New chapter is here, people! As always, enjoy! :D
''Titans!'' Speech
''Titans!'' Thoughts
As an experienced fighter, Eren was a natural tactician as well. Locating Frieda Reiss was never the problem in his mind, but convincing her to join his cause—without escalating the situation until it would turn into a bloody titan fight in the heart of wall Sina like his battle with Annie had been—was going to be very tricky indeed.
Therefore, he had prepared with his dad in fine detail how he should approach Frieda and what he should say in about fifty different scenarios. What he never expected, however, was for Frieda to welcome them with open arms.
Mikasa, Ymir and Bertolt all eyed Eren with uncertainty at Frieda's polite tone when she ordered the Military Police Brigade to back off. They did so, albeit reluctantly and with frowns on their faces.
''Please forgive my bodyguards for their rudeness and allow me to formerly welcome you into the Reiss estate, ladies and gentlemen,'' Frieda continued in that same polite tone, bowing slightly. ''As you probably know, my name is Frieda Reiss and this is my father, Rod Reiss.''
Eren was slightly stupefied. ''Why is she so welcoming? Is it a trap to lure us in a safe sense of security?'' Eren shook his head mentally. ''No, it can't be. She doesn't know about us or what we want. However, she did say she had been waiting for us…'' Deciding that the best way to approach the situation was to reciprocate, Eren bowed his head as well.
''It's nice to meet you, Frieda Reiss. My name is Eren Yeager and these are my friends Mikasa Ackerman, Ymir and Bertolt Hoover. We've come all the way from Shiganshina with important information that might reshape Paradis as we know it and restore Eldia to its former glory.''
Rod guffawed at what Eren said, completely caught off guard by the fact he was so knowledgeable about certain things that should be classified to the general public. The Military Police Brigade just snorted, thinking what Eren said was complete nonsense. The only one who seemed happy was Frieda. Her smile was bright as she beckoned them over. ''That is very great news, sir Yeager. Come, let's discuss this in more detail privately.''
''Hold on,'' Mikasa suddenly said, her eyes sharp and her voice stern. ''Why should we trust you? For all we know you're deceiving us.'' She raised a good point. Ymir and Bertolt nodded their heads in agreement as well. For all that they'd heard about Frieda, she was acting completely different.
''You do not need to worry, miss Ackerman,'' Frieda reassured, ''for I have been told six months ago about your arrival. I have waited ever since for you to pay me a visit.'' Frieda eyed Eren again, her eyes shining brightly. ''You are feeling it too, don't you? It's why you were so confident that I was in this exact estate while I could've been anywhere else. Whatever you have to say, I will most likely listen and whatever request you have, I will most likely comply. There are forces at work here that we can't comprehend, but I trust them to guide us in the right direction.''
Eren understood what she was talking about. The curse of Ymir and the first king's will; forces beyond logical explanation. They were always present, but how they worked was simply unfathomable. ''All right, Frieda. We will talk about this information privately.'' Eren gave Mikasa, Ymir and Bertolt a nod. Since they trusted Eren, they followed him without complaint.
Once they were alone—in the same room where Frieda and Rod had been drinking tea in previously—Frieda cut to the chase immediately. ''Eren Yeager, you want my founding titan, don't you?''
This time, Eren was prepared. He didn't react, although Mikasa, Ymir and Bertolt did gasp. Of course, they hadn't expected for her to know that, hence their surprise. ''I do, Frieda,'' he replied evenly nonetheless, his calm demeanour radiating strength. ''I need it if I want to reform Paradis.''
Rod Reiss eyed Eren crazily. This kid out of nowhere just waltzed in his home and demanded Frieda to hand over her founding titan so he could reform Paradis. He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. ''Are you insane?'' he questioned, clasping one hand over his face. ''Do you think Frieda is going to hand over her titan to some random kid? How do you even know about the power of the titans!?''
''He knows because he has the founding titan as well,'' Frieda replied with a small smile. Rod's reaction would've been hilarious if the situation wasn't so serious; he was gaping like a fish, his expression completely shocked while his face turned white as snow. Ignoring her father's stunned look, Frieda nodded her head to Eren. ''Very well. I will give you my founding titan so you can reform Paradis.''
This time, Eren couldn't help but keep the shock off of his face himself. ''You… Just like that?'' he stuttered in disbelief. ''You haven't even heard what my plan is!''
Frieda gave another sweet smile. ''I don't have to. Whatever you are going to tell me, my decision is already made; it was set in stone six months ago. I don't know what you did, Eren Yeager, but you had my support the moment you started your reformation.''
Rod's cynical chuckle reverberated through the entire room. ''You…'' he whispered, pointing to Eren. ''What have you done to my daughter? Did you brainwash her, you devil!? Do you think I will let you devour her so you can get her founding titan? I should kill you right here—''
However, Rod's angry rant was cut off forcefully by Frieda, who slapped him across the cheek with enough force to make it sting. ''Father, if you try to hurt Eren in any way, I will personally kill you.'' Her words were so icy and dead serious that Rod was rooted to the spot. ''If Eren wants to devour me, he can. If he wants anybody else to devour me, he can as well.''
Mikasa, Ymir and Bertolt now began to understand Frieda was not acting on her own intuitions, but rather those forced upon her when she received the founding titan. This realization dawned on Rod too. He hissed, but stayed completely silent.
''Eren Yeager, I will comply with anything you want me to do,'' Frieda continued. ''Tell me, and I'll obey.''
Never once had Eren even dreamed of hoping that convincing Frieda would be this easy. Yet here she was, completely willing to throw her life away if Eren so wished. It seemed he didn't only avoid potential disaster, but gained a powerful ally as well. ''Okay, Frieda,'' Eren responded after he had cleared his thoughts, radiating positivity. ''This is what I want you to do…''
After Eren had explained his plan to Frieda and Rod—and told them he wasn't going to kill Frieda but simply remove her titan—he asked them to pull strings at the higher ups so they could actually start to expose the king as a fraud to the masses. Of course, this was going to result into opposition from the Military Police Brigade, So Eren was preparing his squad as best as he could.
''In about a few hours, hell will break loose around here,'' he spoke to them seriously. ''Once the Military Police Brigade gets word about the coup d'état, I want you guys to stick to the plan no matter what.'' He paused to give his team the individual attention that they deserved before continuing. ''Now to make sure, tell me one final time what your roles are.''
Mikasa went first. ''I provide far away cover alongside Bertolt with my rifle. If we get under heavy fire, we will send out a distress signal so Eren can shift and help us out.'' Then, somewhat hesitantly, she added, ''I will not engage the enemy one on one.''
Eren smiled at the sour look she sported. Gently cupping her chin, he gave her a kiss on her nose. ''Your time will come, Mikasa. Trust me, all right?'' Eren spoke kindly. The blush that appeared on her cheeks was nothing more than adorable.
''I-I will, Eren, I mean I always have!'' Mikasa squeaked in embarrassment, which resulted into snickers from Bertolt and Ymir. Eren would've chuckled too if it wasn't for the fact he was simply too engaged in the mission at the moment.
''Good. Don't let me down then, all right?'' He gave her a wink before continuing.
''Bertolt?'' Eren asked.
''I will provide far away cover as well. In the circumstance that we have to deal with one on one battles, I'll use my excessive combat training to stall long enough so you can help us out,'' Bertolt answered without hesitation.
''Perfect. What about you, Ymir?'' Eren said finally.
''I will be your back-up in my titan form. I'll use your body as a shield and make sure we don't get lured into any traps or get attacked from behind,'' she spoke resolutely.
''Excellent! It seems we're all set then,'' Eren stated. ''All right, team, let's take in our positions.'' While Eren was preparing for the inevitable battle, he wondered how his dad, his stepmom, Annie and Reiner were doing.
Kenny Ackerman had seen a lot of things in his considerable lifespan already: from titans devouring people to straight up corruption and murder. Growing up with these types of things made it an everyday part of his life, and therefore, killing was in his blood. So, the moment he spotted a pretty young blonde talking to Historia, he initially thought nothing of it, until his instincts told him something was off about the encounter. Patiently waiting, he stayed expertly hidden until the woman started to lead Historia away.
Kenny's grin couldn't have been wider at that point; his instincts never failed him. He beckoned some of his men over silently before pulling his gun. They were a good thirty-five yards away, but Kenny's aim was impeccable. He pulled the trigger and shot the woman straight in her upper arm, who gave a loud shriek of anguish.
A pity he had to kill the woman now. She was certainly pretty looking. He figured now was the best time to reveal himself. ''My, my, what do we have here? Where are the pretty ladies off to?'' he asked savagely, his grin crooked on his face. He saw how the woman's arm dangled lifelessly against her body, blood rushing out of her gaping wound while the initial blast had splattered it against Historia's face, who looked completely terrified.
The woman continued to cry in pain; if that wound didn't get treated fast, she'd die of blood loss anyway, so Kenny was going to use her as an example for Historia. ''Here I was doing my usual rounds on the estates of the Reiss family, expecting another boring day, when my little eye spotted a woman I didn't recognize talking to Historia and trying to take her away. What do you say, boys? Shall I teach Historia a lesson why she should never leave this estate by slitting this woman's throat right in front of her?'' he asked his men, already grabbing his trusty blade for the final kill.
''Oh, I think that's a very good idea!'' one of them agreed, chuckling like mad.
It was decided then. Kenny was going to enjoy this. ''All right then, let's get the fun started!'' he exclaimed. His grin never left his face as he walked over to the woman with the full intention to mercilessly bring her to her end. However, that's where his grin left his face as the woman spoke up.
''Kenny Ackerman,'' she muttered, regaining her exposure incredibly fast, which shocked Kenny more than that she knew his name. ''Do you really think that I came unprepared?'' The woman's voice was calm yet full of murderous intent. She clutched her arm but ignored it completely, as if she wasn't lethally wounded in the first place. ''If you don't want things to escalate further, I'd suggest that you let me go with Historia right now.''
In any other circumstance, Kenny would've laughed, but the snarl on the woman's face told him she wasn't bluffing whatsoever. Moreover, the wound he had inflicted was buzzing with a red static, and in turn, it was healing in front of his very eyes. His men were all rooted to the spot at what they saw. ''A witch!'' one of them blurted out in horror.
Kenny wasn't easily spooked, but this did scare him a little. He'd seen this once before—the power of the Gods when he'd met Uri Reiss—but didn't want to believe the woman possessed the ability to transform into a titan as well. ''Can I at least know the pretty lady's name before I make a decision?'' he inquired, doing his best to stall so he could think up a plan. Giving the woman's incredible healing factor, he knew he was dealing with something very serious.
''You cannot,'' she replied flatly. She spat out the blood that had accumulated in her mouth before continuing, ''and frankly, my patience is running thin. I'll go with Historia now. Don't try to stop me.''
Her arm had healed enough that she could use it again. Grabbing Historia's hand, she slowly started to back off, never keeping her eyes off of Kenny. He would've let her go with Historia for now so he could assess what he was dealing with, but one of his men raised his rifle in defiance, fully intent to shoot the woman in her head.
In the next moment, multiple gunshots were heard from the distance. Bullets zipped past Kenny's head so close he could feel the air pressure they created. He was fortunate enough not to get hit, but two of his men were not that fortunate. The one who had raised his rifle got hit in the neck; the bullet slashed right through his jugular. He gurgled helplessly as blood spew out of his neck like a fountain before dropping to the ground lifelessly.
The other man cried out in pain as the bullet went through his shoulder, destroying his acromion-clavicular joint. He clasped it tightly as he grunted, whimpered and wallowed, desperately trying to put pressure on the wound; his arm was completely useless at the moment.
Kenny hissed, his heart beating a mile a minute. ''Sharpshooters! Take cover!'' he cried to his remaining men, quickly dashing to the oak tree Historia had been sitting under. While he was running, he aimed his gun at the blond woman once more, this time with the intent to blow her head off of her torso.
However, the distraction her back-up had created was enough for the woman to do something he'd never forget. She bit down on her skin and immediately afterwards yellow lightning struck the ground where she stood, making the earth shudder. A titan began to build itself up out of nothing, towering over the estate once the transformation was completed. The smile she wore was creepy enough to spook Kenny completely, especially when she looked down upon him, her murderous intentions clear as day.
''I think I might need some back-up myself for this one,'' he thought with wide eyes, grabbing his other gun and firing crazily at the smiling titan in front of him.
Dina grumbled inside her titan disappointingly; she hadn't expected to deal with Kenny Ackerman of all people. ''And I was so close to getting Historia as well,'' she thought sourly. That gunshot wound he had inflicted on her had hurt so bad that she was surprised she didn't pass out. What surprised her more, however, was the fact how fast it healed now that she was a titan-shifter. Luckily, Annie, Reiner and Grisha had given her excellent back-up from the spot they were hidden in. Although they missed Kenny, they'd given her enough time to shift. She would simply finish off Kenny herself now.
''I missed him,'' Annie said stoically to Reiner and Grisha, her disappointment palpable in her words. She never kept her eyes off Kenny, but since Dina had shifted, she didn't have a clear shot on him anymore.
''We all missed him,'' Grisha grumbled, reloading his rifle and aiming for Kenny's remaining men who had scattered. ''This mean all hell will break loose in a moment. Dina shifting will cause a lot of commotion.''
''We'll have to move soon,'' Reiner stated. ''If they get air of our location, we'll be trapped before we know it. Never mind that Historia is out and in the open. Grisha, how long do we have before back-up arrives for Kenny?'' He shot his rifle once more, missing by an inch as the bullet ricocheted off of some metalwork from a well one of Kenny's men had hidden behind.
''Ten minutes at most. Dina will be spotted from miles away around here. Every soldier of the Military Police Brigade will be sent to kill her if we don't secure Historia quickly,'' he responded. His rifle went off to finish the guy who he had shot in his shoulder previously. This time, he hit him in the back as he tried to run for cover.
''I'll go,'' Annie said immediately, packing up her rifle. Not waiting for an answer, she started to sprint out in the open to get to Historia's location.
''Hey, Annie!'' Reiner screamed after her, his face turned into anger and concern for her. ''I'll go after her!'' He didn't wait for Grisha's opinion on the matter as he tried to catch up to Annie.
Grisha cursed under his breath, obviously not agreeing with this turn of events, but he wasn't going to run after them. ''I'll never be able to run that fast. Best I can do is to cover them,'' he reasoned, steadying himself so he could shoot his rifle once more.
Meanwhile, Kenny had fired both of his guns empty on the smiling titan, yet she wasn't fazed whatsoever. Instead, she brought one of her arms backwards and up-high, trying to squash Kenny like a pesky bug. ''What the…'' he hissed before jumping and rolling out of the way just in time. Dina's hand smacked the ground so hard it left a big imprint behind while dust was kicked up everywhere.
''That was way too close,'' Kenny thought wildly, his heart beating in his throat. He had to reload fast and then somehow hit her in the nape; it was the only way he was going to stand a chance. He cursed himself for not bringing his vertical maneuvering equipment with him. Much time to think and to recover he didn't get. Dina continued her assault by sweeping her hand sideways like she was delivering a slap, only this one would turn him into a bloody pulp if it hit.
Miraculously, he was able to dodge out of the way by doing a back-flip on his hands, but the wind Dina generated with her sweeping motion still knocked him roughly off his feet. He grunted as he landed on his back, the burning sensation of the sand he slid over bruising him. Kenny scrambled to his feet like he was possessed. ''I can't fight her head-on,'' he realized. ''I need to distract her.''
Looking around, he spotted the sole occupant watching the battle unfold shell-shocked. Historia hadn't moved a single inch since the battle had started. She was completely rooted to the spot. Grinning, Kenny did the only thing he could in this situation. ''Johan! Shoot Historia! Kill her!'' he ordered to one of his men who had taken cover in a barn.
Immediately, the smiling titan shifted her attention to Historia, which is exactly what Kenny wanted. He had time to reload his guns while his subordinate aimed his rifle on the blonde girl with the intention to take her life.
Before he could shoot, Dina had already blocked the path between him and Historia, especially when she saw Annie and Reiner approaching in the distance. ''Good, get Historia in safety, I'll handle things here.'' She was tired of playing games; Dina didn't want to resort to this, but she knew she couldn't underestimate her opponents.
She spread both of her hands like they were claws; her fingers hardening to steel like proportions. With incredible speed, she approached the gunman who tried to shoot Historia, the earth rumbling under her feet. The agonizing shriek of absolute terror was cut short when Dina slashed her claws downwards in an X pattern, slicing him up in multiple bloodied humps of flesh. The barn never withstood the attack either; long gashes ran along its entire frame, creaking ominously before the building collapsed down on itself in a pile of ruble and dust.
Annie couldn't help but smirk a bit when she saw the spectacle unfold. ''The power of the female titan at full display; Eren chose wisely to give it to Dina,'' she thought with pride in her voice. She was the first to reach Historia. Not thinking twice, she scooped up the petrified girl to bring her to safety. However, a bullet blocked her path before she could run back.
''Not so fast, missy,'' Kenny hissed dangerously. He'd seen what the smiling titan was capable of, but he also knew she'd be preoccupied with the reinforcements that already were arriving on the scene: men of the Military Police Brigade, fully equipped with weapons, heavy artillery and vertical maneuvering equipment. ''Historia isn't going anywhere.''
''Drop your weapons, Kenny!'' Reiner screamed, having caught up and aiming his rifle at the mercenary. ''Or else I'll shoot.''
Kenny aimed his second gun at Reiner with a crooked smile. ''You don't know what I am capable of, boy. I could kill you both if I want, but that won't give me any answers, now would it? Now why don't we solve this in a civilized manner? I'll drop my weapons if you drop yours.'' Kenny's smile couldn't be wider as Reiner seemed to contemplate the option, his body language unsure.
Annie's gaze, however, turned sharp. ''You're lying, Kenny,'' she responded cunningly. ''You know that you're in the disadvantage; you're hoping to take us off guard with your hidden knives.''
Kenny just chuckled, not saying anything for the longest of time. The tense situation lasted for a few more seconds until a big cannon blast was heard coming their way. Both parties gasped at the incoming projectile; the explosion went off just a few yards from them, knocking them off their feet violently.
Dina widened her eyes at the carnage; that shot was entirely meant for her, but the guy's aim was absolutely terrible. ''I have to help them,'' her mind screamed at her. Ignoring the small army of men shooting at her, she covered the distance in mere seconds, desperately looking through the smoke and dust for her allies. There she found Historia, knocked out cold. Blood ran from her face while her body was completely covered in soot and dirt. ''Oh no, you poor thing,'' Dina thought sadly, protectively wrapping her up in her hands. While she had secured Historia, she looked for Annie, Reiner and Kenny, but couldn't find them whatsoever. ''C'mon, where are they?'' she thought, her desperation growing. Another cannon blast knocked her back to reality. The projectile managed to hit her this time around; she was blasted straight in her back, knocking her off balance and damaging her more than she would like to admit. Dina growled and roared, her titan producing so much noise that everybody in the immediate area had to cover their ears less they were reduced to a bloody pulp.
Dina knew she had to make a decision now. Staying longer with Historia in her hands brought her in grave danger, never mind the fact that she had no idea in what condition she was in at the moment. Her frustration and grief grew stronger as tears rolled down her cheeks. ''Annie, Reiner. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you.''
With no idea how they were doing, Dina took a run for it, effectively making the army follow her: she had to bring Historia to Grisha immediately and then focus all her efforts on defeating the Military Police Brigade if they wanted any chance in their mission succeeding.
The higher-ups and their puppet king had no idea what was going to hit them when they awoke today. Early in the morning, they were all enjoying breakfast together, chatting amiably about how much money they had earned, or what concubine they'd added to their ever-growing collection of women they'd slept with. They were in a jolly good mood; nothing could ruin it at the moment.
That was until presumably a titan was spotted on the countryside near one of the estates of the Reiss family. Most of them had scoffed and laughed, waving it off as mere lies to scare the commoners, but when the rumors were confirmed to be real, some of them did start to sweat a little.
They'd discussed heatedly how it was possible a titan was running loose so deep into the heart of wall Rose and how to combat it, that their hearts almost threatened to stop when the most influential newspaper—Berg Newspaper from Stohess District—had printed an article about them claiming that they were frauds. From there, a bloody revolution seemed to appear out of nowhere where most of the Garrison started to combat the Military Police Brigade while hordes of people let their voices be heard all within the walls.
They expected the worst when Dot Pixis and Dhalis Zachary didn't respond to their distress messages, nor could they contact Frieda or Rod Reiss. The only one who was defending them at the moment was Nile Dok, but they had no idea how long he would hold out. Driven in a corner, they requested the audience of their only hope left. They didn't like it one bit, but it was their only chance.
''Tell us, you are still loyal to the crown, aren't you?'' one of them asked, his desperate quaver in his voice noticeable.
''I am, milord.''
''Then rid us from this uproar and we shall reward you and your men handsomely!'' he responded a little bit too loudly.
''We don't seek compensation. However, we fully expect that our expeditions outside the walls will be funded fully from now on,'' the man in question responded calmly.
''Yes, whatever you want! You have our word!'' the higher-up agreed immediately.
''For what it is worth; probably less than the dirt on the streets. You are lucky we weren't on an expedition and that we could come so quickly,'' he thought, but didn't say this aloud. Instead, he stood at attention and bowed. ''I shall see how we can address this situation with the least number of casualties possible. The Survey Corps Special Operation Squad is at your service,'' commander Erwin Smith stated respectfully.
Behind him, Eld Jinn, Oluo Bozado, Petra Ral and Gunther Schultz all bowed their heads, even though they were all thinking the same thing; the sheer ridiculousness of what they had to do was mind-boggling. There was no way they were going to kill people of their own kind, yet they didn't speak up out of place. They trusted Erwin would come up with a solution.
The only one who didn't bow was the short man in the back, who looked bored out of his mind. ''Right,'' Levi Ackerman stated, ''let's handle this quickly. There are bigger problems running around outside of the walls.''
Never would he have imagined that the strongest titan he was ever going to face was the initiator of this coup d'état and that he would meet him deep inside wall Sina.
That's it for now people! The battle for Paradis has officially started! Did you like it, love it, hate it? Please leave a review! I love them! :3 Until next time! ^^
~Syrup