The Turquoise Cure (Eren X Reader)

Chapter 22: The 57th Expedition (pt.2)

    "I told you all not to worry," Levi said, rather scathingly as he continued to lead the squad through the Titan Forest. "What the hell happened to that thing?" Eren shouted. Levi remained quit, ignoring the question. "All that matters is that it's out of our hair for now." The rest of you remained quiet, still processing the quick adaptation that had occurred just moments ago.
    Suddenly, Levi stood in his horses stirrups and turned to address the rest of you. "I'm to report to Erwin and see if he needs any assistance with whatever's in that thing- and I don't want to get any shit for this, but (Y/N), you're in charge." Your eyes widened in shock. You wanted to object, to day that you were far less experienced than the others in your squad, but arguing would get you nowhere and simply waste time: he had clearly made up his mind. "Yes, sir," you said curtly. "You guys need to tie up your horses and switch to maneuvering gear," Levi added, leaning back to hand the tether to his horse over to Petra, "I'll hopefully be back soon." And with a final nod towards you, he sunk his hooks into a nearby tree and turned back to where the rampant titan had been chasing you only minutes before.
    You moved up in the formation so that you replaced Levi's spot, leaving the rest behind you. You didn't say anything at first, wary that the rest of the squad would be angry at Levi's choice, but thankfully, they didn't outwardly question you. "(Y/N)," Eld started, thank you for stepping up." "It was hardly a choice," you managed to humorously shout back. "Let's tie up the horses a bit farther away; if I had to guess, Levi would want us to keep us much distance between that thing and our transportation out of here." "Hai!" Responded the remainder of the squad.
    After several minutes of sufficient (you thought) mileage away from the Female Titan, you ordered the Special Ops squad to stop and tether the horses to a tree. As you dismounted and tied the rope to a particularly sturdy tree trunk, Eren approached you. "Congrats, captain," he said jokingly. You still feared that maybe he resented you for scolding him, but you'd rather him be mad and alive than happy and dead. "Why thank you," you said sarcastically. "I just wanted to apologize for being so finicky back there," he said, glancing down at his boots. "I don't know, it's just, I felt like Levi was abandoning us or just letting us get crushed." He trailed off. "Eren," you began, petting his shoulder, "trusting people sucks, and before you, I didn't trust anyone," you looked up at him to give him a loving grin, "but you weren't all that bad, so trusting other people has a tendency to be helpful- at times," you added. "I know," Eren said, smiling down at you. "Can I kiss you?" he asked, his grin turning to a smirk. You playfully shoved him back to the tree trunk. "I'm your boss now, buddy, and that's what I call 'innapropriate.'" He rolled his eyes, and you gathered up the rest of the squad. "Let's switch to maneuvering gear!" you shouted, to which they obeyed.
    You ordered the group to wait in the trees by the horses for a while just in case Levi were to come back soon and need his horse. After ten minutes, he had yet to come, so you decided to push further into the forest via maneuvering gear. Nearly immediately, a blood curdling scream echoed throughout the woods. It was so anguished, so high-pitched and animalistic that it made the hair at the base if your neck stand on edge. "LET'S MOVE!" you yelled, urging the squad to love faster. "Was that the titan?" Eren asked, now right behind you. "I would guess," you said, dodging the branches and bramble as you picked up speed.
    After several more minutes of travel, there was still no sight of any titans, least of all the Female Titan, so your nerves had begun to ease. The rest of Squad Levi was even cracking jokes to pass the time. "Looks like you guys didn't have too bad of a first expedition out," Eld had commented, playfully swinging from the smaller branches to watch them snap and move away quickly, "hell, one of you even got to be temporary captain." You smiled. "At least neither of you pissed yourselves," Gunther said, stifling a laugh. Petra screamed in anguish- "THAT WAS TOLD TO YOU IN CONFIDENCE!" The rest of you laughed in response. "Don't act so tough, Oluo," Eld joked. Oluo shot him a filthy look in response. "I didn't, though," Eld shot back to you and Eren, "because I can hold my piss." You laughed at him. "So was it like dripping down?" Eren asked, still laughing and crying at Petra's admission. "Shut u-" she started to say. "There's Levi!" You looked over to where her attention was directed, but immediately you saw a discrepancy. "Levi?" Gunther called. There was no response, but the figure was moving closer into your group. "Gunther started to move closer to it as well, and he must have seen what you had already suspected. "Wait-" Gunther mumbled. "GUNTHER, GET OVER HERE NOW!" you shouted, but you were too slow. The person had spun around quickly and sliced through his neck so that ew was nearly decapitated, his lifeless body dangling from the wires like a fly tied to a string. The thoughts in your head were swirling so fast that you barely had time to scream, "GET AWAY FROM IT!" before the person dropped out of the air and to the ground. A loud bang and a green and yellow lightning flash struck the landing spot, and up stood the Female Titan.
    "What do we do?" Oluo called to you as the now 5-person group stormed through the trees to make a plan. "We have no choice," you began, "we have to kill it." The rest of them, including Eren nodded their heads in agreement. "Eren," you said, now addressing him, "I need you to keep going forward and get as far away from her as possible." "What?" he shouted angrily. "No, I need to help you guys- I can turn into a titan and take her down! She killed Gunther!" "NO!" you shouted. "It's my job right now to guide and advise this group. I'm sure that Levi didn't anticipate I'd actually have to do anything. Now please, just listen to me and keep going. I do not have the authority to let you transform, and it'll be over my dead body that you do it here and now without more permission." The Female Titan was picking up her pace so that your maneuvering equipment could barely compete. "Do you not trust our abilities?" Petra asked him again. Thank god; maybe that'll get through to him. "Of course," Eren said, thinking it over. "Fine, I'll trust you," he said, and with a final glance at you through his heart eyes, he sped off through the trees.
    "You'd better be as good at Titan killing as your superiors insist," Oluo snarled. "Oh, believe me," you glared, "I'm much better, and this bitch is going to die here." "In all seriousness," you continued, you guys know your strengths; I don't. Do what you'd always do in the way that you're all used to, and I'll make my own." "Hai!" they responded. "One more thing," you said, bracing yourself for the turn coming, "don't you dare die; for Gunther."
    The turn was so sharp that you were almost instantly face to face with the Titan. Her bony hands swiped at you, but your reflexes were too fast, and you dodged out of her way. You spun so fast and so violently through the air to get to her backside that you felt your eyes rolling back a bit. Before you could even sink your hooks into her back, though, she had covered her nape with one hand. "IT'S AWARE OF ITS WEAK SPOT!" you shouted, warning the rest of the squad. You spun back to the face to attempt to blind her while Petra and Oluo got to work cutting up the legs and tendons.
    The eyes. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion. You knew those eyes. It didn't take hardly a second to place them. Annie. And then, as if in affirmation, the eyes widened on you too, the recognition mutual. "YOU BITCH!" you screamed, sinking your blades so deep into both eyes that they were buried to the hilt. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS? WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?" Every memory flooded through your brain so quickly. You spun your gear, slicing and cutting up every surface of her skin. She had no time to react, for you were simply too enraged. Her face sagged as your blades had carved into them so deeply. "You're my best friend, (Y/N)." You made your way to the neck, then the torso, then the arms, cutting any and everything in sight. "You're my happiness." You screamed like an animal as you sliced along the titan's muscles, watching as she fell to the ground. "Holy shit," Oluo breathed as he, Petra, and Eld paused to watch. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Petra shouted at you. "I KNOW HER!" you screamed back. "DON'T JUST STAND THERE!" you hissed towards the squad, your anger boiling inside of you, making your blood feel so hot you were sure it would melt your skin any second. You moved back to her face, where her eyes were still bleeding and incapacitated. You dug your blades in and out, again and again, as you cried. "HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?!" you screamed. The tears were streaming down your face so fast and so hard that they splattered onto the titan's body, mixing with her blood. You plunged your blades again and again, shouting the rest of the group to continue cutting her already healing arms and legs. "I loved you," you whispered. "You were my best friend, and I would've done anything for you." You were sobbing so hard that you were having trouble breathing, but it didn't stop you from ripping her neck muscles to shreds as she tried to raise her head.
    You told yourself there was no way that you could've known. In fact, years after it happened, you were still begging yourself to believe that it wasn't your fault, but deep down, you knew it was. You should've done it yourself. You shouldn't have assumed that they would get every muscle. When you heard Petra scream, you turned your back, just for a second to see what had happened. Annie had trapped her underneath her heel and was squishing her into the ground. You jumped to cut the muscle, but Eld and Oluo were now being clutched between her still mobile fingers. You sliced through the muscle on the ankle, releasing the pressure on Petra, and then dashed to cut the muscles in the fingers. If only you'd known that's exactly what she'd wanted. Her other muscles had been given respite, and as Eld had went to comfort Petra, the massive foot was launched into them so hard that they went flying, their necks flung back, into a tree several hundred meters away. "NO!" you screamed. "Oluo!" you shouted, "GET OUT OF HERE!" "No!" he shouted back, moving to the titan's mouth. "You stupid bitch!" he said as he dug his blades into her regenerating eyes. If only he'd remembered the jaw muscles. She managed to surprise Oluo, knocking him off balance. He fell... right into her mouth. You grabbed his hand to pull him out, but she had already bitten his body apart. She spat the rest out distastefully with a 'ptch' sound.  You screamed. You screamed as if the world were on fire and there was nobody left to hear you cry. She had begun to stand up, but you destroyed her. You severed through her, cutting and ripping apart her flesh until she screeched. "(Y/N)!" you heard Eren's voice shout. "GET OUT OF HERE!" you screamed, not taking your eyes off of Annie. "I KNOW WHO IT IS!" and with a final glance at him, you mouthed, "trust me." "It's-" but you were cut off too soon. Levi and Mikasa had arrived. Eren was crouched by the bodies, his knees coated in the blood. He was frozen. "Watch out!" Levi screamed to you. Damn it. The bitch's mouth had opened just behind you. "TRUST ME!" you screamed as you dove into the mouth. "IT'S ANNIE!"

Author's Note:
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