Counterattack Chapter 9

The HQ of the Survey Corps was not a luxurious place, that Ymir knew, but couldn't complain too badly. In Marley, at least back when she was just an orphan, she'd go days without food. Eldians were scum of the earth to the Marleyans, the devil's spawn, monsters waiting to be awakened. It wasn't uncommon for her to see other orphans drop like flies on the streets, starved to death, and she used to wonder if she was next.

Marley... there was no doubt in her mind that she hated that place, at least a little, but Ymir wasn't an idiot. Not anymore anyway.

Realistically speaking, even if she was a Titan, there wasn't anything she could really do to fight Marley. She'd gotten a few memories from the boy she'd devoured, and knew how outmatched she was. Fighting against any of the other shifters would just get her dragged back to Marley, and fed to one of their friends, since she didn't have the experience to fight them solo. She was doomed to fail.

Besides... she just didn't really want to fight. She had eight years left, thanks to the Curse of Ymir, and if she could avoid it then she didn't want to waste away battling in a pointless war fighting the entire world. She wanted to be with her Historia. She wanted to be selfish.

Ymir's face scrunched up, a nagging feeling kicking at the back of her mind. What was it again?

Oh right, it was the fact Eren claimed he was the Founding Titan. As in, the power of a god that grants complete omnipotence when it comes to the subjects of Ymir. A power that even Marley couldn't stand against, not even if they had the other Titan powers.

He might have been lying, but she doubted that was the case. Eren certainly didn't look like he was lying.

Historia glanced Ymir's way, and suddenly spoke. "You've been doing a lot of thinking lately. What's on your mind."

Ymir wasn't surprised Historia noticed, so just responded vaguely. "I have a big decision that I need to make, and I need to make it now, but I'm not sure. One choice is easy for me. I don't have to do anything, but I'd be leaving my fate entirely in the hands of other people. The other is hard. I'd need to do a lot of fighting, and I'd be putting my life in danger, but everyone else would have a higher chance of survival."

Historia thought for a moment, asking gently. "Is this about, you know what, and you don't know if you should be selfish or selfless?"

Ymir merely nodded, wondering why she was even seeking advice about something like this. She was a selfish girl afterall. She promised herself she'd put herself before others from the moment she got a second chance, but now that the moment was at hand, she hesitated.

Why?

"I think you already know the answer to your question. You just don't want to admit that who you are isn't how you want to be. Didn't you go off at me once for putting on a mask, maybe you should listen to your own advice."

Ymir listened carefully, breathing in for a moment, before looking down solemnly as though a family member had just died.

"Maybe you're righ-"

She was interrupted by the sound of thunder, followed by crashing concrete, in the background and two different piercing roars made Ymir's eyes widen in fear.

She was out of time to decide.

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Pushed up harshly against a building, with numerous soldiers running away to arm themselves, Annie raised her arms in defence, crystals crawling along her forearms like a shield, but it wasn't enough to defend against a punch thrown by the Attack Titan. Her armour cracked and shattered after two quick jabs, and when she faltered Eren tried to throw a low kick.

Luckily, Annie saw this coming. She jumped out of the way, raising a fist with the intent to shatter his skull, only for her arm to be sliced up by a speeding blur.

She grimaced as her arm fell limp, out of her control, and Eren backhanded her with his hardened fist using enough force to rip her jaw clean off.

Levi flew over the two and coolly regarded her with an almost bored tone. "You're not going anywhere Leonhart. Give it up before I carve you up like a turkey."

Annie steeled herself, trying not to panic, and threw a kick to Eren's midsection when he foolishly tried to rush her down with a straight lined punch. He was undeterred though and manoeuvred his hand to block the kick with only substantial success, being sent reeling backwards by the force of her leg.

Annie felt dread at Eren's refusal to give her room, and desperately tried to figure out what ability she had that could work against him.

Instinctively she hardened her achilles-heels, and that proved to be the correct move when two soldiers tried to slash out her legs; only for their blades to shatter upon being struck.

Without hesitation, Annie lifted her leg and kicked at two Scouts who were foolish enough to attack her. The first was crushed into a pulpy paste on the wall, whilst the second was able to evade last second.

Annie caught sight of the second Scout's wire, moving to grasp at it, only for Eren to interrupt her by throwing a barrage of blows that had her on the defensive.

Nearby, Mikasa and Armin witnessed what just happened. Armin looked nervous, but determined, whilst Mikasa stared on with determination and worry.

"Armin, we need to support Eren." Mikasa declared, running as fast as she could to a set of ODM gear, leaving Armin behind as he grit his teeth in frustration before following her.

"This isn't an ideal situation, but I doubt Eren was the one who started this fight. She must have figured him out somehow and approached him, but how did she-"

Armin paused his analysis, going wide eyed when he remembered their conversation from before. Just the way she'd talked, how she'd gone from reserved to questioning, it was unlike her.

"Annie must have noticed when we spoke with her before! She was acting weirdly, and she must have picked up on Eren's weird behaviour!"

Mikasa scowled deeply, viciously noting. "Well, that bitch better be prepared to have her head cut off. If she thinks she can take Eren then she's got another thing coming!"

Armin was surprised by how worked up she looked. "Just be careful, Mikasa. We don't want to rush and fight Annie without backup."

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The Female Titan was looking worse for ware, with the use of hardening and taking so many attacks obviously taking it's toll. Meanwhile the Attack Titan, though still damaged, fought with strength and ferocity in it's movements. It was becoming plainly obvious who had the upper hand.

Eren narrowed his eyes as a fist, almost laughably clumsy considering who his opponent was, passed by his side and he moved into Annie's personal space. He grabbed her by the torso, lifting her above his head, before throwing her harshly into a building.

The force created a gust of wind, Annie's Titan getting even weaker as it began to push it's way up, only for Eren to grab her by the blonde hair and start smashing her face into the ground repeatedly.

Oluo noted dryly. "Damn, he is really going to town on her." Nobody responded, but the sentiment was shared amongst the other soldiers as the Female Titan's steamy blood started to splatter and stain the ground below.

Inside of her Titan Annie began to feel light headed, her thoughts becoming faint and her vision filled with stars. Unconsciousness was an inevitability if things continued the way they were, but she stubbornly refused to give in, though her resistance proved tough to keep up.

Annie felt some fake relief when Eren stopped slamming her head into the ground, letting herself breathe for a moment, but that was cut short when Eren flipped her over and glared into her eyes as he held her down.

Annie flinched in fear for a moment, before she desperately tried to grab his face. Eren responded by moving out of the way and raising a hardened fist into the air. When he viciously hammered it into her skull, Annie's head felt like it was about to split open as he began to relentlessly beat the daylights out of her head to the point where it caved in a mess of gore.

She knew that what she was about to do would drain her stamina, but Annie didn't have any other options.

The Attack Titan screamed as it threw a particularly heavy fist, only for Eren to reel back in shock when the Female Titan turned to pure blue crystal and trapped his arm firmly in place.

The Scouts reacted with stupefied looks, though Levi didn't hesitate to swoop down when he realised what was going on.

Spotting Annie running out of her hardened Titan, who looked like a wild animal backed into a corner, Levi sneered as he yelled at her. "I don't mind teaching disrespectful brats like you a lesson, in fact, I love carving up pieces of shit! So, why don't you just make this easier on everyone and give it up!"

Annie's face contorted with fright as Levi closed in, swinging his blades in a spin attack, only for lightning to strike yet again.

The Female Titan reappeared, back to full fighting shape, and Levi was blown away by the ensuing explosion. Several soldiers tried to follow Annie, who no longer wanted to fight Eren. It was obvious she was outmatched and, loathed to admit it, unprepared to fight against another shifter and a legion of experienced Titan killers. Her only option was to flee, assuming she still could.

Annie broke into a running sprint, seeking to leave the Scouts HQ behind, only to feel some surprise when she noticed someone blocking her path. Someone without ODM gear. It was Ymir, with freckled girl holding her hand up for all to see.

A hand that was bleeding.

Annie's eyes widened, knowing that could only mean one thing, and the next second Ymir was engulfed by an explosion of light that made wind pick up as flesh and bones began to wrap around the freckled girl's body.

The Jaw Titan emerged from a cloud of steam, a Titan that looked quite familiar to her. Not because it resembled Marcel's Titan, in fact it was like a whole different Titan, but because it looked almost exactly like the Pure Titan who'd eaten her comrade. With just a few differences, namely the sharp nails and teeth perfect for ripping flesh.

Everyone in the area was shocked by the appearance of a new Titan, though Annie didn't hesitate to throw a punch when it jumped at her. Annie was exhausted, knowing that she didn't have time to deal with any more enemies, so her intent was simply to swat Ymir away and run before she was captured. However, her confidence shattered just like her hardened fist when Ymir caught it in her mouth and crushed it to pieces!

Annie panicked as she pulled her arm back, steaming at the stump where her hand was bitten off, only for Ymir to cling onto her like a stubborn leech. The Jaw Titan was faster than the Female Titan, so she was unable to do anything when Ymir suddenly pounced and slashed at face.

The unexpected move took out Annie's right eye, partially blinding her, and her fear only got worse at how increasingly hopeless her situation was becoming. She gained some hope of escape when Ymir jumped off, giving her some wiggle room, only to realise she was just moving out of the way as the Attack Titan came out from behind and tackled her to the ground. Pinning her down as he put pressure on her nape.

Annie's eyes filled to the brim with tears as Eren started to close in on her, emerald eyes glittering with malice, and she felt her heartbeat pick up.

She couldn't die, not like this. Since the day she'd inherited the Female Titan she knew she'd die young, but she never expected to feel so much sadness when she did. It was sadness at the fact she never got to see her father again. She never got to see if he meant those words, if he really loved her, or if they could be a regular daughter and father.

She knew she didn't deserve it, not at this point, but she didn't care. She never claimed to be selfless, in fact, she was selfish to the absolute extreme. She hated what she needed to do to reunite with her father, but she'd commit all her unforgiveable sins again if it meant returning to him. Even as the worst girl who ever lived.

She didn't want to die.

"Annie, please, promise me you will return. No matter what."

Eren closed in on her nape, sharp teeth positioned to tear the flesh right off the Annie's neck, only for him to pull back as the Female Titan's body began to shine and the flesh melted away.

Annie closed her eyes stubbornly, refusing to be captured, as layers of Titan crystal began to envelop her form and shield her from the rest of the world. She needed to return to her father, she needed to return safely.

Soon the Female Titan's body dissolved and the Scouts closed in on it's remains, only to find a crystal cocoon with Annie Leonhart's body deep inside.

She needed to stay safe.

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Erwin looked over the Scouts HQ, and the destruction caused by a battle between the Titans. It wasn't too bad all things considered. They'd no doubt need to move locations, but casualties had at least been kept to a minimum. Only one Scout had died against the Female, whilst the amount who died due to collateral damage was unknown, so the losses they'd endured weren't horrific. They'd captured the Female Titan, or at the very least stopped her from being a threat, and he called that a victory.

Though, Erwin had a number of questions about this Ymir girl. She was one of the recruits who'd joined the Survey Corps this year and, if Eren's description of the Titans was right, she was likely the Jaw Titan. As in, one of the Titan powers under Marley's control. Eren hadn't told them about her identity, which he clearly knew given his lack of surprise at her appearance.

"Eren, step away from her." Petra called out with narrowed eyes, blades raised in Ymir's direction, only to find that Eren was blocking his path with his arms held out in defence of the girl.

Eren still had strange marks on his face, as did Ymir, and he didn't give Petra's threat any response and held his arms up in a placatory manner. "She's not an enemy. All of you, put down your weapons and don't do anything you'll regret. You don't have the full context of the situation."

Ymir remained silent, content to judge the Scouts from behind Eren, and the other soldiers began to speak up with hardened eyes.

"Why are you defending her, brat?! She could be with the enemy, so get out of our way!" Oluo yelled, sweat leaking off his forehead, but Eren didn't rise his words.

"I'm defending her because I already knew about her, and I can tell you for a fact that she's on our side. Now, I thought you were all meant to be hardened soldiers, why don't you stop making fools of yourselves and analyse the situation?"

Eld seemed to stir at the provocatory remark, but did lower his blades a tiny bit as his expression became less dire. "Then why don't you shed some light on what's going on here? You seem to know everything whilst we all know nothing."

Eren's expression faltered at those words, staring to the side as though he felt guilty. "Look, explaining everything would take all day, but to sum it up here's the deal. Five years ago, Wall Maria fell because of humans. We aren't the last of humanity, far from it, in fact we're hardly a dent in this world's population."

Levi stepped forward from Erwin's side, about to sort out his squad, but Erwin stopped him in his place. Erwin trusted those in the Scouts, and he planned on letting the truth out soon enough, so it didn't have any negative effects to let the soldiers present know a bit about what was going on. In fact, it would help to make the soldiers less restless.

Gunther yelled out, more in frustration than hatred. "Stop being so damn cryptic! What the hell are you talking about?!"

"I'm saying that humanity exists outside the Walls and they want to kill us all!" Eren yelled out, stunning all the ignorant soldiers silent as their expressions turned from being aggressive to stunned.

Eren continued, this time more controlled. "This goes far bigger than any of you think, and I can't tell you everything. But, you're right, all of you deserve to know something, so the truth is we've been lied to all our lives. Titans, the killing machines outside our Walls, they're just innocent humans turned that way against their will by a civilisation that hates them. We aren't the last of humanity, and what you just same was a battle between two Titan shifters. There are nine Titan shifters, the Armoured and Colossal among them, and we need to fight if we want to survive. Ymir over here, she's on our side. I know I'm asking a lot, but I need you all to trust me. Now please, lower your weapons, she means you no harm."

Erwin raised an eyebrow at the speech, especially since many of the soldiers looked conflicted on whether to keep there weapons up now, though ultimately he decided to finally step in. "Put your weapons down. She isn't hostile, and neither is he, so we have no reason to show them hostility."

His words nailed the hammer in, with the veterans sheathing their blades, and he turned his eyes onto the crystal cocoon created by the Female Titan. "And, secure the Female Titan. She's unlikely to escape, but we need to be sure."

Erwin walked over to Eren, who had relaxed now that the other soldiers had lowered their weapons, and asked. "Why didn't you tell us about the Jaw Titan?"

Eren looked to the side, explaining himself briefly. "It was a matter of respect, I wanted to give her the choice of whether or not to show herself. She's a friend, and I didn't want to force her."

Ymir gave him a surprised look, giving a small smirk as she tried to hide her silent gratitude for his words.

Erwin had to withhold a slight smile, and merely stated. "Well, it all turned out for the best. She aided us in capturing Leonhart, though I doubt we'll manage to take her powers so long as she remains in that crystal, at least she's no longer a threat. That is enough, her coming out of hiding was just a bonus."

Eren's eyes flickered back to Ymir. "Actually, there is a way to break through that Titan crystal. It'll crush whoever is inside into paste though, so doing that might be risky if you wanted to feed them to a Pure Titan."

Erwin immediately caught onto his line of thought, letting a small smile slip for a moment before he composed himself and glanced back at Annie's crystal. "I see, that's helpful to know. Regardless, you don't need to worry yourself about Leonhart. You two have saved us a lot of trouble by helping to capture her, and I'd like to give you my personal thanks."

Eren nodded respectfully, whilst Ymir resisted an eyeroll at the overly polite thank you.

Erwin looked back, noticing the group of cadets approaching them, and left with a few parting words. "You'll need to explain the situation to your friends yourselves, I wish you good luck."

Ymir watched his back as he left, shifting uncomfortably before blurting out. "Thanks for keeping my secret, I half expected you to have let it slip whilst you were busy kissing the Scouts' asses."

Eren snorted. "That's be a dumb move, considering how much it'd piss off you and your girlfriend. Besides, I had faith that you'd come out on your own, you just needed a little push in the right direction. It'll be reassuring to have you around."

Ymir was about to respond, only to be interrupted by their fellow new recruits. Namely, Mikasa and Historia who fussed over the two shifters.

"Eren, are you okay? Did Annie hurt you?" Mikasa asked in distress, only to be interrupted by a kiss on the cheek and a sincere apology.

"I'm sorry for worrying you, but the fight wasn't exactly planned. Annie came out of nowhere and attacked me, so I had no choice but to fight her head on. But, I kicked her ass, as expected, and that honestly went as well as a fight against her could have."

His reassurance just made her sigh, though a tiny smile was on her face. "Yeah, you really did. She hardly had a chance to do anything other than run away. Hopefully Reiner and Bertolt are as easy to catch as-"

"Uhh, hello! Can you quit the lovey-dovey bullcrap and please explain what the fuck is going on?!" Connie rudely interrupted, getting a glare from Mikasa in response that made him flinch back, but Eren answered without hesitation.

"Look, I wasn't planning on telling you this quite yet, but there's no point in keeping everything from you anymore. So, I'll ask you once. Do you really want to hear me out, even knowing that your entire world view will be shattered permanently afterwards?"

The severity and emphasise on his words caused the other cadets to reel back, surprised by the intensity of Eren's words, though remained undeterred as they all nodded resolutely.

Mikasa grabbed his hand, offering some comfort as he began to explain the truth of their world. Yet again