Cursed to a Cruel World

by UnbredEel0

Percy broke a promise he made on the River of Styx and has a steep price to pay. Banished to a new world and thrown into another 'world ending' conflict, witness Percy struggle as he tries to make sense of what's happening, adapts to his new environment, and attempts to unravel the mysteries of yet another monster infested world. (Rated M because I don't want to limit myself)

18. Reiner's Faults

Hello again,

I went back and made some minor tweaks to the dream sequence in the last chapter. I did two major things: made the prophecy slightly shorter, and added a little line where Poseidon asks Percy if he got his 'gift' (forgot to add that). For the prophecy, I condensed the original first 8 lines into 4. Here's the slightly shorter prophecy for reference:

"From one hell to another, the oath breaker returns,

A boy wrongfully accused—a vengeance that burns.

Traitors among friends, power of unknown,

A giant blasted to history, a new ruler for the throne."

.

"A mission for Maria, most perishing by rock.

Children cry for the dead, future pasts unlock.

Bonds shatter; a wish to return home,

A lover's betrayal beside the sea's foam."

.

"To places new and places of old,

A cure for the devil's children shall unfold.

Wars are fought, brothers converge,

Walls crumble, so begins the titans' purge."

.

"Wings soar above Heaven and Earth,

One of the nine, to a child at birth.

As Olympus slumbers and fate is defied,

The world will flatten if the titan doesn't die."

.

I'm really happy with the prophecy now. It feels 'efficient' and 'packed'. Each line feels like it holds great importance/meaning and it doesn't feel like there are many (if any) needless words.

Special thanks Apollogirl209 for having my back in the reviews. Here's a cookie (::)

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"

Chapter 18: Reiner's Faults

6 hours since Eren and Ymir have been taken

Wall Maria Territory

Percy's POV:

Horseback riding through titan-infested grasslands, an hour of silence is broken by a red smoke signal fired into the air.

"Titan spotted at three 'o'clock!" A soldier yells, spotting the red contrails darting across the sky.

"Red smoke shell confirmed on the right wing!" Another Scout affirms.

"Do not change direction!" Commander Erwin replies. He begins gesturing his right hand, motioning where he wants the formation to be moved. "Have the right-wing merge with the center and hold course!"

Jean, the young Scout assigned to watch over me, was kind enough to fill me in on the military's flare system.

The flare someone just shot off, a red one, is a signal alerting others that a titan has been spotted. When the commander spots the signal, they'll take action, responding with a flare of their own.

On cue, one of the soldiers riding next to Erwin reaches into his waistband and pulls out a flare gun of his own. Pointing it towards the sky, he fires it off. A green shell ejects out from its barrel sending green smoke directly forward. This alerts everyone that Erwin's decision is to continue forward and for no change in direction to be made.

Alright. So if green means "go over there" and red means "avoid this area"... what do you suppose black would mean?

In Jean's simplistic explanation, it means "you are fucked."

Black is the signal for an 'abnormal' titan, a type of titan that doesn't adhere to normal titan behavior. Like titans with erratic movement patterns that can't be traditionally lured away by a single squad, or like the titans we encountered at Utgard Castle who were able to move during the night. But more recently, black smoke has also been used to signal 'intelligent titans'. Titans with human-like intelligence, like Annie or Reiner.

As for other colors, a blue shell calls for a retreat, yellow signals that the current mission has been completed, and purple alerts others that there is an emergency of some kind, like if you find yourself stranded in titan territory without a horse. And for when the Scouts are traveling in poor visibility conditions, like in fog or through a forest, they'll use special 'acoustic' shells that can be heard well over a mile.

Considering radios haven't been invented yet, this smoke signal system they came up with is an ingenious way to communicate on the field.

The only downside is that you're broadcasting your signal to the enemy… which hasn't been a problem for the Scouts until Annie's posse showed up.

"We must take the shortest path possible!"

Commander's Erwin reminder turns my attention to the skies. "We only have until sunset"—that's what Hange told us. Since normal titans are only able to move during the day, Hange's theory was that Reiner and Bertolt took Ymir and Eren to a forest of giant trees to rest in its canopy while they waited out the sun. Until nightfall comes, that's where they should be.

Time's running out. The sun has long since begun its downwards descent. Soon enough, the sky and clouds will be dazzling with gold, pink, and red.

We need to get there. I can't afford to break another promise.

"Then stop making them," Annabelle quips behind my ears.

The Scouts closest to Jean and I's right drift closer. As per Erwin's order, they've shrunk the formation together to avoid that titan but keep moving forward. Before they were 50 yards away, now they're half that distance apart.

As for Sam and I's position in the formation, we've been placed near the front but not quite the 'vanguard'. The vanguard are the soldiers in the outermost position of the formation. Their job is to 'scout' ahead and look out for danger, shooting off those smoke signals to the Commander whenever they spot something. Commander Erwin is just behind the vanguard in the center of it all. Jean and I are riding behind him on his left.

Close enough for Erwin to keep an eye on me, I guess, but also out of his way.

"So… are we ever going to talk about it?"

…

"The dreams… the prophecy… that little girl on the wall?"

None of it.

"What about—"

Not now, Annabelle! I can't think about it right now!

"Jeez, stressed much?"

Yes! Very!

Sighing, I lean forward on my saddle, combing my fingers through Sam's mane to calm my nerves.

"How are you holding up, bud? I'm not too heavy for you, am I?"

"Not at all, Boss!" Sam huffs between breaths. "I can do this all day."

A memory of my 5th-grade gym coach telling a kid with wobbly legs to "run out" briefly plays in my head. I've been working Sam far more than I should. He must be sore from all that traveling we did yesterday.

"Don't push yourself too hard. If you need to slow down or stop, then do it. I can take care of myself out here."

"Whatever you say, boss."

"The nuts in the regiment always happen to be 'horse whispers' too." Jean mummers.

"Huh?"

"Damn it!" He suddenly bursts. "Why did I have to be the one to watch over you?!" Jean turns and points a finger at me. "Look, if you run, I'm not going to chase after you and get myself killed! Got it?"

I blink at his random outburst.

"Uhh, sure."

"Only one hour until sunset!" A Scout riding on our left suddenly announces.

"Look over there!"

"We reached the Southwest forest!"

They weren't kidding with the naming scheme. The trees are enormous. Moving closer, more and more of the forest's true height pops over the horizon. The trees just keep coming. They're clearly taller than Wall Rose—at least 250 feet. Their pine-tree-ish-looking appearance immediately makes me think of California's great Redwoods.

While I haven't personally seen the Redwoods, Katie made sure I knew everything about them. When she heard I was traveling to California to visit Annabeth, she lectured me the entire time I was trying to pack.

The forest of giant trees is a child of Demeter's wettest dream.

A red smoke signal is shot into the air. Another titan. This time right ahead.

Erwin reaches for his gun and responds with a green shell, ordering the formation to make an adjustment to the left. We can't shrink our formation to avoid this one.

However, Erwin's green signal is met with 2 additional red smoke shells, directly where his shell was fired.

"The hell?" Erwin curses.

Three more red signals are blasted in the air to our right. Red contrails crisscrossing in the air all around.

"Commander Erwin, we're surrounded!" The Scout on Erwin's left yells.

"There is a way around," Another Scout suggests, pointing to a smoke-free zone on the right. "Should we head towards it?"

"No…" Erwin replies. "Any detours and we'll be too late…"

Four more red shells are shot in front of us.

"Hey, Jean! Is it one smoke shell per titan or do they—" I pause, noticing the look on his face.

Fear. Frustration. Dread.

A soldier desperately gathering their resolve.

"We'll force our way through. All Soldiers! Prepare for battle!"

Erwin raises his gun and fires a green shell straight into the polluted red air without hesitation. In response to his green signal, more red shells are fired into the air. I can practically imagine the Scouts in the vanguard shouting to each that Erwin must not have seen their signals.

Erwin responds by firing another green shell, making his intentions clear.

The Scouting formation tightens further until we're practically riding side by side. Suddenly, I find myself huddled in a group of child soldiers; Connie, Sasha, Armin, and Mikasa.

"Reiner, Bertolt, Ymir, and Eren's presence must have attracted several titans," Armin explains to us all.

"So this isn't some stroke of bad luck?" Sasha asks.

"It seems like bad luck to me!" Connie squeaks.

Galloping over another hill as the bases of the giant trees come into view, we're greeted not only by the vanguard but also by what they warned us about. About a dozen titans, mindlessly stumbling around the forest's edge as if on patrol.

"There! Do you guys see that titan?" Armin shouts, pointing into the woods. Following his finger, there's a titan with its back turned against us, slowly slumbering deeper into the forest.

"It must be chasing Eren and others!" Armin explains. "That means they're still in the forest!"

The Vanguard, who had all paused their advance just past the crest of the hill, kick their horses back into gear, smoothly joining our ranks. The formation continues to tighten together, collecting into a single unified charge.

"Soldiers!" Erwin yells. "The operation to recover Eren may now commence! Charge forward!"

(Barricades (BARRIchestra) OST plays)

"AHHHH!"

"AHHHH!"

"AHHHHH!"

A battle cry of my own slips out of my lips as a surge of adrenaline and a newfound sense of comradery washes through me. Our cries attract the titans' attention. They begin to turn towards us.

The hairs on the back of my neck begin to stiffen. My sense of hearing briefly dulls. My eyes shift toward the giant trees.

Deep within the forest's dense foliage, a bright yellow light flares to life. The trees momentarily shake—tree limbs and leaves falling to the forest floor. Then the light sputters out of existence as quickly as it came.

Mikasa gasps. "A light?"

"Straight ahead in the forest! I saw a light!" Armin confirms. "It's the light that appears when a Titan transforms."

"Then that means we're just in time. Soldiers, disperse!"

Sticking to Jean's side, I follow his lead. Just before we reach the forest (and its titans), the formation splits; half going left, half going right. Following Jean, we split off with the left group, the titans in the forest barreling straight down on us.

"The enemy has assumed Titan form!" Erwin shouts. "Locate Eren and get him out of there!"

The titans reach us. Mere meters in front, a 12-meter's hand swoops in and snatches a soldier off his horse.

"No!" I cry, I pull on Sam's reins.

"Keep going!" Jean moves his horse, blocking Sam from turning after the screaming man.

Unable to turn or stop, Sam and I race by, helpless to do anything but listen and hear the man's pleading cries. The titan raises the soldier to its mouth, head first. Jean tightens his eyes, trying to ignore the screams of the soldier he has abandoned.

The air is filled with dust kicked up by our galloping steeds. Droplets of blood sprinkle down adding to the mix as the Military Police soldier is bitten in half.

"Another MP!" Connie cries. Another sickening crunch sounds behind my head letting me know he wasn't talking about the man I just witnessed get bisected.

"Battle is not our objective!" Erwin firmly orders in the chaos. "Locate, recover, and retreat!"

My eyes burn. The second Titanomachy and the second Gigantomachy weren't anything like this. Olympus be damned, they were only the lesser of two evils. We, demigods, were fighting back to back, for our siblings, our cousins. We were fighting for us—kids tossed into our parents' conflicts. We were fighting for each other. Sure, some demigods willingly gave up their lives to protect others, but they were never ordered to die. To forge past dying comrades to complete a mission.

How could anyone stand this?

To my right, another inexperienced MP gets snatched off their horse. All I can do is shut my eyes, grit my teeth, and try my best to ignore their screams.

"It's not like you cared about them anyway. Stop pretending you do."

I feel sick. Deep down, I know Annabelle is right. Being exposed to this desensitized type of warfare… I can practically feel my humanity leaving me.

Our group finally passes the horde. While the titans behind us feast, our group immediately banks off to the right, straight into the forest of giant trees.

"Round up the horses!" The blonde garrison leader, Hannes, orders one of his men.

"Right away sir." The garrison troop yells back.

Firing his ODM wires into the canopy, Hannes shoots up into the air disengaging his horse.

"Stay with the horses! That's an order!" Jean tells me, jumping off his steed and activating his gear.

All the others do the same, leaving only me and that one garrison member on the ground. I bring Sam to a halt, scanning our shaded surroundings for signs of movement while the garrison member whistles commands to the horses, gathering them in a herd.

"RRRAAAAAWWWRRRR!"

"What the fuck was that?!" Sam rears, spooked by the titan's scream, almost throwing me off his back.

"That was Ymir!"

"That titan lady human person?" Sam asks, calming down.

"She must've transformed. Does that mean she's fighting Reiner and Bertolt?"

"There was only one light," Annabelle notes. "A single transformation that we could tell. If she's fighting them, they haven't transformed yet."

That… seems unlikely.

"Right."

Then something isn't right.

"Heyah!" I whip my reins, urging Sam to take off.

"Hey! Wait!" The garrison member shouts after us.

"That's the scream of a titan!" Someone overhead shouts.

"It came from just up ahead!" Another yells.

High above in the trees, two Scouts zip past. I realign Sam, following their course of direction. But damn, they're fast. It's not long before they disappear into the trees.

"Come on Sam! We gotta keep up!"

30 seconds later, we find her. Hanging in the trees like a monkey, with one arm holding onto a branch and her feet resting against the trunk of a massive tree. 5 meters tall, with that shaggy black hair, large nose, and fearsome teeth—it's Ymir's titan alright.

And beside her, hooked into the tree with his ODM gear, hangs Connie.

"Hey, Ymir! Why are you the only one here?" He asks.

Ymir doesn't respond.

"Where's Eren? What about Reiner?! Bertolt?!"

She still doesn't respond to Connie. Pulling up to her tree, I bring Sam to a halt.

"So that's Ymir?" Armin questions, also high in the canopy standing on a sizable tree branch.

The others haven't seen her yet. When they arrived at Utgard, Ymir's titan form had already been half-eaten.

"Did she turn into a titan and fight with Reiner?" Mikasa asks.

"Ymir? Did you get away from Reiner? Where are they?!" Jean shouts at her.

"Talk to us, Ymir!" Sasha cries.

She doesn't. Ymir continues acting aloof, looking around the forest.

Did she escape from Reiner and Bertolt, only transforming when she saw the Scout's flares? Is that what she's doing? Keeping an eye out for the other shifters?

"Say something already!" Impatient, Connie flies on top of Ymir's head.

"Hey, ugly! We're in a hurry!" Connie kicks Ymir in the head a few times, but she doesn't react.

"I don't think she's keeping an eye out for Reiner or Bertolt…"

Annabelle's comment makes goosebumps sprout all over my arms. Ymir's searching pattern isn't normal at all. It's almost as if she's…

Ymir's gaze turns to me. Her pupils shake with recognition once she realizes who I am.

"Who are you looking for?!" I call up to her.

In retrospect, it was a dumb question to ask.

"Ymir!" A feminine voice calls.

Ymir's head whips in the direction of this new voice.

"Thank goodness!" Historia cries, flying in with her ODM gear. "You're all right!"

Before anyone can react, Ymir launches off her tree towards Historia. Opening her mouth, she swallows Historia whole, midair.

The others gasp.

"She ate Christa!" Connie cries.

Ymir slurps in Historia's left leg that didn't quite make it into her mouth. She lands on a tree and takes off. Jumping tree to tree, she quickly disappears into the forest.

"Don't just stand there! Chase her!" Jean yells, flying after her.

"After her Sam! Let's go!"

Sam and I take off and the others follow, zooming overhead. Being the only ones on the ground, Sam and I are quick to be left behind.

"You humans *huff* sure are fast *huff* with your fancy tools."

"You don't need to try to keep up with them. Their ODM gear is faster than us."

Sam slows down slightly, but I can tell he's a little bummed.

"What's the big idea, aye? I thought the titan chick was on your side!" Sam snorts.

"You're telling me!"

I don't understand! Is Ymir defecting? But she fought with us at Utgard! It was clear she had nothing to do with Reiner and Bertolt and that they didn't know about her. So why is she taking Historia and running? Why would she—

"Percy, do you truly believe that this is your only option?"

Ymir's words echo in my head. The reply she gave me back when I told her I was going to tell the Scouts about Reiner, Bertolt, and her.

"Then you really have no idea, do you?"

"…of the world that lies outside the walls."

Up ahead—a great flash of light, followed by a resounding boom. A roar, much deeper than Ymir's, fills the air. Hitting the forest's edge, I find Reiner in his titan form and riding on his armored back: Ymir, Bertolt, and Eren.

Is this what Ymir was trying to tell me? That I was never as optionless as I believed? That I 'should' choose to go off with Reiner and Bertolt instead?

"Don't stop!" A soldier in the trees shouts. "Get on your horses and chase!"

The soldiers in the trees are forced to turn back and find their horses. Me, being the only one who couldn't dismount, makes me the only one able to continue giving chase.

"But should you?"

Huh?

"Your promise was to bring Ymir back to Historia. If Ymir has chosen to take Historia with her… isn't your oath fulfilled? Isn't Historia with Ymir, just like you promised you would see?"

I don't know what's going on anymore. I can't see the full picture that Ymir sees. Ymir's decision to abandon the Scouts must have been heavy for her, but she decided to defect anyway. Annabelle's advice is turning really cynical, or maybe it's always been that way. But whether or not my promise is 'technically' being fulfilled isn't what's at stake.

Whatever side I go with, whatever decision I make, should be left up to her. The first person to greet me with a smile in this new cruel world.

What does Historia want me to do?

Sam and I continue to chase Reiner. The sun has fallen directly in front of his hulking frame, silhouetting his figure and painting the skies. Steadily, we're gaining on them.

They sure don't call Reiner the 'Armored Titan' for nothing. A whopping 15-meters tall, built like an NFL linebacker, and coated head to toe in hardened titan skin—skin rumored to be tougher than the hardest of manmade steels. His titan is large and heavy. The thundering of his footsteps become more and more deafening the closer we get.

It doesn't take long for Sam and me to ride up to Reiner's side.

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Armin's POV:

"I don't understand, why would Ymir do this?!" Mikasa yells.

"What's wrong with you people!? Am I seriously the only one who saw this coming?!" Jean answers.

Jean probably was the only one who saw it coming if he claims he did. Surely I wouldn't have guessed. Christa gave Ymir a pretty strong testimony. How could we not believe in Christa after she was almost brought to tears pleading that we should trust Ymir?

Maybe it was foolish of us to not consider the possibility that Christa had been tricked.

But Christa isn't some dainty ditsy blonde. She's a top 10 member of the 104th military recruiting class. A person doesn't earn that position by physical prowess alone. No, Christa's smart, and she knows Ymir to the tee. If Christa couldn't foresee Ymir's change in behavior, maybe… maybe something changed. Perhaps some unforeseen element slipped past all our eyes. Something only Ymir could see.

So what? What changed Ymir's mind? Was it Reiner and Bertolt revealing they were the Armored and Colossal Titans? Is the answer as simple as being Ymir is an opportunist?

"None of that matters now," I fire back at Jean. "It's clear Ymir is hostile now. She and Reiner are on the same side."

My gut tells me that's not it. If Ymir was waiting for the perfect moment to jump ship, why would she come back for Christa? She risked a direct confrontation with the Scouts. It slowed them down. Reiner and Bertolt should have been opposed to it, right?

Maybe not. Pastor Nick singled Christa out, referring to her by her true name 'Historia' and claiming our longtime comrade has known the secrets of our world all along. Is that why Reiner and Bertolt let Ymir free? Did they see Christa's value as well? Is this why Ymir has always stuck close to Christa's side for these past three years? Has Ymir been waiting to snatch Christa away? Has she been waiting for this exact moment this entire time?

"Our horses!" Connie points.

The others immediately dive to the forest floor. Distracted by my thoughts, I scramble to descend. My boots hitting the soft forest topsoil, we regroup with Phil, the soldier tasked with watching our horses in our absence.

"Hurry Armin!" Mikasa shouts as I scramble to get my horse.

"This ain't over. Y'hear me?!" Mr. Hannes yells, climbing into his saddle and taking off. "I'll get him back even if it costs me my life!"

Mounting our thoroughbreds, we take off. It takes 2 more minutes for us to get out of the forest. Reiner has more than a 5-minute head start on us.

"Reiner's too slow! It's only a matter of time before we catch him!" Jean shouts over the pounding of our horses' hooves.

Jean's right again. Reiner's titan is much slower than Eren's. All that armor must slow him down and limit his mobility. And with Ymir in her titan form riding on his shoulder, Reiner doesn't stand a chance of trying to outrun our horses. It's only a matter of time before we reach him.

As for when we do reach them… There's not much we can do against Reiner. Our blades are useless against his skin. Unless we can somehow give Eren a chance to transform (if he even has the energy to do so), all we can do is talk.

"Hey!" Connie cries, pointing forward. "What's happening to Ymir's titan?"

Steam erupts from the back of Ymir's titan, particularly at the nape. At our current distance, we can just barely make out Ymir's upper body exiting her titan. But she doesn't leave her titan's body completely, she stays connected to her nape. But her titan form remains on Reiner's shoulder, never slumping or 'losing connection'. Somehow Ymir has managed to retain control of her titan while exposing her true body to air.

"She's not leaving her titan?" Sasha asks.

"Look, she's talking to Christa!" Jean shouts.

I spot Christa—in the hand of Ymir's titan, hovering a few feet away from Ymir's exposed human body. They're certainly exchanging words.

"Hey Armin, you think Eren could do that? Pop-out of his titan and talk to us like?" Connie asks.

"I uhh, I don't see why not. I mean, if Ymir could do it, certainly Eren should be able to as well. We'll have to test it if we get him back."

"When we get him back." Mikasa corrects.

I glance over at her.

"Right."

Bertolt is riding on Reiner's shoulder, opposite from Ymir. And strapped to his back, is Eren.

The friendship we had with Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie wasn't fake. After all those years we spent together, their betrayal wouldn't have hurt if our bonds hadn't been real. I'm sure everyone has some choice words to say to them, but I think the majority of us agree that we want to know why. Why do this? Why even bother becoming our friends if your goal was to wipe us all out?

For as long as humanity stays in the dark about the titans' motives, Reiner and Bertolt, and Annie's motives, we'll always be two steps behind. Unfortunately for us, there's yet another unknown variable we have to contend with.

"Hey Jean, nice job watching the prisoner!" Connie jabs. "Didn't you say—"

"Oh shut the hell up!" Jean fires back. "It's not my fault he's so eager to run off and get himself killed!"

In the advent of not having ODM gear, Percy was still on his horse when Ymir kidnapped Christa. Exiting the forest, we were forced to turn back. But Percy chose to forge on, chasing after Reiner without instruction.

"The last thing the Scouts need are two suicidal maniacs in the regiment," Jean adds. "One lunatic with weird powers is enough for me, thank you very much."

"Hey! Look! The kid is talking to them!" Hannes shouts.

Ymir, Bertolt, Christa—their attention has turned to Percy, brashly riding next to Reiner's side, no less than 10 feet from the Armored Titan's moving feet.

"What do you think he's saying?" Sasha wonders. "Do you think he's trying to get Reiner to stop?"

"I'm not sure," I answer.

"Hey!" Connie shouts. "You don't think Percy's working with them, do you?"

The mood darkens further than it already was. I think the thought of it hit us all.

The people we are chasing are all VIPs. Eren, Reiner, Bertolt, Ymir, Christa, Percy—they are all individuals either holding knowledge blind to the rest of humanity or with supernatural abilities strong enough to shape the earth and change the course of human civilization.

And at this very moment, none of them are present by our sides. And if Percy has turned as well… all we have is Eren, who our enemy currently has in their possession.

"If Ymir or Perseus feel like getting in my way, I'll kill them," Mikasa growls, fiercely staring ahead at our foes. "I won't hesitate this time. I'll kill them without a thought."

"Armin!" Sasha cries. With pleading eyes, she stares at me for confirmation.

I almost bite on my tongue gritting my teeth.

"Just… everyone be prepared for the worst, alright?"

"DAMN IT ALL!" Jean cries.

"Hey Mikasa, y-you're not planning on killing R-Reiner and Bertolt, are you?" Connie asks with wide eyes.

"There's only so many lives I can give a damn about. Cruel, but that's the world Bertolt and Reiner gave us 6 years ago." Mikasa replies.

"But they're our—"

"No, they aren't!" Mikasa shouts.

Tears prickle the corner of my eyes.

"Connie!" I shout. "Sasha! Jean!"

I scrunch my eyes tight. Water expels from their corners.

"Reiner and Bertolt are our enemies! They want to kill us all and they… They aren't giving us a chance to talk! They're the ones who made this choice! They're the ones who are forcing our hands! We got to… We'll need to…"

"HEY!" Hannes shouts. "The kid is moving!"

I open my eyes.

Finished with whatever conversation they were having, Perseus urges his horse into high gear, speeding ahead of Reiner.

"What the hell is that lunatic doing now?!" Jean asks.

It takes me a second but then I realize.

"If Percy is with Reiner or Bertolt, wouldn't he run interference against us?"

"Armin, what are you saying?" Hannes asks.

"He's with us!" I cry.

"Then what is he planning?" Sasha asks.

"That crazy fucker!" Jean curses. "Is gonna try to—"

"Oi oi oi oi oi!" Connie shouts in surprise.

Riding in front of the Armored Titan, Perseus jumps off his horse. Meeting the charging behemoth head-on, he draws his sword.

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Percy's POV:

"Uhhhhhhh, so what now, Boss?"

Reiner's left foot slams into the ground. The earth shakes. Bits of dust and dirt fly in our direction. I veer Sam away from it.

We can barely get within 10 feet of Reiner without getting sprayed or knocked off our feet.

"I guess jumping onto his ankle is out of the question, huh…"

"You were gonna what now?!"

Riding next to the Armored Titan as he flees away from the forest, I'm not sure what I could do to stop him. I mean, I could still try to go for his ankle, but…

*THUD* *THUD* *THUD*

I have a better chance of convincing Zeus to come to my birthday party than jumping into that death trap. Water is out of the question too, I can't sense a sizable source within miles of us.

"Do you have a plan?" Sam snorts.

"Yes! We're—uhhh, we're gonna let things play out."

"And wait for an opening!?"

"... yes?"

"Of course! Wait for an opening, why didn't I think of that? My Boss is so smart."

…

I wish Sam had said that sarcastically. Somehow it feels worse that his tone is full of pure praise.

By some miracle, neither Ymir nor Bertolt spotted us. I guess they assumed the Scouts wouldn't be able to follow them right away, so they weren't checking? Anywho, the only one who knows we're here is that kid, Eren. Strapped helpless to Bertolt's back and with a gag in his mouth, all he can do is stare pleadingly at me with those forest-green eyes.

Someone on Reiner's back breaks into a nasty coughing fit.

"Christa!" Bertolt exclaims.

I veer Sam slightly further away from Reiner to get a better look.

Ymir has just pulled Historia out of her titan's mouth, where Ymir had been holding the poor girl this entire time. Drenched in titan saliva, Historia expels the liquid from her lungs.

"Ymir—" Historia struggles to speak before entering another hacking fit.

Suddenly, steam begins to erupt from the back of Ymir's titan's neck. Ymir's true human form bursts out of the smoke, remaining connected and still partially inside her titan's body.

"Ymir!" Historia cries again, her airways now clear.

Ymir enters a coughing fit of her own.

"Christa—*cough cough*—No, Historia…" Ymir wipes some drool from the corner of her lips and takes a second for a breather.

"I'm sorry about eating you. You're uhh, probably pissed."

"Wha-What is this? I—what's going on?!" Historia stammers. "Talk to me! We came to rescue you and Er—"

"Just shut up!" Ymir cuts Historia off, with furrowed brows. "I don't need rescuing. Things have changed. I'm with Reiner and Bertolt now. Like it or not, you're coming with us. There's no future inside the walls."

"Here me out for a second, ok?" Ymir continues, softening her voice. "Life outside isn't as bad as you think, believe me. For starters, there's no one saying the world woulda been a better place if you'd never been born."

"Yeah, I don't think Titans would say much either way. They'd be too busy trying to devour me!" Historia fires back.

"We've all got flaws! They're not so bad if you'd just give 'em a break." Ymir grimaces. "It's complicated, all right?! Get off your high horse!"

"Ymir! I don't know what's going on in your mind, but you're not making any sense! Come on! What did Reiner and Bertolt say? You're doing this against your will, aren't you? They threatened you!"

This time, Bertolt is the one to respond.

"It's the opposite, actually."

But like Historia and Ymir's brick wall conversation, Bertolt's comment gets completely swept aside.

"I'm right, aren't I? Let go!" Historia yells, taking Ymir's silence as a 'yes'. "Whatever they've got on you, I don't care! We can fight them! Put the past behind you! What matters is right now! I'm here!"

"Ymir!" Bertolt yells with frustration. "Look! In case you haven't noticed, the Scouts are closing in." He turns and points to a cloud of dust on our rear, half a mile away but ever closing in on us. "If we'd left earlier, there might've been—we might've—What the hell?!"

"Uh oh, did they find us?" Sam neighs.

"P-Percy?" Historia stammers.

Reiner's head subtly glances over at me while he continues keeping his running pace.

"How-How long have you been here?!" Bertolt demands.

"Like five minutes or so, I guess?" I answer back.

"Damn it, Ymir! We had a decent chance of outrunning them but NO, we just had to go back for Christa." Bertolt runs a hand through his hair, pulling at it in frustration. "You forced us, remember that. And we waited for what? Damn it, Ymir! What the hell did we do this for? You can't—"

"Quit listening to this buffoon, Ymir!" I shout up at her.

"Bu-Buffoon!?" Bertolt cries.

"Percy's right, Ymir!" Historia adds. "Don't listen to him! You have to—"

"I CAN'T!" Ymir screams, tears running down her cheeks. "I wish I could. I'm sorry sweetie. I know you think I did this for you. But at the end of the day, I did it for me."

"W-what?"

"A long time ago I stole the Power of the Titans from one of their comrades. Not much I can do against them. Sooner or later, I'm screwed. But, they said if I cooperate, hand you over, maybe I've got a shot at leniency. Maybe my crime gets overlooked."

"You're crucial to the Church." Ymir continues. "You know the truth about the walls! And when this world started going to hell, I thought to myself, "couldn't hurt to have a bargaining chip in my back pocket." Utgard castle is as close to death as I ever wanna get. It… It gave me perspective."

"If I have to play dirty to stay alive, then that's what I'll do. Pathetic, yeah. Doesn't make me the ideal friend. Like I said though, I didn't do this for you. I did it for me. You deserve better, but there it is. But I… I need you. So please, save me Historia!"

A silence follows Ymir's outburst—the rhythming sounds of Reiner's footsteps and the blowing air silently playing in our ears.

"Well, it's like I said," Historia responds. "I'm here for you. I will always be your ally."

Ymir gasps, struggling not to sob.

"Shhhh. It's ok, Ymir. I really mean it. I'm here. It's ok."

Despite being taken against her will and swallowed, Historia never once raised her voice in anger. That girl is sweet to the bone.

She really is a goddess.

While Ymir collects herself, I take a glance behind us. The Scouts are closing the gap. Now they're within 500 yards away.

"Percy, you should come with us."

"Huh?"

"You must feel trapped working with the Scouts, but there exists a world outside these walls," Ymir sniffles. "The Scouts aren't your only option."

"Percy, Annie wrote a lot about you in her letter," Bertolt speaks up.

"Annie's on our side if you haven't figured that out already… Reiner and I—we know how the people here treated you, it wasn't right. It isn't fair. You hold no allegiance to these people. You don't need to get caught up in the crossfire once we destroy the rest of these walls."

"The place where Reiner and Bertolt come from, they have more people, more titans, and superior technology," Ymir adds, to which Bertolt nods in agreement. "If they're waging an all-out war against the people here… Don't you see? Living in these walls is a death sentence."

"So what will it be?" Bertolt asks.

"So what will it be?" Annabelle repeats.

I hesitate.

"I don't know…"

Eren and Historia's eyes waver.

"But what I do know is that wiping out an entire people is pretty evil!" I shout back up at them. "If I went with you, I think I'd be on the wrong side!"

Historia grins. Her blonde hair no longer dripping with titan saliva.

"Things aren't as black and white as it seems!" Bertolt fires back. "If we gave them the opportunity, they'd turn around and do the same to us. It's us, or them!"

"He's right," Annabelle whispers.

I shake my head to rid her thoughts. I was right, Reiner and Bertolt are still keen on destroying the walls and killing every person in them. I'm not siding with some alternate-reality version of Nazi Germany.

"Ymir!" I yell. "How would you know that Historia life would be better outside the walls? If she's as important as you think she is, how do you know Reiner and Bertolt's people won't just lock her away? Like the Scouts did with me?"

"You're right, Historia's safety isn't guaranteed," Ymir replies. "But at least she has a chance out there! If she stays in here, she'll spend the rest of her days wondering which day will be her last. Which day will it be when the final gates of humanity finally give in, which they will! I refuse to let her live a life like that!"

"Well, that's not your choice to make!"

I point to the girl dangling in Ymir's titan's hand.

"It's Historia's!"

Historia's eyes quiver.

"What?"

"Historia, what do you want to do? Do you want to go with Reiner and Bertolt or do you want to stay here? Whatever choice you make, I'll follow!"

"I…"

Eren screams under his gag, staring pleadingly at Historia. The rest of us wait with anticipation.

"I…"

"Say it…" Annabelle whispers.

"I… I WANT TO BE WITH YMIR!"

"... It's settled then." Bertolt eventually concludes.

Once more, Eren's screams are caught by his gag.

"If Ymir has chosen to go with us then—Hey!"

I whip Sam's reins, urging him to run in front of Reiner. Bertolt yells after us but the thundering of Reiner's steps soon drowns him out.

"What are you doing?" Annabelle asks.

If you're, like, a part of me, shouldn't you already know?

"What's the plan, boss?" Sam neighs.

"We're going to need to separate Ymir and Historia from Reiner." I find myself explaining anyway. "I made a promise to Historia. I'm going to save Ymir from Reiner and Bertolt, whether Ymir likes it or not."

"Ummm, ok, and how do you plan on doing that?" Sam snorts with concern.

Still galloping full steam ahead, Sam and I now have some separation from the Armored Titan. A good 50 yards or so.

"I'm going to jump off and when I do, I want you to keep running as fast as you can."

"Boss?"

"I've… never tried this before. So I don't really know what's going to happen. That's why I need you to run as far away as you can. I don't want you to get caught up in my mess."

"Fine then, but you owe me a date!"

"What?"

"You gotta help me get set up with Stella, the finest mare of the southern walls."

"You're seriously doing this now?!"

"With the son of our god as my wingman, there's no way she'd turn me down!"

"Fine! Just get ready!"

I pull my feet free from the stirrups of Sam's saddle and tuck them under my body, putting myself into a sitting squat on Sam's back. Leaning forward and staying low, I tightly grip the front of Sam's saddle to keep my balance. Tugging from my gut, that oh-so-familiar pressure begins to build.

Sure, I had loads of practice during my time of imprisonment, but I've never attempted anything of this scale. I'm treading in unknown waters. If I don't release enough 'tension', Reiner could just run past me. But if I release too much…

The mother of all stomach cramps begins to fester in my stomach—as if my bowels have just begun to disgust twenty orders of spoiled Chipotle. The pressure continues to build. I squeeze my eyes, lips, and buttocks, worrying this power might 'slip' out.

When I close my eyes, I'm hit with a killer headache. It's that type of migraine that doesn't stop pounding, the type that flares with the slightest movement of your neck. The ache sends Annabelle reeling, retreating to the depth of my subconscious.

When my heartbeat begins to thud, I realize that maybe mortal sons of Poseidon were never meant to access this particular part of our father's domain. I can practically feel my blood thickening with energy, my veins pulsing and bulging across my body. My heart struggles to keep my blood vessels circulating, its muscles pounding heavier and heavier.

"A-Alright Sam! Ready?" I'm barely able to muster.

"I'm ready Boss!"

A great pressure rises within my chest, like a cough you can't let out but a hundred times worse. Divine power fills my internal organs, pounding at their walls and threatening to burst outwards. I can feel it. The Curse of Achilles is the only thing preventing me from popping like a balloon.

"RUN!"

I jump.

"Show him who's Boss!"

I flip in the air. Shooting a hand into my pants pocket, I spring Riptide free. I hit the ground with the roll. While Sam continues running, I dig my heels into the ground, stopping my forward momentum. I flick my wrist, popping Riptide into its sword form. Raising Riptide in the air, I look up.

15-meters of heavy armor, barreling straight towards me.

I flip my blade downward and let it rip.

The effect is instantaneous. The land in front of me erupts in an explosion of rock, dirt, and grass as the Earth's crust bends to my will, crashing and folding over itself. The ground tremendously shakes, rippling like water. Like waves crashing into each other, the earth folds, forming a small ridge between Reiner and me.

Reiner steps over the forming ridge with his first step, but his trailing foot gets caught on it. Reiner trips. Ymir jumps ship with Historia as the Armored Titan tumbles and flies forward—Bertolt clinging on for dear life. Reiner hits the ground stomach first with an equally earth-shattering thud.

Dust and debris fill the air. The forms of Scouts ride around the newly formed hilltop, surrounding the fallen form of Reiner. The gentle aftershocks softly settle down.

Standing up straight, I let my fingers slip from Riptide's hilt. Taking a step towards Reiner's downed form, I leave Riptide embedded in the earth behind me, its blade firmly pinched in the crack of a newly created fault line.

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This chapter was 7.0k words long.

Finally, a little demigod flexing!

Excuse me for taking longer to publish this chapter. I got a new job in September and had to move cities, so I was a 'little' preoccupied. Hopefully, my upload schedule can finally settle down once I get myself accustomed to everything. I know, I know, slow updates aren't ideal. But at least I'm still 'chugging' away at it, ay?

If anyone wants an in-depth analysis of the lines of the prophecy, please feel free to dm me. My reply will contain heavy heavy spoilers for the story tho, which might ruin your experience (it won't be as enjoyable if you already know what's going to happen). That's why I don't want to publicly post it. But yeah, I understand the drag between updates sucks and some of you might opt to view it anyway.

I do have a discord account! I am present and very active in a public server called the Emerald Library (yes, I'm plugging it again). It's a server for fanfiction authors and readers alike that has almost 5,000 members now. If you want to interact with other fanfic fans like yourself, here's your place. My nickname is Unbred, you'll see me around. Here's an invite link:

discord . gg/Uuac9dRdZB

Till next time,

-Unbred

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Originally Published on 10/28/2022