Day 12: Superhero
His name, followed by the word birthday, was plastered all over her bedroom. Of course, that doesn't mean much as her walls were covered, top to bottom, in pictures; her own art; post it notes with friendly reminders or random numbers; and an unusual amount of newspaper clippings.
A bright watery sunlight leaked through the bay window in the middle of the room and the only sound heard was a light snore coming from the loft on the right of the room, up some little stairs and a king-sized bed was laid. More said items littered the walls, albeit more organized and sparser. Within said bed, came the snoring, and the sight of a teenage girl, only sleeping soundly…until her awful alarm broke the peaceful sleeping silence, and a delicate hand came from under the duvet and clicked a button on a screen, currently illuminating the room. Some music played once the alarm stopped blaring and the cheery voice of a female AI greeted her.
"Good morning, Lady Mikasa. The date is currently March the thirtieth in the year 2052. I see you have set a certain reminder to be prioritized 'It is your beloved's birthday, and you must finish his gift.' Lady Kiyomi has arranged for your town car to pick you up at three for your fitting, that is all. Enjoy your day, Lady Mikasa."
The music repeated and faded out. A split second later, the girl in bed flung the covers off herself and fell out of bed, yes, she literally face-planted.
"Okami!" she cheered and got up. Without another word, a shining ball of light, no bigger than Mikasa's palm, started to wisp around her. Delighted, Mikasa greeted it. "Good morning. It's finally here!" Hurrying down the stairs to the ground floor, she turned into the space below the loft where her desk and everything she used for projecting resided. Pulling out a drawer, and from it a box wrapped beautifully in green paper with gold strings encasing it and tied in a bow. The light toned down it's shine to reveal a tiny…dog? It was pure white with eyes of crystalline blue. It seemed to be ferocious looking, or at least that is the impression given.
"Goodness, my lady, I know! It is all you have been talking about for the last 2 months! You even forgot your own birthday because you were so caught up in making his gift!" Okami said. Flushing a little, Mikasa lowered herself into her desk chair.
"I just want it to be perfect, do you think he'll even like it?" Okami grinned, showing giant canines.
"Absolutely he will! I don't see why he won't."
Sighing, Mikasa started to gather her things. Within minutes, Mikasa was out of her bedroom and walking the halls of the Azumabito estate, her uniform shoes clicking loudly against the marble floors.
As she made her way to the dining room, she tried to avoid the pictures and portraits hanging on the walls, almost everywhere.
You see, the Azumabito are the biggest designers in this generation. They are so popular that any new line that was created, was globally toured for close to 11 months, and Mikasa just happened to be the face of it all. Her face, her body, her everything was plastered right where anyone can see it. It was numbing.
Upon reaching the dining room, she was greeted by her manager/assistant.
"Lady Mikasa, Lady Kiyomi sends her apologies, but-." Mikasa put a hand up to stop her; she felt Okami shift slightly in her breast pocket of her uniform.
"I understand. I'm sure whatever it is she's doing is a lot more important than eating breakfast with her heiress." With that Mikasa put her bag, containing her school supplies and the birthday gift on the chair beside her. Thalia, her assistant, couldn't help but watch her sadly, but snapped out of it and pressed a button on her tablet that you never see her without, as it's practically programmed to run Mikasa's life.
Mikasa ate her breakfast silently and periodically would feed Okami something or other off her plate.
Once breakfast was eaten, Mikasa made her way toward the front door where Thalia waited. She did a slight bow and spoke gently.
"Lady Mikasa, here is a copy of your schedule for the day." She handed her a folder and then handed her another bag. "And you're…equipment." Not another word was said between them as Mikasa shouldered her things and made her way out the front door to the town car that waited for her.
As she climbed into the back seat and closed the door, she finally dropped her "Lady" façade and cheerily said, "Echo, take me to school, and make it quick!" The black car immediately started to move and drive her towards her destination.
Mikasa practically leaped out of her seat once the car stopped by the curb in front of St. Sina Academy, her school.
"Echo, go home." She slammed the car door and the car drove away. Almost instantaneously, Mikasa heard her name. Turning she grinned. "Hey."
They shared a single cheek kiss and the newcomer immediately started to drag her into the school.
"Please tell me you finished it."
Scoffing, the raven patted her bag. "Safe and sound and complete. I would probably die if anything happened to it."
"I don't doubt that, but here's a tough one, did you sign it?" Mikasa paused in her tracks.
"I signed the painting," she said.
"I can't even read your complex-ass signature, you expect him to?"
Crossing her arms and continuing to walk, Mikasa answered, "Well, he'll know when I give it to him."
This time, her friend scoffed. "You expect me to believe your brave enough to walk up to him and give him that with a nice, simple declaration of love, because I'm telling you, that boy is full of questions. He'll be all 'Hey, why did you make this for me?'." Her friend dropped her voice to imitate a gruff, husky male. "'I barely know you, like, what am I to you?'." Mikasa stared at her before stopping at her locker.
"You seriously think he'll say that?"
She laughed. "Do you?"
Rolling her eyes, Mikasa popped open her locker and started loading her things in.
"Come on, when are you actually going to be able to talk to him without stuttering and blushing like a fool?"
"You know what, Annie? You suck at being my friend."
Surrendering, Annie held her palms up. "Just telling it how it is, besides you know I'm here for you when you fail."
"Whatever, let's just get to class."
The two teens made their way through the halls of the bustling high school, dodging and greeting passerby's as they went.
"Have you asked Kiyomi about this weekend?" Annie suddenly asked. Mikasa flinched, causing Annie to frown. "You know, you are pretty much my best friend, Mikasa. I understood when you couldn't make it to the beach house on my actual birthday last week. I also understood when 2 days ago you suddenly cancelled our dinner plans, there was a titan attack, but still. The least I wanted was a movie night."
"I'm sorry!" Mikasa said. "It's just Kiyomi is in the middle of a new line, and she's been almost completely absent for the past month and has been riding me so hard," Mikasa explained. She felt bad coming up with an excuse so preparedly, but what she said was the bitter truth. Mikasa's only friend was, too, only Annie, and whatever the hell her beloved thinks of her, so she doesn't exactly have a big group of friends planning them parties. The least Annie was asking of her was some acknowledgement of hers. Sighing, Mikasa tried for a smile at her disappointed friend. "I promise you; I'll ask her the second I see her next."
Annie smirked. "You're a suck-up, Ackerman." Flinging an arm around her friend's shoulders, Mikasa steered her into their homeroom and together they found their seats.
Over the next couple of minutes, students gradually started filing in and taking their assigned places within the classroom. Throughout this process, from her place a row behind the front, Mikasa observed the door, awaiting the arrival of the very person she came to this toxic place for.
Annie was seated beside her, gazing off into space, also awaiting the most entertaining part of her day. Once he entered, Annie knew simply from the sudden tenseness her friend displayed, as if time froze.
Turning, Annie saw him come in with his own best friend, as usual.
Mikasa locked eyes with him.
He was slightly taller than her with beautiful, scraggly brown hair. His skin had a golden hue to it, causing him to stand out amongst his fellow male classmates. His toothy smile lit up the very room, as well as every nerve in her body. Everything about him called to her, asking for her, wanting her, but she can barely handle a conversation, let alone…the kind of thing her imagination can conjure. She is 17, so she dismisses these antics as typical female hormones, at least that is what Kiyomi has her do.
This thought makes her frown. Coming to think of it, acting on her feelings for him weren't being held back by her conscience alone, but by the fact that if Kiyomi found out she would be held prisoner more so then ever.
Just before Mikasa could delve deeper into the drama of her life, a laugh from her beloved drew her out. Looking up as he sat down in the row in front of her, he happened to turn around and lock eyes with her. His eyes were always her favourite feature of his. They always told you exactly what he is feeling and glowed brighter than even his smile. And the colour, she's never seen that shade of green on anybody.
After a couple milliseconds of Mikasa's stunned silence, she felt Annie bump her shoulder.
"Come on, Ackerman," she murmured.
"Uh, ah, I-I, well, I was trying-, um, you see, like, uh, ha…" Mikasa trailed off, biting her lip, blushing horrendously. The best friend smiled and placed an arm on the girl's desk.
"Is she alright?"
Annie scoffed. "Armin, you know perfectly well that, clearly, no, she is not." Armin looked at his best friend, who he expected to start yelling at her to "spit it out already", but instead, he had a serene smile and he waited patiently for her to get her bearings.
After a breath, Mikasa started to dig into her bag. Taking out the gift, she handed it to him. "Happy Birthday!" she blurted.
The boy simply stared at the green paper-wrapped parcel. Even Armin couldn't help but stare, dumbfounded. Slowly, he took it from her, smiling.
Suddenly, he cleared his throat and started to unwrap it. Armin and Annie were the only ones who noticed his cheeks redden slightly. Mikasa was too busy twisting her hair and biting her lip.
Once it was revealed, there was an intense silence, aside from the chatter from other students.
"Holy shit," Armin said, getting closer to look. "Eren, it's you!"
Laying the gift, which was revealed to be a canvas, on his lap, all four could see what was skillfully painted on it in dark ink.
"My mother taught me…before she…um, it's called Japanese Brush Painting, or as she called it 'Sumi-e'."
Eren looked up at her. "It's...amazing…" It was a simple portrait of Eren from Mikasa's point-of-view from her desk. He was facing no direction in particular, just gazing with his chin resting on his palm, leaning on the desk. Around him was pure magic. Somehow, Mikasa had captured a moment of transformation. He was seated at his desk but wasn't quite in a classroom. Trees, vines, flowers, even some animals surrounded him. It produced an inner glow that cast shadows in the unlikeliest of places, causing each stroke to illuminate itself.
To break the suffocating silence, Mikasa had to speak, but Annie beat her to it.
"She slaved over that for months, put in more effort then needed, but even I agree that it's-."
"Astounding, it's glorious!" Armin finished.
They looked to Eren for a response also, but all he did was stare widely at the canvas, in awe.
"When did you have time to do this?" was his first question. Annie scoffed, while Armin face palmed.
Mikasa shrugged. "Over the course of time, I see you every day from this angle, so it wasn't hard to do majority by memory." Mikasa could feel herself start to sweat. He was going to find her creepy now. He was going to request a new seat, or classroom…or maybe even a new school.
Internally cursing at the tears she can feel starting to prick her eyes, she looked down at her desk.
"Thank you," Eren finally said. She looked up. "I've never seen someone put in so much effort for me. I really like it, thank you."
"Y-you're welcome," Mikasa said.
The boy turned to his desk to put the canvas carefully into his bag so he could bring it to his locker later, and didn't turn back around.
This caused Mikasa a surprising feeling of dread and heartbreak. She doesn't know exactly what she was expecting, but certainly not this.
She felt stupid for thinking that with the give of this gift, Eren would suddenly, what, read her thoughts on everything she's ever wanted to say to him? Suddenly gain the same feelings she has for him? Ridiculous.
She could feel Annie looking at her, but decided, for her sanity's sake, to keep her head down. It was easy once the teacher walked in.
"Alright, everyone, find your seats!"
Once lunch dismissed all the students, the halls of the school erupted with chatter and laughter.
Mikasa had hurried out with Annie to get to their lockers.
"He didn't turn around once…" Mikasa complained quietly, as they walked. Annie was dodging past students trying to keep up with her much taller friend.
"Would you slow down, Hun, kind of trailing here," Annie said, glaring over her shoulder at the girl who just accidently whipped her hair into Annie's eyeball.
Mikasa stopped in her tracks, a boy literally bouncing off of her like a ricocheted bullet. Annie stopped, too, and scoffed.
"You're inhuman," she deadpanned.
This caused the blackette to roll her eyes. "Have you even been listening?"
Annie continued the walk toward their lockers. "Yes, and you shouldn't get worked up about that, anyone would question why he would need to turn around in the first place," Annie explained.
"Why's that?"
"Ha, you dumbass, because he would have to dodge the explanation that he did it to stare at you! The gift was pretty flustering for him, I'm sure," Annie finished, walking past her as Mikasa slowed down, contemplating this.
"He probably just didn't want to get called out by the teacher," Mikasa stated, catching up. Annie actually laughed this time.
"How is it that you can think up crazy connections and implications about his "possible" feelings for you, but whenever there is actual hard evidence of it, you clam up, and make up excuses for yourself! Why are you so scared of him?" Annie questioned, finally reaching their lockers, and opening hers. Mikasa was silent long enough for Annie to furrow her brows in guilt. "Look, I apologize, but-,"
"No, you're right," Mikasa interrupted. Annie looked at her as she opened her own locker, conveniently, beside Annie's. "I'm such an idiot…" Annie grabbed her shoulders.
"Hey, what the hell? Only I get to call you that. Where's the Mikasa I know?"
"She's giving up. It's too hard to see him everyday and be held back by myself. I'm never going to be able to tell him the truth…"
Annie shook her. "Don't talk like that. Just grab your dumb gourmet lunch and let's eat, you're probably just hungry."
The two girls entered the courtyard, full of chatter and obnoxious antics from the other students.
The school was shaped like a donut, with an outside courtyard serving as the cafeteria. All around the perimeter a garden grew with flowers in full bloom with the middle of spring drawing near; blossoms of all varieties littered the ground and students would often to pick them, but the combined efforts of the gardening club and student government this was eventually addressed and concluded.
Picnic tables were scattered all over the grass, groups of students occupying each one.
Once Mikasa and Annie found an unoccupied table, they took their seats.
Mikasa opened up her bento and couldn't help but smile at the overwhelming aroma coming from her lunch. Yakisoba with steamed rice, calamari, and a slice of strawberry shortcake as a dessert. Taking out her thermos, Mikasa unscrewed the cap and sipped the contents, and smiled. Raspberry Mint Lemonade, her favourite.
As she did this, Annie watched and shook her head.
"You're unreal," she commented.
About to place food in her mouth, the blackette paused. "What do you mean?"
"If you want to play dumb, that's fine, but- uh, oh," Annie stopped abruptly and looked over Mikasa's shoulder. "Here comes trouble," she said.
Mikasa put her chopsticks down and turned and immediately felt a migraine start up. "Oh, Lord give me patience…" she muttered, before a perfectly manicured hand slapped itself onto the table beside her lunch, knocking her chopsticks onto the floor.
"Ackerman, what in the hell are you on today? Did you forget your place again?!"
Feeling a side of her rise out, that was only reserved for this particular individual, Mikasa scowled darkly.
"Historia, when are you ever going to learn that I will never, ever care what you think of me, nor will I heed any of your advice. You forget your place, outside of school your daddy may run this town, but here, you are nothing more than a spoiled brat who throws temper tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants."
"That's funny, coming from you, calling me spoiled!"
Annie cut in this time. "When the hell have you ever seen Mikasa brag about her life?"
"Her face is all over the city!"
"That's not my fault! Geez, Historia what the hell do you even want? Did you come here just to give me a headache?" Mikasa snapped.
Fuming, Historia gritted her teeth.
"I saw the gift you gave Eren, real pathetic," Historia said, crossing her arms. Gone was the temper and here was the smug brat everyone knew she was, all because she knew that when it came to Eren, Mikasa couldn't hold her own. "You honestly think he'll start liking you because you stare at him all day? You should see him now, he can't close his bag around the canvas, so every time someone asks him about it, he just says that it's nothing. When I was leaving to come over here, he shoved it under the table. Probably didn't want to evade anymore questions, too embarrassed most likely. Unlike the gift I bought for him, he's wearing it right now." With that, Historia flipped her hair and sashayed away.
"Guess she did come over just to give us a headache," Annie said, taking a bite from her sub sandwich. Mikasa, on the other hand, didn't really feel like eating anymore. Annie noticed. "Come on, Mika, don't wuss out on me now, you know Historia will say anything and everything to get under your skin, she's just jealous."
"Jealous of what? I'm nothing to him, she only cares that I have feelings for Eren."
"Why do you think she's so worried about it then. If he doesn't at least think or talk about you, why would Historia get so worked up over a stupid painting," Annie said.
Mikasa gave her a look of hurt, and Annie cursed. "You know that's not what I meant, I'm sorry."
Pushing her lunch away, Mikasa put her head down. "Why did I put so much hope and pressure into myself for today. I got myself worked up and nothing is playing out the way I thought it would. I really am pathetic." Mikasa got up and started to jog back into the school.
"Mikasa!" Annie called. As the blackette ran out, Annie looked around the courtyard and spotted Historia's table, where the devil herself, a couple of her friends, and Eren and Armin sat, eating. The girls of the group watched Mikasa run out and started to laugh.
Annie felt anger rise, but this anger was beyond one that she's felt before. Absolute disgust at that table left a bitter taste in her mouth. She was so enraged; she could barely move. How dare they? How dare they do that to someone who never did them any wrong? How dare the boy, that her best friend adores, just sit there, and let it happen? Let these gorgons laugh and sneer at someone who put her soul into a gift for him? How dare all of them! Damn them all!
In the heart of the city, a man grinned. Stepping forward a window began to open, illuminating an empty, spacious attic.
"A heart so driven to protect a friend's honour has no power in this cruel world. Such animosity, such hatred, such rage and all directed on someone else's behalf. Ah, teenage girl drama is always a delicious treat. Let's give this girl the power to protect and destroy…"
Rising from the floor was a mist, but somehow it seemed to be alive. It gave itself form in the way of veins, swirling and connecting with one another, surrounding a tall, thin man, layered in darkness.
"I hereby give you the power of the Female Titan, the agility and speed of this vessel will serve well for your purpose Miss. Leonhart. Use it well, and in return for this power, I want you to give me the blood of Mesu Okami and Shifuta!"
Annie felt her world go dark, giving into the wrath of herself and of this new power.
From the middle of the city, the vessel shot through the man's open window and straight into the clouds above, there was a slight, muffled boom, and lightning blasted down from above, striking the exact place Annie was standing.
This caused the cafeteria to surge into an uproar of panic and fear. Students were blasted back, crashing against walls; the flowers in the garden were torn up from their homes in the ground, roots and all; students were attempting to leave the courtyard, but the only way out were doors into the school, unfortunately, they were being pinned shut by the hurricane currently surrounding the blonde.
Screams and shouts were easily carried away by the wind and each teen prayed that it would stop soon.
Once it did, a barrier of steam took place, causing the students to become disoriented and blind with heat.
"What's going on?" someone shouted amongst the silence.
When it almost seemed like everything was okay again, a monstrous laughter shook the earth.
Rising five feet above, the students were beheld with a form of pure muscle and strength. A blonde haired being with no skin, just pure muscles rippling and tensing with every breath, loomed over the courtyard.
"You fools…" it growled.
Meanwhile, Mikasa had decided to pull herself together in the girl's washroom. She felt like an idiot running out like that, but she felt sick to her stomach of the thought of Eren being ashamed of her gift, of being embarrassed by it.
Sighing, she splashed her face with some cold water.
"Historia is going to have a field day with the show she thinks I put on for her. I'm never going to hear the end of it," Mikasa said, while drying her face.
"You can't let her get to you, Mikasa, she only says those things because she knows the words will get to you," Okami comforted.
"That's what Annie keeps saying, but I just…"
"You have a big heart; you have got to stop pretending you don't."
Mikasa smiled gently. "Thanks, Okami." The wolf nuzzled her cheek with affection.
"Come on, your lunch is still waiting, and I've been smelling that Yakisoba all morning."
Mikasa nodded and started to head out of the bathroom, when she was thrown off her feet as a sudden and intense tremor shook the building.
She managed to catch herself with her reflexes but the dread she felt almost made her stumble again.
"Oh no, no, no, no, not now!"
"Mesu!" Okami shouted.
Nodding quickly, Mikasa took a breath.
Trying to tune out the sudden discord she could hear from the courtyard and closed her eyes, she reached into her side pocket and pulled out a blade.
"Okami, ignite my blood." Slashing the blade along the skin of her palm, Okami immediately started to glow, and she flew into Mikasa's hand. The veins on Mikasa's body began to glow blue and white, spreading from her arm all the way through her body, causing her to illuminate the room.
The same vein of light that was thrown into the sky for Annie, started to rise and encase the blackette. It was wrapping itself around her like a giant snake, tightening until it had bound her head to toe.
A split second later, there was a bright flash, and light dissipated.
Mikasa stood in the middle of the bathroom, but yet, it didn't quite look like her. Her hair was now streaked black and white, but uneven and scraggly, like the coat of a wolf. Her eyes had changed from evening grey to afternoon blue on a winter's day. Her clothes had changed from her school uniform to a white leotard with grey boots.
And to complete the attire, a white mask was placed on her eyes to hide her identity.
"Alright, now let's hope Shi knows what's going on, too," Mesu said, as she pulled out her twin swords hanging on her back. On the right one's hilt, there was a sapphire welded into the steel. Putting a finger on it, she felt the familiar prick, and her blood melted into the gem, creating a garnet.
A hologram appeared of a ringing telephone, and "Shi" was displayed, along with a picture of a boy, about the same age as her, but with a black leotard, neon catlike eyes, and a black mask to correspond it. He had a giant spear on his back, and he was playfully grabbing at it with a bright fanged smile.
Immediately, it hung itself up and a raspy, playful voice said "Hey, it's Shifuta, I'm too busy saving the world with my babe to answer, please leave a message!"
Mikasa rolled her eyes. "God, I have told him so many times to change that." Facing the bathroom mirror, she spoke into the sword hilt.
"Shi, you better not be fighting some other titan right now, because we have a major problem at Sina Prep! Get here as soon as you can, I'll be waiting."
Pressing a thumb over the gem again, it turned back to blue.
Mikasa dashed out of the bathroom and headed straight for the courtyard.
I can only assume that was where the titan appeared, if it was in the building, there would've been a bigger crash, and some of these halls might've caved in, Mikasa thought to herself as she ran the same hall she went down as Mikasa but coming back through as Mesu. We've got to hurry though, if it decides to make a break for the city center than it has to get through the school to do it. Then I can kiss my A+ on that History exam next week goodbye.
Once she reached the double doors to get into the courtyard, Mikasa felt horror drip down her spine.
The doors leading out were glass, so it wasn't hard for Mikasa to see the chaos currently ensuing on the other side. Students were banging to the doors, dirt and dust from the garden was suffocating the air, there was students bleeding and unconscious; all the while, a 6-foot female titan loomed over everything, simply shaking with anger.
Tugging at the doors to try and let students in, Mikasa sighed impatiently.
The blast from the explosion created so much pressure it dented in the doors, guess there's no helping it.
Mikasa started to gain the attention of the panicking students, attempting to get then calm and coherent.
"All of you need to take a step back!" she shouted. "I'm breaking the glass!"
The students all gave her wide-eyed expressions, but she gestured viciously with her hands for them to get back.
They obeyed and Mikasa stepped back, before kicking through the glass. It shattered immediately on impact and students practically fell over each other trying to push through.
"Slowly! You want to cause a crush?!" Mesu commanded.
Mikasa pulled every student she could out of the building, before shoving back through herself.
Like with every transformation, the titan is a little stationary, too overwhelmed and angry with power to really understand why it was enraged to begin with.
It would help if I knew who this was. Stupid me was too busy bawling in the bathroom.
"Damn them…"
When she spoke, Mesu looked up and around. "Where is that damn creep?" Mikasa muttered, starting to assess her surroundings. Slight damage to the trim of the building, obviously the doors and garden, the concrete and picnic tables were all in shambles, but nothing more threatening then the giant monster currently center of it all.
"Damn them all…"
"Hey!" Mesu shouted. The titan flinched and gave her a side eye.
"Mesu…" she said in a horrid, guttural voice. "I will not move an inch until I know she's okay…"
"Who?"
"Friend…"
Mesu scowled. That seriously narrowed it down.
"All the other students are gone, they've evacuated the building, it's just you and me," Mesu said, raising her blades.
"No, I need both of you, but most of all I need her…to be okay."
Alright, so this seems to be a case of protection more so than battle. Titans who are transformed with this purpose are harder to reign in. They'd rather fulfil the duty they give themselves, more so than the Founder's mission of fighting and killing Shi and I, Mesu thought again. Speaking of, he still hasn't shown his mug yet. He owes me for keeping a heartbroken titan occupied. I can't fight her with minimal damage to the school without him. So I guess it's the monologue for me.
"Can you tell me why you need your friend to be okay?" Mesu asked. The titan made a guttural moan, before swiftly and, abnormally for her size, she kicked through the wall of the Science Wing, causing crumbling and cracks to appear all over the wall. Mesu flinched.
"Stupid bitch doesn't know when to stop…"
She's so confused, she has no idea what's even going on or where she is. She's just trapped in her own mind. I've never seen a titan like this before…it's weird though, this behaviour seems familiar to me somehow…
The titan turned to look at Mesu again, with hatred, and started walking closer.
Mikasa tensed up ready to fight, but the titan stopped a couple feet away, at a pile of broken picnic table and bags left by students in a panic.
Rifling trough the rubble, she pawed with her giant hand at a green bag, sprawled open and spilling it's contents, one of them being a canvas.
"It's not broken…" the titan muttered, and Mikasa felt dread pool into her gut. There's no way…
"Annie?" Mesu asked.
The titan paused in it's pawing and slowly looked at her.
"Damn them all…"
Mikasa felt tears start to pool. I am the friend…
Before Mikasa could do anything, Annie let out a fierce howl and whipped around to look behind her. From her shoulder a black figure leaped down with a flip and landed on one knee in front of Mikasa.
"Sorry, I'm late, babe. Had to help a couple of students out of the building. Thanks for keeping her occupied for me."
Mikasa crossed her arms and cocked a hip.
"Call me "babe" again, and it's your ass. I wouldn't say I was occupying her, she was more so occupying me while I waited for your slow ass to get here."
"So cruel…" Shi said, pretending to be mortally wounded. "Was simply getting the battlegrounds ready for you, babe, and before you say anything, you have yet to hand me my ass for saying it for the past 2 years!"
Mikasa scoffed. "It'll happen…"
"Anyway, what's the deal with this bitch anyway, she some depressed teen girl heartbroken over an ex or what?"
Feeling the urge to punch him for calling Annie a bitch, but knowing she can't, Mikasa took a deep breath. "Her name is Annie." Mikasa thought she saw Shi flinch. "She was having lunch with her friend when suddenly something happened to upset her. Annie got angry on her behalf and before she knew it." Mikasa gestured to the monster currently steaming from the wound Shi had left on her.
When Shi didn't say anything after, Mesu nudged him.
"Hey, I know she's pretty, but she's in pain." Shi flushed and glared at her.
"You dare suggest my heart belongs to someone other than you? Shameful… Let's get to fighting though, I think I could take her."
Mikasa grabbed him by the shoulder immediately. "Not so fast, hothead. Just because you have the power to shift into one of them, doesn't mean you should all the time. We're too enclosed here, even if we didn't care about the school, the building is surrounded by residential housing and apartments filled with families who'd have to go down numerous stairs to get out. We can't risk any of this building collapsing into them and creating the World's Largest Domino Effect. Our best course of action is to take her down quick and easy, but I've seen her reflexes and she's quick, almost too quick for a titan." Mesu turned to Shi for his input but was met with a glazed look of awe. "Earth to Shi?"
"You're so beautiful when you strategize, babe."
Flushing, much to her annoyance, Mikasa raised her blade.
"Pay attention!"
Shi snapped into order. "Yes, ba-, I mean, ma'am!"
"As I was saying, we need to be quick, she's pretty talkative, which is unlike her, but I think I can distract her while you go in for the kill, remember-,"
"1 meter high, 10 centimeters across, I know, I know, and also, how would you know, anyway?" Shi questioned.
"Excuse me?" Mesu snapped.
"I mean, how do you know it's unlike her to be talkative?"
Mentally, screaming and cursing herself, Mikasa played off her slip of the tongue with a half-shrug.
"Just got the feeling, plus, I have friends who knew her."
Dismissing the slip as well, Shi nodded.
"Right, I'll head to the roof top and try to get a good angle; you try and keep her close enough to the walls without destroying them…with me on them."
Mikasa gave a nod, and Shi did the same.
Shi took off for the broken door to find the staircase leading to the roof, while Mikasa put her blades away and stepped toward the titan who was, unfortunately, growing angrier by the minute. Now that Mikasa knew who it was, she could distract her much easier.
"I can't believe that high school bitches are the same everywhere. Getting off on the misery of other students is cheap and downright nasty." Annie didn't look at her, but she could tell the blonde was listening. "Your friend is really fortunate to have someone like you back her up…" Mikasa took a step forward. "She's probably outside the school waiting for you, hoping you're alright, just like you are for her."
The titan shook her head.
"She would be here…"
Facing the ground, Mikasa smiled gently. She certainly knows me; if I didn't need to be the one fighting them when they appear, I would be telling her to get her ass out of there and stop being a drama queen…But I can't be Mikasa now, Shi needs Mesu…and, sadly, so does Annie while she is in this form.
"I know what it is like to care about someone, believe me. But becoming a monster isn't going to make your friend okay! It doesn't make anyone okay. In fact, if you believe your friend would be here with you now, why isn't she? She's probably knocked out cold somewhere, about to be crushed by the ceiling after one more kick from you!"
The Female roared and charged at Mesu.
Thanks to natural reflexes, she easily dodged the anticipated charge and rolled to the left. Unfortunately, Annie's reflexes were just as swift and she managed to slam Mikasa into the cement wall, cratering it.
Seeing stars, Mikasa heaved up and hefted her blades.
God, Annie, I thought you could keep your composure. I thought I could rely on you never becoming a victim of the Founder. I thought…I never…
Bending to position, Mikasa started to glow blue. "Okami…"
I never imagined you would actually let your guard down for me, that you would consider me close enough to you…
"Chakka no haya-sa!" Her glow flashed then dissipated quickly, and her form disappeared.
Suddenly, slashes and blood started to adorn the titan's body, whilst Annie stumbled back screaming. Mikasa was moving faster than the speed of sound, relaying a vicious assault. Annie couldn't even turn quick enough before her foot got completely severed from her leg, and she stumbled.
From the rooftop, Shi stood waiting for his opening, but mostly admiring his beloved.
"She's so amazing…god, I'm in love!"
"Stop!" Annie roared. Finally getting one step ahead of her, Annie kicked out her de-footed leg, and Mikasa slammed into it, mid strike, causing her to get thrown back and her breath to leave her lungs.
Actually wounded, Mikasa hissed. "Damn, she got me good with that one." Ignoring her screaming body, Mikasa shifted to look up to the rooftops. Shi was circling the trim waiting until Annie was open for the kill.
"She's too far away, she's needs to be backed into a corner…" Mikasa murmured to herself, only because her rattled brain couldn't comprehend much but pain at the moment. Stumbling up into a stand, Mikasa hefted her blades and the Female chuckled.
"Mesu, there will come a day where you do not get up again, wouldn't you much rather see it coming? Stay down, wolf!"
Black dots scattered her vision when she straightened, but she scowled as harsh as she could manage. "I plan to win this battle, so I will fight!"
Mikasa charged again, albeit slower, as that kick had most definitely rattled her. She aimed for the other leg, but Annie saw it coming and hardened her ankle, causing Mikasa's blades to sing.
On the roof, Shi covered his ears. "Gah!"
Mikasa flinched from the frequency as well, but didn't let it phase her. Interesting… Mikasa thought, jumping to the side to avoid a sporadic punch made by the Female, I assumed the ability to harden one's skin only came from the ability of the Armoured titans, but it seems this one has a sense to put other titan's powers to use. What makes this one so special? Using the speed again, Mesu raced around the titan's legs, slashing anywhere she could, any spot that would give her the tiniest bit of leverage on her. The one she had severed was starting to grow back, steam profusely emanating from it, so she focused her efforts on the other limb.
Taking a hit in the process, Shi shouting from a distance, Mesu managed to sever the tendon connecting her thigh and shin together, collapsing her kneecap. The Female was on her knees.
"Whoop!" Shi cheered. He made a small connection with his own power, muttering an incantation Mesu couldn't hear, and within a second, he leaped from the roof, toward the back of the Female's head, aiming for her nape.
"Shi, wait!" Mesu cried, but was too late. The skin covering the nape hardened to blue crystal, and Shi's spear sang and bounced off the impenetrable shield. Still recovering from the ear-blinding frequency, Shi couldn't react as Annie whipped around, causing Shi to tumble and get a backhand from the titan, crumbling what remained of the Science Wing.
Mesu heard him groan and could only allow herself a millisecond of relief, before taking advantage of the Female, unsteady and only being supported by her right arm.
Once again embracing swiftness, Mesu cried as she severed the arm from her shoulder and Annie's form collapsed on her back.
"ARGHHH!" the Female roared, windows shattered and debris fell away from the eradicated courtyard. "I won't lose!"
Mesu turned toward where Shi was and made eye contact with him. Through some sort of connection, they both nodded at the plan silently conveyed between them. Shi struggled to get up, as was the Female.
Once he stood, Mesu felt the temperature around them plummet, and an emerald glow started to radiate off of Shi. "Raion…" The air stirred with power, and Mesu could only hold her breath and prepare herself as Shi bellowed, "Arashi no goon!" Shi's eyes glowed with an intense radiance and roared. Shadows blanketed the area and a wind, as powerful as any hurricane, barrelled through the courtyard, catching the Female, however impossible.
With only having one limb for leverage, the Female could only sit idle, as her enormous body was pinned to the remnants of the school.
"Mesu, I'd do this now!" Shi shouted over the howling wind. "I can't hold her hear forever without blasting a hole clean through the building!"
Mesu only nodded once, before closing her eyes, and gathered what was inside her, what was given to her, what was a part of her. A power that no other could surpass, no other could defeat.
"Okami…" Opening her eyes again, they glowed blue, but a ring of gold enveloped her iris, and a small smile played across her serenely calm face. "Kariudo wa shinjitsu o mezasu!"
A heavenly bow and arrow appeared in Mesu's hands, growing larger and larger and she extended an invisible string. A ball of pure creation, pure magic appeared in the nock, and with a whisper, she let it fly.
A soundwave resonated as it struck true and lodged in the Female's neck, pinning her and place, and immobilizing her movements. True to the spell, the arrow lodged in her spine, but not high enough to puncture through the small cavity at the nape, where Mesu knew Annie's human body resided. The storm calmed, and the courtyard was eerily quiet, except for the sound of the Female's steaming wounds.
Mesu heard a thud, and gasped as Shi collapsed to his knees. She ran over.
"Shi, are you alright?" Reaching him, she put one hand on his shoulder and the other under his chin to left his head to face her. "Shi, that was a lot of power you used, are you- what is with that face?" Mesu paused her frantic scolding when she saw a stupid grin on the feline's face.
"Nothing, just in awe. I love when you use that spell, your eyes- oomph!" Mesu suddenly dropped both her arms from him, causing him to slump forward, his weight no longer held. "What? I can't appreciate your power? I didn't even call you "babe". What do I even see in you…" Shi shakily leaned up, shaking his head in solemn disappointment.
"We have other important matters to address," Mesu stated, standing up and facing the "other important matter". Shi sighed in defeat and joined her.
"Let's get this over with then."
Together, the made their way to the roof and dropped down onto the Female's golden head. Bracing themselves against the building, they pushed her head away from where it was pinned to the wall, an unnerving squelching sound came from Mesu's arrow being pushed farther into her neck. The titan's body trembled and twitched, but finally fell limp, disconnecting from the human within completely.
"Care to do the honours?" Shi wondered as the Female's nape was fully exposed to their piercing weapons. Mesu tried to keep her face neutral as she unsheathed her blades.
"There is nothing honourable about cutting out a person from a physical form of such anger and hatred. These are victims, not enemies…"
Mesu missed the longing smile and eyes that Shi displayed as she meticulously carved out the nape, exposing the now dead tissue and muscle enclosing Annie's form.
They both reached in and grabbed an arm each, before heaving Annie's body out of the now decaying corpse. The blonde was unconscious but breathing. Mesu couldn't stop the sigh of relief.
"Just unconscious, she'll be fine once she visits the healers and rests her body. I'll take her out of here, you secure the area so the departments can assess the damage and estimate a time for rebuilding. If we're lucky, the classes should resume within a week or two," Mesu explained.
"Agreed, hope she's not to shaken by this experience and refusing to attend here ever again," Shi said, before starting to move throughout the courtyard, eliminating any hazards posed to regular humans.
Managing to keep her head, Mesu said silently, Nothing can shake Annie, this was nothing for her.
Hefting Annie up, Mesu cradled her neck and knees to carry her out of the collapsing academy, not once glancing back.
For if she had, she would have seen Shi locate a specific item littering the ground.
Grasping the somehow unblemished canvas, Shi sighed, relieved and picked up the green backpack, placing the canvas within, and shouldering it for safekeeping.
This masterpiece was going to get hung up in his room…where he pictured it hanging the moment he unwrapped it in class that morning…
Hello Readers!
Sorry for such a late update. I had a lot of ideas for this specific AU, but I wanted to embody that everlasting frustration and longing the show itself gives its watchers. For those of you who don't know, this one-shot is inspired by "Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir" (Who happens to be the English voice actor for Eren Jaeger). I know this one is a lot shorter than some others that I've written, but I promise I have a lot more projects on the go for this challenge, as well as "Attack University". Hope you can stick around for it. Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed! ~RavenJaeger