ever since they left the forest, she constantly looked to the skies for a sign that Victor and his brother were alive. She was prepared to go without wasting a second if she ever saw it, but when she didn't see any distress signals, she felt a weight grow in her heart.
In a more secluded spot, Furlan helped Levi move Annie's unconscious body to a carriage, wrapping her in a white blanket to make her pass as just another dead soldier.
Behind them, Isabel kept her eyes on the forest, waiting for Alphonse's distress signal, but it never came. She looked down dejectedly and felt Furlan's hand on her shoulder in support.
Levi didn't say anything, but he was just as expectant as Isabel was as he looked out over the forest of giant trees. In his hands, he held Victor's goggles, waiting for the young soldier to return them, accompanied by his brother.
But they didn't come back. When the Scouts searched the surroundings of the forest of giant trees, they found no sign of the two brothers. They couldn't go too far into the forest due to the large number of Titans the Female Titan had attracted and were still roaming around, but they would have seen some distress signal if it had been launched. And since they hadn't seen any, they had no choice but to sentence both brothers as missing in action.
When the rookies got the news from Captain Levi, none of them took it well. They all knew Victor in some way. They had spent three years together and had become close friends and comrades. Those who took it worst were Christa and Jean. The young blonde girl had collapsed onto her knees and began to cry, feeling devastated at the loss of someone so important to her. Every time she sobbed, it just seemed like one more stab in the heart of those present.
Ymir had moved closer to her and began to comfort her, stroking her back in an attempt to comfort her. She had to be strong for her right now. She had to be the foundation that Christa could stand on, regardless of her own feelings about it.
Mikasa gave the Captain an almost murderous look as she clenched her fists in barely contained rage.
"If you hadn't decided to leave him behind, this wouldn't have happened," she reprimanded him scathingly. "You could have gone to help him, but you didn't. You abandoned him!"
"Mikasa, stop!" Armin put in, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Remember that his Lieutenant also stayed behind. The Captain simply made the decision that he considered to be the best. He couldn't risk losing more of his men, considering that more than half of them were wounded and one needed immediate medical attention. Victor knew that getting Eren to safety was more important than saving himself. I understand that you are angry, but the Captain is not to blame."
That was the lie they had told the new cadets, at least for now. They had been told that Victor saved Eren from being eaten by a horde of Titans that had been lured in one last desperate cry from the Female Titan. At no point, they told that Victor had stayed behind for the person inside the Female Titan to be captured. None of his friends knew the truth, except Mikasa.
She didn't seem to hear Armin's words and just frowned harder as she looked at Levi.
The Captain was unperturbed by the look on his face as he rifled through the pockets of his cloak.
"Even if he was just a rookie, Victor was very clear on things," Levi said slowly. "He knew what was at stake, but that didn't stop him. He did not hesitate in what he should do. He wasn't afraid to fight what he believed was right... Even if it tore him up inside. Our duty as those who came back alive is to remember those who couldn't. And keep their memory alive."
He showed them Victor's goggles. There was a part that was stained with blood and one of the glasses was cracked, but without a doubt everyone recognized the object and looked at it sadly.
It was Mikasa who tentatively stepped forward and gently picked it up. Tears began to pool at the corners of her eyes as her grip on her trembled slightly.
Levi didn't say anything else and went to observe his squad, leaving the cadets to cry for the loss of his comrade and friend. He turned to look at the forest of giant trees. Even if his face remained impassive, his eyes showed how heartbroken he felt. No matter how much time passed, he would never get used to losing his comrades. And this time, he had lost a member of his squad, a man who had been with him since the day he joined the Scouts.
Today, he had not only lost his Lieutenant, but also his friend.
'I'm counting on you for the rest, Levi...' he remembered the Captain's words about him. The woman who believed and trusted him, 'I know you will be a great Captain'
Choking down the guilt he felt, he went to check on the status of his squad members who were still alive with a gloomy look on his face.
"Mikasa..." Christa called, having collected herself enough to speak, but her eyes still held tears. "I... I know it's selfish of me to say this, but..." She pointed to the goggles Mikasa was holding. "Can I... Can I keep it?"
Mikasa screwed up her face in conflict, looking reluctant. She wanted to keep the goggles with her. It was the last memory she had of him, and she didn't want to let it go. But she recognized that Victor was more important to Christa. The bond between Christa and Victor was much stronger than the one she had with him.
Reluctantly, she handed the item to Christa, who cradled it sadly to her chest as new tears fell from her eyes. In no time did Ymir move away from her, maintaining her composure as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
Jean didn't say anything, just clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. He stepped away from the group and went to sit on the side of the carriages, placing his hands over his ears as he gritted his teeth and frowned.
Again. He again had lost one of his best friends. First Marco and now Victor.
He couldn't help but let tears gather at the corners of his eyes as he remembered the time he spent with them.
Sasha and Connie didn't get along any better. As they both prepared the horses for the return trip, Connie glanced over his shoulder and noticed that Sasha's shoulders were shaking erratically, and she could hear muffled sobs coming from her.
He looked down sadly. Ever since they left the walls, he would have wanted to go home, and he was glad that he could finally do so when they received the order to withdraw. But that joy quickly faded, and he was replaced by guilt. How could he be happy to come back alive when his friend was missing and possibly dead? He frowned at the thought, his grip on the horse's straps trembling.
The mood among the Scouts was gloomy. Everyone had heard about the disappearance of Lieutenant Alphonse, who was one of the most veteran soldiers among the Scouts, so everyone knew him in some way. His disappearance was a low blow to all of them, especially the Levi Squad, who had lost their Lieutenant.
But even with the losses they had suffered, the Scouts still kept an eye out for any Titans. They were in enemy territory, and they must not let their guard down for a second.
"Commander, we're almost done," one of the Scouts reported. "There are five bodies that we couldn't recover."
"Not even a part of them?" Erwin asked, looking at the casualty report the Scouts had presented him with.
"Because of the Titans, we haven't been able to get any closer. In any case, I think this is better for the affected families..."
Erwin looked at the report. His eyes paused briefly on the names of Alphonse and Victor. For a few seconds, his expression looked slightly downcast.
"List them as missing in action," he finally said.
"Understood," the soldier agreed. "We have sighted several Titans in the vicinity of the forest. But for now, none of them are headed this way. For some strange reason, they refuse to leave the forest, even with a many of us here."
Erwin reflected on that for a few seconds. If the Titans refused to leave the forest, then this was their best time to retreat.
"Inform all squads that we're leaving," he ordered.
"Yes, sir."
Getting on his horse and getting ready to go back, Levi looked at the unconscious members of his squad. They were being watched by Petra, who had a bandage wrapped around her head, looked exhausted. She had been lucky, as her injuries would heal with a couple of days of rest. But he couldn't say the same for Eld, the Female Titan had been pretty brutal in incapacitating him by shattering his leg. And though his life was no longer at risk, he couldn't tell for sure if he would ever be a soldier again.
Even with all that, his squad had been able to survive. Or, at least, almost all of them. When Levi thought of Alphonse, his thoughts turned to his brother, Victor. Similarly, he also thought of their father, Edward. He wasn't eager to break the news to the man that his two sons, the only family he had left, had gone missing in action. That, considering that his wife had died 4 years ago.
If Levi was being honest with himself, Edward could make him nervous. It conveyed such a dangerous feeling that it was impossible for him not to be alert in his presence, even if the man was crippled. But now, inevitably, he would have to be the bearer of bad news. Again.
He definitely wasn't looking forward to that talk.
Eren abruptly awoke from his sleep with a gasp of terror. He was able to recognize the evening sky above his head, along with the unmistakable sound of a carriage moving forward. As his vision focused, he was able to recognize Mikasa sitting next to him.
"Eren," he called, concerned. "Don't get up yet. You have to rest."
"The Female Titan..." he remembered. "What happened to her?"
Mikasa frowned before replying.
"She... She was successfully captured..."
Eren visibly brightened and smiled.
"That... That's good!" He looked around, searching for his squad mates. "And the others? Where are they?"
Mikasa pursed her lips and looked away from him, as if she didn't want to say it.
Eren's expression fell when he saw her.
"Mikasa... What happened?" he pressed.
Finding the resolve to tell the truth, Mikasa looked him straight in the eye.
"We captured the Female Titan, but... Victor didn't make it. His gas ran out the moment he took out the person inside the Titan. Lieutenant Alphonse went to help him when a horde of Titans were after him, but... we haven't heard from them since."
Eren's eyes widened in shock at the news. His lips began to tremble until he finally managed to say:
"No... it can't be," he mumbled. "Victor is strong. He is the strongest of us! And Lieutenant Alphonse would find a way out of any situation! They can not..."
Eren desperately looked for the two brothers, expecting to receive a sarcastic comment from Alphonse or a tasteless joke from Victor, but he couldn't find them. Wherever he looked, he found only the grim and dejected expressions of the Scouts.
"We've been waiting over an hour for a sign of help from them," Mikasa continued, sounding defeated. "But we haven't seen any smoke signals... The Commander has listed them as missing in action."
Eren let out a gasp of pain upon hearing her and looked down, looking devastated. Victor had been his companion for three years. They had spent so much time together, shedding sweat, and blood, in extreme cases, during training. They had had their differences, yes, but they had gotten over them. He had made him realize many things that he had previously ignored or taken for granted, such as the fact that he still had Mikasa as his family, or that he was simply seeking empty revenge against the Titans by joining the Scouts. Victor had helped him in ways he could never return the favor, teaching him how to fight, helping him grow mentally, believing in him when they discovered his Titan powers, and defending him from others who doubted him.
Victor was someone that Eren looked up to. Someone he aspired to be one day.
Likewise, Alphonse had been someone who had always supported him. Someone who believed in him and encouraged him to control his Titan powers. Never doubting him, but seeing him as a comrade. Someone to trust.
And now, they were both probably dead.
He felt a lump in his throat and a stabbing pain in his chest at the thought. Tears began to burn in his eyes and he made no attempt to hide them as he clenched his fists, to the point that his palms began to bleed.
Even if the mission to capture the Female Titan had been a success, he believed that the price of victory was too high.
Mikasa looked at him with regret, understanding the pain that Eren was feeling right now. She didn't say anything, she just put her hand on his in an attempt to comfort him while he sobbed silently and didn't take her hand away from the small comfort she offered him.
The abandoned city on the outskirts of Wall Rose, located in the Karanes district, could be seen on the horizon. Even before reaching the wall, the Scouts could already hear the ringing of the bells announcing their arrival.
The large front door opened to allow them entry. The Scouts, led by Commander Erwin in the lead, along with Hange and Mike, advanced down the main road. On the sides of the road, people had gathered to see them. People crowded into the tight spaces or stared out their windows at the group of wounded, battered, bloodstained Scouts who didn't even know if it was their own or their comrades.
The expressions of the citizens who watched them pass by were a mix of pity, sorrow, and disgust.
"Their numbers have decreased a bit compared to when they left in the morning" one of the citizens noticed.
"Yeah, there are much fewer," agreed another. "It seems that this time has also been a disaster."
"And that this morning they were acting very tough, and they came back the same day as beaten dogs," said another, with a condescending tone. "What are they supposed to have done?"
"Who knows," replied another. "But you only have to look at the faces of these guys to know that they have wasted our tax money. We waste more resources keeping these guys than supporting entire families with them."
"Yeah, we would earn more by dedicating that money to cultivating the land here inside the walls than by wasting it on these useless people."
Eren felt his blood boil as he listened to those people. To him, they were insulting the good men and women who had died this day to make the expedition a success. Insulting those people who were fighting for something better.
His thoughts went to Victor, who joined the Scouts to retake Wall Maria and thus give humanity a little hope. That was his dream, his goal, his ambition. And now, he was dead, and these people were insulting the sacrifice he had made in order for humanity to take an important step forward. They insulted Alphonse, and all the contributions he had made for the good of humanity.
He clenched his fists tightly, his rage barely contained. He stood up, ignoring his sore muscles and lack of energy to look at the crowd and shout at them, but was frozen in place when he caught sight of two small children, a boy and a girl, whose eyes sparkled with admiration and excitement at the sight of them.
"How great they are!" the boy exclaimed. "The Survey Corps are great! Despite being torn apart, they continue to fight!"
Eren lost all of his anger at hearing them, if not replaced by shame and guilt. There was a time when he had seen the Scouts in the same way as that boy. With those innocent and naive eyes. And now, he was on the opposite side, and he knew things were not how he saw them before.
All the other members of the 104th Troop walked with their heads bowed, with different expressions of disappointment, frustration and bitterness.
Christa held Victor's goggles in both hands, cradling it against her chest like a fragile and precious item. Her eyes were red and puffy. She no longer had any tears to shed, but the throbbing pain in her heart had only grown.
Beside her, Ymir walked forward with a neutral expression on her face with her hand placed on Christa's shoulder, letting her know that she was still there. But for Christa, feeling her hand on her shoulder but not feeling Victor's hand on her other shoulder was just a stark reminder that he wasn't with them.
Jean walked with his head down and his eyes shadowed, the only thing his eyes captured was the ground in front of his feet. Although it seemed that his body moved forward automatically while his mind was in a far away place.
"Commander Erwin, we want answers!" one of the citizens demanded. "Have you obtained results that compensate for so many deaths?!"
"Doesn't you feel anything after losing so many soldiers?!" another reproached.
Commander Erwin remained impassive in the face of the cries and demands of the citizens. His expression remained hard and gloomy as he took harsh criticism from people. They didn't affect him as much as in the past, because he knew the mission had been successful. After five years, he had finally won a victory, but the price was too high. And that price would remain in his memory.
When his blue eyes met a pair of silver eyes in the distance that stared hard and cold at them, he would know that he would have to face the consequences of his plan and pay the price of bitter victory of him.
"Petra!" called a person in the crowd, who pushed through to approach the cart where the female soldier was leaning.
She looked up, and her eyes widened as she realized it was her father.
"Dad..." she whispered, extending her arm, while the man took her gently and began to walk to the side of the carriage.
"My sweet girl, I'm so glad you're okay," the man said with teary eyes.
"I... I'm not so well," she admitted, looking away from her in embarrassment.
"You came back alive, and that's more than enough for me."
"Oh, dad..."
Tears began to pool in her eyes as she squeezed her father's hand, feeling immensely relieved to be back. She couldn't say the same for Alphonse or his brother, where they had a father waiting for they return.
"It's okay, my dear. It's okay," her father consoled, wiping away the tears that had fallen from his daughter's eyes. "Are you at home already."
In the carriage behind, among the blanket-wrapped corpses of the Scouts, Annie listened to the conversation between father and daughter and felt a pang of pain and longing.
She had failed.
She had failed her mission.
She failed to become a Soldier, and she fell short as a Warrior.
Again, she had stained her hands with the blood of innocents. And it was all in vain.
But, above all, she had failed in the promise she had made to her father, a man who would be waiting for her daughter, who might never come home.
'Annie... I was wrong. It's too late to ask for your forgiveness,' those were his words, full of sadness and regret. 'Make the whole world your enemy if you have to. Even if you are hated by everyone, your father will always be on your side! So please promise me... promise me you'll come back.'
'I'm sorry, dad...' she thought, as tears stung her eyes.
The memory of Victor's back flashed through her mind. The way he'd turn around when he noticed her and smile at her in a way that warmed her heart.
'You really are a wonderful person' those were his words, full of love and appreciation, 'In that sense, you and I are not that different. We simply want the best for our loved ones'
She remembered the way he had looked at her when he discovered her identity and the predatory, yet hurt way he had looked at her when he forcibly ripped her from the Titan in order to stop her.
'I'm sorry...' was what he said.
What would he say to her now?
Would he claim her?
Would he yell at her?
Would he hate her?
What would he say to her now that he found out who she really was?
Would he be able to look into her eyes now that he found out what she really was?
A monster with hands stained with innocent blood...
Only one thing was certain, and that was that she was afraid to see Victor again.
She closed her eyes as she slowly drifted off to sleep, longing to wake up from this nightmare and for everything to go back to the way it was before.
Annie was jolted awake as a bucket of cold water was dumped on her body.
"It's time to wake up, sleeping bitch," said the voice of the person who had thrown the bucket of water at her.
Annie squinted behind her wet hair that clung to her face, adjusting to the cold, dimly lit room to recognize Captain Levi, who was looking at her so hard it caused a shiver to run down her spine, or maybe it was because of her wet clothes clinging to her body. She was only wearing her pants and her sweatshirt, at least they hadn't left her naked like an animal.
Immediately, she tried to move, but it was useless as her arms and legs barely moved. She was chained to the wall. She moved her thumb to her index finger, trying to feel her ring, but she realized that her hands still hadn't fully regenerated since her arms were cut off by Victor when he pulled her out of her Titan.
Recognizing that she was at the mercy of the Scouts, Annie looked where she was standing. It was a cell, and judging from the lack of windows and the dim lighting provided by oil lamps, it was somewhere underground.
There were four people present, she recognized them because they were the most outstanding soldiers within the Survey Corps.
Commander Erwin Smith, Captain Levi, and Squad Leaders Hange Zoë and Mike Zacharias.
"So, Miss Leonhart," said Erwin, who was sitting in front of her in a chair, his fingers crossed in front of his face and his elbows resting on his knees while he looked at her with intensity, authority, but at the same time with curiosity. "Are you willing to cooperate with us by giving us the answers we want?"
Annie stared at the Commander, keeping a neutral and cold expression, though inside her heart was beginning to pump with growing anxiety and panic.
...
..
.
And that's all for now, my dear readers!
With this chapter, we finally finished the 57th Expedition, along with the Female Titan arc.
It's been a long road here, and many were extremely curious as to how this arc would play out, considering the VictorxAnnie pairing.
It's at this point that you can see the main divergence of the cannon, with Annie not locking herself in the crystal, nor giving in to the Scouts because of her relationship with Victor, but being forcibly captured by the person she loves.
Now, time for explanations.
1-Annie vs. Eren and the Levi Squad:
I wanted to give the credit to both the Levi Squad and Eren giving Annie a tough fight and even putting her on the ropes on more than one occasion. But even with all of that, I think Annie would show why she's so deadly in her Titan form. I think I gave both of them quite a bit of credit, and I'm pleased with the result, although it didn't stray too far from the cannon.
2- The interaction between Levi and Victor:
Despite how tough, cold, and apathetic Levi appears to be, he is someone who truly cares about his comrades and subordinates. Not to mention that he is also a very good judge of character. He showed it when he saw Eren for the first time and knew what kind of person he is, someone who will stop at nothing. So when he was reunited with Victor, with him confessing the identity of the Female Titan and saying that he would do anything to stop her, Levi knew he was serious and so decided to let Victor try to talk to Annie.
Which leads to the next point.
3- Victor's reunion with Annie:
I don't know what kind of reunion you were hoping for, one where Annie ran away and was reunited with Victor at the Battle of Stohess where he convinced her to join the Scouts? Maybe one where Annie escaped the walls and reappeared later in the story? Or maybe one that followed canon and Annie crystallized herself, so she wouldn't get caught and Victor could have a chance to be with Mikasa (as many want to happen)?
The possibilities were many, I went over them many times in my mind, but I firmly believe that this was the best outcome for the 57th Expedition.
Throughout the story, I have expressed that Victor and Annie can easily come to understand each other. Despite not knowing who she really is, Victor was able to recognize that Annie would not stop from trying to capture Eren. And despite the feelings that overwhelmed both of them, they still went ahead with what they decided, especially Victor. He would stop her, but he wouldn't kill her because he wanted answers from her and because he loves her.
As for the future of their relationship, that remains to be seen.
4- The fact that Levi decided to leave Victor and Alphonse behind:
Levi, being a veteran Captain in the Scouts, was forced to make a decision in the circumstances he was in.
As Armin said; in retrospect, it's easy to say what one should have done. But at the moment of making the decision, Levi considered the situation he was in. He had almost all of his squad wounded, and the spy captured, not to mention that they had to retreat because he believed the formation would leave they behind. He had to make the decision to save his squad and bring the captured spy, leaving two soldiers behind. Furthermore, he also believed that Alphonse would save Victor and then give a distress signal so that they can go help they afterwards.
In the grand scheme of things, it's a small sacrifice, considering how much information Annie could offer. That's my logic in writing that scene. What do you think? I know you didn't expect Victor and Alphonse to be left behind and declared missing in action. Also, I haven't read a fic where Annie is captured during the 57th Expedition, I wanted to do something different and definitely deviate from the cannon.
Those are the moot points of this chapter. What do you think? Leave me a review about your opinion.
The next chapter maybe will be the season 1 finale.
What do you think will happen?
How will Annie react to the fact that she was captured by Victor? And later, how will she feel knowing that he missing in action?
Do you think Annie will collaborate with the Scouts?
How will Victor's father, Edward, react to learning that his two sons have been listed as missing in action?
What happened to Victor and Alphonse?
These are questions that I would like to know your opinion and theory, since it is always great to read them and answer them individually if they have an interesting theory or development of the story.
Anyway, I guess that's all for now. Stay tuned for the Season 1 finale!
And with nothing more to say… Until next time, handsome!