Hello again,
Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, or reviewed. The last chapter was absolutely smashing it with the numbers.
As a writer, it's hard to tell if our own work is any good. I can't exactly experience my own writing the same way a reader does, so I never have any idea if what I'm writing is genuinely enjoyable. I wanted to try something new with this crossover, something that goes against the crossover tropes, and boy did some people let me know they didn't like it. My 'prison' arc was definitely unconventional, and before seeing the numbers the last chapter generated, I wasn't sure if it was ever going to pay off. I've come up with other 'unconventional' elements as well, and I wasn't so confident whether I should go through with them or not. But seeing people genuinely enjoying my work has given me new confidence to actually consider them.
Thank you guys for sticking with me through my rewrite process and my prison arc :)
On a different note, this chapter will feature AOT's very own 'The Reluctant Heroes' song, its lyrics and their meaning being a direct reference to Percy's thinking. If you've never listened to any of the Attack on Titan OSTs by themselves, you're truly missing out on something special. The soundtracks for AOT go hard, man. It'd be a shame if you didn't give them some love.
Disclaimer: I don't own PJO, HOO, or AOT and I'm not profiting off anything.
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Author's note
Narration
Thoughts and Internal Conversations
"Speaking, duh"
Last time
Nanaba is ordered by Commander Erwin to take Percy back to the Scout Regiment hideout within Wall Rose, where 'untrustworthy' Scouts are currently being held. With his new trustworthy steed who goes by the name of Sam, Percy and Nanaba head towards Wall Sina, along their travels seeing the destruction Annie and Eren caused through Stohess District. Making small talk along the way to the hideout, they have a crucial conversation about joining the Scout Regiment.
Arriving at the hideout, Percy can immediately tell something is off. Introduced to some of the 104th cadets, he finds out what it is. The cadets named Reiner, Bertolt, and Ymir give off a 'monstrous presence' just like Annie did. With reasonable suspicion, Percy concludes the two boys must have been working with Annie but before he can find out where Ymir's loyalties lie and before he can act on this information, Sasha cries out there are titans. Nanaba comes flying in a few seconds later, confirming Wall Rose had been breached and ordering everyone to suit up. Caught between his wish for peace and his duty to act, Percy reluctantly chooses to follow the Scouts as they respond to the titan outbreak.
Chapter 13: Reluctant Hero
104th Corps Hideout
2 minutes since the Titan spotting within Wall Rose
Percy's POV:
"Damn it Sam! Stop wriggling!"
"Hehehe! I can't help it, I'm ticklish!" Sam squeals, stomping his hooves and wriggling his body as I struggle to throw his saddle over his waist.
"Stay—still!"
In a great single effort heave, I toss the saddle on Sam's back. Bending over and reaching under his waist to secure the saddle's straps, I righten myself up and rest my forehead against Sam's side, trying to catch my breath and recollect my mind.
…
Olympian gods, what the fuck am I even doing?
"MOVE! A male Scout officer screams. "MOVE IF YOU WANT TO LIVE!"
A thunder of hooves sounds behind me as a group of Scouts rides past.
"You're going to be left behind."
I move, jumping on Sam's back, taking hold of his reins, and steering him out of the stables.
Is this really happening? Am I really willingly re-entering this world of conflict and strife? This wasn't the plan, dammit—this was never the plan! I wasn't supposed to raise my sword. After Gaia I was supposed to retire. I was supposed to find myself a new New Rome.
"Boss?"
"Let's ride Sam."
We take off, sprinting to catch up with the Scouts.
"Ride!" Nanaba shouts from her horse, waving her hands at the unarmed and improperly dressed members of the Scout Regiment as they ride past her. "I'm sorry but I'm afraid lunch is going to have to wait!"
"Nanaba!" I call out to her as Sam and I ride up to her side. "What should I—"
"Perseus, you're with me!"
"What?!"
"All you have to do is stay close to my side and follow my orders, that's your task!"
Nanaba is trying to make the choice for me. "Shouldn't I head back to Ehrmich" is what I really wanted to ask.
But maybe I don't have to listen.
I could run.
I could go back to Ehrmich District and wait for them. Or I could run away from custody completely.
This is the perfect opportunity. The Scouts are distracted. There's nothing they could do to stop me.
"It's not a bad idea." Annabelle's voice rings in my head.
Should I do it? It's not too late, I can still avoid this life.
"You were always resentful of the gods for forcing you to live in their world. But this time it's different. This time you have a choice."
You're right… No one's forcing me to do anything anymore. I don't owe anything to the Scouts. I don't owe anything to the people of this world.
"So what will you do?"
Run away, then search for a new New Rome I guess.
"Will you fight for what's right?"
Of course I will! But that's not my life anymore, I've fought enough already.
"So you're going to live your life like a rat?"
What?
"Complacent. Happy to be living like trash. Always running from the slightest sign of danger."
That's not what—
"You fucking coward."
Annabelle's words sting. Not because I hear them in Annabeth's voice, but because that wasn't something Annabeth would say. It's a reminder the voice in my head has always been 'me'. And this inner version of me knows me better than anyone.
I really am a coward. The titans have broken through Wall Rose, hundreds of thousands of lives are at stake. How could I even consider running when there are people who need my help? How could I consider running away when I have the potential to make a difference? What type of person does that make me?
"Dammit! Why the fuck am I going along with this?!"
"Hahaha! Out of the frying pan into the fire, cadet!" Nanaba laughs. "Welcome to the Scout Regiment."
Sticking by Nanaba's side, we join up with the other Scouts riding out of the military compound. Breaking out of the compound's grounds, we converge into a cavalry formation, riding southeastward.
A horde of titans approaches from our south.
"The second the titans reach the woods we'll split up!" the commanding officer at the front of our formation yells back at all of us.
"I want four separate teams, recruits and soldiers alike in each unit! When I give the signal, we'll scatter in different directions simultaneously! Get the word out to civilians! Do not engage the enemy!"
"Sir!" Several voices yell back, letting him know he was heard.
"Now, which one of you are most familiar with the area?" the commanding officer asks, looking over his shoulder to everyone riding behind him.
"Uhh, me!" Sasha answers, raising her hand in the air. "Sir! My home town is just to the north of here. I know this region like the back of my hand."
"Connie does too." She continues to explain, lowering her hand and turning towards the bald kid from earlier. "Go on, Connie! Tell Him!"
But the kid doesn't immediately respond.
He's in complete disbelief.
"Connie, what's wrong?" Sasha asks.
"My village…" Connie replies with wide, fearful eyes. "My village… is to the South. That's where the titans are coming from. I can lead you to nearby settlements but afterwards let me go home! Please!"
To our right… Just over that tree line over there… South of here… Where those titans are coming from… There are people. Connie's people. Innocent people who never asked for this, people who call this region their home. People who need my help.
"You made the right choice."
"Very well. Guide the Southern Team then go to your village," the commander officer replies to the kid's pleas.
"Yes sir!" Connie shoots back.
"I'll come with you." Reiner spurs his horse to catch up with Connie, now riding beside him.
"What?! No, you're crazy. They'll be everywhere!" Connie argues.
"You think I'll care?" Reiner replies. "I was gonna help you return to your hometown anyway, wasn't I?"
"What about you?" Reiner asks, addressing his partner in crime, Bertolt. "You coming?"
Bertolt hesitates but then gives Reiner an affirmative nod.
"Of course. Wouldn't miss it for the world." Bertolt answers.
"As you have guessed, today marks the darkest hour in humanity's history!" Nanaba shouts to everyone. "Look sharp! If ever we needed to give our all, that time is now! Give your heart!"
"They've breached the woods!" Someone warns. "The enemy is almost on top of us!"
Rising over the hill to our right, I take a look at my second-ever titan. Or 'titans', to be exact. Four tall ones, between 10 and 15 meters in height, break through the distant tree line that was hiding them from sight. Unfortunately, they look similar to the Gabe look-a-like I fought: ugly, and nude. With the four tall ones also emerge a handful of smaller titans. The hilly countryside continues to partially obscure them from view, only the tops of their heads peeking above the wavy landscape.
"Scatter now!" The commanding officer yells. "Ride for everything you're worth!"
Without warning, Nanaba begins to veer off her left. I scramble to take hold of Sam's reins and to steer him to follow. Like a well-oiled machine, other Scouts simultaneously begin breaking formation as well. Some head right, others straight, and some slow their speeds. With unspoken understanding, the Scouts react to their leader's orders, concentrating into their little groups.
Joining the 'left-most' group with Nanaba and I are Christa, Ymir, and one other Scout equipped in ODM gear. To our right, I take note of Reiner and Bertolt, who joined a squad with Connie and two other Scouts in ODM gear
A sudden shiver runs down my spine.
"They're coming at us full tilt!" Someone screams.
As if a flip has been switched, the titan horde synchronously breaks out into a full-out sprint.
Their running forms would make my 9th-grade gym coach blow a gasket. The tallest of the group, a 15-meter class, jumps into the air, swinging its arm and upper body all over the place, miraculously keeping its balance. Running beside it is a 14-meter titan, bolting ahead in a straight-up T-pose, its stiff arms maintaining their erect posture even as the titan's shoulders sway back and forth with every step. Other odd running forms include a 10-meter titan with its arms wrapped around itself in a hug, a 5-meter titan leaning forward, sprinting with its arms stretched out behind it, and a 7-meter titan doing an impression of a cowboy from a wild western film, making finger guns with its hands and shooting them up in the air.
They're like a giant, cannibalistic, Special Olympics track team.
(Lmao, I am so sorry if you find that offensive)
"Holy shit!" Connie cries out. Although he's split from us in a different squad, his group is still nearby enough to hear his screams.
"GELGAR!" the commanding officer of the Scouts shouts. "Take charge of the teams!"
Without another order, the commanding officer of the Scouts breaks off from everyone and charges straight at the titans.
"Understood, sir!" A man who could only be Gelgar yells back.
"Tell me he's not using himself as bait!" A female Scout, one dressed in her gear, cries out.
"Are you really leaving him out there alone?!" I shout at Nanaba and the others.
"I'll go with him. I can help." Some other Scout volunteers.
"Stay where you are! We can't spare any more soldiers!" Gelgar orders. "Give Mike some credit. That man's skills are second only to Captain Levi. He'll make it back alive. Count on it."
The groups we formed continue to disperse outwards. Far enough away from the others, Nanaba takes a sharp turn, steering our little squad Westwards.
"Can he really do it?" I ask Nanaba. "Is that guy really going to be ok?!"
"Gelgar wasn't lying. Mike isn't called 'humanity's second strongest soldier' for nothing." she answers.
"He'll make it."
I turn around, looking past Christa and Ymir to watch 'Mike' fearless charge at the approaching horde. Can he really do it? Can he really kill all those titans by himself? Is this the power of ODM gear?
Does the Scout Regiment even need my help?
In the far distance, Mike jumps off his horse, shooting his ODM wires into the nearest titan and using it as an anchor to fly in the air. The titan retaliates by swiping at Mike but swerves, dodging the attack and maneuvering behind the titan's back. Just as Mike raises his swords and goes in for the titan's nape, he disappears—hidden behind a new set of trees introduced as the squad and I gallop further away.
"What's the plan?" Ymir shouts, no longer distracted by Mike's fighting.
"We're heading West for Krolva District." Nanaba answers. "Our job is to warn every nearby village, town, and house along the way. Once we hit Krolva, we'll u-turn and travel along Wall Rose to locate the breach. Gelgar Squad will trace the Wall from the East and meet us halfway."
"So—uh, who's this dude?" I ask, pointing to the other Scout in our group equipped in ODM gear.
Brown hair, broad nose, a tough, serious expression… The man doesn't stand out much, especially considering his line of work.
"Now's not the time to make nice!" Nanaba yells back.
"Hey! If I'm going to be entrusting my life to this guy, I wanna know his name!"
"The name's Henning, and that's all you need to know!" The Scout in question greets.
"We're undermanned, under-equipped, and none of us are familiar with the surroundings." Nanaba debriefs, changing topics. "A village that goes by the name Nördlingen is only a few paces ahead. Once we reach it, we'll need to recruit the people's help to diffuse information about the breach in Wall Rose."
"Right!" Christa says, the only one to answer back.
"Christa, Ymir, after we locate the hole in the Wall, Henning and I will stay behind to prevent more titans from entering Wall Rose," Nanaba explains, turning around to look at the pair of girls riding behind us. "You and the other 104th are to ride to Ehrmich District, equip yourselves with ODM gear, and guide reinforcements back to us. Got it?"
Ymir and Christa each reply by giving a curt nod.
"... Can you really handle it?"
No one immediately replies to my question.
"If the breach is anything like what I heard happened at Trost… staying behind to guard the hole without backup is a suicide mission. You'll die."
"Percy—" Nanaba starts.
"Doubting a fellow soldier's ability will only get them and yourself killed." Henning cuts Nanaba off, answering for her. "Defeat never comes from the enemy, you're only beaten from forces within. Only when you have doubts will your fears manifest. So don't question our ability, trust our ability instead."
"…"
It's hard to trust someone when you've only known their name for a minute.
With nothing left to say, a heavy silence falls on us, leaving our minds to become victims of the anticipation of running into a titan.
"You owe me an apple—No! Two apples for this mission, boss."
"Sorry, I know I've been working you hard," I whisper into Sam's ear.
"You can bet your hindquarters you have!"
"I'll get you three if you're good, alright?"
"Deal."
"Careful, you're going to spoil him." Annabelle's voice warns.
Throwing her warning to the side, I give the back of Sam's neck a firm pat, continuing to let Nanaba lead me down the path she chose.
I'm still uncertain about everything, from the choices I've made that led me here to what I'm doing now.
A few more silent minutes pass by as we gallop through the country, the anticipation making all of us sweat. I try to quench the doubts rising in my thoughts, trying to stay optimistic or steer my thoughts in another direction, but those attempts are all in vain. I'm uncertain to the core. From the choices I've made that led me here to what I'm doing now, the decisions I have made all feel incorrect and all the options ahead of me feel as unpredictable as the sea.
I can't keep going with the flow of things. I've been caught in enough riptides as it is.
"We will be arriving at Nördlingen within a few minutes." Nanaba breaks the silence. "Remember: prioritize spreading the news that Wall Rose has been breached, enlist civilians to help, and avoid confrontation to the best of your abilities! Be efficient and be swift!"
The somewhat forested area we travel through breaks out into a grassy clearing, devoid of any bushes, trees, or tall shrubs. On the other side of the clearing is a much thicker forest.
"We have footprints!" Ymir yells, pointing to the ground to her left.
A shiver runs down my spine. Tracing Ymir's finger, I spot two footprints.
They're abnormally large, big enough to make Bigfoot retire his name. The foot indentions in the soil are deep and wide, like a fossilized dinosaur print. The only difference being that they are fresh, and humanoid. There's no doubt they were made by a titan.
And to make matters worse, there are two sets of them.
Sure enough, I spot two pairs of abnormally large footprints to our left.
"The titans are already this far out?!" Christa gasps.
"By the looks of it, it seems like they are a 5-meter and a 10-meter class!" Henning warns.
"They're headed West!" Ymir warns.
"RIDE!" Nanaba orders. "They're headed for the village!"
We spur our horses and whip our reins, urging our steeds to gallop faster.
Less than 20 seconds later exit the clearing, returning to the cover of trees. Normally traveling through a forest would slow our pace, but we're about to keep pace by following the nice trail of fallen trees and trampled vegetation the titans left for us.
"Hey, only two of us have ODM gear!" Ymir points out. "What are Christa and I supposed to do?"
"Nanaba, what are you and Henning going to do?" Christa asks. "We're trained to fight titans in pairs, but there's two of us and two of them!"
"AHHHHHH!"
In the front of us—the screams of people!
"They've reached the village!" Henning cries.
We break through the tree line and into another clearing a second later, stumbling upon a scene I wished I never would have seen again.
A humble peaceful rural life stolen in the blink of an eye.
Women shrieking, children crying, men scrambling to carry off young ones and save their families, the elderly doing their best to hobble away.
We arrive just as the 10-meter titan swings its fist, punching its hand inside the nearest building from the forest edge. It punches through the building's roof, reaching down to grab whatever unfortunate soul calls that building their home.
The 5-meter titan lingers behind the 10-meter but is just now entering the village. With a cold stare and a wide-open drooling mouth, it dashes towards the crowds of scurrying Nördlingen inhabitants.
Damnit, why did I let Nanaba drag me into this mess?! What the fuck am I doing out here?
"To your horses! Everyone to your horses!" Christa screams at the villagers.
We continue to close the distance, urging our horses to give it their all.
"Nanaba!" Henning calls. "We need to take out that 10-meter first!"
A horrific shriek pierces the air.
The 10-meter pulls a flailing woman out of the building. She screams, kicking and pounding the titan's hand to no avail as she's pulled from her ruined home.
We aren't going to make it.
"Nanaba!" Henning calls again. "Hello?!"
More towards the village center, the 5-meter titan nearly grabs a man. The man ducks under the titan's arms and the titan's momentum causes it to run into a cobblestone wall. The titan trips, toppling the wall in the process. Seeing the opportunity, the man quickly scrambles to get away.
Meanwhile, the 10-meter titan raises the woman to its face. She lets out another grisly cry, begging someone to save her.
"If only we were a minute sooner, damn it… DAMN IT ALL!" Nanaba cries.
The 10-meter titan bites the flailing women in half.
In half.
"Percy, you've been fighting evil since you were 12…" Annabeth's words ring my head.
Red paint pours from the giant's hand like a crushed gusher, dripping onto the ruined house below.
"... you've come all this way …"
The titan swallows the women's limp lower half in a second bite.
"... Are you really going to stop now?"
Day by day
We have lost our edge
Don't you know?
Forgotten is the life we led
Now it seems
You don't care what the risk is
The peaceful times have made us blind
"Ymir! Christa!" Nanaba calls to the pair of unarmed girls. "While Henning and I take care of the 10-meter class, we need you two—"
"Nanaba, I'll distract the 5-meter!" I cut her off.
"Huh?!"
"I'll distract it! Damnit, I'll do it!"
"Percy, what are you—"
"If the girls do it they'll get killed." I quickly plead my case. "But not me, I'll survive!"
"What? Are you serious?" Ymir asks.
"You can't distract it all by yourself!" Christa cries. "Let us help you!"
"No, I can keep the little guy busy. Nanaba—"
Hesitation brews in Nanaba's eyes. Another wasted second I could have used to keep that titan off the villagers.
"—Trust me!"
Nanaba's hesitation breaks—she gives a slight nod.
Giving Sam a light kick, I break off from the squad.
Can't look back
They will not come back
Can't be afraid
It's time after time
So once again
I'm hiding in my room
The peaceful times have made us blind
"Percy!" Christa cries.
"Christa, stop!" Ymir yells. "Don't be a hero, you're going to get yourself killed!"
"But he's fighting in our place…"
The volume of Christa's voice petters out as I make distance. Considering she isn't charging beside me right now means Ymir must have stopped her. But I shouldn't need to worry about the others anymore.
I have faith they can take care of that 10-meter.
The 5-meter who had been clumsily struggling to upright itself finally manages it, standing on its feet. But being in the center of the village in the midst of panicking crowds, the titan struggles to choose its next target. People chaotically run in every direction around the beast; bursting out the front doors of their houses with belongings, stumbling and tripping as they spot the titan and turn in a different direction, adults plucking stray children off the streets and throwing them over their shoulders, people screaming to locate their loved ones, and a team of villager clambering to load horse-drawn wagons.
The titan wobbles on its feet like a drunk in the center of all this chaos. It rapidly turns its body around at the waist, moving from person to person, its limited mind struggling to decide which villager to go after.
"SAM! HURRY!" I urge Sam to run faster, but he's already in a full sprint.
The titan makes its move. Without any warning, it dashes for the nearest elderly man, grabs him by the shoulders, and sticks the man's head in its mouth.
So you can't fly, if you never try
You told me, oh, long ago
But you left the wall
Outside the gate
So more than ever, It's real
The titan decapitates the old man like a child biting a baby carrot, with a single 'pop'.
The titan swallows but does not consume the rest of the elderly man's body. Immediately after swallowing, its attention averts to the lively screams of onlooking villagers. The old man's corpse slips from the titan's grasp, hitting the ground like a lifeless sack of potatoes.
It's like Annie said… Titans don't kill to consume. Titans only eat humans for the thrill of the kill.
The titan indecisively whips its head around, searching for its next targets. Indecisively stuck tracing the motion of fleeing villagers again, the titan's eyes eventually land on a cowering pair of girls—a mother and her little girl. With their backs up against a farm house's wall, they've collapsed to the dirt with weak knees, frozen stiff in terror. Trembling in each other's embrace, all the mother and her child can do is stare at the 5-meter titan in horror as it stands over the headless body of their neighbor no less than 15 yards away from them. The titan stares back at the pair, bloody globs of saliva dripping from its lips as it grins with lustful hunger.
I'm not going to let them die.
The titan takes a long-drawn-out step towards them. Its shadow looms over them.
I can't let them die!
It was like a nightmare
It's painful for me
Because nobody wants to die too fast
Remember the day of grief
Now it's strange for me
I could see your face
I could hear your voice
While Sam continues to gallop forward, I slide off the side of his saddle, transitioning into a sprint as I hit the ground. Pouring everything into my legs, I jump, throwing my shoulder into the titan's waist.
It's like hitting a brick wall. The collision immediately knocks the air out of my lungs and if I didn't have this curse, I'm sure my shoulder joints would have been torn to shreds.
But somehow… somehow I manage to muster enough force to knock the behemoth off its feet.
I bounce off the titan, my back hitting the ground. But before I can blink I'm already pushing myself back up—my instincts driving my body to move.
"GO—" I yell to the mother and her daughter.
My shout cuts halfway short as my lungs run completely void of air. I stagger, almost falling back down, misjudging the effects not having air in lungs does to a person. I desperately gasp, trying to regain my breath.
But the titan has already begun to stir. Knocked face down in the dirt, it begins using its hands to push up itself off the ground.
"Target its legs!"
Following Annabelle's advice, I dart for the titan's feet.
Grabbing both legs at once is out of the question, the titan is just too large. Even its calves are too big—those are wider than my waist! Instead, I go for the thin part of the titan's ankle. Its ankle is 'only' as wide as my thigh, just enough for my chain-bound wrists to reach around and have a firm grip.
Digging my heels into the dirt, I tug the titan's left ankle with all my might.
I might as well be a paperweight, the sheer force of the titan's muscles is immense. Even with my resistance, the titan effortlessly moves its left knee up to its stomach. My heels tear trenches through the gravel street as I'm dragged along for the ride. Only when the titan stops moving its leg can I fight back. As the titan sluggishly begins using its other leg to finish the process of uprighting itself, I pull, wrestling its left ankle back to where it was. The titan hardly resists, not even realizing what I'm doing to it, but its sheer size and weight makes it difficult.
The titan collapses, landing back on its face.
Remember the day we met
It's painful for me
Because nobody wants to die too fast
Remember a day we dreamt
It's painful for me
I could see your face
I could hear your voice
If the beast even has the single shred of intelligence to figure out I'm the one who's tripping it, I'd be a goner.
"GET TO YOUR HORSES!" I yell to the villagers, continuing to play the life-and-death tug-of-war game with the titan's foot.
The titan wiggles its ankle and calf as if trying to figure out what tripped it. I become a victim to its movements, my body jostling in all directions with it.
I struggle to maintain my grip as I'm tousled around. In the process, somehow my vision returns to that mother and her little girl. They're still only a couple meters away, huddling with their backs against that farmhouse wall, still frozen in fear.
"RUN!"
The titan takes me for a ride, picking its foot off the ground and slamming it back down. My feet leave me as I'm thrown into the air. Still holding on, the titan slams its foot back to the ground. My face smashes against the titan's Achilles tendon at the abrupt movement.
My feet hit the ground again. I scramble to regain my hold. As I do so, my ears catch the whimpering of a little girl.
I whip my head back to the cowering mother and daughter.
"WHY…"
The titan throws its ankle to the right, pulling me along with it.
"... ARE YOU…"
The titan swings its foot back to the left, the bone of its ankle roughly colliding with my waist.
"... STILL HERE?!"
Screaming at them finally snaps the mother out of it. She rediscovers her strength in her knees, clambers to her feet. She scoops her little girl up into her arms and takes off.
A breath of relief escapes my abused lungs.
"Mister, look out!" The little girl yells, struggling against her mother to turn around and point in my direction.
Some large object strikes my side, tearing my grip on the titan's ankle free—it's the titan's hand. Its palm strikes my side, sweeping me sideways. Before I can do anything, its fingers clamp down on my waist, picking my feet off the ground.
"No!" the little girl cries, still holding her hand out.
The titan flips around, now sitting on its ass. It raises me up to its face, staring at me in its clutches.
Meanwhile, the girl's mother continues to carry her child away, taking a turn behind a villager's house and disappearing from my sight. There are a few more stragglers, but the child and her mother are some of the last villagers to flee.
"Your shackles!" Annabelle cries. "Use the titan!"
Use my shackles?
Oh.
I raise my wrists then bring my hands down, slamming my shackles into the titan's fingers. But the titan's fingers are strong, they don't budge an inch. So I continue to pound my metal wrist shackles against them again and again, wrestling my body around and struggling to break out of the appendages around my waist.
The monster decides it's had enough and begins moving me towards its mouth.
"Idiot! I meant 'use the titan' to break your shackles!"
I lift my legs and slam them into the titan's collar bone, stopping the titan right before it tries to bite my head off. Planting my feet against the titan's upper chest, I keep the titan from stuffing me down its throat, struggling back and forth while its jaws continue to snap at me.
"Do it! Do it now!"
I throw my hands into the titan's drooling maw.
It bites down. Metal shrapnel bursts in all directions as my wrist cuffs shatter, the titan's teeth stopping short against my skin.
Bending my knees a little, I push off against its collarbone, ripping my hands-free from the titan's mouth.
I believe the momentum would have broken me free from its hands as well. In my head, I imagined I would have done a backflip, landed gloriously on my feet with my now freed hands, and would have been ready to spring into round two of the fight.
In reality, only my hands manage to rip free from the titan's mouth. The momentum cranes my back, bending backwards, but I stop short—the giant's oversized hand maintaining its iron grip around my waist.
The titan increases its pressures, making a second greater effort to stuff me down its gullet. I spread my arms, throwing my arms against the lower parts of its cheeks bones to assist my legs at keeping the snapping jaw at bay.
Annabelle! Why did you have the titan break my cuffs?! Shouldn't we have broken them—
"It puts the blame on the titan, doy!"
The titan's other hand shoots up, wrapping around the hand that's already folded my waist. My arms and legs tremble under the added stress, shaking and threatening to buckle.
Should I have broken Riptide out of its container? Shouldn't I be using the titan to break my belt right now?
"We don't need Riptide. All we need to do is distract it."
The titan gives a third effort to stuff me down its gullet, pushing me dangerously in range of its teeth. I double down as well, pushing back and trying to bend backwards—in the knick of time too. Once again the titan's teeth snap shut, practically skimming my upper chest.
A pint-size glob of titan saliva springs from the titan's mouth, smothering my face.
Annabelle, that's not what I meant! I should have used Riptide to kill this titan, right? What if the others—
"Are you seriously doubting the Scout's ability? Nanaba and her squadmate can handle the other guy."
We don't know that—
"See for yourself!"
ODM gas hisses as a human-sized figure buzzes behind the titan's back. The figure zips past the titan's neck, blood and steam gushing out in their wake. The titan immediately ragdolls. As the titan falls, its arms swing downward and its hands lose their grip. The motion throws me back-first at the ground.
Song for the reluctant heroes
Oh give me your strength
Our life is so short
Song for the reluctant heroes
I wanna be brave like you…
I collide with the Earth, the titan shaking the ground and kicking up dust right after me.
"Percy!" A feminine voice cries.
I try to sit up but I immediately collapse. The landing rocked my world—everything feels like it's spinning. On top of that, a sudden wave of fatigue courses through me, a sign that my Curse of Achilles has deactivated and my adrenaline high are coming to its end.
A small pair of hands unexpectedly grabs my shoulders, righting me up.
"Where are you hurt?"
The girl frisks me; lifting my arms, checking my wrists, dabbing my chest, scouring my body for any signs of blood. But I can barely feel her touch, my spinning vision and nauseousness dulls everything out.
"You're ok…" She sighs with relief, removing her hands from me.
I pick up the hem of my shirt, wiping the titan saliva from my face. Lowering my shirt, I open my eyes.
As if on cue, the clouds part, a ray of sun shining down on the young girl before me, outlining her petite body with an ethereal, fiery glow.
"I'm so glad you're ok." The girl clasps her hand together, like a nun at Sunday church.
"He…stia?"
"What?"
I stiffen; sensing movement from the direction of the downed titan. I attempt to lean forward to pull the girl back and put myself between her and the new threat, but in my weakened state, I only manage a pathetic half crunch forward.
From behind the settling clouds of dust and decaying steam emerges a figure. The swirling wisps of smoke don't help with my headache as I try to see who it is, but as the figure steps out of the fog, I recognize her.
It's Nanaba.
"She must've been the one to bring down our titan."
Nanaba raises her dual blades and crosses them in front of her body, then simultaneously swings them down to her hips. The movement flings off residue titan blood from the blades' surfaces.
Raising her head towards us, Nanaba returns her blades to the sheaths at her hips and starts heading our way.
"Don't worry Hestia, that's Nanaba. She's a friend."
"Who's Hestia?"
"Huh?"
As my drowsiness resides, so does the young girl's fiery glow. Instead of mousy brown hair, I realize the girl is a blonde, and instead of looking into my Aunt's fire-red eyes, I find myself face to face with Christa's big blue pearls.
"Argh… dammit. Sorry." I apologize, putting a hand up to my forehead to cradle my headache and hide my embarrassment.
"What's going on?" Christa asks.
"For a moment, I thought you were someone else." I continue clutching my head, hoping it will help nurse away my pains.
"Oh… I see…" She responds."But, Percy…
"Hmm?"
"Are you really ok?"
"Yeah, I'm f-fine. J-just a little dizzy."
"Thank goodness." Christa's azure-blue eyes waver with genuine concern and worry, her tone sounding as if she is on the verge of tears. "I thought you had been bit."
"He was."
"Huh?"
Ymir strolls over, holding the reins of her and Christa's horses and bringing them over with her.
"He was bit," Ymir repeats, coming to a halt.
"But… he's not hurt." Christa points out.
"Look at his wrists."
Christa pauses, taking a second look at my wrists.
"They aren't—"
"I saw him throw his hands in the titan's mouth, and I saw the titan bite down on them," Ymir explains, turning me into the victim of her critical stare.
"The titan's teeth tore through his shackles. Yet somehow, he kept his hands."
Christa takes a second to process Ymir's statement.
"How?" she eventually asks, turning to me for an explanation.
"It's a special ability Percy has."
We all swivel our heads towards Nanaba.
"What?" Christa replies.
"I can't speak for the Commander, but I believe this is why Erwin sent Percy to join us today," Nanaba explains. "He is a new asset for the Scout Regiment."
I grimace and turn my head away from her—I never wanted that. But when I turn my head, my gaze lands on the body of the old man I failed to save.
"Wait, hold up. 'Special ability'?" Ymir asks. "What are you saying?"
"As far as we are aware, Percy is impervious to any physical harm." Nanaba answers.
Blood drips unopposed from the old man's headless neck. A steady flow.
"What the hell does that mean?!" Ymir shouts back. "Like, he can't be hurt at all?"
"Correct."
"Wa-" Ymir chokes on her words for a second. "Is… Is he even human?"
"As far as we can tell."
The pavement around the old man continues to darken, the dry gravel greedily absorbing the liquid.
"Percy… What's wrong?" Christa asks, silencing the other two and bringing the focus back on me.
"Are you alright?"
The old man didn't deserve such a gruesome and terrifying death—his family won't even get to have an open-casket funeral. None of the villagers deserved to have their homes destroyed. They were all just living their lives, none of them asked for this.
"Percy?" Christa asks again.
"I… I don't want to be here…" I eventually manage to voice.
"None of us want to be here, dipshit." Ymir refutes.
"I didn't want to fight," I continue. "And I don't want to join your Scout Regiment."
"But… But you saved so many lives!" Christa argues. "If it wasn't for you, that titan would have killed so many more people!"
"But I didn't save him."
We all glance at the headless corpse staining the village square.
"I got him killed."
"Percy, we all got here as fast as we could." Christa tries to reassure. "There's nothing more any of us could have done."
If I had freed Riptide, I could have saved him.
"And do what with it? Throw your sword at it?"
It's worked in the past.
"Back when we had the gods' guiding your throws! We don't have their guidance anymore, and we couldn't get to that old man any faster than you did. And you know that!"
"You're wrong," I reply to both Annabelle and Christa.
I bend my knees and wrap my hands around them, then ducking my head under my arms, resting my cheeks on my thighs.
"Percy…" Christa repeats my name, about to give it a second go at trying to convince me otherwise.
"Stop it Christa. There's no point." Ymir tells her.
"Huh?"
"No matter how much you argue, you aren't going to change his mind."
Ymir's words stir up the voices in my head calling me a failure.
"Some people just aren't cut out for it."
"No Ymir, you're wrong." Nanaba cuts in, stepping between Ymir and I.
"Percy is a veteran. You can tell, he's got that look in his eyes. When you've seen as much as he has, there's nothing wrong with wishing for peace. And though he didn't want to fight, Percy still jumped in when others needed his help. I think those actions speak for his character."
"Percy," Nanaba continues, now talking to me. "I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't distracted that titan. If you hadn't kept the 5-meter's attention, Henning and I would have needed Ymir and Christa to distract them to allow us the opportunity to go for their napes. You saved my comrades' lives."
But it wasn't enough. I could have done more. It was selfish for me to not break Riptide free. And what if Nanaba and her squadmate couldn't deal with the one titan alone? What would have happened then?
"Perseus, look at me."
I raise my head, meeting Nanaba's eyes.
"I'm sorry for dragging you into this."
She's really sincere about it too. She's truly sorry, I can see it in her eyes. And that's what makes this whole situation even more shitty.
How could I stay mad at her now?
I lower my gaze, returning my head to my bent knees.
The patch of gravel between my legs is much neater and packed than the trampled blemishes and blood-soaked smears dotting the rest of the square.
…
Suddenly a sharp whistle reverberates through the air, cutting through the silence and echoing throughout the entire village.
"That's Henning," Nanaba explains. "Our horses scattered when we disembarked to engage the titans."
She pauses for a second.
"I'm going to go help track them down. As soon as we find them, we're leaving."
Nanaba runs off, letting out her own ear-piercing whistle for her own horse as she goes.
"I'm going to search the houses for some sheets… or a blanket… for him." Christa offers.
Christa hesitates for a second too, like she wants to add something. But when I glance up to see what she wants, she runs off, literally leaving me in the dust she kicks up.
With Nanaba and Christa gone, all who remains is Ymir hovering over my shoulder.
"I don't blame you for chickening out." Ymir devilishly grins. "I've been thinking about grabbing Christa and high-tailing it out of here since those titans appeared."
Ymir's monstrous presence is like having a mosquito in your room at night. It keeps buzzing in your ear, nagging you and keeping you on edge when all you want to do is sleep.
"The only reason I haven't done it myself is because of Christa." Ymir continues. "That girl is too good for this cruel world."
Meanwhile, Christa runs into the nearest villager's hut; the house's door ominously left wide open for her—abandoned.
"Yeah… she is." I agree.
Now empty, the village is eerily quiet. Even the wind has been reduced to a whisper, gently blowing my hair and carrying the distant whistling of Nanaba and Henning to my ears.
"That's the difference between you and I." Ymir continues to speak. "I'll admit, I'm a pretty shitty person for wanting to save myself. And while I would feel guilty for letting people die in my place, I'd choose them over me in a heartbeat. But at least I have the self-restraint to stay and let things play out. I know what's at stake."
"But you, on the other hand, you don't give a shit about these people, do ya?"
That's not—
"It's like you have no attachment to this world whatsoever." Ymir continues. "I saw your reaction when they announced Wall Rose had been breached. It was like you couldn't even comprehend the gravity of the situation humanity is in."
I mean, I still don't really—
"The thought of how many lives were at stake blew right past your mind. Instead, you were too busy worrying about how it would affect you and only you. And here I thought I'd never meet someone more of a selfish prick than me!" Ymir laughs.
"…"
"Got nothing to say, huh? I guess it's all true then." Ymir grins, letting out a single huff of laughter.
"You're like Annie…"
"What? That anti-social cunt?! Bwahaha!" Ymir laughs. "What does she have to do with anything?"
"Annie can transform into a titan."
Ymir's laughter slowly petters out.
"And I know you can do it too."
Ymir's dark gray irises shrink in size, showcasing the whites of her eyes.
I pick myself off the ground and step up towards Ymir, sizing her up. She's tall, about 5'8", but being several inches taller than her, I still look down on her. And I'm just now noticing it, she looks older than the rest of the kids too. Is she my age? Maybe a little older?
"W-What?" Ymir stops dead in her tracks, clearly rattled by the turn of events.
"The only thing I haven't figured out is if you're working with the others."
"O-o-others?" She blabbers; a drop of sweat flowing down her forehead and dripping off her sharp chin.
"The two dudes. The blonde, muscular one and the giraffe."
Ymir stumbles backwards, putting a hand to her forehead and clutching her head.
"Are you working with them?"
"I…" Ymir pauses, taking a precautionary step away from me, stressed and hesitant to respond.
"I need to know." Matching her step back, I take one forward. "I need to know now."
"I… I'm n-not."
"How can I trust that?" I press forward, re-entering her bubble. "How do I know you aren't lying?"
"B-because I just remembered…"
"You just now remembered?"
"...ugh, it's… it's complicated, damn it."
"It shouldn't be."
"I killed their friend, alright!?" She snaps in my face, throwing her arms out in exaggeration, the wind seemingly picking up in tandem with her outburst.
"Damnit, I killed their friend! Then they broke down the wall, the titan invaded and killed people, and in the chaos I snuck into Wall Rose! That's what happened, alright?!"
"Y-ymir?"
We both freeze. The wind cuts out.
"What are you guys talking about?" Christa asks, walking towards us with a folded blanket in her hands.
When did Christa come out? How much did she hear?
"Ymir, what do you mean? You k-killed someone? Someone's friend?"
"C-Christa… I—"
"Ymir was telling me how she escaped the titan outbreak at Wall Maria." I cut in. "A friend of hers died so she could live and Ymir still blames herself for it. She was telling me to help me feel better—" I turn my shoulders, gazing at the corpse of the old man. "—about him."
"Ymir…" Christa starts.
Ymir audibly gulps, holding her breath. I do so as well.
"... Thank you."
Christa gives Ymir one of the most angelic smiles I've ever seen, her bright eyes shimmering with gratitude.
A stone sinks to the pit of my stomach—I feel awful for lying. I can tell Ymir does too. She turns her head away from Christa, shielding her eyes from the innocent angel we just deceived.
"Yeah… sure." Ymir eventually replies, her ears tinting pink with guilt.
"Christa…" I gesture to the blanket in her hands.
She nods and picks a corner of the blanket and holds it out for me to grab. I take hold of it and together, we walk over to the body of the old man, draping the blanket over him to shield him from the elements and preserve his dignity.
Or what remains of it.
"I'm sorry, I don't have any drachmas on me," I mumble.
A scene appears in my head, one where the old man is stuck in the DOA Studios waiting room, watching those with payment pass on while he bides his time, waiting for the day Charon feels compassionate enough to allow the dead without payment to board his boat.
"Drachmas?" Christa softly asks.
"A gold coin. Where I come from, it's customary to bury one with our dead. It's supposed to be a payment ferryman of the underworld. Without one, a person's soul could get lost as they travel to the afterlife."
"I see…" Christa puts her hand on my shoulder. "Then all that's left for us to do is pray for him. Let's pray that he'll find his way."
"Right."
We pause, giving the old man one last moment of silence.
"So are you guys going to let me in on what you were talking about?" Christa asks.
I turn to Ymir.
Recovering from her initial shock, Ymir prepares to intervene should I spill her secret. She puts the pressure on the balls of her feet, grips her hands into tightly closed fists, and tenses her muscles. If that wasn't enough of an indication of what Ymir is willing to do, she's also making my monster radar go berserk.
"It's Ymir's story to tell," I reply to Christa.
"Come on, Percy! That's not fair!" She whines.
"If Ymir is keeping a secret from you then it must be for a good reason."
"Ymir!" Christa turns to Ymir. "You told him but not me?!"
"... s-so you aren't going to tell anyone?" Ymir hesitantly asks, ignoring her friend.
"I'm not."
"Then what was the point of—"
"I just wanted to know where you stand."
"What are you guys talking about!?" Christa pouts. "Ymir, I knew you were from Wall Maria but I didn't know you ever saw titans! Why won't you tell me?"
Ymir continues to ignore her, keeping her attention on me as if the moment she breaks it, I would expose her identity or make some sort of move. I try giving her a nod of reassurance but she doesn't immediately reciprocate it.
After a few more seconds, Ymir eventually answers Christa.
"Christa, remember the promise we made? The one on the snowy mountain?"
"Huh?"
The sound of clobbering hooves interrupts the moment. Henning and Nanaba, finally retrieving their horses, come charging into the village square.
"What are you standing around for?!" Henning yells. "We've wasted enough time as it is! We need to move!"
"Right!"
Ymir and Christa scramble to their horses.
"SAM!" I scream, cupping my hand by my mouth to yell louder.
"Perseus, where is your horse!?" Henning yells.
"I'm right over here boss!"
Sam emerges from behind a farmhouse, trotting over to me. I run towards him to speed things up.
"Where were you?" I ask Sam as I meet up with him and take hold of his reins.
"I was—uhhh—keeping watch! Yeah, I was keeping watch."
I notice trace bits of beige hay suspiciously lining his snout.
"Yeah… sure you were."
I throw myself over his back, shifting my body to a comfortable position in his saddle.
"Hurry! We need to make up for lost time!" Nanaba yells, kicking her horse and taking off.
I steer Sam towards her, converging with the group as they thunder westwards through the little village town.
"Glad to see you're still with us," Nanaba says, throwing her head over her shoulder to look back at me.
"This doesn't mean I want to join your military!"
"Maybe not, but your choice not to run proves you have the heart of a Scout," Nanaba answers back. "I'll put in the good word to my superiors for you."
Nanaba turns her head back forward and I turn mine back, looking back at the village we just 'saved'.
Annabelle, what was the name of that village again?
"I believe it was called Nördlingen."
…
"It was nice, wasn't it?"
Yeah… It was. It was humble. Peaceful.
"We are to continue to head west for Krolva District, spreading news along the way but more importantly making haste!" Nanaba shouts, reiterating our mission.
"We can't afford to waste time on another altercation. If you see a titan, leave it! Our top priority is locating the breach. If Henning and I should fall in battle, continue the mission. Locate the hole in Wall Rose, meet up with Gelgar Squad, then report back to HQ!"
"The day of reckoning has arrived! Humanity's future rests on all of our shoulders." Henning picks off from where Nanaba leaves off. "Dedicate your hearts!"
"Are you thinking about returning?" Annabelle asks.
Once again I turn around to look back at Nördlingen. But it's gone now, removed from my sight as Sam continues to carry me westward away from it.
Maybe someday I'll return, if only to apologize to that old man's family.
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This chapter was 8.6k words long.
If you missed my AN at the beginning, the song featured in this chapter was called 'The Reluctant Heroes' by Hiroyuki Sawano. Hats off to him for producing such amazing OSTs for the show.
Not gonna lie, getting this chapter out in time for the month of February was a real challenge. My life just took a hectic turn with schoolwork ramping up for midterms and needing to start job applications. I have spring break next week so I think I can pump out most of chapter 14 then, but I am graduating from college at the end of April. I may miss a monthly update or two as I try to navigate the next step in my life. I think I can still do my March update, but April is meh. I'll keep you guys posted.
On a less serious note and for those keeping up with the anime, who's excited to see Annie finally freed from her shell!? It was a long time coming, wasn't it?! The reason I decided to make this a Percy/Annie 'pairing' story was because I was allured by the mystery of her character. At the time I first began writing, I had been in the process of discovering Annie's backstory. I also felt like Annie was the most flexible character to work with (as at the time, Annie/Armin wasn't canon yet).
Till next time,
-Unbred
Stats for nerds: 56,616 views, 812 follows, 665 favorites, 379 reviews
Originally Published on 2/26/2022
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Silent Update on 3/22/22: Looks like I won't be able to post this March. April's looking unlikely too. My upcoming graduation is a great upheaval for my life. It's an exhausting process and my future is just so uncertain right now. I put a lot of time and effort into my updates; time and energy I just can't dedicate right now. I'll be back in May with a new chapter and hopefully some news about my new job. Just you wait!
5/10/22 Silent Update: I graduated from college and moved back home and now I'm job searching. As soon as my life becomes stable I'll try picking up writing again. As you can tell, I have huge plans for this story. I don't ever want to abandon it or leave my baby unfinished. I used to be someone who'd refresh fanfiction pages waiting for my favorite stories to update. It breaks my heart to pause my writing like this, and if I happen to have a follower like the old me, I can only offer my sincerest apologies. Thank you for bearing with me until my next update.