The Walls We've Built - ◈ ARMIN ARLERT X OC ◈

Chapter 10 - Attack

We continued to trail the titan, making sure we are 100% confident with the plan and everyone's role. Armin explained to us that when she attacked him earlier she checked under his hood rather than just killing him like the other scouts, by wearing our hoods it will confuse the titan as she doesn't know who we are and wont risk killing us especially since she doesn't know where Eren is.

We are all impressed by Armin's quick thinking, but Jean is the first to comment on it. "Not going to lie, the way to clung on to Eren like a security blanket all the time used to really creeped me out" Jean states in a judgmental tone, wow, nice one Jean, real inspiring. I slap him across the back of the head for his unempathetic remark, "Ow!" he responses, aggressively rubbing the back of his head looking at me annoyed. 

I just shrug, he did deserve it. "Hey! I was just going to say I always knew you were brilliant and more than Eren's little pet." Jean says defensively, "Oh, sorry." I reply genuinely, patting the back of his head. He swats my arm away annoyed, we all laugh as Reiner mockingly responds "Want me to kiss it better?" Jean glares at Reiner and I, irritated. "Just shut up both of you so we can deal with this titan please." He says changing the subject while yanking my hood completely over my head a bit too eagerly.

"Uh ok thank you" Armin slips in, "not exactly sure how I ought to take that but thanks?" he replies unsure of what Jean was trying to say. As we approach the titan, I adjust my hood so it covers my face but I can still see, it has slowed down a fair bit so hopefully we will be able to use that to our advantage.

We break away from each other, following the plan, Jean will make the first attack to distract her, followed by Armin removing her sight, then I will slice her tendons making her immobile, leaving Reiner to finish her off. It's a fairly simple plan, but it will take a miracle for us to actually pull it off. We are all in our assigned spots riding alongside the titan, Jean on its left, Reiner behind, Armin on its right and myself not far behind him. Once we are ready Jean goes for the attack, he aims his ODM gear at the titans achilles tendons but the titan swiftly changes its footing making him miss completely.

The titan suddenly stops facing Armin, oh no, she lunges at Armin making my heart drop. She smacks his horse into the air, making Armin go flying as well, "ARMIN!" I scream at the top of my lungs as I go as fast as I can to reach him. Once I am close enough, I throw myself off my horse sprinting to him, I drop to his side as he lies motionlessly on the ground, I take a sharp breath in, this feels too familiar.

"Armin, are you ok?" I exclaim at his side, he rests his head on the ground facing me, his eyes are light and his forehead is covered in blood as he lazyly looks at me. A giant shadow creeps over us, and Armin is no longer looking at me. I turn around standing up staring at the titan before me. Filled with rage and anger, I yell at the top of my lungs as I stab my swords into the tissue surrounding the titan's knee cap. I stare at the ground, tears falling from my eyes, I release my trigger connecting the blade from my ODM gear, leaving my sword in her leg, but the titan doesn't react.

Behind the titan I hear Jean call to Armin as he approaches the titan again, this time he swings around the back of the titan going for the kill. As he gets closer to the target the titan covers its weak spot, how? I see the determination leave Jean's eyes as the titan goes to finish him off. The light whimper behind me brings my attention back to Armin, he has lifted himself to his knees, "Armin, it's ok, I'll-" I whisper as I put my arms around his shoulder and across his torso going to help him sit up properly. "JEAN! Don't let that suicidal maniack die in vain!" Armin yells desperately, making me pause.

The titan stops mid strike giving Jean enough time to retreat, Armin begins rambling on about something, I don't know what he is talking about but I realise what he is trying to do. I help him onto his knees as he continues, "She did it! She is the one who killed him! I told him the right wing was suicidal but he went along any way! And now he's dead, thanks to her!" I watch Jean roll onto the ground before turning back to Armin. My eyes widen as I realise what Armin is doing, he is distracting her by talking about Eren! If he can keep her preoccupied for long enough it should give Reiner enough time to attack, and just as I assumed Reiner comes galloping towards the titan at full speed.

Armin continues to describe the gorey lie of Eren's death as Reiner goes straight for the nape, this might actually work! The titan suddenly turns its head towards Reiner, catching him in her hand mid air, I hear Armin gasp as I yell out Reiner's name. I wince at the sound of him struggling against her grip, she lifts her thumb above his head. Knowing what is about to happen I hide my face in Armin's chest as I hear the unsettling crush of Reiners skull. There is a brief silence before I hear the desperate scream of Reiner, I lift my head from Armin's chest to see him come spinning out of the titans hand slice through its flesh and bone..

I quickly get up, trying to help Armin as Reiner swiftly scoops Armin from the ground using the momentum gained from using his ODM gear continuing forward, away from the titan. I quickly do the same using my ODM gear to thrust myself away from the titan and into the same direction as Reiner. I run with Reiner away from the titan, I stare at him in awe, it turns out he is braver than the rest of our cadent cops. I only notice I've slowed down when Reiner grabs me with his spare hand yanking me forward "I would carry you too but I'm a bit too tired for that." he says mockingly, I quickly pick up my pace so I'm in step with him.

I look over my shoulder towards the motionless titan, still staring at its hand. It suddenly rises from the ground and takes off in the opposite direction. "I say we get out of here! If she doesn't have an appetite for people like you say, I'm guessin' she's not going to follow us." Reiner says in reference to Armin's previous observations. I continue watching the titan as it runs away from us, something isn't right. I once again visualise the formation in my head again when it clicks. My eyes wide as I gasp, "What?" Reiner questions, "She isn't running away from us, she is going for the rear of the center rank," I explain, I look at Armin who understands what I am trying to say. Simultaneously, we both yell "SHE IS GOING FOR EREN!"