The Swords We Yield - ◈ ARMIN ARLERT X OC ◈

Chapter 19 - Gone (Almost)

"DON'T JUST STAND THERE! GO AFTER HER!" Jean demands beside me, launching himself after them. Without another word we all follow his lead, I engage my ODM gear and within seconds I am once again soaring by his side.

"She is fast!" Jean scoffs as Mikasa appears beneath us.

"SHE IS PULLING AWAY!" Rosette asserts speeding past us to the front of the group. When did she learn to fly that fast?

"Why would Ymir...?" Mikasa trails off lost in thought. "It's not like I ever assumed she was on our side for sure!"

"She is clearly hostile!" Armin declares, appearing next to Mikasa. "She's trying to help Reiner and Bertholdt! She just lured us in!" He cries in disbelief of how easily we fell for their tricks.

We continue to speed through the forest, the trees and flora flying past us as we do.

"We need to get to Ymir and fast!" I exclaim, "Before-" A distance blast sends a soft shake through the ground and trees, causing the birds within to flee.

Someone has transformed.

We continue to urgently speed through the forest when we see Reiner has transformed into the Armoured titan. Jean lands on the last tree bordering the forest before the landscape returns to levelled grassland.

"They're getting away with Eren!" I exclaim, coming to a stop below a branch still swinging back and forth with the momentum I had built up.

"Oh no!" Armin breathes beside me, mounted to the trunk the branch I'm attached to extends from.

ODM zips behind us making me snap my head to see where it is coming from. The older blonde man appears again speeding towards us.

"We'll follow them on horseback!" He demands, "Don't stop~" He yells again before flying past us. Without further instruction, I disengage my ODM gear allowing myself to free fall to the ground. The weightless sensation at my centre consumes me whole, feeding into my adrenaline. I abruptly stop just above the ground, when I see Phil appear with all of our horses. I sprint over to Atlas, and my comrades do the same with their horses.

"Yup!" I yell urging Atlas to start galloping, I run beside him taking hold of the reins before thrusting my body over the saddle. I push Atlas to run as fast as he can, given he is just as exhausted as I am.

"We've got to get Eren back!" The man yells ahead of us as Mikasa and Armin appear on either side of me. As we chase after Reiner, I think about how mortified Armin and Mikasa must be feeling right now. I know that if Jacob or Gen were captured I wouldn't be able to control my emotions, I would do everything in my power to get them back.

"They're not going too fast for us!" Jean calls on the other side of Mikasa, "We can make it to them!" He exclaims.

I look over to Armin beside me, he stares straight ahead, fear screaming in his eyes.

"If it shed the hard skin around its joints the armoured titan would be able to run faster." He suddenly blurts, making everyone look over at him. "Since it hasn't.. It might not be about to run that far but- even if we do catch up to it, we can't stop it!" He exclaims. The pit in my stomach returns as I realise he is right, our odds of getting Eren and Historia back do not look good.

"No... there has to be some way!" Jean cries, refusing to accept Armin's logic.

"This time I'm not going to hesitate." Mikasa rumbles beside me, "I promise to kill them." She announces, her eyes going dark. "And that includes Ymir, if she gets in our way. I don't care what it takes, I'll kill them all." She demands. I quickly look over my shoulder in search of Rosette, she rides with Jacob, Gen and Monique, her face completely drained of colour. I'm guessing that the last thing Mikasa said was not something Rosette was hoping to hear.

With every passing moment we gain on them more and more until we are just behind the Armoured titan. Any closer and we would be trampled on, and that is definitely not a way anyone would want to die.

"We need a plan! And fast!" The man stresses in front of us. My mind races, trying to think of the best way to get the others back. Going for the weak spots would be the most effective to mobiles Reiner, however it is also the most expected. What if it is so expected that they have completely overlooked that as an attack?

"We need to aim for his weak spots!" I exclaim, making everyone turn to face me. "Behind his knees or his achilles heel! If we emoblies them, it would make our mission 10 times easier!" I explain.

"But wouldn't they be expecting that?" Jean yells beside Mikasa.

"See that's the thing! It's so expected that it's very likely that they completely overlooked that as an option because they know it's too obvious!" I state eagerly.

"Making it completely unexpected and means they won't be prepared for it." Armin mutters beside me, I snap my head at him.

"Exactly!" I chime.

The man scoffs, "This could end badly if they are, but considering no one else has come up with anything, this is our best bet." he states sternly. I feel myself smile, finally I am being of some use.

"Alright! Ackerman I want you to go for behind the left knee. I'll go for the right, got it?" He announces.

"Yes, sir!" Mikasa yells before jumping up on her horse and taking off towards Reiner. I quickly take the reins of her horse before it has time to react.

"Jacob, where are you going!" Gen yells behind us pulling him down by the arm, what the hell is he doing? He wasn't given any instructions!

We watch in anticipation as they go inline with their targets. The man, who's name I still don't know, makes contact first. However he misses and his blades shatter against the armour, shit. My eyes quickly search for Mikasa hoping she had more success, but when I finally spot her she is going somewhere completely different.

"Where the hell is she going!" I exclaim, she needs to follow the plan before they know what we are doing! I continue to watch her filled with nerves and worry, she flies up next to the Armoured titan's head preparing to attack.

"Mikasa! Going for the nape will do nothing!" I try to yell at her, but I know I'm out of earshot.

Suddenly Reiner wraps his hands around his neck, shielding himself from Mikasa's attack. When she fails to get through she pulls back again reaiming her ODM gear at his shoulder blades.

"She is going for Ymir." I hear myself whisper aloud.

"What?" Armin mutters, snapping his head at me, "Mikasa, wait!" He cries desperately.

This isn't going to help us get Eren back. I guess it's time for me to take matters into my own hands.

"I've had enough of this shit." I mumble before dropping the reins and pushing myself up onto my feet.

"Zariya! What the hell are you doing!" Armin exclaims, as I engage my ODM gear.

Before I can respond my gear thrusts me towards his achile's heel, speeding forwards I adjust my grip on my swords preparing to attack. Reaching his weak spot I force my blades through the exposed muscle, however nothing happens, my blades break under the pressure.

"What?" I mutter to myself as I look back to his ankles which are now behind me. Plummeting to the ground I secure myself into a safety tumble before jumping back up, continuing to run with my leftover momentum. I run behind Reiner for as long as I can before I begin to slow down. Out of breath I quickly engage my gear again, as I speed forward above the ground, analysing what my next move should be. He is on guard so any attack I make he will be expecting.

"ZARIYA!" Gen screams behind me, she has broken formation as she gallops after me. "What the hell are you doing! Stop being an idiot! You're going to fall over your own two feet before you do anything helpful!" She scolds me. And that's when it clicks. Going for reiner is too obvious. However if I cut off his path without him noticing, now that's something I can work with.

"I'll stop being an idiot! But just after I do this!" I smile, before darting ahead.