Mute Ackerman

~21

The rest of the Levi squad rode far away and retreated in the trees. They have to wait for final orders and were on standby in the meantime.

Eren went over to think about what had happened so far.

"So the Commander planned to capture that Titan," Eren said. "I can tell why he didn't choose the new troops. I only can't tell why he didn't choose to tell you." Eren said, referring to the Levi squad.

"Are you saying the captain and commander don't trust us?" Petra asked.

Petra, Eren, and Olou started arguing and Marie nudged Eld's arm.

"No, Eren is right." Eld simply said. "I think the reason that the Commander couldn't trust us is that we have a Titan in our squad."

Eld came up with the theory that the Female Titan was one of them. Like a spy.

"I think the commander only told the soldiers who'd stayed alive for years. And us having two recruits and our experience isn't enough for that." Eld explained. "A spy could've infiltrated our ranks. The spy might be the one who killed Sawney and Bean."

"Back then, the Commander asked me about that. I didn't know what he meant though." Petra said.

"If we were able to answer it back then, we would've been able to participate in this plan," Eld said and Marie raised her hand.

"I was able to answer his question. I think he didn't let me participate since I'm still new in the Survey Corps and I didn't experience enough compared to those who've stayed alive for longer than five years." Marie signed at Eren so he could translate it to the rest of his squad.

"You were able to?" Eld asked and Marie nodded.

"I was able to do it too but I didn't tell them. You want to know why?" Olou said cockily.

"Oh no, you weren't able to honey..." Marie thought.

"Why?" Petra asked without much interest.

"You really couldn't tell? Well, I should've known. You all have yet to reach my level." 

"Hey... Are you copying Captain Levi again?"

Olou and Petra started to argue a little and Marie just watched the scene develop. Eld started to talk about how Eren we'll see why the Commander had gotten his position and why Captain Levi trusts him so much. Suddenly, a scream was heard from deep within the forest. Marie squinted her eyes and held her ears. She heard thuds from all directions at once, going towards the center of the forest where the Female Titan was captured. She felt the energy of people and Titans dying.

"Are you okay Marie? Did you hear something?" Eren asked her.

"I'm fine... Though I heard a scream, It was super clear to me."

"What?"

After a while,  a blue flare was shot into the air, meaning that they were retreating.

"Looks like we'll be able to see who's inside and that's all thanks to you, Eren. Because you had faith in us." Petra said to him.

"We can't celebrate just yet... The energy from inside the forest doesn't tell any good." Marie thought.

"Hey, what's with the long face?" Eld asked Marie as they shot into the air.

"Stay focused... I feel like something is going to happen." Marie signed to Eren and Eren translated it to the squad. 

A green flare was shot into the air and Gunther was certain that that one was from Captain Levi so he shot another green flare to show their location. They were flying back to their horses and Marie could feel a presence next to them and it was certainly not Levi. Marie clapped two times in her hand and then pointed to the person so that her squad would notice.

"Captain Levi? No, It's not! Who are you?!" Gunther shouted and the mysterious person slashed him out of the sky with their swords.

"G-Gunther!" Eren shouted but Gunther's neck was slashed as if he was a Titan and his Head was hanging on by a thin layer of skin. 

Eren was frozen in his tracks and Marie widened her eyes but kept going. Olou literally threw Eren forward and told him to keep going.

"There's no time to reach for the horses. Go to HQ immediately!" Eld ordered the squad.

"It must be the person that was inside the Titan." Marie thought.

The mysterious person suddenly transformed into a Titan and got after them at full speed. Eren wanted to transform but Eld ordered him to go to HQ at full speed while the rest of the squad will fight the female Titan.

"I'll fight too!" Eren shouted.

"No! This is the best move. Your power is too risky!" Eld shouted back. 

Everyone told Eren to believe in them, Including Marie.

"Eren, Go. Trust us." 

Eren looked shocked but then went full speed ahead, trusting in his squad. 

Marie smiled and so did the rest of her squad as they turned back around to face the female Titan.

Eld and Marie acted as a decoy and with the time they bought, Olou and Petra slashed the Female Titan's eye. No words were needed, they knew what to do.

The Female Titan covered its nape and Marie could tell that her squad wanted to kill it immediately. Eld signed to the squad to take out the arms so that it wouldn't be able to cover the nape anymore.

Marie and the rest tore down the muscles and its arms dropped. Marie noticed that steam was coming from one eye and that it was regenerating.

"The squad hasn't noticed yet... Fuck I can't sign while fighting and they don't understand me anyway. I want to shout but my stupid voice is gone." Marie thought frustrated.

"Tear down the muscles in its neck and cut the nape!" Eld shouted.

Marie wanted to shout at him for not doing that since she saw that the eye had fully regenerated. Suddenly the eye opened and the Female Titan immediately bit Eld in half.  

Marie widened her eyes in terror as the Female Titan spit out his upper body. Marie, Petra, and Olou went back.

"She put all her energy into healing one eye..."

"We need to regroup now!" Olou shouted as the Female Titan started to sprint toward Petra.

"Petra now!" Olou shouted but it was too late. Petra got smashed into a tree and Olou lost his temper.

"DIE!" 

Olou got to the nape but his blades broke and he was unable to slice through. The Female Titan kicked him away like he was a bug and he fell dead to the ground.

Marie felt a pure rage inside her but she needed to keep her cool. She went around the legs at full speed and then she went close to the nape. She saw a crystal-like substance on it and she was a little caught off guard by it. 

The Female Titan had regenerated her left underarm enough to slap Marie right out of the sky. Marie plummeted into a tree and her ODM gear broke. She landed on the ground and darkness started to overcome her.

"I'm fading out... No way I'll die here... I... Still... Need to be there... For Levi..."

With that, Darkness overtook Marie.