A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on november 4th, 2021 @ 11:34am

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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙾𝚄𝚁𝚃𝙴𝙴𝙽,
𝓢𝙼𝙸𝙻𝙴, 𝚁𝙰𝙸𝙳 𝙾𝙽 𝚂𝚃𝙾𝙷𝙴𝚂𝚂 𝙳𝙸𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙸𝙲𝚃, 𝙿𝙰𝚁𝚃 𝙾𝙽𝙴.

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JOSIAH WAS CURRENTLY WALKING WITH Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. They had their hoods up and were following Annie. Josiah was between Eren and Mikasa.

"We got through surprisingly easily." Eren commented as Mikasa shushed him. "That's the mighty Military Police for you. Goes to show what kind of work they do."

"Don't look around at everything." Mikasa warned.

"Let's just hope they haven't realized Jean took my place. That definitely won't last for long. He and I look nothing alike." Eren stated.

Josiah hummed. "Knowing Jean, he'll probably blow the whole damn thing. Let's just hope it's after we get you to safety." He added.

Armin turned to both of them. "It'll be fine. You both have the same sort of mean, nasty look to you." He reassured.

"I don't have his horse face!" Eren argued.

"Say... How were you planning to get over the wall if I hadn't agreed to help?" Annie then spoke up.

"We were going to barge through using ODM." Armin responded.

"That's crazy. Couldn't you have just escaped before reaching Stohess to avoid all this trouble in the first place? Why'd it have to be here and now?" Annie asked.

"I felt this town's complex layout would make our body-double ploy more likely to succeed." Armin explained. "Plus, acting dutifully and keeping their defenses down will buy us far more time to escape than head-on opposition would."

"I see. Good point." Annie agreed as Josiah and Eren gave each other a look.

"Oh! Over there!"

Armin led them to the underground tunnel. "Here?" Annie questioned.

"Yeah. We're going through here. It's what's left of an underground city they were planning to make." Armin responded as him, Josiah, Eren, and Mikasa followed him down.

"It leads to the vicinity of the outer gate." Armin explained.

"Really? That's amazing." Eren commented. It was then they realized that Annie wasn't following them. "Annie?"

"Oh, man. Don't tell me you're afraid of dark, cramped places or something." Eren joked.

"Yes. I am. I doubt a brave, suicidal maniac like you would understand how a delicate damsel feels." Annie retorted.

"Any damsel who can flip a grown man upside down isn't weak at all." Eren stated. "Cut the crap! Let's hurry!"

"No. I'm not going." Annie informed. "I'm afraid to go down there. I'm not helping unless we stay above ground.

"Quit being stupid! Just get down here! Stop screwing around!" Eren shouted.

"Eren! Don't shout!" Mikasa scolded.

"I'm sure it's fine, Mikasa." Annie reassured her. "Because, for some reason, this whole area... has been completely deserted for a while."

"Man... That really hurts." Annie continued. "At what point did you start looking at me that way... Armin?"

"Annie... Why did you have Marco's ODM gear?" Armin questioned. "It had all the same scrapes and bumps. I could tell, because I'd helped him do maintenance on it."

"Yes... I found it and took it." Annie replied.

"Then, those two Titans we captured alive... Was it you who killed them?" Armin asked.

"Who knows." Annie responded. "But if that's what you suspected one month ago, why didn't you do anything then?"

"Even now I can hardly believe it... I just... wanted to believe I had it all wrong... That's why I didn't... Still... Back then..." Armin paused for a moment. "The fact that you didn't kill me back then... is why we're in this situation now."

"Yeah... I agree with all my heart. I never imagined you'd end up cornering me like this. Why didn't I do anything then...?" She asked herself.

"Hold on, Annie! There's still a chance you're going along with all this as part of some horrible, idiotic joke! Just get down here!" Eren said as he stepped forward. "There's something you can prove just by coming down here! Come down here and prove it!"

"I can't go down there. I'm a failed warrior." Annie claimed.

"I'm being serious here! This isn't funny!" Eren shouted.

"Talk to us, Annie! We can still discuss this as..." Armin was interrupted by Josiah stepping forward as his hood came down.

"Enough. I can't listen to any more of this." Josiah claimed as he took off his cloak and took out his blade. "It's pointless."

"I'm going to carve you up again... Female Titan!"

Annie then began laughing hysterically and then stopped after a few seconds. "Armin... It's nice I can be a "good person" for you. For now, you've won your bet. But..." She paused.

"...my bet... begins now!"

She then moved her hand towards her mouth as if she was about to bite into it. Armin quickly fired the signal as civilians began rushing out of their hiding spots towards Annie. They restricted her arms and then gagged her so she couldn't bite into her hand. Eren was about to step forward but Mikasa stopped him.

It was then Josiah noticed a small blade hidden within her ring. He grabbed both Eren and Armin by the hoods with Mikasa right next to him.

"Josiah?!" Armin exclaimed.

"It's too late..." Josiah informed as Annie sliced her thumb, making lightning hit the ground.

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《 𝖲𝖤𝖵𝖤𝖱𝖠𝖫 𝖣𝖠𝖸𝖲 𝖤𝖠𝖱𝖫𝖨𝖤𝖱 》

Josiah was standing next to Jean as he walked into the room where Levi and Eren were waiting.

"You guys! U-Um..." Eren trailed off, noticing Josiah, Armin, Mikasa, and Jean.

"We have identified a person of interest who may be the Female Titan." Erwin began as Eren's eyes widened with shock. "This time, we won't let her escape."

"The operation will be in two days. It will take place in Stohess District, on our way to the capital. This is our first and last chance. Once we past that point, Eren will be remanded to the capital. Our pursuit of those who seek to destroy the walls will become fraught with difficulty. Ultimately, humanity stands to go extinct. We will stake everything on this plan." Erwin explained as everyone was seated at the table. Eren just nodded in reply.

"Here it is. When we pass through Stohess, Eren will act as a decoy, and lead the target into this underground tunnel. If we can get her to the lowest level, given the tunnel's size and structural integrity, even if the target transforms, we can immobilize her. But if she transforms before then... Eren, we'll need your help." Erwin continued.

"Yes, sir." Eren said. "As for the target... Are we sure she is in Stohess?"

"We received word that our target is a member of the Military Police." Erwin replied.

"The Military Police?"

"It was Armin who arrived at that conclusion. He believes the target also killed the two captured Titans." Erwin said. "She may have been a former trainee from the 104th, the same as you."

"W-Wait a second... The 104th?" Eren questioned.

"The name of the girl we believe to be the person of interest is... Annie Leonhart."

Josiah could only look at where Annie had stomped through. He grabbed onto Eren as the four of them began running.

"Damn! That ring... She knew I was lying from the very start! She saw the ambush coming from a mile away! Surely there must've been a better way!" Armin exclaimed.

"Save the regrets for later! What should we do now?!" Josiah questioned.

"First, we rendezvous with Squad 3 and get above ground. Then, we fight Annie, the Female Titan, as per Plan B!" Armin answered. "Eren, you'll help catch her in your Titan form, just as we planned. All right?!"

"Yeah!"

"Hey!"

Josiah looked up to see a soldier from Squad 3 with his hand in the air.

"It's Squad 3!" Armin said.

"Capture Plan A failed?!" The soldier asked.

"It did!" Armin responded. "Please switch to the backup plan!"

Suddenly, the two soldiers got crushed under Annie's foot. The debris headed for them as Josiah quickly covered his eyes and then re-opened them when he was able to.

"She stomped through it?!" Armin exclaimed.

"We have to help them!" Eren exclaimed.

"Eren! Get back!" Josiah warned, grabbing onto the hood of his cloak.

"Whoa! Hey! 'Siah!" Eren complained.

"Does she not care if she kills Eren?!" Josiah wondered.

"She took a gamble." Armin explained. "She gambled on Eren surviving when she made that hole. This makes her all the more formidable!"

The four of them began running once more. "Annie's that desperate to catch Eren now!" Armin added.

They stopped to figure out what they were going to do. "Now what? Our escape route's been cut off. And she'll be ready and waiting for us if we make a run for it with ODM. That said..." Armin paused as Annie stomped through the ceiling once more.

"If we stay here, there's no telling when she'll stomp on us."

"I'll manage somehow! Just like when I stopped that cannonball!" Eren said. "Come here!"

He brought Josiah, Armin, and Mikasa close to him. "Hey—!" Armin began to argue.

"Here goes! Stay close!" Eren told them, biting into his hand but nothing happened. "Again?! Dammit!"

Josiah could only watch as he kept biting into his hand, trying to transform.

"Of all the times...! Damn, that hurts!"

"You can't transform without a clear goal, right?" Armin questioned. "Try to focus again! Hard!"

"I'm trying to! But it's not..." Eren trailed off as he kept trying. Mikasa kneeled down next to him.

"Are you sure?" Mikasa questioned as Eren stopped. "Could it be that you still have qualms about fighting Annie?"

"Eren?" Armin spoke up.

"After all this, don't tell me you still think that Annie can't possibly be the Female Titan... What did you see just now? She killed our comrades, you know. Do you still think it's not her?" Mikasa asked.

"G-Give me a break! I'm trying here!" Eren exclaimed, biting into his hand once more.

"Annie's the Female Titan?" Eren asked. "Why? Why do you think that, Armin?"

"From the start, the Female Titan knew what you looked like. And she reacted to your nickname, "suicidal maniac," something only our classmates would know. And the biggest reason is that I believe Annie killed the rest subjects, Sawney and Bean." Armin replied.

"How can you tell?" Eren questioned.

"Only someone very skilled could have done it. And they'd have used their own Maneuver Gear, which they're accustomed to." Armin responded.

"Yeah, wasn't that why they inspected our Maneuver Gear? But they didn't find anything on Annie..." Eren pointed out.

"Because she presented Marco's gear." Armin informed. Josiah could see Jean, who was sitting right next to him, tense up at the mention of Marco. "That's why she managed to avoid getting caught."

"Huh? What are you talking about? What does Marco have to do with this?" Eren asked, looking over to Jean.

"I'm not sure." Armin admitted.

"Maybe you just saw wrong?" Eren asked.

"No, I definitely recognized—" Armin began.

"Hey, kid." Levi interrupted. "We get it. Do you have any other evidence?"

"No, sir." Armin answered truthfully.

"Personally, I think Annie and the Female Titan look alike." Mikasa put in.

Josiah hummed in thought. "Didn't she also rank 5th in the top ten of our class? She had good fighting skills. She even knocked you down, Eren." He added.

"Huh?" Eren said as he stood up. "Are you crazy?! What kind of evidence is...?!"

"So, basically, we're going after her without proof." Levi interrupted once more.

"You have no proof? What? Then why do it? What if it isn't her?" Eren asked.

"Then we'll know she's innocent. That's all." Mikasa answered bluntly.

"And then I'll feel bad for Annie. However, if we don't do something, you'll end up being sacrificed to the people in the capital!" Armin informed.

Eren looked away. "You're crazy to think Annie's a Titan." He said.

"Eren, now that you know we suspect her, isn't it ringing any bells?" Mikasa asked. "You fought the Female Titan. Didn't anything remind you of Annie's distinctive combat style?" She added as Eren widened his eyes as if he remembered something.

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"You know don't you? You know the Female Titan is Annie." Mikasa spoke up. "Then you know you have to fight. Or are there certain, special feelings stopping you?"

"Huh?"

Armin then took out his blade. "I have a plan!" He informed as Josiah, Eren, and Mikasa looked at him. "Josiah, Mikasa, and I will exit that hole and that entrance at the same time. At that point, Annie will go for one of us. When she does, run the opposite way, Eren!" He explained, pulling his hood up.

"Wait! That means one of you will get killed!" Eren informed.

Josiah placed his cloak back on as Mikasa pulled up her hood. "If we stay here, all four of us will die!" Armin informed. "Josiah! Mikasa! Get in position!"

"Right! Mikasa and I will take this way!" Josiah agreed as Mikasa took off with Josiah following her.

"Josiah! Mikasa!" Eren called out as Armin ran the other way. "Armin!"

"How...? How are you guys able to fight?! How?!"

Josiah then stopped in his tracks before turning his head towards Eren. "We don't have a choice. We live in a cruel world." He replied as he pulled up his hood. Eren widened his eyes as he watched Josiah follow where Mikasa went.

Once outside, Josiah used his ODM gear as he headed straight for Annie. She caught him in her hand before he sliced her fingers.

"Annie! I won't let you have Eren!" Josiah claimed as both him and Mikasa headed straight for her while Armin helped Eren who was trapped under the debris.

Annie was heading straight towards him as Mikasa sliced her arm. She fell onto the ground from the debris Annie caused.

"Mikasa!" Josiah called out in worry.

Josiah headed straight for the Female Titan with Mikasa right behind him. "I won't make this easy for you!" He claimed, slicing her tendons.

"Annie!" Josiah heard Armin call out. "If you don't kill me this time, your feeble excuse about "your real bet starting now" will be worthless!"

While Annie was distracted, Jean tried to cut her fingers as she crystallized them.

"Armin! This way!" Jean shouted.

"Understood!" Armin called out as he used his gear to follow him.

"Now, then..." Hange said as they dropped down from the roof as Josiah and Mikasa appeared from behind one of the traps. "I suggest you be a good girl and behave yourself."

Hange pointed their broken blade towards her eye. "You can't call any Titans to eat you this time. But don't you worry. I'll savor the information I prise out of you instead." They finished as Annie used her leg to knock over the traps.

"She broke free?!" Mikasa exclaimed.

"Looks like we didn't set enough traps!" Hange stated. "Don't let her escape! After her!" They ordered as Josiah, Jean and Armin did so.

Josiah tried to head for Annie but ended up losing his balance and falling to the ground.

"Josiah!" Armin called out in concern.

Suddenly, lightning touched the ground as Eren had appeared in his Titan form. He rushed towards Annie, throwing a punch to her face and making her crash into a building.

"Eren..." Josiah thought, raising his head up and seeing Eren's Titan form charge once more at Annie.

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A/N: Another chapter is done! Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 2655 words.