JDthebeast's Beauty and the King

Chapter 12: Unexpected Heartbeat

Armin: But-- I mean-- Titans are everywhere! You can't jump and carry me on your back at--

Connie: (Grabbing Armin) Come on. Let's move.

Y/n, Mikasa, Connie, and Armin began to run along the rooftop towards HQ. They almost reached the edge when Armin pulled his arm free from Connie's grasp.

Armin: Hold on! (Y/n and the others stopped and turned to the smart boy) I've got an idea!

Connie: What is it then?

Armin: (Looking between Mikasa and Y/n) Only you two are capable of pulling this off, so it's really your choice.

Y/n shared a confused glance with Mikasa before turning his attention back on Armin.

Y/n: Alright, what's your plan?

Armin: This may sound crazy, but I think he might be useful.

Connie: (Shocked) Whoa, you mean the Titan?

Armin: He only attacks his own kind. He seems to have no interest in us. What if we can somehow steer him to HQ and let him loose on the other Titans? Look, we know he's taken at least one out already. We can use him as a weapon!

Connie: You have got to be kidding!

Y/n: (Stroking his chin) I see. You've taken my hypothesis and clashed it together with Eren's crazy thinking. . . (Smiling up at the blonde boy) Armin, you truly are a genius.

Armin flushed bright red at the compliment.

Connie: You have all lost your minds. How the hell you think we're supposed to steer that thing!

Armin: Well, something tells me he's fighting on instinct. I'm almost sure if you take down the pair, he's tangling with now, he'll go look for others. That'd lead him straight to HQ. We're not steering him so much as luring him. I think it'll work. I really do.

Connie: Think? You're asking us to risk our necks on a stupid gut feeling?

Y/n: (Placing a hand on Connie's shoulder) Connie, I believe in Armin. He's acting just like my father would in this situation, and he is one of the most brilliant strategists minds this earth has ever made. If anyone could pull off a crazy stunt like this, it would be those two.

Armin smiled warmly and nodded to Y/n as a sign of respect.

Armin: Thank you, Y/n. If I'm right about this, like Y/n thinks I am, then we can put down the siege on headquarters in one fell swoop!

Mikasa: I agree. It's worth a shot.

Connie: (Turning to Y/n and Mikasa) Huh? Seriously?

Mikasa: Better to take a gamble on Armin's gut feeling than wait around to be slaughtered. If there's a decent shot, why not take it?

Connie: So, basically, we're going to recruit a Titan?

Y/n: (Smug) Yes. Exactly.

Connie was stunned for a few seconds before a smile appeared on his face.

Connie: (Looking at Armin) We'll look like morons if we screw this up.

Armin: Yeah. But if we don't, look how many lives we stand to save.

Mikasa: Where there's a will, there's a way.

Mikasa rushed off towards the Attack Titan and the other Pure Titans that crowded it. Y/n smiled, drawing his blades and chasing after her, with Armin following behind.

Connie: It's still nuts, but what the hell.

Connie followed.

Y/n laughed as Mikasa and himself jumped from the edge of the roof, using their ODM gear to fly towards the Titans that were attacking the friendly one.

Y/n: This is going to be fun!

***
Jean, along with the Cadets that followed and survived the horde of Titans, crashed through the upper windows of Trost HQ. Jean skidded to a stop and watched as his fellow comrades entered. There was less than there was before. . . a lot less.

Jean: (Thoughts) How many-- How many of us made it? How many bodies did I crawl over? How many of our comrades died on my orders?

He then spotted from the corner of his eye two soldiers cowering under a desk. They were shivering, eyes full of terror and cowardness. The girl seemed to have blood coating her right side, spreading across her frightened face.

Jean: Hold on a sec. You guys with the supply team?

Supply Guy: Yeah.

Jean felt rage burst from within him. All the deaths he had seen, all the tragic losses he has suffered were because of them. Instantly, Jean got up, grabbed the man by the front of his jacket, hoisted him up, and delivered a hard punch straight across his weak face. The pathetic waste of space crumpled to the ground. Marco rushed over, grabbing Jean from behind.
Marco: Jean! Stop!

Jean: You cowards! You left us out there on our own! People are dead 'cause you didn't have the guts to do your job!

The woman exited her hiding spot and protected the man that was lying face down.

Supply Girl: The Titans were coming at us from every angle! They overran the supply room, okay?

Jean: (Struggling against his friend's grip) It's your job to deal with it and back us up anyway!

Reiner looked out the window as an odd sound made its way in through the shattered windows. Upon seeing something, he yelled out to the rest of the Cadets.

Reiner: Hit the deck!

A loud bang occurred as a Titan blew open one of the walls to their current room. Its ugly head sticking in through the beach, along with another Titan. Both ready to eat every last one of them.

Jean: Son of a-- There are too many people! They can smell us!

The whole room full of people started to panic. All trying to make their way out and further into the complex. They were pushing, punching, and climbing over one another. All to survive death that was calling to them in the shape of big, ugly, fat Titans.
Soldier 1: Run!

Soldier 2: Get further in!

Soldier 3: We can't all go at once!

Cadet 1: Where's Mikasa? Have you seen her?

Cadet 2: She ran out of gas. Forget about her. She's dead!

Jean was too stunned to move. All he could do was stare at the two Titans that looked in at him.

Jean: (Thoughts) This is it. This is reality. Of course, it is. How deluded was I? No. No, on some level, I knew it all along. I mean, when you stop and think for a second, it's obvious. There's no winning. Not against them. (Gasp)

He then saw it. Other than the two ugly-ass Titans, there was something unexpected. A fist had smashed into the left Titan's head.

Jean: What?!?

The two Titans were completely thrown from their previous spot by another Titan. Jean could see that greasy brown-haired Titan roar at the other Pure Titans that were lurking around outside the walls.

Jean: Wha-- What the--?

Y/n: (Distant) Incommmmmmming!

Jean gasped and jumped out the way as Y/n, Mikasa, Connie, and Armin, who was being carried by Connie, burst through the unshattered windows. Y/n whined in pain as he stepped in some broken glass with his barefoot.
Y/n: (hopping around on one foot) Ow, ow, ow, ow!

Jean: (Shocked) Mikasa, Y/n, you're--!

Y/n: (Brushing his foot off) Oh, hey Jean. I see you're still alive. Good, that means we still might have a chance.

Connie: (Checking his gas) Wow. Close one. I was running on fumes. We made it here, though! Crazy, but we did!

Jean walked to Mikasa, shocked, stunned, and completely baffled.

Jean: You-- I-- Am I dreaming this, or what?

Connie: (Patting Armin's back roughly) You're a certified genius! From now on, far as I'm concerned, your word is law!

Y/n: (Looking at Connie) Oi, watch it. We can't hurt our genius. We still need him, you know.

Connie: (Smiling) Right, I forgot he's as thin as a matchstick. (To Jean) Oh, hey, Jean! (Standing up and pointing out the large hole in the wall) Check it out! We found an Abnormal that's got a bone to pick with its own kind. And the best part? He couldn't care less about us! That's right, you heard me. This big beautiful S.O.B."s our ticket out of here!
The other Cadets and soldiers who were previously panicking walked back into the room and watched the abnormal face-off against the other Titans.

Cadet 1: You mean like fighting fire with fire?

Jean: Listen to yourself. A Titan's not gonna help us! You're out of your mind if you think this can work--

Mikasa: It is working.

Y/n: (Walking up to Jean) Catch up, man. I'll dumb it down for you. Good Titan fights bad Titans.

Jean growled and glared at Y/n, who smiled smugly.

Jean: This is stupid.

Mikasa: (Stepping in between the two men) It doesn't matter. All we know is that he is rampaging against his own kind. Either way. What choice do we have? Right now, that thing is our best chance at survival.

Connie: (Looking out the hole at the other Titan kicking ass) Look at him go! This guy makes the others look like total weaklings. They're not gonna take this building. Not with him on a rampage out there.

Sasha: (Pushing through the crowd of Cadets) Y/N!!!!!!

Y/n turned just in time to be tackled to the ground by the brown-haired, potato loving woman. She clung to him tightly.