The Birth of Freedom

Clash of the Titans

JEAN

The building shook violently, and I quickly rolled over and pinned Aurora to the slates, shielding her small body as Eren's big ass Titan came barrelling past throwing dust and debris up into the air.

Took your damn time Eren!

Coughing and spluttering, Aurora pushed against my chest just as the blood-curdling screams of the civilians below began to escalate and scrambling from underneath me, Aurora jumped to her feet and engaged her ODM gear before jumping from the rooftop and back into the action.

Does that woman know how to stop?

"There are people down there!" Aurora shouted just as Rian came up beside her, "Rian! Help me turn them away from the evacuees!"

Wasting no time, the redheaded twins took off without so much as a 'thank you Jean' after Eren and Annie just as Armin and Hange landed on the roof and ran towards me, their eyes fixed on the Titan's clashing two streets away. 

Yeah I'm fine thanks for asking!

"Well, I dare say our boy is in control of himself this time," Hange noted as she held her hand out and grasping it, she pulled me to my feet as I internally screamed at the sight of the city lying in near ruins with Eren chasing Annie down the cobbled streets destroying everything in their wake.

It's like Trost all over again...

No one was prepared for this, too far removed from the outer walls they never dreamed that their sanctuary would be a Titan playground, these people had no idea what a Titan looked like never mind what they were capable of. Smoke rose high into the sky just like it did with Trost and the screams of innocents filled the air as they ran for their lives, never to be the same again as they learnt what it truly meant to be under the Titan's thumb.

What have we done...?

"Yeah, still though there isn't any guarantee that this time is going to turn out any better than the last time." Armin pointed out as he watched Eren plough his way through a building trying to cut off Annie's escapes. I found Armin's words a little hard to swallow, sure Eren got his ass kicked last time, but that was because he had no idea what he was up against, none of us did, but this time was different. We had faced Annie before; we knew what she was and we knew what she was capable of, Eren wasn't a total idiot, he wouldn't have taken her on if he couldn't take her. At least I bloody well hope not.

"C'mon he wouldn't have transformed if he didn't know for sure he could take her this time." I countered more for myself than for anyone listening, "He has got this, okay?

He better have!

"I don't doubt that, but determination alone isn't enough to win a fight." Armin objected as he turned to look at me, his face troubled "You of all people should know that. It will take more than that to beat Annie. A lot more." 

Get my ass kicked by Eren and fighting a Titan are too completely different things Armin.

We had this. Eren was on his feet, we had Commander Erwin's planning, Hange's mind, Aurora, Rian and Mikasa's skills, Armin's eyes and the drive of the Scouts all behind us but more importantly, it was our time for answers, and we weren't going down without them.

We deserve that much, for Shiganshina, for Trost, for Marco...

"SHE IS MAKING A BREAK FOR LEVEL GROUND!" Rian's voice boomed over the rooftops, and my eyes zeroed in on him and Aurora as they attempted to cut Annie off to no success and were forced to land on a roof on the edge of the town centre that was already occupied by MPs shitting themselves.