Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal

Chapter 26: Jaws

Five years ago, the young Warriors were sent away from their homeland of Marley to invade the island of Paradis. Their mission was to invade the walls, locate the royal family, and steal back the power of the Founding Titan. And if need be, kill any island devils that attempt to get in their way. As hard as that may sound, they all believed it was a necessary sacrifice to save the world.

Each of the Warriors had their reasons for taking part in this mission. Reiner wanted to be a hero. Annie simply wanted to put every skill her father taught her to the test and then return home safely. Bertolt didn't have much of a reason other than making life easier for his family. Marcel and Porco had the same goal of being known as Marley's strongest warriors, though it may prove difficult to accomplish with him alone.

And Lazarus. He just wanted to show the world that he was a symbol of hope instead of something to be feared. As well as use the power of the Founder to erase all Titans from the world, making all Eldians, and himself, human again. The cycle of hatred between the many factions of the world had been going on for far too long agulls crying out in the clear blue skies above them. It gave them a sense of wonder and beauty. For a moment they viewed the island as a great place to live. Shame it was only inhabited by Titans and Subjects of Ymir loyal to the 145th King.

They all inevitably climb to the top of the wall where the Marleyans would bring Eldians to be turned into Titans should they break any laws. Standing atop its solid structure and looking down at the desert below caused some of the Warriors to feel a little disturbed. As if they're seeing ghosts of the Eldians that were brought here having their humanity stripped from them as their bodies transformed into Titans. The only ones who weren't disturbed were Marcel and Annie.

"Lazarus?" Marcel turns to the group's appointed leader. "What are your orders?"

"Orders?"

"Don't forget. Commander Magath put you in charge of the Paradis Island operation. We're all counting on you to lead us to victory." Marcel reminded him. "So, what should we do first?"

Lazarus struggled to adjust to his – he would assume – promotion. Honestly, he would've preferred Zeke be the one leading them instead of him since he was made the new War Chief. But he was tasked with protecting Marley from any possible attacks from other enemy nations. And Pieck's Cart Titan wouldn't be of much use on this mission since it's the only one of the Ten – or Nine at the time – that isn't suited for combat.

Eventually, Lazarus was able to give out his very first order as team leader. He suggests that Annie transform into the Female Titan and carry the others across the vast desert lands, saving them the trouble of walking through it themselves, as well as the time it would take to get to the walls. The sooner they get this over with, the sooner they can return home as heroes.

Annie leaps off of the wall and cuts her palm while falling, transforming into the Female Titan. The boys then leap off of the wall and land safely in the palm of her hands one by one. Once all of them were sitting on her shoulders, holding onto her hair to keep themselves upright, Annie begins sprinting across the desert.

The group continued onwards for hours until sunset. Annie was exhausted from running nonstop and forced to take a rest. Though they were out of the desert and its extreme heat, they were still nowhere near the walls.

The kids decided to set up camp in a forest out of sight of any wandering Pure Titans. Though the chances of them encountering one at night were slim due to the Titans' need for sunlight.

They all did their part in setting up the camp. Bertolt, Annie and Marcel gathered wood for the fire. While Reiner and Lazarus were setting up tents for them to sleep in.

Once the firewood was set in the centre of a circle of rocks to prevent it from spreading, Lazarus carefully sets one of the sticks on fire with his flame breath and places it in the pile. Soon enough the flames spread out until the whole pyre was set ablaze.

The only food they had on them was the canned meat they were given by the military which should last them a few days until they reached the walls. On its own the meat tasted terrible, but with the aid of the campfire it was cooked to perfection.

Night soon arrives as the sun disappears behind the horizon as the moon takes its place in the sky. Night brought with it a cold wind, but the kids were nice and warm thanks to their fire. As they sat around the campfire, the Warriors passed the time talking as they ate their meals. They shared their goals, hoping to strengthen their bond as a team. It was vital to the success of their mission. It was them vs the entire nation of Paradis after all. Their only chance of actually winning this fight and getting out alive is to work as a united front. They can't afford any distractions.

Once the usual gossip was over, Lazarus and Marcel started discussing what their next move should be once they reach the walls.

"So to recap. I'll use the Winged Titan to get a layout of the walls. Annie will lure the Titans into the area to gather around the south entrance. Then Bertolt will breach the gate on the outside, with Reiner following up with the inside gate."

"Right." Marcel nodded. "Then once the town is in chaos, I'll use the Jaw Titan to scout out the lands beyond the southern district. If the royal family doesn't react, I'll try and continue my recon until I find them."

"Well… It's a start. But how do you know those Titans won't attack us when we get in?" Reiner asked.

"Because those Titans have my spinal fluid in their bloodstream. That was why I decided to fly around the island yesterday when you were taking a break in the woods. One of my Titan's unique abilities is to control Titans that have breathed in my spinal fluid I dispersed in the air by shedding my hardened skin. They'll always follow my orders, even if they don't want to… It was also how I ended up forming a telepathic link with all of you."

"What?" Bertolt said with surprise.

"As I mentioned, I can control Titans who've ingested my spinal fluid. However, if a Titan Shifter happens to ingest it in any way, I can form a link with them. In other words, I can hear your thoughts, and you can hear mine. It was the most frustrating ability to master, but it was worth it in the end. An ability like this will come in very handy when we need to discuss things in secret. Unfortunately, there's a limit to how far it can reach. In human form, the link reaches up to 500 meters. But in Titan form, the link reaches a maximum of 5 miles."

"Wait! You can read our thoughts?" Annie questioned. Her cheeks begin to redden upon realising that Lazarus could've been listening in on all her private thoughts. "Does that mean you were able to hear our thoughts ever since we met?"

"No, no, no, no! I swear I haven't!" He shook his head and waved his hands in denial. "Maybe at first, but that was only because I hadn't mastered it yet. But now that I have, I can block out any unnecessary thoughts. I can assure you."

Annie remained unconvinced and went back to eating her food, ignoring the others. Before things could get awkward between them, Bertolt decided to change the subject by asking something that had been on his mind for some time.

"Are you sure the king won't use the Founding Titan? If we blatantly attack his walls then-

"It doesn't matter. There's no point in asking now. Put your faith in Marley's research." Reiner interrupted him.

"He's right. There's no turning back. When we reach the wall tomorrow, we'll have to…" Lazarus paused. He knew what needed to be done to ensure the success of their plan. They'll end up killing many innocent people that never did them any wrong. But knowing that didn't make it easy. Even if they were enemies, they never attacked first. The last country they attacked struck first, and they simply defended themselves. But now, they're gonna be the ones who strike first.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me your feeling hesitant to kill these devils. They're a threat to our entire world!" Reiner stands up to show how determined he was to accomplish his mission. "The greatest nation in the world chose us to save it. And you, Lazarus. They chose to make you one of us even though you have power equal to that of a demigod. You're supposed to be our leader. You can't afford to have any doubts." He clenches his fist tightly. "Let us punish these devils for their crimes together!"

Reiner's speech sparked a hint of inspiration in Lazarus and Bertolt. Both of them had some doubts about the mission at first, but thanks to Reiner, they were reminded of who they are and who their enemy is. They can't show them any sympathy. The enemy sure as hell won't.

Annie remained unmoved as she was still focused on finishing off her kebab meat. And Marcel, he lowers his head, staring down at the campfire. He could no longer keep the guilt of what he did bottled up inside him. Lazarus was right. For them to function as one, they need to be honest and trustworthy with each other. Though this would end up hurting his friend, he needed to tell him the truth.

"I'm sorry… Listen, Reiner. The truth of it is… You were never supposed to be chosen."

The others all look over at Marcel in shock, mostly Reiner who had a hard time understanding what he'd just said.

"What are you talking about? He passed the exams like the rest of us." Lazarus defended him.

"The scores you get on the tests aren't enough to make you a Warrior. In the end, the decision on who is chosen is up to the Brass. I influenced the army's decision by making my brother look bad and putting you up on a pedestal. I'm sorry. I only did it so that he would… be safe." He began to break out into tears, feeling bad for his actions.

Bertolt and Lazarus look back at Reiner expecting him to be torn apart by this revelation. But instead, he just stood there. His shocked expression was still frozen on his face.

Now Lazarus understood what Marcel meant when he apologised to Reiner the day after they conquered Courland. He was referring to his role in ensuring Reiner was chosen to inherit the Armoured Titan instead of Porco. He cannot imagine what Reiner is going through right now. He wanted it more than the rest of them, but in the end, he was meant to be the one who got left behind. His whole world must be crumbling around him right now, along with his hopes and dreams.

"No!" He suddenly stood up, drawing all eyes towards him now. He didn't care what Marcel did. In his view, Reiner was more deserving to be a Warrior than Porco.

"You may be right, Marcel. Reiner may not have been the military's original choice for the Armoured Titan. Maybe Porco may've been a better candidate. But Reiner has some things that Porco never had. Courage. Heart. Loyalty. And determination. No offence to your brother, Marcel. But he never struck me as a team player. Had he been chosen instead he would've gone against my orders. You remember how he was during the academy. He never would've accepted me as this team's leader."

He turns back to face Reiner, hoping to lift his spirits again. "Listen Reiner. Even if you weren't meant to be chosen. It doesn't change the fact that you want to give this mission your all for Marley. You still want to save the world and be a hero, don't you? Are you going to forget about all that just because you weren't supposed to be chosen?"

"Well, no. But-

"No buts!" Lazarus sternly cut him off. "Marley believes you have what it takes to be a Warrior. So, prove them right. It's too late to turn back and give up now. No matter what the tests or the Brass say, in my eyes, you are a true Warrior. And I can think of no one better to fight beside." He then turns back to the others who were moved by his heroic speech, even Annie was paying attention. "That goes for the rest of you as well. The fact that you're my friends, as well as my comrades, gives me hope that we will beat the island devils and take back the Founding Titan together."

Reiner will admit that Lazarus's inspirational words have helped him let go of any doubts that have been building up inside him. But part of him remained unconvinced that he was worthy to be a Warrior. Marcel's explanation had broken him. It would take some time before he was able to believe in himself again.

The next day, the Warriors were back on the road to the walls. They decided to go by foot this time instead of using the Female Titan as they did not want to draw any unwanted attention from any Titans. Should they use their Titan powers out in the open, they might get attacked by any Pure Titans desperate to eat them and obtain their powers to change back into their human forms.

Lazarus was leading the way with Marcel close behind him. Annie and Bertolt were walking side by side but were a few paces apart, keeping to themselves. Reiner was at the back of the group with his head hanging low. He was still contemplating what he'd learned from Marcel and what Lazarus told him afterwards. As of now, he was still torn on how he should feel. He'll always be the one chosen to be the Armoured Titan. But how he uses it depended on his current mood.

He was too distracted with his thoughts that he tripped over a small stump sticking out of the ground, almost losing his footing but managing to stay upright.

However, he failed to notice that the stump he tripped over was moving. It was then revealed that the stump was actually the finger of a Pure Titan that had been buried underground.

Reiner quickly turns around at the sound of the ground exploding outwards behind him. His whole body froze with terror as the clearing dust revealed a small Pure Titan standing on all fours like how a Gorilla would.

The others soon turn around and were shocked to see it also. They weren't expecting to encounter a Pure Titan so soon. And because it was underground, they didn't have any time to react. It all happened so fast.

The Titan reached out to grab Reiner, attempting to eat him. The blond-haired boy was still too scared to move, preventing him from running away or transforming to save his own life.

"REINER!"

Without thinking, Marcel rushes over to Reiner's side and shoves him out of the way, allowing him to fall into the Titan's grasp instead.

"Lazarus, do something!" Annie shouted, snapping Lazarus out of his shocked gaze.

Lazarus raises his hand and points at the Pure Titan who was slowly bringing a struggling Marcel closer to its mouth. It was now or never if he was gonna save him.

"Put him down now!" He ordered the Titan, hoping it would obey him.

But the Titan didn't respond and continued to devour Marcel. And to make matters worse, Reiner started to run away in terror. Annie and Bertolt decided to chase after him to stop him from getting himself killed.

Lazarus looked back at his friends leaving, then turned his attention back to the Titan that ate Marcel. He could transform and kill it right then and there. But in the end, he chose not to as he could spot other Pure Titans emerging from the woods and heading straight for his friends. Forcing him to choose.

He would choose the safety of his still-living friends rather than avenge his now-dead one. In less than a second, he bites his hand and triggers his transformation. Once the Winged Titan had manifested, he rushes over to his friends, scooping them up in his hands and quickly taking to the skies, well out of reach of the dozens of Pure Titans.

As he flew further and further away, he glances back at the smaller Titan that ate Marcel and noticed plumes of smoke emitting out of its body which was now lying dead on the grassy field. But he didn't stop moving forwards. First, he'll get his friends to safety. Once they're a great distance away from danger, they'll decide what to do about the Titan that stole the Jaw Titan's power.

The Winged Titan lands on the edge of a forest with gigantic trees well out of sight and reach of any Pure Titans. Once grounded, he carries his comrades a little way further until they were in a completely open clearing, allowing them to spot any more Titans from miles away.

Lazarus soon comes across an old abandoned Scout base. It was a big, rundown brick house with a tall castle-like stone tower standing beside it. This could work as a temporary hideout for them to go over what just happened.

"We should be safe here for a while." The Winged Titan bellows as he gently puts his hands down, allowing Reiner, Bertolt and Annie to climb off. He then sits down on the ground, legs crossed, and wings tucked into his back. Instead of exiting his Titan form right away, he figured he'd stay in it in case they decide to go back and track down the Titan that devoured Marcel.

Reiner was still overwhelmed with everything that had just happened. It was all so sudden. The Titan emerging from the ground. Marcel sacrificing himself to save him. Lazarus suddenly grabbed and carrying him through the air without his consent. It was too much for his fragile mind to handle.

He rushes over to the tower wall and leans his arms and heads on it, blaming himself for what happened. The nausea grew too much to the point where he ended up vomiting as a result.

"Mar…cel. He's… gone! He's eaten because of me! This is it! I'm gonna die here!"

Fed up with hearing his babbling, Annie walks over to Reiner and kicks him in the stomach, knocking him down and causing him to shuffle backwards in fear. She was still catching her breath from all the running she did before getting picked up by Lazarus.

"Not bad. You beat me in a long-distance race. You've never done that before… If we had transformed and defended ourselves, we never would've lost the Jaw Titan. But you had to cry and run away like a coward, forcing us to chase after you!" She angrily stated.

"Annie-

Lazarus attempted to speak down to her, only to be silenced by Annie who was now directing her anger up at him, not at all intimidated by his Titans appearance.

"And you! You didn't even try to help! You just stood there like an idiot and tried to tell it not to eat him! Why didn't you use your many powerful abilities on it?! There were many ways you could've killed it! You could've burned it, shocked it with lighting, summoned crystals, or transformed right then and there and torn it apart… But you did nothing!"

"I- I thought It might've been among the many Titans that breathed in my spinal fluid." Lazarus poorly attempted to defend his actions.

"Well, you thought wrong!" Annie takes a couple of moments to calm herself down. Her throat was starting to hurt from all the yelling, forcing her to take even more deep breaths. "Well… shit! He's gone for good now."

"There weren't supposed to be any Titans this far from the walls though," Bertolt added, even though it was pointless to.

"We have to go back." Annie proposed to Lazarus. "Let's track down Jaws and fly back to Marley. The Titan that ate Marcel should be human again. Without Marcel as our strategist, this mission is doomed to fail."

"She does make a good point." Bertolt agreed with her. Though he only did it because he couldn't form his own opinion on the matter. "Now that it's human you should be able to sense where it is and track it down, right?"

"My powers don't work that way, Bertolt. That Titan didn't have my spinal fluid in its system. Therefore, I have no connection to it. I can't sense its presence."

"We can't!"

Reiner bursts out after he recovered enough of his psyche to think straight.

"We can't go. We have to continue the mission as planned."

Annie glances back at Reiner with a stern look on her face. She should've expected him to refuse her suggestion.

"Oh yeah, if you go back now, you'll be stripped of the Armour. The next Warrior will eat you and take your place. Though that isn't a problem for me."

"You think it'll just be me? You and Bertolt ran away too so why would I take all the blame? What makes you so confident that you two won't get eaten right along with me? Going after Jaws isn't a good idea anyway. Our Titans are too slow to catch up to it. And Lazarus can't track it."

"But how can someone learn to use it that quickly?" Bertolt asked.

"You mastered the Colossal on your first try so you tell me!"

"Enough!" The Winged Titan slightly raised his voice, ceasing their arguing. "As much as I hate to admit it, I agree with Reiner. Going back will not only result in you getting eaten, but the military will lock me back up in that hole Lucia went through so much trouble to pull me out of. We need to obtain the Founding Titan to redeem ourselves."

Annie's anger began to flare up again after hearing the boy put in charge of their group agree to what she believes is the stupidest idea she'd ever heard. Had Reiner been a fraction this composed since the Titan came at them, then they probably wouldn't have lost Marcel and the Jaw Titan.

Enraged over his cowardice, Annie proceeded to beat Reiner senselessly. Venting her frustrations out on him. Seeing Marcel die so easily made her realise how dangerous it was here. Though she knew what she was up against, she never truly caught a grasp of it until that incident. She still made a promise to her father that she'd come home alive. She will not let Reiner's actions be the death of her.

"Stop it, Annie!" Bertolt shouted. Both he and Lazarus couldn't bear the sight of seeing their friends at each other's throats like that. They're supposed to be fighting their enemies, not each other. They cannot win this conflict unless they're unified.

But as soon as she was done kicking his face in, a bruised and bloodied Reiner tackles her from behind and puts her in a chokehold.

Lazarus noticed that something had changed that day inside Reiner. Something snapped. Something that ended up changing him forever.

"Reiner, that's enough!"

"Reiner is dead!" He shouted back at him as he tightened his grip on Annie's throat. "If you need Marcel, then he's who I'll be."

Annoyed that neither of them was listening, Lazarus decided to scare them out of their little rage spat by slamming his fist down on the ground, creating a small tremor, knocking them and the old shed next to the abandoned base down.

"I said, THAT'S ENOUGH!" He raised his voice much higher than before, sending an ear-piercing shockwave through the air. It might've been too much, but it finally forced Reiner to let Annie go and back off. Annie clutched her throat and started coughing uncontrollably whilst also catching her breath for the third time now.

"What happened to Marcel was my fault, not Reiners! So, if you want to blame someone, blame me. I'm supposed to be the leader of this team. And I got him killed on the second day! This happened because I was too dependent on my ability to control Titans, never even considering the possibility that I missed some of them. I let you all down… But still, as your leader and your friend, I promise you that I will never let the same mistake happen again. I will use my powers to keep you safe. Going back to Marley contradicts that promise, as they'll only feed you to the next Warriors as punishment for your failures… To them, we are nothing more than weapons of mass destruction. But I see us as true Warriors. Warriors who will change the world and make it a better place where all are respected, whether they're Marleyan or Eldian… As your flawed leader, I order you to join me and help me finish what we started! Understand?!"

The three Warriors look up at the Winged Titan before looking amongst themselves, deciding yet again whether they should continue the mission, or go back to Marley and face the masses. Reiner immediately agreed to the order without question. Bertolt hesitated at first, conflicted on what truly was the best decision. But he still felt like he could depend on Lazarus to protect him and get them all home safely. He too obeyed the order.

The majority of the group agreed to continue with the mission despite Annie's thoughts. This angered her. But she had no choice but to do as she was told in the end. She spitefully responded to Lazarus with a sarcastic "Yes sir." Before falling in line.

Satisfied with the dispute over, The Winged Titan lowers its hands again, allowing the rest of the Warriors to climb up, curling up his claw-like fingers so that they don't fall off. He slowly stands back up and starts heading north for Wall Maria.

As The Winged Titan walks onwards, he glances back at the path they're leaving behind, thinking about the Titan that ate Marcel. Whoever it was had managed to regain their humanity after who knows how long. The Titans that were sent here had been around for far longer than others. Some going as far back as the days of the Great Titan War.

Whoever it was, Lazarus hoped to run into it again one day and take vengeance on it for eating Marcel. A Warrior who never even had a chance to fight for his country and ideals.

Lazarus's reminiscence on the past had wrapped up in what felt like moments to the others around him, though it felt like hours for him. The shock of learning that Ymir was the Titan that ate Marcel that day rocked him to his core. And it's not just him. Reiner and Bertolt were just as shaken up.

"It- It was her that day! She was the one who killed Marcel and stole his power!"

Everyone else watched in awe as Ymir's Jaw Titan starts slashing and ripping away the napes of the Titans, killing them off one by one. All of them struggled to grasp the realisation of Ymir being yet another Titan Shifter.

"Talk to me. Someone, please tell me this is all a dream." Sasha was the first one to speak up while everyone else was still recovering.

"Christa, did you know about this?" Connie asked.

"No. I had no idea she was hiding something like this from us." She replied even more shaken up than the others. It makes sense that she's the most affected by this. She was the one who knew her the most, so it comes as no surprise that she'd be the one hurt by it more than the others. The two of them were inseparable. Yet she had no idea at all.

"Ymir is… like me and Eren?" Michael uttered under his breath. At first, Michael thought about venting his feelings about Ymir keeping her Titan powers a secret. But he realised that he'd be a hypocrite considering his own Titan power. And the fact that she gave herself up to save them right now shows that she must've had a good reason. One hopefully she'll tell him once the fighting is over.

"I don't know how she obtained her power, nor why she hid this from us. But the fact that she'd helping us shows that she's still on our side. I'm sure she has her reasons for- Argh!

Michael cuts himself off in response to the intense pressure he felt in his right arm. Looking back, he realises that Lazarus was still clutching his arm tightly after saving him from almost falling over the edge. But he was refusing to let go. There was a look in his eyes that Michael grew worried over. The look of intense hatred. One so strong that he's become oblivious to everything and everyone around him.

"Uh Laz, you can let go now." He attempts to pull his arm free but to no avail. "I said let go- Argh! Stop, you're hurting me!"

Lazarus still didn't respond. His grip on Michael's arm tightened the more he watched Ymir attack the Titans in almost the same way Marcel used to. He starts baring his teeth at her and growls like a wild dog.

"Hey! Take it easy, Laz! You're gonna break my arm!"

No matter how much he tried, he still couldn't get through to him. Realising this, Sasha slaps Lazarus across the face, finally snapping him out of his trance and releasing Michael's arm.

Michael clutches his arm, gritting his teeth in response to the pain. He could feel it pulsing from the intensity of Lazarus's vice-like grip. Were he not in a lot of pain right now, he would've asked him how he got so strong.

"Sorry for slapping you, Laz. But you were about to snap Michael's arm like a twig. What's wrong with you?!"

"Oh shit! I'm so sorry, Michael. I didn't mean to hurt you. Are you ok?" He asked suddenly concerned for his friend's well-being.

"I'm fine… What the hell's gotten into you all of a sudden? I know you're pissed Ymir hid her Titan powers from us. But I'm sure she had a good reason for it."

"Her reason being that she's a lying bitch!" Lazarus blurted out without hesitation.

"How could you say that?!" Christa responded sternly at him with a hint of hesitation in her voice. "She's no different to Eren and Michael. She's using her powers to save all our lives, and you're going to speak about her like that?"

"She's nothing like Michael and Eren! They were completely unaware of their Titan powers when they first transformed. They chose to use them to aid humanity. Ymir knew all along what she was and chose to keep it hidden from us, her comrades! Whatever her reasons may be, it doesn't take away the fact that she might be a potential threat to us.

"That may be true. That is a hell of a power to hide. I would know. But the present is what matters most, not the past. And right now, she's using her powers to protect us when I couldn't. However, the Scouts might not see it that way. They'd probably agree with you." Michael reasoned with him.

As the group were talking about Ymir's true intentions and loyalties, Sasha directs their attention back to the Jaw Titan. They were shocked to see her getting overwhelmed by the Titan's greater numbers.

One of them manages to pull her off of the tower and restrain her, allowing the other to swarm her and attempt to eat the nape with her still inside. No matter how much she tries, she's unable to climb back up to safety. Her desperate attempts to climb the tower caused some of the bricks she grabbed to come out. Fearing she might accidentally bring the tower down with Christa and the others still on it, she wilfully gives herself up to the Titans.

"Did you see that? She's worried about the tower falling. If she wanted to, she could've chosen to escape. Nothing is keeping her here. Yet she continues to fight." Christa looks back at Lazarus with a more convinced look on her face. "You see, Lazarus. She's fighting for us. Even if she keeps to herself, she always looks out for us."

Her fiery words pierced Lazarus's mind like a bullet to the brain. He had never seen or heard Christa act the way she is now. He always saw her as this cute, innocent, shy little girl who wanted to play the role of the big hero, which he assumed was her reason for joining the Scouts. But the way she is now, it's almost like he's interacting with a completely different person.

Her sudden standing over the edge of the tower and yelling down at Ymir, encouraging her to tear the tower down rather than go out in a blaze of glory supported that thought.

And it looked like Ymir heard her cries as she quickly breaks free of the Titan's grasp and leaps onto the tower. She rips out the bricks supporting it one by one, chucking them at the Titan's heads, keeping them at bay. The tower begins to give way with the loss of every brick, forcing the others to hold onto each other.

"Oh shit, this is happening! Brace yourselves, everyone!" Michael warned the others.

"Yeah, atta girl!" Christa cheered her on whilst Connie and Sasha struggled to pull her back down.

Feeling the tower was close to collapsing, Ymir climbs to the top and stares down at her friends.

"Wanna live? … Grab on tight." Was all she could muster in her Titan form. The Jaw Titan isn't capable of speech when Marcel was in control of it. So, it came as a surprise for the Warriors to hear her able to speak, though barely.

"You heard the ugly bitch. Grab onto her hair!" Michael ordered.

With no time to waste, they all grab a hold of the Jaw Titans' long brown hair and hold their nerves as they ride the toppling tower down to the horde of Titans below.

To Be Continued