Mutiny (Attack On Titan) (Rewritten version) (ON HOLD)

Chapter 44

Marcel's screams and the Titan's violent chewing of his body were the only things filling her mind at this moment. For some reason, she felt her entire body shake as her heart rate spiked, her ears suddenly became shut; refusing to hear anything else other than her rapid breathing and her heart beating against her ribcage.

What was this feeling? This agonizing feeling? Was it fear? Anger? Rage? Despair? She could not know, she was not able to identify that feeling, but all what her mind was able to register was the Titan that killed Marcel, and the person who was embedded in its internal flesh.

Ymir, the loud-mouthed, cocky girl.

Ymir, the insufferable person that seemed to care about no one else but herself.

She was that Titan that ate Marcel.

She stole Marcel's powers.

Annie simply didn't know what to do, all what her mind allowed her to do was keep standing still as she kept staring at the very person who was responsible of killing Marcel.

She wasn't able to think straight at all as she was overwhelmed by shock, the ringing in her ears began to become insufferable and her heart never ceased its rapid beating.

It was that way, until someone placed a hand on her shoulder ; snapping her back to reality.

"Annie? Are you okay?". A voice, one that she longed to hear, suddenly spoke to her. "You're....pale".

Annie turned around and looked at Armin, whose face was twisted with worry for her well-being. Annie blinked twice in order to finally register herself back to reality, then she took an uneasy, deep breath.

"I'm...I-I'm fine". She stuttered. "I....".

Armin slightly squeezed her shoulder, to reassure her that he was there for her. "Talk to me Annie". He said. "You look like you've seen a ghost".

Annie shook her head. "Can we talk about this later?". She asked, her eyes pleading to the Arlert boy. "Please".

Armin's worry for her did not cease, but he sighed as he retracted his hand from her shoulder. "Alright". He said.

Connie stared at the unconscious Christa, who unfortunately reeked because of her prolonged stay within Ymir's Titan.

"Damn it, the smell is unbearable". Levi said as he pinched his nose. "I'm glad that the girl is fine, but I would expect of you to wash her. She can't properly wash herself because of her injuries".

Ymir slightly frowned. "What do you take me for? Of course I'll do that". She said.

"Wait, she stayed in your Titan's stomach for THAT long?!". Connie exclaimed. "How's this even possible?! I'm pretty sure the acid would've killed her by then!".

"I'm quite curious as well". Luis said as he looked at the freckled girl. "How was this possible?".

Ymir shrugged. "You're in control of your Titan's body". She said. "You can control the levels of acid within your Titan body, so as to keep anything you want inside it for as long as you want....until you run out of stamina to maintain your Titan form".

"That's....Disgusting". Levi commented.

"But very interesting!". Hange said as she jumped ahead of Levi.

Erwin looked at Ymir. "Why did you keep this as a secret Ymir? You could've saved a lot of lives".

"But I saved yours". Ymir retorted. "Besides, I wouldn't wanna know what you'd do to me if you figured I had titan powers. I've seen how you all fought over Eren and Annie over there, you think I'd wanna go through that as well? To be used as some kind of a weapon?".

"But we would've not treated you cruelly". Erwin said. "Had you transformed when you were with our comrades who were escorting their injured, you could've been able to save their lives from the traitorous squad".

"That's high, coming from you". Ymir retorted with a sharp tone. "You told me about what you had to do, you made Leonhart over there give her former teammates an opening, and how many soldiers did that kill?".

Silence suddenly graced them as both Ymir and Erwin stared at each other, the atmosphere suddenly became thickened with tension as the truth behind Annie's hesitation was brought up once again.

What remained of the Survey Corps soldiers felt intensely bitter towards this truth. Where they just cannon fodder to their commander? Mere pawns to a chess game? Where their lives, to their commander, something to be toyed with?

Eren himself felt equally frustrated but confused towards this ordeal, on the one hand; Annie still had some fault because she was already hesitant about having to give up her former teammates to be killed by him, on the other hand; it was Commander Erwin who made these hesitations grow tenfold

"...I had to do it because we had no choice". Erwin said, then he looked at the remaining soldiers.

"Soldiers, don't think that your comrades' lives were nothing but mere pawns for a purpose that was selfish. As much as I hate to admit this, it was a necessary sacrifice". He said. "I...I would not blame you if you chose to hate me, but know that because of their sacrifices; you were able to live today".

"That's gotta be the biggest lie that I've ever heard!". One of the soldiers shouted as he approached Erwin. "Look at us Commander! Do we look like a bunch of slouches who'd lose against a bunch of traitors?! We could've been able to take care of these bastards and we would've not needed to lose all of our comrades!".

"And what could've possibly secured our survival anyway?! It was a damn gamble!". Another soldier shouted. "If the freckled girl weren't even a Titan, all of us would've been screwed! Half those traitors would've came back and just finished the job!".

"Listen to the commander, all of you". Jean said.

Everyone turned their attention to Jean, who was sitting beside a tree.

The soldier frowned. "And what the hell do you have to say, you traitor?". He spat.

"If it wasn't Ymir, then it would've been the Beast Titan". Jean said. "It chucked a bunch of rocks and killed a good number of their soldiers".

The soldier suddenly went silent as he kept looking at the Kirstein boy.

"If it wasn't the Beast, then it would've been the Versatile Titan". Jean said as he looked at Annie. "She was responsible for single-handedly destroying the 57th expedition, and the death of the Levi squad".

Annie refused to look at the eyes of a certain man, whose cold stare was drilling itself on her own very soul.

"And, if you wanna even go further, it would've been that suicidal bastard as well". Jean said. "He killed a lot of Titans back in Trost, and had it not been for him; we would've lost Trost and maybe even Wall Rose in the process".

Eren was surprised to see this praise coming from his long-time rival, but he remained silent either way.

This was no time to gloat after all.

"....So what you are trying to say is Erwin's plan got us an opportunity". Eren said. "Since Annie and I were already in our Titan forms....if the traitorous squad tried to do anything, then they won't be able to stand a chance against us".

"Exactly". Jean said. "I...don't agree with it. To see so many lives wasted like that disturbs my soul, but I couldn't think about any alternative to bring against the Commander's case....".

"But they still could've transformed!". The soldier said. "Even if we pulled this operation off, we could've still been able to succeed in taking them down!".

"If this was the case, then they would've killed all of you". Jean said. "Since Eren and Annie would've stayed in their human forms, they would've been their top priority. First they would kill them, and then they'd kill the rest of you as well".

The soldier widened his eyes in horror as he looked at Jean. "Then....what kind of squad are you talking about?".

Jean looked at him.

"The Anti-Personnel Control Squad".