Chapter 23: Battle of Shinganshina Part II

Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin

Previously: Eren seals the outer gate. The trade is made. Zeke summons his army and blocks the inner gate. Reiner appears to retrieve Ymir. The Colossal Titan starts destroying Shinganshina.


We were doing so well. And now, Levi thought, eyeing the bloody mist throughout the town.

A 10-meter Titan—the only one that had managed to avoid the soldiers' blades and the Beast Titan's projectiles—attempted to swat him down but he jumped over the hand, running up the arm before using his gear to fly behind it, cutting out its nape. The Titan slumped against the building.

Levi turned to look at the Wall where Erwin and Ymir stood. Should have kept the weaklings up there, Erwin. Just when things were looking good for the Corps, the Beast Titan had sent in the 15-meter Titans, which the veterans had a harder time against and many soldiers had died. Again when it looked like they might recover, they were annihilated by rocks the Beast Titan had taken to throwing with visible glee on his furry face.

"Incoming!"

Levi immediately ducked between a row of stone houses. Rocks assaulted the homes with booming explosions. He heard the cries of those who hadn't been able to take cover fast enough or those who had hidden behind weak structures that shattered easily. Levi peeked around the corner.

In the distance, the Beast Titan cheered, throwing up his abnormally long arms. Hairy piece of shit, Levi thought furiously. A small figure in white lay prone on the Beast Titan's left side while the Cart Titan rolled large boulders on his right. The 15-meter Titans which had flanked his left side were no longer there, killing Levi's chances of approaching Zeke from there.

There were still the ones that stood on the Beast Titan's right. But I'm on the wrong side of town. He had to go all the way across town, wait for his distraction, then use the 15-meter Titans to reach Zeke—if Zeke didn't send those into battle first also.

"Levi!" Eld joined him, dropping to his right seconds before another attack.

"Where's your squad?" Levi asked after the attack successfully leveled more buildings and claimed more lives. Can I make it across and sneak up to him before he breaks the town?

"They survived against the Titans but most were killed or seriously maimed by the projectiles," Eld informed him, upset and frustrated.

Dammit. Levi stood with his back pressed to the wall. How much longer do I have to wait? What's taking Erwin so long? The Beast Titan roared then launched another volley.

Once it quieted, Eld said, "Levi! Up there!"

Levi cursed the tall house in front of him and leaned his body to the left to see where his former second-in-command was pointing. He stared in shock at the scene.

The Armored Titan stood menacingly before the commander and a powerless Ymir.

He let loose a string of curses. "How the fuck did he get up there without us noticing?!" Levi demanded. Then he spotted the large hole in the Wall. Of course! That's where the little rat was hiding. The Beast Titan's last volley had coincided with Reiner's transformation, covering up the sound of the lightning and the explosion that marked the Armored Titan's appearance.

"Will you go after him?"

"No," Levi said, filling Eld in on what Erwin had in mind. It was an updated plan since the Marleyans hadn't attacked from where they were expecting. Will it—no, wait, it can still work, Levi thought. In fact, it could kill two birds with one stone. Erwin must have realized it too.

The commander fired an acoustic round, followed by an orange flare.

"That's pointed south so that means..." Eld trailed off, eyes narrowed before looking at Levi, who nodded.

Something went flying far above them before he could say anything.

"Was that a barrel?" Eld asked in confusion.

"Not our problem," Levi said. They had their own shit to deal with.

"Do you think the distraction will work long enough for you to reach the Beast Titan?"

It's my only shot. Levi knew he had to make it, else they were screwed. "I'll just have to haul ass and hope the hairy bastard doesn't send the remaining 15-meter Titans into battle. And"

Bright light and the sound of an explosion made them throw an arm over their eyes.

Eld blinked when the light died down. "I hope Eren and the others weren't caught in that explosion," he said.

"I think—" Suddenly, remembering the plan, Levi peeked around the corner. Now's my chance! Jumping over his former suborniate, he took off into the air.


That's it, Reiner thought when the Beast Titan roared. There's the signal. He removed the false cover and stepped out of the hole. Using the 3D gear strapped to his waist, he flew up and landed on the Wall.

Ymir startled at his arrival. Erwin, strangely, only frowned lightly. Reiner had expected shock or fear. The commander only appeared mildly inconvenienced.

"Ymir, you're coming back with me," Reiner said, walking toward them. "Now." He'd already cut his hand in anticipation.

"Reiner," she said warily, still missing most of her arms. Good.

Reiner transformed within seconds. Scanning to make sure it was just the three of them, he stalked toward the duo. Eren's not around and Ymir's useless right now. The commander couldn't harm him either. Getting the Jaws back would like taking candy from a baby. Then he could focus on the horses.

Erwin fired an acoustic round then an orange flare.

What do those mean? Reiner thought suspiciously, wracking his brain. They were obviously signals of some sort. The Scouts have never used an orange flare before.

The Beast Titan launched the barrel with Bertolt over into Shinganshina.

The orange flare had been shot toward Shinganshina. What was that supposed to convey? An order to retreat to the other side? Why not use the green flare? But with the Colossal Titan soon to appear they would find no safety in Shinganshina, either. A quick glance to his right showed none of the soldiers below were reacting to what Erwin had done—only pointing up at him and moving away. It wasn't meant for them, Reiner thought. Maybe it was just a ploy. He must be trying to buy time. It's a bluff. Still, something about Erwin's utterly calm demeanor freaked him out. Suspicious, feeling his heart take off, Reiner checked for Levi. But he was unable to find him.

Bertolt transformed.

For a few seconds, fear shot through Reiner's veins as the light killed his vision. But when the bright light faded, Erwin and Ymir were still there. Why didn't he take her and flee? It was a good chance to get away. Sure there was a risk of them crashing with Erwin's vision out, but still it was their best chance to escape him.

"Whoa, you really did it," Ymir said, looking to the side.

"You might want to take a look," Erwin told him, pointing to where Ymir was staring.

Confused, making sure he could still see them in the corner of his eyes, Reiner turned his head.

No.

His stomach fell in dread at the sight of the Beast Titan, on the ground on his back.

The Female Titan loomed over him.

Annie? Reiner thought, confused. No, wait... Her hair color was off. At first, he thought it was a trick of the light, staring at the back of the Female Titan's head. Maybe it was a result of the blinding light of Bertolt's transformation frying his eyes. Then he realized the hair really did have a different tint to it. That's not Annie's Titan.

The Female Titan delivered a vicious kick to the Cart Titan and sent her flying. Then she straddled the Beast Titan and began pounding her fists into him. Reiner's heart skipped a beat. It can't be. They couldn't have. But how?! He felt sick. It shouldn't be possible!

"I'm sure you've guessed it already," Erwin said, he and Ymir standing closer to the edge, taking advantage of his distraction. "We turned one of our soldiers into the Female Titan by having her eat Annie Leonhart."

I don't understand! Reiner's mind scrambled for an explanation.

"It seems your war chief and I had the same idea: block the enemy's escape."

Ymir's already started running her mouth, I see. The Armored Titan took a step forward. No matter, I'll get her back and Zeke can—

"You still don't get it, do you? She's not going to stay and fight the Beast Titan," Erwin explained. "The flare meant her mission is to head south. She is to climb over Wall Maria, land outside to the right of the Shinganshina District, head all the way to the edge of this island, then destroy the enemy's ship."

The Armored Titan froze.

"It's the only way off the island, Reiner," Ymir said. "Your only way home."

"Make your choice. Do you want to chase after Ymir and kill our horses? Or risk our Female Titan going after the only thing that will get you off this island? Because once we have you trapped here we will hunt you down even if you do somehow capture Eren." Erwin glanced to his left. "Better hurry. She's lighter and faster than you. Once she gets a head-start you'll never catch her." That said, he grabbed Ymir and jumped off the Wall.

In the distance, Reiner spotted the Cart Titan, still healing, trying to race after the Female Titan.

We can't lose our ship! Reiner gritted his teeth. Damn you, Commander. The Armored Titan slid down Wall Maria. The soldiers had all moved the horses they were safeguarding further down the Wall, further away from him.

The Armored Titan ran parallel to the Wall, going in the opposite direction of the soldiers and the horses.

He could only hope Pieck slowed the Female Titan down enough for him to cut her off. From what he saw atop the Wall, he had a good idea where she was headed. Annie, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, he thought sorrowfully, feeling his chest become heavier and heavier. Reiner couldn't imagine how distraught Bertolt was going to be when he found out Annie had been dead for who knows how long.

This is all my fault. No doubt Annie would have lived if he'd listened to her five years ago and returned to the ship after Marcel had been eaten. She'd never go home to her father now and it was all because of his foolishness. I got her killed. It's my fault. A sharp, piercing pain erupted in his heart. She never wanted to be here but she died on this godforsaken island because of me! If only he'd listened to her and turned back. None of them would have become murderers. We could have all lived.

Reiner shoved back the grief and guilt that threatened to overwhelm him. Now was not the time. You're a Warrior, he told himself. He had to finish the mission first, else Annie would have died in vain. I won't let her death be meaningless! He still had more fighting and struggling to do before he could fall apart.


Erwin landed on the ground and set Ymir down carefully.

The recruits crowded around them at once, scared and eagerly awaiting his instructions.

Erwin ignored them to confirm that Reiner had indeed chosen to try and save the Warriors' own method of transportation back to safety, instead of coming after the Corps'. Good, he thought, seeing Reiner run in the other direction from where he, the recruits, and the horses were.

"Your orders, sir?"

"Unfortunately, all we can do now is trust in Levi to take out the Beast Titan. And the Female Titan will distract the Armored Titan. Have all the Titans in the city been wiped out?" Erwin asked. He had been too distracted to notice, always keeping half his attention on Reiner.

"From what I saw, yeah," Ymir responded.

"We believe so, too, sir."

"The Beast Titan has stopped throwing projectiles," another soldier said. "The Cart Titan ran off after the Female Titan so he's got no more ammo. For now."

"Some soldiers are coming back here," one recruit said, checking from a nearby roof. "Since most of his stash was destroyed by the Female Titan's transformation, the soldiers who were stuck deeper in town are trying to come back here."

"Grab the injured soldiers who can be carried and take them up to the Wall," Erwin ordered. "We don't have to worry about the Beast Titan nailing us with rocks so now's our chance. Aside from that, it's up to Levi to fulfill his objective. Also, let me know if the Colossal Titan is headed this way."

That freaked some of them out.

Beast Titan on one side and Colossal Titan on the other. But Erwin could do nothing about the latter—except trust in Hange, Eren, and the rest of them—and the former was in Levi's hands. Only thing he could do was keep the recruits focused on ensuring the horses didn't flee or die.

Erwin wandered to the crate where Ymir sat, staring intently at her arms—or lack thereof. "Do you think you'll be able to use your Titan?" Erwin already knew the answer before she even shook her head.

"Since we have nothing better to do," she said curiously, "I gotta ask. How exactly did you turn a soldier and have the Female Titan taken from Annie?"

"We toppled the monarchy."

"Figures. You guys do all the fun shit when I'm not around."

"That's how we put Historia on the throne and were able to discover Titan serum. I came up with a plan to use the trade doubly to our advantage by planting a soldier behind enemy lines. Queen Historia was nervous about it at first but she came around after I broke down our dire situation. She's bearing the responsibility of all of the lives inside the Walls. She couldn't be as selfish as she wanted."

Unlike when she'd gambled with Eren's life as plain Historia, Queen Historia didn't have the luxury of being so reckless. Erwin had also waited to bring up the proposal of feeding Annie and taking the Female Titan's power for their side until after the queen had her orphanage built, meeting those kids and growing attached to them. He'd hoped it would prevent her from making any decisions based purely on saving Ymir.

"I guess that explains why Captain Levi was insulting her and stepping on her. He wanted to make Pieck angry, diverting her attention. Considering Annie is—was—responsible for so much misery and death, I thought he was just taking his anger out on her while he had the chance."

That's all he did? I suppose after the debacle with Eren in the courtroom he was afraid of going too far. Not to mention he knew the woman who was pretending to be Annie, making it hard for him to get too violent with her.

"What was it you said to me? 'Trade the Female Titan for Ymir because Queen Historia ordered it' or something?" Ymir snorted. "Clever."

"We never claimed we'd hand over Annie," Erwin said with shrug. "Only the Female Titan. And we did."

"The woman Levi handed over was the real deal, indeed," Ymir muttered to herself.

"I thought they would be smart enough to know we'd go for the outer gate first, otherwise we'd trap ourselves in, so I expected them to attack from there. The original plan was for our Female Titan to get behind enemy lines, wreak havoc, then run to the edge of the island." Erwin checked the direction the Armored Titan had gone off in to intercept the Female Titan. "We wanted the people on the ship captured and the vessel itself destroyed. But that objective was only if it was absolutely safe for her to leave us. I don't think she'll be fulfilling it. We still need her here."

"Even so," Ymir said, the admiration clear on her face, "you got me, inheritor of the Jaw Titan, back. And since you've got the Female Titan and Eren, that's one-third of the nine Titan powers on your side."

Erwin mentally added one more for Eren that Ymir missed and felt quite happy their side had almost half of the nine powers. It'll be five Titans if we turn another one of our soldiers, he thought in anticipation. "We're hoping to get one more and have four people with Titan powers. We have another injection with Titan serum."

"Where did you get it? From the royal family, I'm guessing."

"Not exactly," Erwin said, recalling the events of the past couple of months.


[Eight Weeks Ago — One Day After Historia's Crowning]

"What is this about, Levi?" Erwin asked, sitting with the rest of the military heads plus Hange.

"I got a present from Kenny," Levi answered, leaving the box sitting in the middle of the table. "He dropped by for a visit the other day."

"Kenny Ackerman?" Nile asked in surprise. "Why did he come to see you?"

"Let's just say he was my mentor when I was a brat and we had some personal matters to discuss. But the only thing pertaining to the military we talked about is in this box." Levi leaned forward and opened it.

Hange let out a gasp.

"Is that what I think it is?" Zackly stared at it in shock.

"Titan serum. But I think you should check it out first, Hange. Make sure it's not water or something. I wouldn't put it entirely past that sly old bastard to fuck with us."

"And Kenny Ackerman just gave it to you." Pixis raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"He said he doesn't need it anymore."

Historia reached out and picked up one of the glass tubes. "Two vials. Why would he need more than one?"

"Kenny's plan was to take the Founding Titan for himself and give the Female Titan to his second-in-command, as a reward for her loyalty. Apparently, the serum he offered Rod was fake. It was only saline in that vial he crushed under his boot. If too much went missing from the bag, Rod might have noticed. Although Rod already knew about the stolen one and just pretended to be ignorant. But I don't think he knew a second vial had been tampered with. Only the one labeled 'armor' was left alone, it was neither stolen nor replaced with a fake."

Zackly inspected the second vial of Titan serum. "I see. Kenny needed one for himself and one for her."

"I thought that was weird," the queen mumbled to herself. When all eyes snapped to her, she explained. "Down in the cavern when I went to ask Kenny about Annie's location, he looked to Traute first like he was asking her permission if he should tell me or not. Only after she said she didn't care did he tell me where Annie was. It stuck out to me since he was supposed to be the one in charge. Why would he need to ask for her permission? It makes sense now. Annie was meant to be eaten by Traute so she could get the Female Titan. He wanted to check with her if she still wanted to become a Shifter."

"If she really was that loyal to him," Nile speculated, leaning back in his chair, "I guess she wasn't interested in getting Titan powers if Kenny didn't want the Founding Titan."

"Regardless of her reasons," Pixis said, waving a hand, "we can now get two Titan powers on our side."

Immediately, Erwin thought about giving the Female Titan to one of their soldiers. But the queen will resist. Annie was to be traded for Ymir. He had to sort everything out first before he could bring it up to Historia, lest she try and act selfishly and put her own desires above the Walled people's safety.

Around two weeks later, in the middle of the night, Erwin and a small group went down to the cavern below the Reiss family chapel.

Ten days into wearing the crown had taught Historia the heavy burden that came with leadership, especially a queen who ruled above all others. As Erwin had hoped, the crushing weight of hundreds of thousands of lives on her shoulders had stamped out the foolishness she showed when playing with Eren's life. But it had still taken him a couple of days to get her to come around.

The cavern was mined during the day for its glowing ore, which was being distributed around the Walls. But the place was deserted now. The soldiers guarding the entrance were former Scouts, thoroughly vetted and people whom Erwin trusted to keep quiet about the group's visit tonight.

The underground crystal cave was the safest, most secure place to transfer Titan power inside the Walls. The Reiss family had done so for over a hundred years without anyone being the wiser.

"You're sure this will work?" Historia asked nervously. "This plan of giving them a fake Annie who's a real Titan-Shifter."

"I can't and won't make any guarantees," Erwin told her honestly. "After all, no one knows the outcome. I simply came up with the best strategy I could with what we have, and this was it." He found himself repeating what he'd already told her days ago. "As far as they're concerned, we're completely clueless about the true nature of the Titans and how these powers work. No reason for them to suspect subterfuge. Or I guess they will want assurance we're not giving them a fraud. But we don't need to prove to them it's Leonhart. All we need to do is show them the woman we're handing over has Titan powers instead of telling them it's Annie. They themselves will make the assumption it's her."

"But do we really need to take this risk? Maybe the Corps of Engineers will come up with a weapon to take down the Armored Titan." Historia tried to sound optimistic. "Then Eren won't be stretched too thin."

"They're trying to create something from the technology we discovered the Interior Police has been hiding, yes. But it's not a sure thing. A new weapon will have to be designed, tested, mass-produced, and we'll need time to practice with it as well. There's still a chance it could fail against the Armored Titan in real life. And what if we can't get it done in time? We can't push the timetable too much, either. We don't know how long our enemies will wait. Better we attack knowing they'll have something set up than be caught off-guard, especially when civilians will get killed if they attack us within our own territory. Additionally, our new Female Titan will need every single day she can get to learn how to use her Titan properly."

"Yes." Historia sighed. "I know. We're badly outnumbered in terms of Titan power."

"They'll ensure Ymir can't fight before handing her over to us. But even if she could, and counting the soldiers that'll be there, we may outnumber them but they could still outclass us. After the 57th Expedition, I've learned to never underestimate them. We need every advantage we can get."

"I understand." Historia fell silent as they neared the bottom of the stairs. She observed the two people walking ahead of them. "Physically, she can easily pass for Annie. Only a close inspection will reveal it's not really her. But they won't get that close until after the exchange is already made."

"Petra is the perfect candidate for this," Erwin continued. "Her loyalty, strength, and bravery are already proven. She had high scores in CQC as a trainee. Levi drilled more hand-to-hand training into her over the years, which will be crucial for a wielder of the Female Titan. That she has the same physique as Annie and her hair can be bleached to blonde easily is extremely fortunate for us."

"She was crippled because of Annie, right?" Historia snorted and said, "Annie killed her friends and put her in that condition. Seems only fitting she be the one to eat her and heal her broken body."

"Her injury is severe. The doctors had hope at first, but they've confirmed she'll never fully recover. Her back will always give her trouble. Petra's alive but she can never be a soldier again. So by turning her into the Female Titan, it won't be like we're giving up an elite soldier in exchange."

"It all works out as perfectly as you said. Lucky indeed."

"Thankfully, she hasn't cut her hair yet. Once we get close to the date of the mission, it can be turned as close to Annie's blonde as possible, and the hair will be long enough to help cover her features. It wouldn't be that odd for a prisoner to have dirty, tangled, and messy hair."

When they reached the large room, an unconscious Annie was already chained up where Eren had once been restrained.

"For our safety, we'll stay on the platforms near the ceiling, out of reach." Erwin nodded to the small platforms high above them. Everyone, including the queen, was wearing 3D gear in case Petra turned into an Abnormal.

"No one is going to interfere if something goes wrong," Levi said, walking up to them. "Not unless I can't handle it."

"Levi, if you can't handle her then none of us can."

"If you'll excuse me." Historia went to introduce herself to Petra.

They'll be doing a lot of hand-holding. Erwin thought. They'd given up on any memories being triggered with Eren. Hopefully, Historia could help Petra recall Annie's memories. Since she was part of their military, maybe they'd discover more useful bits of information. Erwin fired off the hooks and moved up to the platform.

Petra was waiting until everyone was in position before she would inject herself.

"What if she turns into an Abnormal?" Erwin asked Levi, who stood beside him, swords ready.

"I won't kill her no matter what happens. I'll cut the tendons in her arms and legs to immobilize her. Four-Eyes and Moblit will help me restrain her. They've got experience with detaining Titans and we've got the equipment all set up. I don't care if I have to chop Annie Leonhart into half a dozen pieces and force feed her to Petra," Levi swore, gripping his swords. "I'll do whatever it takes to turn her human again."

The precaution turned out to be unnecessary as the transfer of Titan power went smoothly.

Hange and Moblit went to check on their new Shifter.

"I want this kept quiet," Historia said, landing on the ground. "It may be paranoid of me but I just want to take this extra precaution. Better safe than sorry."

Erwin agreed with the sentiment. "Very well, Your Highness."

"Who will I be training?" Levi asked. "Petra or Eren?"

"Focus on Petra. Eren is already familiar with turning into a Titan and fighting in that form. And with him ingesting the armor serum, he's learning to harden his skin. Hange's working with him on it already, and she has plans to use that ability of his to create her Titan killing machine. So you don't need to worry about him. While Hange handles Eren, you train Petra."

A month and a half after Historia's crowning, they met up again to discuss preparations for the mission.

"Are you able to use the crystal armor?" Erwin asked, sitting on the couch with Levi.

Across the table from him, Petra nodded. "Yes, sir. But I'm not very fast at creating it. It's taking time."

"You are still new to it," Hange said from next to her. "It's not surprising. It's only been a month since you got Titan powers."

Historia was in a lone cushy chair before them. "And no one knows about you still, correct?"

"Well, Your Highness," Petra started. "There was a minor incident. Last week I got a pretty nasty gash on my forehead during a spar. I was able to keep it from healing in front of Mikasa and Eren, thanks to what Hange had told me of her experiments with Eren's Titan."

"It's a nifty trick," Hange said. "You can hide the healing factor by willing the wound not to heal."

"I told Petra I was dropping by so I could tell her about this meeting's date and details," Levi said. "She answered the door expecting me but it was Eren there to see her."

"I'd just showered so I wasn't wearing a bandaid. Thankfully," Petra chuckled, "Eren was too distracted by me calling out Levi's name and thought he'd stumbled upon a romantic meet-up. He didn't notice that the gash on my forehead had miraculously healed within days, leaving not even a hint of a scar behind."

"Oh!" Historia smiled in understanding and amusement. "The virgin bet. Right."

"What? What virgin bet?" Levi asked suspiciously. "What're you talking about?"

"Nothing." When he opened his mouth to question her further, Historia put on a dignified look and said, "I'm your queen. You answer to me, not the other way around. Proceed," she said to Erwin while Hange snickered.

"Yes, well," Erwin began, "I was thinking you should keep from going outside to a bare minimum, Petra."

"Annie was paler than you," Historia noted, eyeing Petra's fair skin. "And we do want to have you looking as pasty as possible. Like a prisoner who hasn't spent much time in the sun lately."

"As you wish, Your Highness."

"Maybe we should even have you skip showering for a few days before the expedition," Hange thought out loud.

"If you think that'll help." Petra shrugged. "Can't say I'm looking forward to it. But I'll do it."

"I'm sure proof of her having Titan powers will be enough to trick them," Erwin said confidently. "But the little details will only help sell the ruse so there's no harm in it."

"Wait." Historia cut in. "What if they want to ask her questions?"

"We'll pretend she's unconscious," Erwin answered easily. "It would be the smartest and safest way to transport 'Annie.' We'll also bring up demanding proof first to ensure we're getting the real Ymir—we'll need some information from you there, Your Highness—and show them Petra's healing ability. They'll be less guarded if we go about it that way, if we're suspicious of trickery and show them proof our prisoner is a Shifter instead of telling them she's Annie." He paused and added, "Also, Levi, it might help if you insulted 'Annie' and beat her."

Levi looked startled. "What?"

"Stands to reason we'll send our strongest soldier for the exchange. Obviously we can't risk Eren making the trade if they've set up a trap. And we want to keep him and Ymir separated. We can't risk losing both of them at once. But anyway, if they're angry at you for mistreating Annie they'll be less focused on her. They'll direct their anger, thus their attention, to you instead of her. Especially after you've already shown them our prisoner's healing power."

"I suppose," Levi said almost reluctantly. "Alright."

"Um, one question," Petra spoke up. "What about my squad? We're supposed to be escorting Annie. They'll wonder where I am while I'm pretending to be our prisoner."

"Quite simple," Hange responded. "We'll say you'll be in the wagon keeping an eye on Annie as a precaution if she wakes up or if someone tries to sneak in. We'll just tell Eld the entire truth before the mission. He can keep the rest of your team from looking into the wagon."

"We should also stash Thunder Spears in there," Erwin said, rubbing his chin. "Since we'll be split up into two groups at the beginning of the mission. We'll give most of the Thunder Spears to the group going to the outer gate, where we're expecting more danger. But the second group should also have some in the wagon you'll be in, just to be safe."


[The Present]

The light from Bertolt's transformation made the Beast Titan shade his eyes.

Another bright light exploded in front of him, causing him to stumble back.

Annie? Zeke thought, startled. Why had she moved between him and Pieck and transformed so close to them? She—

Suddenly, a crystal fist smashed into his mouth, sending him toppling back. The Beast Titan lay there, stunned. He noticed a reddish tint to the Female Titan's hair when she kicked the Cart Titan, who was still recovering from the transformation's blast.

Reiner, Bertolt, you two damned idiots! Zeke cursed. They had sworn to him the people of the Walls were completely oblivious. I never calculated this into my plans. He had expected a mostly one-sided slaughter with only his brother putting up a fight. If he'd known they were capable of turning one of their own into a Shifter he would have ordered Pieck to thoroughly screen Annie instead of simply accepting a small healing test.

The Female Titan was on top of him, focusing her attacks on his face and neck. She's too close, Zeke thought as she continued hammering hardened fists into his flesh. His long reach required room, but it was difficult to pry her off when he couldn't gather strength as she was right up against him. If only he could command his Titans. They remained frozen to his right. The Female Titan had targeted his mouth on purpose so he couldn't give orders.

There was a fading orange smoke trail going to Shinganshina. Of course, he thought after the Female Titan finally peeled away from him and started running past his statue-like Pure Titans. The Cart Titan gave chase, probably with the intention of stalling her as the Armored Titan slid down the Wall.

Reiner's not heading straight here and she's not going right at him, either. Zeke put the pieces together at once. The sound flare with its annoying, screeching sound would cut through anything. It was just in case they'd put the woman where she might not know when to look at the sky. Firing the sound flare was meant to grab her attention, letting her know her orders were coming up.

The orange flare, which Reiner and Bertolt had never mentioned the Corps using, was a signal meant only for the Female Titan, directing her where to go. She's heading for our ship. It was the only thing that made sense. It's our way home. Like the horses are to them. We both had the same idea of sabotaging the method of escape. It would explain why the Female Titan was running parallel to the town instead of straight into it. So she can avoid Shinganshina when she climbs over, landing outside of Wall Maria's territory. From there it was flat ground and she could head straight south to where their ship waited. What else was important enough out in Titan territory that the Corps would send off their Shifter in the middle of battle? If they know about Titan serum and if she's received memories from Annie, they could know they're on an island so we had to have come over on a ship.

Most likely Erwin Smith had shared the Female Titan's mission with Reiner, which was why he'd abandoned recapturing the Jaws. It's the only thing I can think of that would get Reiner to back off. The Armored Titan was running parallel to the Wall, to intercept the Female Titan for when she'd try to go scale the Wall and make for the ship.

The Beast Titan sat up, irritated at the sly attack. But he still kept his head straight. They may have protected Ymir and gotten a cheap shot in, but we'll still come out on top. He was almost done healing. Zeke watched the Female Titan reach the open road leading into town, the Armored Titan waiting on the opposite end for her. With Pieck there somewhere, their victory was guaranteed so he dismissed them.

"You all, go get me more large boulders," the Beast Titan ordered the 15-meter Titans that flanked his right. I'm going to reduce the entire town to rubble, Zeke decided.

The Colossal Titan was in Shinganshina keeping Eren occupied. Bertolt would destroy the city as he slowly made his way toward the inner gate. They'll be stuck between my rocks and the wreckage Bertolt will toss over. Reiner and Pieck will beat the Female Titan. That only leaves the soldiers in town and Ymir. His barrage might injure Ymir but he doubted it would kill her. Though even if she did die, as long as they were able to recover the Female Titan and capture Eren, losing the Jaws would be forgiven.


As he flew, Levi glanced at the Female Titan attacking Zeke. While he's distracted, I can get across town.

He tried to move as fast as possible. Then the Armored Titan came down and in order to avoid being spotted by him, Levi had to fly low in the streets, slowing him down. He passed over an open road that went all the way from the outside of the town to the base of the Wall. Levi landed on the roof of a slanted house, hiding behind a chimney to keep from out of Reiner's sight. The Armored Titan was in a good place to connect the dots from Levi, to the line of 15-meter Titans, to the Beast Titan. According to what his squad had said about Reiner, Reiner was fairly smart and might realize what Levi planned to do and could come foil his plan.

Levi scowled when he saw the Cart Titan chase after Petra. Why did that four-legged fucker have to follow her? The Cart Titan could talk. She'll notice me for sure and warn the Beast Titan if I try to make any moves.

The Female Titan managed to shake her pursuer by kicking her again. Seeing the Armored Titan on the Wall, Petra should have understood Erwin's flare meant distract Reiner so he couldn't go after Ymir and the horses. She had been told her role was flexible and to use her best judgment. Her priorities would change depending on how things went. Going for the ship was only a viable option if the Scouts were winning. Thus currently, her main goal was to take out Reiner.

Levi noticed the Armored Titan was just standing there. Why isn't he going for her?

Loud footsteps turned his attention back and he saw the 15-meter Titans head toward Zeke.

He stared in dismay as his only way to reach the Beast Titan disappeared. But the Titans were running in a relatively straight line. I can still make it. But he's watching them and he'll see me coming. Petra's transformation had blown away the stack of boulders the Cart Titan had gathered. But there was just enough rubble left for Zeke to use in a single small attack. I'll be able to kill some of the Titans. But the Beast Titan would clock him and tear Levi into pieces mid-air when he became exposed.

There's only one way now, Levi thought.

On cue, the Female Titan stopped at the wide road leading into town. On the opposite end, at the base of the Wall, was the Armored Titan. She began jogging toward her opponent.

Reiner was waiting for her to show up, Levi realized. Aside from the largest road that leads to the inner gate and another road on the other side of town, this road is the only one she can use easily. The Armored Titan would have been able to see it when he was on the Wall. The rest of the town was small streets and alleys. The Female Titan would have to cause a lot of destruction to move through those and it would slow her down, leaving only this road as the sensible choice.

The Armored Titan lowered himself and ran at her when she reduced most of the gap between them.

The Female Titan responded in kind by full-on sprinting at him.

Levi tensed as the distance between the two charging Titans shrank. With his armor and weight, at the speed Reiner's going he'll mow her down.

Rather meet him head-on, the Female Titan slid between the Armored Titan's legs, grabbing his ankle as she did so, using her momentum to yank the leg.

The Armored Titan crashed face-first into the ground. The buildings around him cracked and the windows shattered from the force of his body meeting the earth.

Strangely, Petra didn't try any of the maneuvers he'd shown her over the month. Instead, she headed for the Wall. She has to know she needs to keep Reiner occupied, not go for the ship! Levi took off after her. If she got too far away for him to keep up, she risked Reiner giving up on her and going after Ymir and the horses. Or is she luring him to the flat and open ground on the other side? It would give her freedom of movement and she could tire him out, trying to get him to chase her around. The Female Titan wasn't moving at top speed so the Armored Titan could still catch up to her. Regardless, Levi needed to stop her. I can't get to the Beast Titan without her. He flew over the recovering Armored Titan.

In his peripheral vision, Levi noticed the Beast Titan shattering buildings, the 15-meter Titans supplying him with boulders. We have to take Reiner out quickly. Before that hairy one levels the town.

Could the soldiers run up to the safety of the Wall between the volleys? Since Hange and the rest of his own squad hadn't come over yet, he could only assume the Colossal Titan was still alive. With him still around, the Wall wouldn't be safe for long. In any case, if the soldiers left then the horses would panic and get killed. No, even if Bertolt is defeated, the Wall still isn't safe. Most, if not all, of the veterans had been taken out. The Beast Titan could just follow the recruits up and they'd be almost useless against him if he could also harden his nape. A large percentage of the new recruits were young, eager soldiers with little to no experience. They had just wanted to get in on the glory now that the Corps was popular and had the Queen of the Walls backing them.

Levi narrowed his eyes when he spotted the Cart Titan. He dove toward her as she darted in from the side, chasing after Petra, trying to stop her. The Cart Titan noticed him too late and Levi sheared off the muscles from the back of her legs, causing her to collapse. Next, he targeted the front legs but she had been smart enough to start rolling over when she realized she couldn't avoid his first attack, thus falling on her back and naturally protecting her nape. No problem. I'll just keep cutting you to ribbons. He attacked without giving her a chance to catch her breath.

Before Levi could finish her off, he heard the Armored Titan coming and instinctively flew up and dove to the side. The force of the Armored Titan running by was strong enough to knock him off course.

"How the hell is he moving so fast?" Levi grumbled, sitting on the roof. He noticed the plating missing from behind the Armored Titan's knees. Must have forgone safety in favor of speed. He still thinks she's going for the ship. Erwin had shot the orange flare south for Reiner's benefit too—and hoped Petra remembered the priority of her mission and understood what he was trying to do as the Armored Titan had stalked toward him and Ymir. If Reiner wasn't convinced she was going for their ship he'd have ignored the Female Titan.

Levi almost stumbled when the ground shook and a loud crashing noise came from the other side of the Wall. What the hell are they doing over there? Levi wondered, looking in Shinganshina's direction.

Steam was rising from the edge of the building he was on and Levi looked over the roof. She ditched the body instead of wasting time waiting to heal. If Hange's theory was right then the Cart Titan, one of the smallest Titans Levi had ever encountered, would be able to transform multiple times without tiring out. Rather than waste time chasing a person who could easily hide in small spaces, Levi went after the Armored Titan, who was trying to stop the Female Titan as she very slowly scaled the Wall. I won't make it!

The Armored Titan climbed up and grabbed her ankle, finally pulling her down after some struggling. While she tried to heal and crawl away, he returned to the ground. The Armored Titan straddled her to subdue her but she grabbed his arm and managed to shove her knee in his face.

It gave Levi the time to fly behind the Armored Titan and take out the exposed muscles behind his knees. We don't need to beat him, just delay him long enough for her to secretly get me to the Beast Titan. He'd make quick work of Zeke while she held the others at bay. Once the Beast Titan was down, he could target the Pure Titans while she handled the Armored Titan. Reiner was bound to chase after them once he recovered.

As he was watching the Female Titan slip out from under the Armored Titan, a group of soldiers joined him on the roof.

Eld led the group with Thunder Spears on his arms. "Levi, Commander Erwin says you need to take out the Beast Titan. He sent us to handle this one and the small one."

"I've got a plan to deal with him." Levi flew over to the Female Titan's shoulder before she could attack the Armored Titan. "Petra, forget about the armored brat. He and the Cart Titan are just cronies. The hairy fucker is their war chief. He's the bigger prize, the one Erwin will want captured most. You need to help me reach him."

The Female Titan nodded and started to run back toward the edge of the town, this time at full speed.

Behind them, the Armored Titan cried out when the Thunder Spears Eld and the others had planted near his nape exploded.

"Alright, Petra, here's the plan..."

Almost all of the buildings on the other half of town were large piles of rubble. The Beast Titan hadn't at least showered their side with rocks, not wanting to hit his own comrades.

The town's almost flattened over there! If this doesn't work, a few more attacks and they'll soon all be exposed and killed. Levi hid behind the Female Titan's right ear, his back to the soft flesh. Shooting hooks into the skin to anchor himself, he hid with ease thanks to his small stature. He held tightly to her hair, being jostled as she ran.

As soon as the Female Titan entered the grassy area, she screamed, running toward the Beast Titan.

Levi didn't know if Petra simply hadn't mastered the power to attract Titans to her or if the Beast Titan's control was so absolute that none of the 15-meter Titans reacted. Either way, he didn't hear any screams or loud footsteps so he assumed they were still under Zeke's control. It worked out all the same, though.

Since he wasn't hearing projectiles being launched, Levi guessed the Beast Titan had stopped his assault on the town. Erwin, Ymir, and the others were safe for now. He heard Zeke order his Titans to immobilize the Female Titan.

Levi grunted, feeling the pressure as she fought the 15-meter Titans. It was hard to tell from his hiding spot but he assumed she was killing them since she kept moving and fighting. He heard the sound of flesh being ripped apart before the loud hissing of steam filled the air.

He let out a muffled cry of surprise when she suddenly went flat to the ground. Through the small gaps in her hair, Levi saw it. Something, or several somethings, zipped above them at high velocity. Her fingers came into his view. She was getting ready. His hooks came loose and he pressed against her hand, her fingers curling around him as gravity shifted again as she probably sat up. Her fist was loose enough and he adjusted himself, crouching on one knee, swords ready.

Then she threw him.

Levi flew in an arch, seeing the rocks below him fly straight for the Female Titan, who was surrounded by steaming Titan corpses.

The Beast Titan stared at him in shock.

Levi attacked him with a flurry of blades, cutting the arm the Beast Titan held out to defend himself. What a joke, he thought, continuing to slice up the Beast Titan without mercy. This was supposed to be the man in charge of Marley's Shifters? Levi aimed for the legs after both arms were sufficiently destroyed and he had blinded his opponent.

Zeke screamed after Levi tore up the nape, exposing him. He yanked the man out by the hair and threw him back.

"N-No," Zeke stuttered in fear, missing the ends of his arms.

"So, you're the war chief, huh."

"W-Wait," he gasped. "You're—"

"Levi Ackerman." Levi lifted his leg. "Nice to meet you." He slammed his boot on Zeke's face with a wet crunch.


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