The Birth of Freedom

Wings of Freedom

ARMIN

I couldn't believe what I was seeing, our best and last hope was slumped forward and not moving in front of the large boulder that I had suggested was our best chance at sealing the breach. After Pyxis had saved us from the garrison regiment, I had offered Eren's services in the way of plugging the front gate with the large boulder that had initially come up as a means to save Trost and gathering our remaining forces, we had collected as many soldiers in one place to lure the Titan's away from the south of the city to give Eren and the elite squad the best chance of success with the time we were buying with our lives, only for a smoke flare to rocket through the sky to signal the elite squads defeat.

Refusing to give up I had run with all I had over the walls and made my way through the throngs of Titans that were heading to where I had found Eren's titan form lying with its face mangled and Crying out in fear, I had dropped myself onto his back and searched the surrounding rooftops for the one person I knew would not be far away.

"Mikasa" I shouted, finding her on the rooftop over from us "why did the plan go belly up?"

Giving no answer, she continued to stand there and stare at Eren like all the hope had left the world.

What the hell happened?

"Why on earth is he just slouched here like this" I shouted to her again, and this time she seemed to snap out her trance as she began to wave her arms aggressively.

"Getaway! It's dangerous!" she screamed "Something went wrong, he lost control and wound up like that. I tried to snap him out of it, but I couldn't get him to respond. He's been out like this for the last few minutes."

"But the plan?" I shouted incredulously; we couldn't do this without him.

"We had to shift tack" she called back "Right now all we can do is protect him. He's defenceless, and there are just too so many. I don't know how much longer we can keep this up!"

Not long I'd wager, given the number of Titans I had passed to get here, time was not on our side. We had to do something, and we had to do it fast but how do we reach Eren?

Think Armin think! The last time Eren transformed like this, he had collapsed out of sheer exhaustion and Once the steam had begun to rise, his body had pulled itself free from the weak spot that all Titans had.

From the back of the head to the nape of the neck, One meter high and 10 centimetres across!

He had to be there; it couldn't be a coincidence that the weak spot was exactly were Eren had emerged, that must be how these things work. Unhooking my ODM controls, I looked down at Eren's nape and knew what I had to do.

"Armin!" Mikasa cried out in terror when she saw what I intended to do.

"I'm pulling him out of here!" I told her "You just hold of the other Titans as long as you can! When Eren first emerged from this form, it was from the weak spot. I don't know, but something tells me that's a big part of the picture. How these damn things work. He will be alright as long as I don't hit the centre."

"This won't kill him" I promised, well I hoped it wouldn't at least, but I still had to try and launching my grapples into his back, I secured my footing before drawing my blade "But, well, it is going to hurt. A lot"

With a cry, I buried my blade deep into the nape, and instantly Eren's Titan form screamed and flailed, I guess I was on target.

"Stop it you will get yourself killed!" Mikasa screamed in panic and I spared her a glance to see that even though she was afraid, she hadn't moved an inch from her spot on the rooftop.