⚔️His Armored Heart⚔️

15. The Storm

The Colossal Titan was back.

Victoria was thrown back by another sudden surge of scalding steam that erupted from the creature's face, its enormous, hideous red hand trailing behind as it swept across the top of the Wall. The sound of cannons and metal tearing apart filled the air, sending debris flying in every direction.

The chaos was overwhelming; the Wall shook beneath her very feet, and the acrid smell of smoke and burning metal stung her nostrils. Had it not been for her quick reflexes, Victoria would have plummeted to her demise, but her ODM gear sprang to life, the engine humming as the metal cables shot out toward Wall Rose.

The familiar whirring sound of the machinery was a comfort amidst the pandemonium, a reminder of the training that had prepared her for a moment like this.

The two-inch metal hooks flew out, embedded themselves firmly into the stone. Secured in place, the cords began retracting back into their housing units with a pull of her trigger. Victoria felt the jolt of the impact reverberate through her body as she slammed into the Wall a little too quickly, but she easily regained her composure.

She glanced down at the chaos below, where soldiers scrambled to regroup, preparing for the worst that everyone knew was coming, their shouts barely audible over the cacophony of destruction. The creature loomed above them, a grotesque silhouette against the smoky sky, its eyes glinting with a malevolent intelligence.

The gate was still intact. 

For the moment.

With a deep breath, Victoria tried stead herself, her heart racing as adrenaline coursed through her veins. She had to act quickly. The Wall was their last line of defense, and if that creature breached it, all hope would be lost. She scanned the area, her mind racing as she calculated her next move.

Debris had begun to fall on her head, and fear was ever present, as it began to cloud her mind, but Eren's sharp voice cut through that fog before it could overtake her.

"This is our chance! Don't let it get away!"

Harnessing the momentum from his fall, Eren had propelled himself around, launching upward toward the towering Colossal Titan's head. Inspired by his determination, and a little scared of his recklessness, Victoria felt an instinctive surge of action; her body reacted before her mind could catch up. She pushed off the wall, executing a backflip with her hips angled high, the propulsion system spat to life as she maneuvered upward to keep pace with Eren.

The Titan was massive; its head alone was about the side of a two-story house house. And it was even uglier up close. Its expression was curled down in a permanent scowl, the muscles on his face twitching every time it moved. In the dark hollows of its face, pale hazel eyes focused on Eren and Victoria with almost intellectual malice as they slid to a stop before it.

Her blades were gripped tightly in her fists, as she stared down the creature that ruined her life.

"You," Eren's voice was almost unrecognizable, as he stood beside her. "It's been a while."

It stared down at them with its cold, eyes, and then... it started moving.

Eren and Victoria dashed away from each other, their hearts pounding. Victoria's eyes widened as, for a brief moment, the creature halted, its gaze shifting back and forth between them as if trying to decide which of them to target.

Then, with a slow, terrifying grace, it lifted its massive hand, the sheer size of it dwarfing Victoria in its shadow. With an agonizingly deliberate, brutal motion, it swiped across the top of the Wall once more, sending debris flying in all directions.