Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 43: Rescue Annie
As soon as the tunnel had closed off behind him, Lazarus cut his finger, changed into the Winged Titan, and raced down the tunnels as fast as his huge legs could carry him. There was no room for him to spread his wings, so running was his only method of transportation.
There were so many twists and turns within the huge maze, making it nearly impossible for anyone to navigate. Had it not been for the collective knowledge of the past Crystal Titans Michael had bestowed on him, he never would've reached Annie in time. He knew exactly which way to go, and which routes were the fastest to Wall Sina. He didn't even question it. He just knew, as if he'd always known.
He can still sense Annie's radiating Titan energy. Back in Shiganshina, he could no longer sense her due to the great distance between them. But as he was running down the tunnels, he started to detect her presence. Though it was very faint. Through his Titan eyes, his vision showed a growing ball of light above him that only grew bigger the closer he got to it.
"Annie! I can sense her. I must be getting close now. Damn, it's hard to tell the time in here. I can't even tell if the lights in the tunnel are from the sun or just reflected light from the times Michael opened it up."
As he continued, he glanced back at the path behind him. By now the other burning lights that represented the other Titan Shifters had gone out. He was well out of their range now, even in their Titan forms.
"The battle must've started already. I can sense the increased buildup of energy from the others. I've gotta hurry and find Annie. I need to get back and help them as soon as possible!"
Eventually, the Winged Titan reached the dead end of the current tunnel he was in. Before he began to wonder what he should do next, the crystals in the roof part, formed a human-sized hole, allowing sunlight to shine through and down on him.
"Looks like this is as far I can go. Thanks, Michael. I'll try and make this quick. Hang in there."
Before exiting his Titan's nape, he peeks through the hole, making sure the coast was clear before climbing out.
All he could see were fields of wheat all around him. From this angle, it was difficult for him to make out the entirety of his surroundings. He'd be taking a big risk climbing out now. For he knows there could be a large gathering of MPs out there waiting for him.
"No." Lazarus shook his head in disbelief. "Even if the military anticipated my arrival, there's no way they could know I'd be coming out of this hole specifically. There are dozens of entrances to the labyrinth. The chances of them knowing their exact location, let alone this specific one, are minuscule… I can't just sit here. I've gotta get out and get to the dungeons they're holding Annie. Whatever dangers come my way; they cannot kill me."
Lazarus cuts his way out of his Titan body with his ODM katana blades and uses his Titan's long hair to climb up towards the hole. The left top horn was embedded in the ground right in front of the hole, providing him with an easy way up.
He struggled to fit his Cloud Zero gear through the hole at first but was successful in making it to the surface with it still intact. The hole automatically closed behind him as soon as he was clear of it.
He has a quick look around to determine his whereabouts. He was standing in the middle of a vast wheat field. He let out a relieved sigh once he realised he was all alone. Not a single person to be seen. That suited the albino Warrior just fine.
After readjusting his Cloud Zero, Lazarus focuses his mind on Annie's location, trying to determine how far away from Stohess he is and how long it'll take him to reach her. According to his senses, Annie is a few miles north-east of his position. It would take him hours for him to get there by foot. And he couldn't simply ride into the district with a horse. For one, there were no stables in the area. And second, the MPs would immediately recognise him the moment he set foot in Stohess.
He sighs with frustration. "Damnit. I thought I had a foolproof plan here! Guess Michael failed to specify exactly how close to Stohess the tunnels could bring me. It'll take me forever to get there on foot. I can't transform again either. I'm too far to walk, but close enough for any patrols to spot the huge flash. And I can't use my ODM gear without trees to hook onto… I have no choice but to walk. Sorry, guys. I'm gonna be a little late."
His enhanced hearing instantly picks up the sounds of a horse trotting down a road a few feet away from him. He quickly turns in the direction of the sound and spots two male farmers riding a horse and cart. The cart contained many barrels and sacks of what he assumed was wheat harvested from the field he was standing in.
"…Or maybe not."
He ducks into the wheat and crawls towards the approaching cart. If he could get them to stop long enough, he could climb inside one of the barrels and hide until he entered Stohess. But the question was, how can he do that?
"Ow! What the hell!"
As he was struggling to come up with a plan, he felt something jump up and bite him on his left elbow. It took a lot of effort for him to not let out a scream and alert the farmers to his presence. The culprit was a snake that had been hiding in the grass, waiting for the right moment to pounce.
Lazarus fights through the pain as he pries the snake's fang out of his flesh, holding it by the neck. The snake wiggles and swings its tail viciously, attempting to escape.
"What are the odds of me being bitten by a snake in a place like this at the most convenient of times?" He thought to himself. The bite mark on his arm quickly heals.
At this point, he didn't have the time to question it and instead decided to use this strange encounter to his advantage. He quickly tosses the snake out into the road, right in front of the approaching horse. The snake hisses at the horse, causing it to freak out and stand on its hind legs.
The two farmers quickly exit the cart. One of them chases off the snake while the other attempts to calm the horse down. All the cargo they were carrying had fallen out of the cart. One of the barrels broke upon landing atop a rock and some kind of red liquid started to pour out of it, staining the road red.
Lazarus quickly takes off his ODM gear and places it in one of the barrels, emptying the contents inside first. He places Cloud Zero inside and seals it up before emptying and climbing inside the other barrel.
It took a while. But the farmers were finally able to calm down the horse.
"There you go, girl." One of them soothed the spotted stallion.
"Damn reptile came outta nowhere!" The other one complained. He then lets out an annoyed groan at the sight of all their precious cargo straying out all over the road. "Crap! Our crops fell out. We gotta get it to the Military Police building ASAP!"
"Then how about you stop complaining and help me load it all again." The first farmer responded, uninterested in hearing his partner's complaints.
The two of them reload the cart as fast as they can, trying their damnedest to get their stock to the capital in time. The last time they arrived late, they received a harsh telling-off from one of the guards. Best not to piss them off again.
They both struggle to pick up the barrel Lazarus was hiding inside.
"Is it me, or is this barrel of grape wine a lot heavier than before?" One of the farmers wondered, causing Lazarus to start sweating nervously.
"They're ALL heavy, idiot. That's why they require two people." He clarified as he took hold of the other end and helped him load it onto the cart. Lazarus lets out a small sigh.
They then load up the barrel containing Cloud Zero next to him, along with the other barrels and sacks of wheat. The two farmers then notice the broken barrel still leaking all over the road.
"Oh no! The guards aren't gonna like this."
"It's just one barrel. I'm sure they won't miss it." He reassured his partner. "Now let's get a move on. We're already behind schedule. If we're to get to the capital on time we'll have to double our speed… Make sure everything's secure this time, in case we happen to cross another snake."
The farmer's partner nodded in agreement. The two of them grabbed the reigns and ordered their horse to pick up the pace.
Lazarus stayed hidden inside the barrel the whole time. His only visual of the outside world was a tiny peeping hole. Though he could only see the path to his right.
"Ok, that could've gone completely wrong. How fortunate that this cart is going straight to the MP's HQ. Still, I have to find a way to sneak down to the basement and free Annie without being spotted… It's only gonna get difficult from here on out. I better plan my next moves very carefully."
The farmer's cart reaches the gates of Stohess District. Lazarus gazes out the hole and confirms for himself that he is back in Stohess. He hadn't been back here since Annie's capture. It almost felt like it's been years, even though it had only been a week or two.
The wagon pulls up towards the entrance to the castle where the MP's base of operations was. The guards stationed at the entrance examine the contents of their cart, making sure everything they ordered was accounted for.
"Hey, Harold. How's guard duty?" The farmer holding the reigns asked.
"Boring as usual. Nothing exciting has happened since that mess we had with those three Titans."
"Oh yeah, we heard about that… Is it true you've got one of them locked up in there?" The other farmer asked.
"Yep. She's locked deep in the basement in some kind of crystal. So far, she hasn't emerged from it. But eventually, she'll have to break out of there. When she does, we'll be ready."
As they were talking, the other guard had just finished examining the cart. Lazarus held his nerve the whole time, trying his hardest not to draw attention to him.
"Hey! Hold up a second!" The other guard stopped the farmers as they were about to enter the courtyard.
"Is there a problem?" The farmer addressed him.
"You bet your ass there's a problem."
Lazarus continued to hold his nerve as he started to form a crystal dagger within his right hand, ready to attack once they removed the lid.
"…You're one barrel short."
"Oh, that. We had an incident on the way over here. A snake was in the road. Scared our horse, Victoria." The farmer clarified. "The barrel was damaged in the fall. We couldn't save it."
"I see." The guard simply replied as he stood back at his post. "Know that we'll be docking 10% of your payment for this. Go on through."
The two farmers let out an annoyed sigh as they slowly drove the wagon into the courtyard. Lazarus sighs and dissipates the dagger. He's in. Now the hard part begins.
After docking the cart outside the back doors to the castle. A couple of MPs helped the farmers unload their stock and began rolling the barrels inside, while one stayed behind to pay for the delivery.
Lazarus had to hold his mouth and nose shut while resisting the urge to vomit. Being rolled across a stone floor made him feel nauseous. He prays to God that he won't be carried far. He's unsure how much more of this he can take.
Fortunately for him, the guards placed him, and the other barrels, inside a stock room which was filled to the brim with food. Fruits, vegetables, meat, bread, alcohol, etc.
He waited until the room was empty until he finally climbed out of the barrel. His whole body was aching as a result of being in a cramped position for what felt like an hour. He stretched his arms, legs, and back until he felt his bones make a satisfying clicking sound.
He opens up the barrel next to his, pulls out his Cloud Zero, and re-attaches it to his waist. Once that was done, he peeked out of the keyhole of the only exit, making sure he was alone, which he was.
"Phew… Alright, I'm in. Now I just have to get to the basement without being spotted. Walking out that door is a bad idea. I need some kind of disguise."
He effortlessly searches the pantry for something, anything, to use as a disguise. It's unlikely he'll find a spare uniform that fits him in here. Even if he did, he stood out too much with his white hair, red eyes, and black cowboy hat. He started to mentally panic as he tried to think up a plan to get to Annie without looking suspicious. On top of that, he also needed to come up with an escape plan. One that didn't involve transforming and destroying Stohess again.
"Yes!" He cheerfully thought as he pulled out an old black cloak with a hood. "This doesn't exactly make me less suspicious, but it'll have to do. At least it'll hide my ODM gear."
Lazarus uses his jacket sleeve to dust off all the dirt and cobwebs off the cloak before putting it on over his ODM gear. He buttons it up to ensure it stays hidden. The only issue he had left was his hat. He can't walk around wearing it. It'll easily give him away to the guards. But he also can't take it off either. His horns acted more like a dead giveaway than his hat did.
The solution to this problem was to simply rest his hat against his back, using the sting underneath it to hold it up. He then uses his knife to cut off his horns, severing them to the nub so that they don't stick his hood up. Using his ability to control Titan's energy, he holds back his regeneration. The same way he maintained his cover during the incident at Utgard Castle when a Titan broke them off.
Lazarus gently opens the pantry door and peeks out into the hallway with his hood up. Once the coast was clear, he began sneaking through the castle, using the shadows as cover to blend in and hide from any approaching MPs.
It took some careful timing and a lot of patience. But Lazarus was finally able to reach the basement where Annie was being kept. He was so close to finally being reunited with the love of his life. All that remained to stand in his way was a locked wooden door, and an MP standing guard outside it.
Lazarus hid behind the wall left of the door, hiding in the dark parts of the dimly lit room. Up until now, he had gotten extremely lucky slipping past the guards and getting to this point.
He did have to take out one or two guards who spotted him, but he was able to make quick work of them by knocking them out and locking them in the pantry. Killing them would've triggered an alert. He's come so far to slip up now. Nothing is gonna get in between him and Annie's future.
He takes a deep breath before jumping out of cover and making a dash for the guard. Before he had any time to react, Lazarus put him in a chokehold and kept on squeezing until he passed out. He then frantically searches his pockets for the keys to the door.
Lazarus looks down both corridors before unlocking the door with the keys he obtained from the guard. He carries his body inside and closes the door behind him. He ties him up with some rope he took from the pantry, gags his mouth with a piece of white cloth, and leaves him in the corner of the room.
Once that is done, he gazes up at the crystal cocoon containing Annie Leonhart. It was put on a display of wood planks and tied to the wall, keeping her facing forwards.
Lazarus lowers his hood and slowly approaches the crystal. His horns started to grow back the closer he got. He raises his left arm and gently places it atop the crystal's surface. A small smile formed on his face as he looked directly at her. For some reason, she seemed more beautiful to him than ever before. Maybe it was because he hadn't seen her in so long. Not since the assault on Stohess.
"Annie… It's been so long." He uttered quietly. "It's me, Lazarus. I've come to rescue you, just like I promised." He then places both his hands atop the crystal. "You've been trapped in that cocoon for too long. Let's get you outta there."
Lazarus closes his eyes and focuses Titan energy in his hands. He unleashes the same kind of energy that allows him to construct weapons out of crystals, only in reverse, in the hopes of undoing Annie's hardening and setting her free. He didn't know if it was even possible, but he didn't have any other options.
Titan energy escapes through his fingertips and passes into the cocoon. The crystal then starts to melt away as if thawing someone who has been frozen in ice. Lazarus kept his focus all the way through. Should he slip up now he could accidentally shatter it, and Annie, into pieces.
Annie gasped for air as her head was the first to be freed, followed by the rest of her body. She had no feeling in her legs as they had not been used in weeks, causing her to fall off the pedestal and land right into Lazarus's open arms.
Ever so slightly, she starts to regain consciousness. She struggles to open her eyes due to the brightness of the room they are in. She started coughing uncontrollably, vomiting up a clear liquid. Lazarus attempted to soothe her by gently rubbing her back. His eyes hadn't left hers once.
"Easy, easy. You need to relax and let your body readjust to the world." He gently whispered to her. "You're free of the chrysalis, but you shouldn't force your body to recover.
Annie's ears couldn't completely pick up what he was saying. All she could hear was white noise and the distorted audio of Lazarus's voice.
"I- I can't hear! I can't see!" She stuttered in fear.
"Don't panic. Your senses will return in time. Just stay calm and let your healing factor do its job." He calmly reassures her as he continues to stroke her back.
As soon as she managed to stabilise her breathing, she redirected her focus to trying to open her eyes again. It took a few attempts, but she was able to finally readjust to the world around her.
She looked up at Lazarus, but she wasn't able to properly make out his face until her vision was completely cleared. She was greeted with a warm, loving smile from her fearless leader/lover.
"L- Lazarus?" She slowly uttered, still fumbling around her words.
"Yes, my love. It's me. I've come to rescue you like I said I would. We can be together again."
"Lazarus… Are you really here? Or is this… a dream?"
Lazarus responds by planting an intimate kiss on her cold lips. It felt as if he was kissing an ice sculpture. But Lazarus didn't care. It felt like forever since the last time he was affectionate with her. Every second he'd been separated from her, he had wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms once again. To feel her warm breath against his neck. To hear her heartbeat in sync with his own. There was no place he would rather be than by her side.
Annie felt the same way. A warm feeling of happiness and peace grew within her as she returned his kiss. For weeks she has been isolated in the cold darkness, only hearing echoes of the people outside her chrysalis. She was lonely, afraid, and full of despair. She didn't think this nightmare would ever end. That she would be locked in there forever.
But then her knight in shining armour swooped down from the heavens and rescued her. The one and only man she ever felt like herself around. The only person she would destroy the world for just to be by his side. No matter how long she was in there, or how far apart they were. Nothing could take away the two Warriors' love for each other.
"Does that feel like a dream?" Lazarus asked her as soon as they broke off the kiss.
Annie said nothing in response. Tears started to build up in her eyes as she embraced him in a tight hug.
"I knew you'd come back for me." She uttered while still clinging to him. "All this time I've been hoping. Praying. That somehow, you'd free me from what felt like years of darkness and voices."
"Wait, so you're saying you were conscious the whole time you were in there?" Annie slowly nodded. "…My god. I can't imagine what that must've been like. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I wish I could've done more."
"There was nothing you could've done. My fate was sealed the moment they discovered who I was. Encasing myself was the only way to ensure I'd see you again. This was my decision, not yours." She reminded him.
Lazarus briefly looked away to check the door and the tied-up guard who was still passed out in the corner. As much as he wanted to catch Annie up on everything that had transpired since her capture, they couldn't stay here. They've already taken a big enough risk just by being here. The sooner they leave, the better.
"Can you stand? I'm sorry to do this to you, but we can't stay much longer. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible. Zeke, Michael, and the others are fighting the Scouts in Shiganshina right now. Trying to end our conflict with Paradis for good."
"Zeke's here? And Michael too?" She asked in shock. Her ears may not have fully recovered yet, but she was certain she heard him right then.
"I'll explain everything to you on the flight back. But for now, we have to move."
Lazarus helps Annie up onto her feet, though she still hasn't fully regained mobility. He takes her left arm and drapes it over his shoulder to help her walk until she's able to move on her own.
But their timing couldn't have been any worse. Hitch Dreyse, Annie's former roommate and cadet in the MPs, just entered the basement and was now face to face with the intruder and the gloomy blonde she once called friend.
The three of them just stare in surprise at each other, unsure of what they should do next. She notices the unconscious guard lying in the corner of the room, giving her the impression that these two are a threat to her. Hitch wasn't armed so simply shooting them wasn't an option. And the walls of the basement were soundproof so she couldn't call for backup.
Even if both options were available, she currently didn't have the sense to use them. Her face was frozen with shock over seeing Annie free of her chrysalis and Lazarus standing in front of her, with his horns on full display.
"I… wasn't hallucinating that day." She muttered to herself. She briefly thinks back to the time when she was drunk and was escorted back to her dorm by Marlo. She remembered peeking in on the two of them during their lovemaking. She saw his horns then too. But at the time she told herself she was seeing things due to her drunken state.
Nobody believed her at the time. But now that word had gotten out about Lazarus being the Winged Titan, she knew her eyes were correct.
"It's you." Lazarus calmly responded whilst keeping Annie behind him. "You're Hitch, right? We met that one time I visited Annie… Listen. We were just-
"I know who you are." Hitch interrupted him. "The Scouts have already told Marlo and me everything." She lets out a sigh of disappointment. "Why is it always the pretty ones who're the bad guys?" She thought.
"I figured that." Lazarus calmly responded. "I also know you won't be letting us go. But listen, I only came here to rescue Annie and take her home. I have no desire to harm you or anyone. So, I'm asking you nicely. Please step aside and let us go, or else you'll force me to do something I don't wanna do."
"Do as he says, Hitch. Neither of us wanna kill you, but we won't hesitate if you give us a reason to." Annie spoke up behind him as she unveiled the spike within the promise ring Lazarus gave her. The same one she used to transform within Stohess.
Hitch remained silent as she tried to come up with a plan to stop them. Fighting them unarmed would be unwise. Lazarus was armed with his Cloud Zero, and Annie had her ring. Her only option was to distract them and hopefully buy time for more MPs to discover her whereabouts and send reinforcements.
"Why'd you do it, you two? Why start all this? Why lie to my face?!" She asked. Her tone of voice rises in intensity with each question.
"It's complicated," Lazarus responded as he started to slowly approach her, forcing Hitch to back away. "Anything I say will just sound like an excuse. All I will say is that we're not complete monsters. We never enjoyed what we did, and it was never our intention to lie to you. War had just forced us in a position to do the things we did."
"You're right. That does sound like an excuse!" Hitch lashed out as she secretly reached behind her for the doorknob.
"Casualties are an unfortunate consequence of war." He continued. "But I assure you, the brief moments I had meeting you and Marlo were genuine. It was never an act. I actually thought of you two as good people."
Hitch inevitably reaches the door behind her and quickly attempts to make a run for it. But she was apprehended by Lazarus who puts her in the same chokehold he used on the guard. Hitch grabbed his hair, scratched at his face, and even kicked him. But Lazarus fought through the pain and tightened his grip.
"Nobody believed me. But I knew there was something evil about you from the moment I saw those horns!" Hitch effortlessly spews as she is being choked. "You're… a devil!"
"I know…" Lazarus simply responded, maintaining his grip as Hitch's face turned blue and her body went limp in his grasp. He then gently lies her down on the floor behind the pedestal and out of the way of the door.
"… We're all devils. But I plan to put an end to that once and for all when I take back the Founding Titan."
Lazarus turns to face Annie who is still in the process of regaining her strength. She's able to stand and walk on her own now, but it'll be a while till she's able to run and fight. And even longer to transform into the Female Titan.
"She's alive, in case you're wondering. Just passed out."
"I know." She responded tirelessly. "We should get out of here before any of these two come around."
Once out of the basement, Annie and Lazarus snuck out of the Military Police headquarters the same way he snuck in. It was more difficult the second time now that he had a still-recovering Annie following behind him.
It took a while, but the pair were able to sneak out of the castle by going underground through the capital sewers. Annie had already traversed the area during reconnaissance for the Warriors during their training days within the 104th Cadet Corps. Who would've thought they'd be using it to smuggle themselves out of Wall Sina?
"Ugh! It stinks down here!" Lazarus unconsciously commented. "I'm sorry you had to come down here."
"Why are you apologising? Reiners the one who made me do it."
"Yeah, but it was still my call to have one of us infiltrate the capital." He defended his friend.
"Whatever. Not like I care what's going on with that moron." Annie coldly replied.
"… You still haven't gotten over his cowardly actions when Marcel died, have you?"
"It's not just that." She glances back at him briefly. "He made me take off Marco's ODM gear. He used my father's promise to emotionally blackmail me into doing it… I'll never forgive him for that."
"Don't forget that it was me who killed Marco in the end. Nobody talked me into it. It was all my choice… Reiner has been through a lot in such a short amount of time. His PTSD grew worse once our identities were revealed. He didn't wanna accept the fact that the bonds we've formed with the cadets were over. And now we may be forced to kill them once we return to Shiganshina… If they haven't already."
There was no response from Annie, so Lazarus decided to continue.
"When Zeke and I argued whether to save you or not, Reiner had my back. He prioritised your safety over the mission."
"So what? He didn't offer to come with you." Annie pointed out.
"Only because my fight with Zeke ended in a draw. As a result, I had to go alone while the others followed his plan… I know you and Reiner don't see eye to eye, and nothing I say can ever change that. But you're the girl I love, and he's my best friend. Whether you like each other or not, both of you will always be a part of my life. Just like I'll always be a part of Michaels."
That last statement made Annie realise that there was much she didn't know about yet. All she knew was that their cover was blown. They're now at war with the Scouts. And they still haven't recovered the Coordinate. Now Zeke and Pieck are here to try and succeed where they failed.
Lazarus gave her a short explanation of the events that have led them to this moment, including the restoration of Michael's memories and his true loyalty to, not Marley, but the Warriors… Or so he thought.
Eventually, they reach the outskirts of the capital and are now underneath a small village that leads back to the open fields Lazarus was in before. Plenty of open space for him to transform in. Even though his transformation will be spotted by the villagers and possibly MPs, he and Annie will have been long gone by the time they reach their location.
Lazarus was the first to climb the ladder and open the manhole above them. He scans the area for any soldiers patrolling the town. There were no signs of MPs or Garrison soldiers… But there were also no signs of life at all within the village. It was empty.
"Somethings wrong." He whispered down to Annie. "There should be people going about their business. There haven't been any Titans since Utgard Castle. They have no reason to evacuate the civilians… Unless."
"Annie, stay here. I have a feeling we're walking into a trap." Lazarus warned. He then climbs out of the manhole and closes it without another word. Annie didn't like being left in the dark and the foul stench of human waste, but she was used to it since she grew up in a part of the Liberio next to the sewer system and a factory that released tons of smoke into the atmosphere every day.
Lazarus scans the area for any signs of danger but could not find a single one. The village was silent. Only the sounds of the trees swishing in the wind could be heard. But he didn't buy it. There was something off about this village and he was gonna find out what.
He inches closer to the closest set of houses in front of him, keeping his guard up the entire time.
Using his enhanced hearing, Lazarus tries to pinpoint anything that would confirm his hunch. On the top level of the house on his right, he managed to pick up the faint sound of someone cocking their rifle. He quickly responds by reaching for his katana blades hidden underneath his cloak.
"FIRE!"
But before he could counterattack, many soldiers suddenly appeared out of their hiding spots within the empty village and unleashed a barrage of bullets at him, gunning him down without hesitation. They all kept on firing ceaselessly until he finally fell backwards and collapsed to the ground. His whole body was full of holes. His throat was torn open. His internal organs have been badly damaged, most notably his heart and lungs which started growing weaker, preventing him from breathing.
The soldiers all step out of their hiding spots and reveal themselves to the downed Warrior. All of them were a mix of Garrison and Military Police soldiers, veterans and cadets alike. There were over a hundred of them present. All were armed with ODM gear and rifles. They were led by Lieutenant Miche Zacharius of the Scout Regiment, Rico Brzenska, and Kitz Woermann of the Garrison Regiment.
"Did we do it? Did we kill that monster?!" Kitz turned to Miche for clarification, clearly scared of what they were up against.
"For now. But he'll heal. They always do. If he is alive, we'll keep shooting until he's immobilised. Once the Scouts return, we'll feed him to a soldier and take the Winged Titan power for ourselves."
Rico examines Lazarus who is still bleeding out all over the ground, staining the grass and flowers red with his blood.
"If your body is severely damaged it's too busy healing to allow you to assume Titan form. Isn't that right?!" She venomously asked Lazarus, though she knew he was incapable of answering her at this time.
She picks up one of his horns that was broken off during the gunfire and examines it.
"All this time, the Winged Titan had been fighting alongside us. Pretending to be our ally. No human could've kept a straight face the entire time, knowing the horrors they've caused."
"Except Lazarus isn't human. He's a monster." Miche corrected her. He then turns his attention to the manhole cover they climbed out of earlier. "As is the Female Titan… We know you're in there, Leonhart! Come out with your hands up!" He shouted.
Two of the soldiers race over to the manhole and remove it, revealing Annie to them. They both aim their rifles at her, ready to shoot in case she tries anything. Left with no choice, Annie complied with the lieutenant's demand and slowly climbed out of the manhole with her hands raised. The two soldiers point their rifles right at her head. Their fingers were gently placed on the trigger, ready to shoot at any moment.
"End of the road, Titan! Today you pay for all the people you've killed!" Kitz declares whilst trying to sound intimidating and failing miserably.
"How did you know where to find us?" Annie asked Miche.
Miche responds simply by tapping the right side of his nose, implying that he smelled them coming a mile away.
"I detected Lazarus's scent the moment he entered Stohess. Erwin anticipated he'd make an attempt to rescue you, and his suspicions were correct. He asked me to put together a task force comprised of the finest Garrison and MPs to stop you two at all costs."
"If you knew this whole time, why wait until now to ambush us?" She questioned him.
"We needed to lure you two out into an open area where no civilians would be hurt. It didn't take long to pinpoint your exact location once I knew which direction you were heading. Not even the smell of sewage could mask your scent from me. It's over."
All soldiers aim at Annie. Like Lazarus, she was too dangerous to be kept alive. Capturing her was no longer on the table. All they desired now was to execute her as they temporarily did Lazarus.
Annie was still too weak to transform and defend herself. She was powerless. And Miche's squad knew this. Today's the day they make her suffer for all the Scouts she's killed during the 57th Expedition.
Even though the odds weren't in her favour, Annie still did not give in to despair. Instead, she just simply stood there, blankly staring at her executioners. Rico started to pick up on this and began to wonder why she wasn't on her knees begging for her life right now.
"What's with her? She's not even gonna try and deny it? Has she given up? She wondered. "No. She must have some kind of plan up her sleeve. But what?"
She then glances over at Lazarus and is shocked to see his wounds healing much faster than she was expecting. Usually, it takes a Titan roughly a few minutes to regenerate completely. Sometimes much longer depending on how serious their wounds were. But Lazarus's body was healed almost instantaneously.
His eyes then shot wide open before he quickly got back up on his feet again. Steam continued to erupt out of the open wounds that were still in the process of healing.
"He's back up! Shoot him again!" Kitz ordered the soldiers.
This time Lazarus was prepared for it and attempted to leap backwards, dodging the next barrage of bullets. Though he wasn't able to dodge all of them. He then punches the two soldiers restraining Annie and pushes her out of the way.
"Stay back, Annie!" He picks up his hat, which is still somehow intact, and hands it over to her. "Get to cover. Keep this safe for me until I return."
He then decided to go on the offensive, to the soldier's surprise, and charge towards them as they continued to unload their clips into his body.
Realising what he was planning, Miche orders the squad to cease fire and scatter immediately. He was about to transform into the Winged Titan.
"HE'S GONNA TRANSFORM! SCATTER!"
Everyone follows his strict orders and begins sprinting as fast as their legs can carry them in all directions. All except Kitz, who stupidly decided to take him on alone.
"What the hell are you doing?! Get outta there!" Rico shouted back at him.
"No! I won't let this horned demon get the better of us again! I will be the destroyer of humanity's greatest enemy!" Kitz arrogantly decrees as he continues to fire his rifle at the approaching Lazarus, blinded by his desire to prove to everyone that he's not a coward and he was right about people like Eren.
He then fires a bullet right between Lazarus's eyes and into his brain, causing the albino Warrior to stumble and start falling backwards yet again.
Kitz was in a state of surprise. Which started changing into a look of blind joy. An eerie smile forms on his face as he stares down at the dead traitor. He raises his rifle high and lets out an intense victory yell. Miche, Rico, and the others all stop in their tracks and look back at the mad Garrison lieutenant.
"I DID IT! I KILLED THE WINGED TITAN!" He declared loud and proud to the others. His arrogance only grew worse from there. He then proceeds to grab Lazarus by his shirt collar and pulls him up to his eye level.
"Remember this, men! It was I, Kitz Woermann, who slain the king of beasts! You think I'm a coward now?! Would a coward stay and fight a powerful foe like this?! I don't think so! This is MY moment of glory! Nobody's gonna take it away from me-"
The glory-hungry Kitz was enjoying his invented victory so much that he failed to notice Lazarus's body regaining its balance and his head whipping forward, blood running down his face, rage contorting his features and making his eyes glow a brighter red, showing that he was still alive.
Sparks of yellow electricity shot out of the bullet hole in his head moments before a huge bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck both him and Kitz. His body was immediately incinerated in the blast while Lazarus was safely secure within his Titan's nape during the transformation.
All the soldiers watched in horror as the Winged Titan fully manifested right before their eyes. Its head leaned back as it unleashed a loud, demonic roar that shattered the windows of the houses closest to it. Its wings were fully stretched out to the sides.
Miche and Rico manage to spot what remains of Kitz's charred corpse lying on the ground mere inches away from the Winged Titan's left foot. There was hardly anything left of him. His arms and lower torso had been completely obliterated, and what was left of his upper torso and head had been reduced to a blackened pile of bones with scraps of flesh and fabric clinging to them.
"That idiot! Why didn't he run?!" Rico unintentionally spoke ill of him.
"He arrogantly believed he was capable of taking Lazarus down alone… What a fool." Miche callously agreed.
Annie was hiding out inside one of the empty houses, watching the whole skirmish unfold from the safety of the basement. It was the last place she wanted to hide out, but it was the only place safe enough for her to be during Lazarus's fight with Miche and Rico's squad. At least until she gets her strength back. Once she does, she can turn Titan and join him in this battle.
After transforming, the Winged Titan glares down at Miche, Rico, and their unit. They had him surrounded. A lot of soldiers started readying cannons they had hidden away aiming at him in all directions. Flying away wasn't an option. Not while Annie is still hidden. And he knows reasoning with them is out of the question. They'd just gunned him down without hesitation twice. It's clear to him what their intentions were.
"You shouldn't have gotten in my way, Miche." The Winged Titan spoke directly to him. "My only goal is to rescue Annie. And I'll be damned if I'm gonna let you get in the way of our future together!" He growled at him.
Miche responds by drawing his ODM blades. Rico and the others all respond accordingly and prepare to battle the Winged Titan. The Winged Titan responds by taking up its fighting stance.
Deep down they knew that the chances of them stopping him were incredibly slim, if not impossible. But Erwin was counting on him to at least distract the enemy's most powerful Warrior long enough for them to get a better chance at victory in Shiganshina.
It was the only way he could redeem himself for his cowardice during his encounter with the Beast Titan. He owes it to his fallen comrades. Most notably, Gelga and Nanaba.
"I won't run away again! Not this time." The faces of Gelga and Nanaba appear in his mind as he is self-monologuing. He grips his blades tightly and raises them high as he stares intensely into the Winged Titan's eyes.
"A person only loses when they give in. As long as we keep putting up a fight… We haven't been beaten!"
To Be Continued