AN: 402 followers? That is amazing! Thank you all so much.
Chapter 50: Levi Squad Strikes Back
Sparring with the Female Titan wasn't Eld's version of a good idea. So many things could go wrong where a fourteen-meter Titan was concerned. Accidents that could result in permanent injury or death. He and the others got lucky in the Forest of Giant Trees. Oluo, on the other hand, wasn't.
He mentally kicked himself for these thoughts. He was a member of Levi Squad, the Elite Squad. So what if there were risks? They were going up against Titan Shifters for God's sake, and this was the best way to get experience. As long as he and the others didn't let their emotions blind them like last time, things would work out.
"So, any tips when it comes to her?" Gunther asked. "Never got the chance to fight her."
"Go for the tendons in her legs," Petra advised. "She moves quickly, so that would be our best shot."
"Right. Of course." Swallowing his anxieties, Gunther focused on the trees when they entered the forest. While the branches could be stood on, he could tell they wouldn't support his weight very long. They lacked the thickness the Forest of Giant Trees had, meaning a certain Titan Shifter could shatter them.
While Gunther knew that killing her was out of the question, mutilating the bitch sounded very therapeutic. He knew Oluo would appreciate that. All he needed to do was strike the areas that would hurt her the most.
Petra took comfort in seeing the green cloaks on the branches around them. Levi stayed true to his word. She had a feeling Mike was there somewhere, though she couldn't see any of their faces. The wrath of the Scout Regiment was waiting to be unleashed.
She hoped it wouldn't come to that. Too much had happened for them all to take a huge step back. For now, she needed to have faith that nothing would go wrong. She owed Levi at least that.
"Feels weird that we're about to be taught by a teenager," Eld noted.
Gunther snorted. "She may look like one, but she isn't a kid."
"The only thing I find weird is that we're going to train with a Titan," Petra added. "Never thought that would happen when I enlisted."
"Don't think anybody did," Eld mused.
Then, the trio spotted their quarry leaning against a tree. Were it anybody else, it was a sign of impatience and arrogance. In Annie's case, it was a way of biding time. "I was going to ambush you, make this as real as possible. They said no."
She doesn't even sound like a kid. Gunther thought to himself as he was the first to draw his weapons.
Annie easily took notice of that action. "You're tempted to run me through, aren't you? Prevent a catastrophe like a transformation from happening." She flicked open the blade on her ring. "Rarely does anyone get that luxury. Best case, the transformation incinerates you. Worst case? Slowly burning to death. Your best bet is an acoustic round to make me lose focus. What happens next… you'd better hope my death is instantaneous."
Petra narrowed her eyes, her hands gripping the hilts. That dangerous tone in the Shifter's voice only served to increase her anxiety.
"Cut open my nape if you can." Annie slashed her fingers, fire engulfing her yet again.
"Scatter!" Eld ordered, taking to the trees.
Gunther and Petra quickly followed his lead just as the Female Titan was beginning to emerge. Last time, they underestimated her, but never again.
Before the Titan was completely formed, Gunther made the first risky move, charging straight for her.
"Gunther, get back!" Petra yelled, eyes wide.
Annie made a swipe for her first opponent, but he caught her off guard by slicing off her nose, blood spewing out of the spot. She couldn't help but be a little impressed with his ingenuity. Eyes were a typical target for a Titan, but her kind had a keen sense of smell. While she would do her damndest to defeat them, she hoped the others would take the hint.
"You son of a bitch," Eld muttered with a chuckle as he and Petra joined the fray.
Like before, the two blinded the Female Titan with the gas in their tanks. Annie expected them to go for her eyes again, prompting her to take a step back and swipe away the fog. However, deep slashes on her legs thanks to the duo took her by surprise. She wasn't immobile from the attack, but it was clear what they were aiming for.
"Not deep enough," Petra growled as she regrouped with Eld and Gunther. "Eld, think you can gouge her eyes out.
"I'll need one hell of a distraction," he answered.
Gunther smirked. "We'll handle that."
The trio let out a battle cry and charged Annie, aiming at different areas. She launched a hardened kick at them, barely missing Petra. That attacked allowed Gunther to slice the heel on the other foot. Annie sank to one knee as Eld charged for her face. It seemed like Levi Squad had the upper hand.
Time to turn the tables on them again.
Annie planted her injured foot on the ground, and performed a circular leg sweep with her other leg. At first they couldn't figure out what she was doing until the trees in the surrounding area started to collapse. Eyes wide, Eld tried to maneuver to another tree, but when he fired his hooks, he missed, resulting in him falling. Instantly, Annie caught him before he could hit the ground just as the trees crashed with resounding thumps. With her other hand, she prevented one of the trees from crashing onto Gunther and Petra, who were too close to the ground. Once they were safely out of the way, she tossed the tree aside.
"She… she played us," Gunther said, panting heavily.
Petra did her best not to lose herself into rage. They were better than this. They had to be.
Eld had a more different reaction. "At least you didn't catch me with your mouth this time."
The Female Titan allowed a smirk to grace her face. "Keep up with those skills and you might get lucky with another Titan."
Eld frowned, any form of levity disappearing in the blink of an eye.
She knelt to Gunther and Petra's level. "At this point, all three of you would be dead. You need to be prepared for Shifters to play dirty like taking away your grappling points. The trees here are too thin."
"If we attach are hooks to you, you can take control," Petra pointed out.
"True, but there's one spot that's harder for me to reach." Placing Eld down, she turned around and did the best she could to point at a spot on her back. "Right here, just beneath the shoulders. Too low, I can pluck the line. Too high, same thing."
Gunther shook off the effects from the fall. "Alright, let's get back to it."
Nodding, Annie walked into an undestroyed part of the forest. "Good luck."
The trio propelled off the ground towards her. This time, after dodging her swipe, they started circling her, watching her every move. Annie made the first move as she swept her arm to catch them all. They scattered like flies, but they returned with a vengeance. Petra charged first, cutting deep into her spine while Eld and Gunther cut out her eyes. It all happened much faster than before. Instinctively, Annie covered her nape while crystalizing that hand. She expected them to target the tendons in her arms; however, both heels were sliced open. Unable to balance on them, the Female Titan fell, though she rolled onto her back to prevent her nape from being reached.
"Now what?" Gunther asked, getting onto a branch.
"Uh… I don't know," Eld admitted. "This is a new one."
"Damn it," Petra swore, glaring down at the Shifter. "I thought we had her."
The trio couldn't think of anything, so they just settled for staring at their quarry, who looked like she was basking the sun on a lazy day.
"Don't look at me. You're the ones trying to kill me," the Female Titan said, steam emanating from her wounds.
"So, this is what passes for training these days?" a familiar voice drawled.
The squad did a double take as Levi, fully ordained in his Scout uniform and ODM gear landed next to them. Aside from a barely-noticeable quiver in his leg, he looked as strong as he did before his fight with Elise.
"Captain, her nape is protected in that position," Eld told him.
Levi rolled his eyes. "It's a standoff. Unfortunately, an effective one. On your feet, Leonhart."
Now completely healed, Annie stood up to the point she was face to face with the captain.
"I want you to try and kill me," he said, drawing his blades.
Petra's eyes widened. "Captain-"
"Don't say a damn thing. Any of you," Levi ordered, glaring at all his subordinates. "If I can't handle her, then I have no reason being your captain. If she manages to kill me, don't retaliate."
Annie crossed her arms. "What's to stop them from defying your orders if I kill you?"
"Because we would be fools following the fool," another voice spoke. It was Mike, and he wasn't too thrilled with the captain. "Soldiers, keep your distance."
Levi ignored the barbed words and focused on his enemy. "Don't even think about holding back."
The Female Titan sighed as she took her battle stance. She couldn't believe she was doing this."Don't make me regret following your orders."
She made the first move, launching a fast high kick at him. He sped off the tree as it crumbled to splinters behind him. He retreated deeper into the forest with the Shifter right on his tail. Annie knew he was up to something, and she secretly hoped it paid. Kill Levi on the first day as a Scout would do a lot more than taint her record. He made a sharp turn-around and she responded by throwing a fist right at him.
In the nick of time, Levi pulled up as her knuckles grazed his feet. Then, he started to spin in a rapid, circular motion. He cut into her arm while going up it. Annie had no time to react to his attacks as he impaled his blades into her eyes, detaching his blades to make the blindness stick for a while. The force was enough to make her stagger back, which prompted him to go for the tendons in her legs after replenishing his blades. Any Scout in the vicinity could barely see the captain attack and only saw gashes appear all over her body. The Female Titan fell to the ground, crushing a tree in the process. Levi was far from done as her arms were next. In a flurry of slashes and a matter of attacks, her arms were rendered useless. With one final attack, Annie's nape was cut into right before her hardening could even finish. Purposefully, it wasn't deep enough to expose her human body.
For many of the Scouts, this was the first time seeing Levi in action, and their dropped jaws was all the response he needed. They even began to wonder if he was even human. For Levi Squad, they were more than a little annoyed with his actions.
"What the hell was he thinking?" Petra questioned finally. "What was the point of that stunt?"
Eld shook his head. "It wasn't for our benefit."
Petra was stunned to silence when the implications set it.
Levi landed right on Annie's knee as he waited for her to heal. Her eyes were the first to come back as she looked down at him.
"You're a force to be reckoned with, Captain Levi," was all she said.
Levi nodded at her and turned to his squad. "Keep training. I'm sure Hanji is looking under every rock for me." Without waiting for a response, he grappled away. In the eyes of everyone, he committed a stupid move despite the fact he wasn't looking to impress them. Victory wasn't guaranteed, but the captain felt a bit of relief about the odds.
Dillon lost track of how many times he examined the box containing his father's ashes. It was practically becoming an obsession to the point he was starting the memorize every detail. The chipped corners that indicated this was a used box, scratches from a fall or two, and the scent of wood and human ash if he was close enough. And yet, despite knowing these things and committing them to memory, he couldn't figure out what to do with his father.
The easiest solution was to cast the ashes away and let the wind take them wherever it pleased. Hell, that's what he was trying to do earlier today, but he didn't go through with it, especially after talking with Connie. Maybe he wasn't ready to let go, though that line of thinking didn't feel right. There was something holding him back. He half-expected Ymir Fritz to show up to explain things to him, but she had been silent as of late. Perhaps it was for the best. Let him live his life without her popping up every time he felt sad.
Suddenly, there was a soft knock at the door.
"Come in," Dillon said, placing the box back on the stand.
Entering the room with a deadness in her eyes was Historia. Her blonde hair had grown longer, though it was completely unkempt. She had disregarded her appearance and, if the smell was any indication, her hygiene. The sight was painfully familiar.
"Hey, Historia," he greeted politely.
"Nifa said you wanted to see me," she responded in a monotone that gave Annie's a run for her money. She took a seat in a chair across from the infirmary bed.
Dillon let out a sigh, knowing exactly what was going on. "I'm sorry about what happened with you and Ymir."
She looked away from him. "People keep saying that. Those who care to lie."
"You think I'm lying?"
"You must hate her so much. She nearly killed you." Historia gripped her pants. "You're one of the only ones I don't despise back for it. What she did to you was horrible." She gave him a ferocious look, life returning to her. "But it won't change how I feel about her."
"You still love her?"
"Of course," she declared instantly.
Dillon gave her a stern look. He needed to know for sure. "Even after everything she did? Helping Reiner and Bertholdt take Eren to a place where he would be tortured and killed because of what he is, killing Scouts that were trying to save Eren, eating me to the point where I was being boiled alive in her stomach fluids, abandoning you when you needed her the most?"
Historia's knuckles turned white, she was gripping her pants so hard. Even her eyes filled with tears, though she prevented herself from shedding them. "I still love her. I didn't say I could forgive her. All the horrible things she's done? What she did to you? What she did to our friends? What she tried to do? I don't understand. I don't get why she did any of it… but I can't think of anything I wouldn't do to hold her again. I want to scream at her, shake her, and never let her go."
Dillon smiled sadly. "I don't blame you."
She finally gained the courage to stare at him with her brokenness on full display. "Why did she leave me?"
It was like looking into a mirror. "I don't know, Historia. I can't think of a single reason why she would turn her back on you."
"Doesn't she know she's hurt me enough with all she's done?" she ranted. "That she's hurting me more by staying away?"
Those words fueled Dillon's desire to help her whatever it took. No matter how much he despised Ymir, Historia deserved none of this. "Maybe I can help."
The blonde scoffed. "No one can help. No one understands what she meant to me."
That struck a nerve. "Okay, first off, that's bullshit. Do you have any idea what I went through when Annie was revealed to be the Female Titan? Let me set up the scene for you: she slaughtered my squad and tortured one of my friends to death!"
Historia stood up abruptly, eyes blazing with fury. "Ymir is not as horrible as she is. Don't you dare compare her to that monster!" Then her eyes widened.
The Psion narrowed his eyes dangerously at the girl. "I don't give a damn how you rank you rank crimes, but everyone can all agree that Ymir's a piece of shit for what she did. Ymir saved two war criminals that have the ability to break the walls and let the Titans in. Every person that dies from them is on her. So, if Reiner or Bertholdt grind me into the ground until I'm nothing but a red stain, know that Ymir allowed that to happen by choosing them over you!"
Historia recoiled from his harsh words, turning around so she wouldn't have to face him. She closed her eyes, bringing a hand to her face as a couple of tears escaped her. "I know. I'm sorry," she whispered.
His voice softened considerably in light of her reaction. "I know damn well what Ymir means to you because that's how I feel about Annie. She broke me, Historia. Broke me in ways you can't imagine." He leaned back, exhaling through his nose. "I still love her after all that. Even after everything Ymir put you through, you still love her. I can't blame you for that."
She still had her back to him. "Why? You should hate us both."
"I hate Ymir, not you," Dillon clarified. "You acted on your emotions like I did when I confronted Annie in Stohess. I was desperate to save her like you were. And maybe… you have another chance."
That got Historia's attention, prompting her to turn around. "What are you talking about?"
He sighed again, knowing there was no going back with his decision. "When Reiner and Bertholdt captured me, I formed a mental link with Eren and Ymir. I… still have the link with Ymir. I never severed it. It's a-"
Historia lunged at him and gripped his shirt as if it was the only thing could keep her alive, pinning him to the bed with her weight. She spoke rapidly in case he changed his mind. "You have it? You can talk to her? Dillon, please, I'm begging you, reach her. I'll do anything you want!"
"Historia, get off," Dillon grunted, trying to push her away. "I'm still injured."
Realizing she was going overboard, she quickly removed herself from him. Then, she prostrated herself before him, getting on her hands and knees. "I'm sorry. Please, Dillon, I'm begging you. Do whatever you can."
He stared at her for a moment, undecided on whether her actions were heart-wrenching or embarrassing. "Please don't do that. Get up." Once she was back on her feet, he said, "I can't promise this is going to work, and even if it does… I don't know what Ymir is going to say to you."
"I don't care," she shot back. "I want the chance to talk to her."
Dillon closed his eyes and began to focus. He had so many links with people, strands like webs connecting one another invisibly. He focus on the thinnest one, praying the it was the right one. It was like running down a narrow corridor that was getting thinner by the second. Already, blood fell from his nose as he concentrated as hard as he could. "Ymir?" he spoke.
There was no response. Either he was too far away or he was being ignored.
You're not getting away this time. His focus was so deep, everything else faded away. All that mattered was seizing this opportunity. "Ymir!"
Historia looked crestfallen, her hopes dashed. "Thanks for trying, I guess."
Then, he felt a surge through the link. "Dillon!? How the… you've got to be kidding me!"
A smirk slowly stretched across his face, but he wasn't happy. "Last time we interacted, you ate me and nearly boiled me alive with your stomach acids. Good times."
There was an awkward silence. "Oh. Didn't know that would happen. My bad." Even now, she hadn't changed. "So, this is the part where you kill me with your mind?"
"Ymir, you are one of the few people I could kill, and I'd sleep like a baby when I'm through," he said coldly.
Historia gave him a furious look.
"However… there is someone who wants to speak to you, someone you need to show compassion to for once in your worthless life." He glanced at the blonde and grunted, setting up a link between Historia and Ymir. "Don't hold back."
She didn't need to be told twice. "Ymir!"
If the tone was any indication, Ymir was taken aback. "Historia? What are you-"
The blonde cut in immediately. "Are you out of your mind, Ymir? What are you doing with them? You turned on us, you nearly killed Dillon, you saved the enemy!"
It was the first time Ymir was fumbling for an excuse. "Uh, you see-"
"You left me!" The shout was so loud it hurt Dillon's head.
"Ow…" he groaned, his skull throbbing. His pain went unnoticed.
Ymir sighed. "Sweetie, you have to understand. There was no going back for me after I killed some of them. Besides, I... I owed Reiner and Bertholdt."
"Are you fucking kidding me Ymir?" Dillon cut in angrily. "You owe them nothing. They didn't volunteer to have their friend eaten so you could become a person again. They didn't care a bit for what happened to you. Your goals just aligned for a brief second. They tried to kill us all, Ymir, and they're going to try again."
"Not Historia," she shot back defensively. "Reiner doesn't want to hurt her."
Dillon was ready to suffer a rage-induced aneurysm. "How? How can you possibly be this stupid?"
Historia smacked him on the shoulder to get him to shut up for a minute. "Reiner didn't want to break the Walls, but he did. He didn't want to kill people, but he did. He didn't want to betray us, but he did! Don't you see the pattern, Ymir? If they win, what happens to me? I get taken to Marley, the same place that made you a Titan. What will they do to me there?"
Ymir was at a loss for words. Her imagination started to run wild with horrible possibilities. Historia being severely punished for the crime of being an Eldian would be getting off easy, but the bastards might see her pretty enough to use as a breeding tool. They would drain the life out of the girl to make her bear their young as she would be passed man to man, leaving nothing but an empty husk of a woman behind. "Those fucking bastards!"
Historia herself looked horrified, having got the brunt of Ymir's imagination.
While Dillon witnessed the same images from the emotionally-compromised woman, he still went in for the kill. "You proud of yourself now, Ymir? At least you repaid the debt, right? That's all that matters." He didn't care how much this would hurt her. After everything she put them through, this was getting off easy.
Ymir sounded like she was on the brink of having a breakdown. "Historia, I didn't think about… God, I'm so sorry. I'll never let them touch you. I'll never let them take you. I swear it."
"Your promises mean jackshit until you do something to back them up." He couldn't believe he was actually going through with this hare-brained idea. "Until Marley is defeated, no one here is safe. When are they planning on taking you there?"
"I don't know," she answered. "They're still trying to come up with a plan themselves. We're heading for Shiganshina to meet with their boss. I'm betting it's that giant ape."
Dillon shook his head. "Okay, as of right now, you're their willing prisoner. Whatever they end up planning, tell us, especially if the Beast Titan gets involved."
"I will. I'll offer to help them if I have to in order to find out more. Dillon, just keep Historia safe for me, please. I know we-"
"Ymir, you have to promise me you're coming back," Historia interrupted.
"I can't-"
"Don't you fucking dare." She ignored the wide-eyed look from Dillon in regards to her swearing. "I don't care what you have to do, no matter how horrible, how awful. If you have to put me in danger to come back safe, I want you to do it. Do you hear me, Ymir? Just come back to me. Please."
"Coming back means facing her crimes one way or the other," Dillon reminded her. "The only way she comes back without the Scouts killing her is if we successfully take down at least one of the Shifters. And make it stick this time. There's your leverage, Ymir."
"Historia-"
"Ymir, I love you." She finally said it after all this time. "Please, please try to save yourself. I'm begging you."
"Well, Ymir? In or out?" Dillon questioned.
Ymir let out a frustrated groan. She was unable to get a word in edgewise without Historia cutting in with her confessions and pleas, but the two of them were right. "Way to twist my arm with a Goddess. Fine, asshole. I'm in."
Dillon exhaled with relief. "Good. Are the Shifters nearby?"
"No, they went hunting and left me behind. Apparently, me saving their lives made me a trustworthy person," Ymir snarked.
"Great." Dillon's eyes started to glow as he targeted the girl's mind.
Ymir cried out in pain. "Gah! Dillon, what are you-?"
"I'm giving you one warning, you shit-faced bitch," he snarled. "If you even consider betraying us for any reason, I will melt your brain. You will live long enough to see it leak out of your ears, your nose, and your eyes before I feed you to the Titans when I'm through. Are. We. Clear?"
"Stop it!" Historia cried out, grabbing him in an attempt to get him to cease his actions and failing miserably.
"All right, all right, you bloodthirsty psycho," Ymir responded frantically.
"Glad we could come to an understanding," he said, his eyes dimming down to their usual brown.
Panting heavily, she said, "Just…just take care of Historia, okay? I'll owe you one."
"I'll hold you to that," Dillon assured.
Finally, Ymir said the thing she should have said a long time ago. "I love you, Historia. No matter what. Maybe sometime we could eventually have the conversation we need to have without a middle man."
"I love you, Ymir. Please, be safe," she pleaded one final time.
The link was silent as Dillon held his head in pain. "I'm gonna be feeling that in the morning." His pain was added when his head snapped to the side from a slap. If he wasn't so injured, it probably would have been a punch.
Historia's eyes were blazing with fury, she could set the world on fire if she wanted to. Hell, she was shaking. "If you ever hurt her like that again, I'll kill you. How dare you?"
Dillon narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "I'm doing what I have to. I'm not about to blindly trust her just because you love her."
"And yet you asked us to blindly trust Annie," she retorted.
"Ymir isn't an asset; she's a wild card. I've been in Annie's mind. I've seen things that would make your blood curdle. Hanji, Levi, and I know where she stands. Ymir is anyone's guess."
"If you had to choose between betraying your friends and Annie, who would you pick?" Historia demanded.
Dillon faltered as he always did with the hard choices. "I…"
"If humanity was on the brink of destruction and the only way it could survive would be to turn your back on Annie, would you do it?"
The Psion had no answer to that. He meant it when he told Annie he wouldn't kill her if she betrayed, but this? This was much bigger than that.
"You got what you wanted," she said when he didn't speak. "You got the easy out."
"Easy?" he repeated, glaring at her. "Don't even pretend to think it was easy for me. You have no fucking clue what I've been through. You see that box over there?" He jabbed his thumb behind him. "My father's ashes are in there because I had to kill him!"
Historia was briefly taken aback before she attacked without mercy, her voice raising. "You just proved my point."
"What point?"
"I may be a lot of things, but there's one thing I am that's better than you, one thing you couldn't do: I would never betray the people I love the most. There's no line when it comes to Ymir, and I'll be damned if turn my back on her at the drop of the hat like you did with your father!"
A red haze consumed Dillon as he lunged out of his bed at the girl. He slammed her up against the wall, seething with rage. His silver eyes threatened to burn her very soul as he began screaming, "SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU FUCKING BITCH! I'LL RIP YOUR FUCKING TONGUE OUT, YOU HEAR ME!?"
The door was kicked open as Keiji and Nifa rushed in, trying to pull Dillon off Historia.
"Dillon, let her go!" Nifa ordered.
Dillon struggled like a ferocious beast begging to be released into the wild, a predator prevented from a kill.
Historia couldn't move. Out of terror, she was glued to the wall as she watched the blacksmith try to break free to get to her. It had been so long since someone did that to her. To think that he, of all people, was capable of making her feel this way.
"Get out of here," Keiji demanded once they pinned him to his bed.
As fast as she could, Historia darted out of the room. Whoever that was in that infirmary wasn't the same person that was her comrade in the Cadet Corps. The Dillon she knew was kind and sympathetic, not this… she didn't even know what he was.
AN: Okay, before anyone rags on me for writing Historia and, by extension, Dillon this way like you guys did with Levi, let me explain myself: Historia is emotionally distraught over what Ymir did. It was like losing a part of her soul, so Dillon's actions touched a nerve, making her say those things to him. As for Dillon… we all know he's not the most stable person right now, but before any of you buckle up for another angst arc with him, I need you to trust me when I say the next chapter will give you all relief. That's all I'll on the matter.
I'm gonna take a wild guess and say, hopefully, no one saw Ymir coming back into the story. I may despise her to the point she is the worst character in Attack on Titan, but I know this will make things interesting in the future.
There are still a few more chapters to go, but it's all setting up for the Uprising Arc. It's gonna be juicy when we get there.
I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I look forward to your reviews, and I'll see you all in the next one.
