Chapter 22: Assault on Stohess Part 2

Lazarus and the squad of Scouts he was stationed with were still right on the Female Titan's tail, chasing her through the now ruined streets of Stohess District.

All the destruction and mayhem was something new and unsightly to the people. Being citizens of Wall Sina, they have always been led to believe that no Titan could ever reach them, especially those who live within the north section of Orvud District, as all the Titans appeared on the south side of Paradis. They were never prepared for evacuation drills in case of an emergency, as they thought it would've been pointless for the inhabitants of Wall Sina.

But that all changed when they first saw the blast of light that started this whole thing. Now the people are left to fend for themselves and be forced to run in hopes of avoiding being killed by the Female Titan.

Mikasa soon joined in on the fight and goes after Annie, while Armin was struggling to save Eren who'd been buried under the debris of the collapsed tunnel ceiling.

Annie could've gone after him earlier now that he was too weak to fight, but she instead followed Lazarus's final instructions and decided to save herself.

But as she was running through the streets making a beeline for the outer gate, she was ambushed yet again by the Titan capture squad led by Hange who'd been patiently waiting for her arrival. They were extremely lucky that she decided to take the fastest route to the gate as they anticipated, otherwise, they'd be forced to improvise.

"FIRE!" Hange cried out, signalling the squad to fire the same anchors that captured her the first time into her body.

Just like last time, she was forced to protect her nape while the cables constricted her body, rendering her completely immobile.

"Not again!" Annie self-complained.

Annie musters all of her strength to break free, but it was no use. Instead, she ended up falling backwards on the cables and was later pinned down by a large metallic netting.

The spikes of the net pierce her muscle body upon contact, preventing her from so much as moving an inch. She was completely at their mercy.

Lazarus grew worried about what Hange might do now that they've got her pinned down. Luckily she was lying on her back with her right hand still covering her nape so there was no chance of them cutting her out. But he can tell that she was in a lot of pain, which only made him feel a mixture of anger and sadness.

"Damnit! They've really upped the ante on these restraints. She can't even move her head. I've gotta get her outta there, but how do I do it without being suspicious?"

As Lazarus got closer, an idea popped into his head. Since he couldn't free her by summoning Titans, and using his own Titan form was out of the question, there was one other thing he could do.

He looks down at his hands clutching his blades. "Though I've never used this technique, I'm pretty sure I've mastered it. The problem is I don't know how it's gonna look when I use it. If it's a flashy move then they'll know instantly I'm the Winged Titan. But if nothing happens it'll help out Annie a lot… I just gotta play my part and make it look convincing."

Hange and the other Scouts soon gather around the Female Titan, but they've all kept their guard up in case she manages to break free. They'd underestimated her before, and they vowed to never make that mistake again.

"Nice! And here I was convinced having a Plan C was nothing short of paranoid. Oh, Commander Erwin you genius." Hange uttered to herself whilst spinning the anchor of her gear around.

She then drops down to the ground and approaches the Female Titan, looking her straight in the eyes with such intensity, enough that it made Annie feel a little bit uneasy.

"Now then. Do us a favour and behave yourself."

She gets in close to her right eye and points her blade to it, causing the pupils to narrow and focus on the tip of the blade, fearing she might stab her in the eye with it.

"Oh, and calling your cohorts to dinner isn't an option, and neither is depending on your leader to come to rescue you. So let's not waste that lovely singing voice. In fact, let's not waste anything. No, no. I'm gonna read you like your entrails. Every part of you has its own precious story to tell."

Hange's cold threats were starting to affect Annie. There was no way for her to escape this mess on her own. She's even grown too sacred to move what parts of her body aren't completely restrained.

"HANGE, STOP!"

Everyone standing around the Female Titan turned to the right and see that it was Lazarus who'd called out just now. Both his blades were sheathed and he appeared to be distressed with tears running down his cheeks.

"Please don't kill her! I beg of you! Erwin said the plan was to capture her, not kill her, remember?"

Hange and the others were slightly shocked by Lazarus's sudden change in personality. Though she and a few others can understand why he'd act this way, given his relationship with Annie. They assumed that he was in denial of her being a traitor, which unbeknownst to them was what Lazarus wanted them to think.

Hange pulls her blade away from Annie's eye and slips it back in its holster. Lazarus then approaches the Female Titan and addresses her directly, staying true to his act.

"I know Annie! Though I can't deny she is the Female Titan, I refuse to believe she's this evil creature you make her out to be."

Before Hange could object, Lazarus passes by her and kneels right in front of the Female Titan's face. He gently places his hands on her cheek and looks her in the eye.

"Hang in there, Annie. I'm gonna give you the edge you need to escape." He mentally reassured her before continuing his charade. "Annie! I know you're in there. It's me, Lazarus."

As he was pretending to be just as shocked as everyone else in the 104th Cadet Corps, Lazarus uses his new hidden power to transfer some of his power from him to the Female Titan through physical contact. Luckily for Lazarus, the transfer couldn't be seen by the others around him. As far as he was aware, he was successful in playing the helpless victim.

"…Everyone here thinks you're a monster. But I know you're not. Maybe I don't know the real you. But still, I can never perceive you to be the kind of person who doesn't care about anyone. Because I know you care about me!" Lazarus's transfer of power was soon complete as he finished his current sentence. "How does that feel?" He asked mentally.

"My body feels so much stronger. I think I can break free." She responded.

"Try and be quick about it. And don't worry about hitting me, I'll survive. Plus, it'll make my performance look more believable."

The Female Titan blinks a single time before proceeding to break free of her bonds with her boosted strength. The Winged Titan's ability to transfer energy has boosted her strength, speed, stamina, and reaction time to five times that of its original level.

She leg sweeps all the cannons, destroying them and severing the cables binding her. A few Scouts were killed by the sudden attack.

Lazarus dives into Hange, pushing her out of the way as her leg was about to come into contact with her. The Female Titan manages to stand up once again and dashes for the outer gate at a much faster pace than before, making it more difficult for the Scouts to chase her.

"She broke free? But how?!" Hange asked in disbelief at what had just happened. "The cables were made from a much stronger material than the last ones, and the net weighed 10,000 pounds. There's no way she could've been strong enough to lift that with her back!"

She then notices the Scouts chasing her were having a hard time keeping up as she's now moving at twice her usual pace.

"Not only that. But she's also gotten so much faster all of a sudden. The ODM gear can't keep up with her. At this rate, she'll escape!"

"I'm sorry, Hange," Lazarus spoke up, still acting. "I- I thought I could get through to her."

"Look, Lazarus. I know this is harder for you than the others, given your "relationship" with her. But you have to snap out of it and see the reality of the situation! You can't save her. Her fate has been decided."

"I understand. But I don't want to see her, or anyone else, get hurt. Let me try and talk to her again."

"Talking is not gonna do shit!" Mikasa addressed him aggressively. "Nothing you say is gonna change what she'd done."

"You don't think I know that?!" He shouted back at her, showing how much he was affected by this. "If I can't get her to stop, then at least let me slow her down. I can buy Eren and Michael time to transform and stop her. Maybe I can get her to surrender and prevent any more deaths… Please Hange, at least give me this one last chance to try."

Hange takes a moment to think over Lazarus's plan. Though talking her down has proven to be futile, she can agree that the best outcome of it involves giving Michael and Eren time to transform and take her down together.

"Can you keep her distracted long enough?"

Lazarus nodded in response whilst also wiping away his tears.

"Then do what you have to do. But make no mistake. Even if she surrenders, it won't change the fact that many soldiers died at her hands. She needs to pay for her crimes."

"I understand… Thank you, Hange."

Lazarus wastes no time blasting off on his Cloud Zero after the Female Titan. His gear was smaller and had more gas capacity compared to the standard gear, so catching up to Annie wasn't all that difficult compared to the others.

As Annie was taking a shortcut through the town square, she notices Lazarus flying in front of her. With nobody else around, she held out her hand and allowed him to land on her palm to tell her what to do next.

However, both of them were startled by the sudden lighting strike that struck the ground a few feet away from their current position.

The Crystal Titan's body forms itself around Michael as it hits the ground, causing a small tremor that knocked the houses closest to it down. The Crystal Titan lets out a roar as it stares down at Annie, readying its fists for their second fight.

"Michael!" Lazarus called out to him. "Please don't-

Before he could say anything more, the Female Titan gently tosses him aside and takes up her signature fighting stance as she did to Eren during their fight.

A crystal-long sword forms within the Crystal Titan's hand. It then takes up a swordsman's stance and prepares to attack.

"It won't be like last time, Annie! You're all on your own. Eren may not have the will to fight you, but I do! I don't want to kill you, but I can't let you escape either. You're the only chance I've got to uncover the Winged Titan's true identity. All the more reason-

The Crystal Titan begins its charge towards the Female Titan, readying its sword to swing at her midsection, hoping to slice her in half.

"… WHY I MUST DEFEAT YOU!" He roared in thought.

As he swings his blade at her, he was shocked at how fast Annie dodges it by leaning back so far like she was doing limbo. She then performs an uppercut kick to his jaw, knocking Michael off balance and causing him to stagger backwards.

Before Michael could recover, Annie hardens her fists and lands a devastating punch right on his face, shattering his crystal mask. This was then followed up by two more hardened punches to the parts of his torso that weren't covered in crystal. And to finish it off, she performs a signature roundhouse kick to his head, knocking Michael to the side, and causing him to crash into several houses.

With Michael taken down, Annie turned around and continued her attempt to escape Stohess before any more soldiers reached her. Michael slowly gets back up on his feet and waits for his crystal armour to reform on his body before chasing after her.

"What the hell was that? Is it because I'm in control now that I lost? No. It's more than that. Somehow, she's gotten faster and stronger compared to the last time we fought. How can that be? Was it because she was exhausted from her fight with Eren the first time in the forest? Or is this something else entirely?" He wondered. "Whatever the case, I can't let her get away!"

The Crystal Titan let out another roar as it slammed its fist into the ground, causing crystal spikes to erupt out of the ground in the direction of Annie.

The Female Titan uses her enhanced agility to dodge around the fast erupting pillars. And with the final spike, she hardens her leg and kicks it out of the ground and sends it flying back at Michael, impaling him in the shoulder. Michael lets out a huge roar in response to the pain of being stabbed by his crystal.

This all but confirmed his earlier theory about the Female Titan's powers being much more enhanced compared to his first fight with her. He's still unclear as to how though. It couldn't be a strong will to fight as her main objective was to escape with her life intact.

At this moment he didn't have the time to properly think it over, as the Female Titan was closing in on the wall and was readying herself to jump over it using her enhanced strength. With one quick thrust, Annie manages to launch herself off of the ground, causing a huge tremor in the process. Her jump was so strong that she was halfway up the wall already.

"Oh no you don't!"

The Crystal Titan dashes at full speed for her, using its hardening powers to create a long whip made of flexible crystal.

As the Female Titan was closing in on the top of the wall, she could feel the crystal whip wrap itself around her ankle, stopping her ascent. She is then violently brought back down to earth by the Crystal Titan's superior strength which manages to slam her down hard onto the grassy ground of the town square.

She struggled to get back up again as the slam had caused her ribs and nose to break. Michael slowly approaches her. He disintegrates his whip and replaces it with another sword.

Annie barely had enough strength to glance around at him. Her eyes filled with fear upon seeing the Crystal Titan standing above her. The way it was glaring down at her, reminded her of the nightmare she had where it was doing just the same thing. And she had a horrid feeling that it was going to end in the same way.

But suddenly, Lazarus appears out of nowhere and lands atop the Crystal Titan's shoulder, forcing Michael to stop his approach and look directly at him.

"She's beaten, Michael! There's no need for you to go any further." He shouted, thinking his regular volume of voice wouldn't be enough for him to properly hear him. "Erwin said to capture her, not kill her. So I'm asking you again. Put the sword away and stop."

Michael paused as he listened to his friend's words. It was obvious to him that he'd be the one to get in the way of his approach. Though he didn't know that the true reason for Lazarus's intervention was to buy Annie time for her body to regenerate. Thanks to his power transfer, her healing factor was much stronger than how it was in the forest.

"I understand how angry you must feel about this, Michael. But if you strike her down in anger, you'll only end up losing control of your Titan form again. And the whole point of this plan was to show the people that you ARE in control. Are you gonna let your personal feelings get in the way of this dream you and your father share? Are you?!" He asked seriously.

Michael lowers his sword in response and takes a good look around Stohess. He can see many of its civilians were still present and watching him. As of this moment, they've only heard of his Titan powers and how much of a threat they were, which is what led to the decision of having him executed. Exposing and capturing Annie was his and Eren's one chance to show the people of the walls that they have nothing to fear, and they now have a real weapon that can push back against the Titans and help them reclaim Wall Maria.

The sword disintegrates in his hands and the Crystal Titan takes a step back. He then gently picks up Lazarus by his jacket and carefully puts him down on top of a rooftop.

"Armin said that in order to rise above monsters we have to abandon our humanity. The problem is that if we do that, then we're no better than the Titans. In the end, humanity will be free, but only free to take the place of the monsters… Annie hasn't completely given up her humanity despite her actions, otherwise, she wouldn't have fallen in love with you, Lazarus."

The Female Titan's body manages to completely regenerate, allowing her to stand up again. Michael raises his arms to defend himself but was caught off guard by Annie taking a couple of leaps backwards, creating some distance between them. Despite this, Michael didn't let his guard down and readied himself to attack again.

"Annie may not be a full monster. But a monster is a monster no matter how small their sins may be. To my eyes, a true monster is a being who takes pleasure and feels joy when taking the life of another, innocent or not. Annie is not one of those kinds of people. But that doesn't mean she gets to get away with what she'd done. Everyone must face justice for their actions no matter what. If not, then what's the point in fighting at all?"

Michael and Annie take a moment to stare down at each other once again. The way they stood was identical to how the beginning of their sparring match went. Michael was not the only one who made that comparison. So did Annie.

Both combatants however were interrupted by another lighting bolt striking the ground in the direction of the underground tunnels where they led her. They all knew immediately that it was Eren.

"So you finally found the will to fight, huh Eren?" Michael thought as he watched Eren's Titan forming in the distance.

Upon formation, the Attack Titan charged at full speed for the town square, unleashing a rage-induced roar.

Annie didn't have enough time to react as she was met with Eren's fist to her face the moment she turned around. The force behind the punch was strong enough to send her flying into the church where the wall cultists were praying, only to be crushed under the Female Titan's huge ass. Even Michael couldn't help but chuckle a little bit. Normally he'd never laugh at seeing someone die by a Titan's hand, but the suddenness of it all forced his Titan to let out a little laugh.

Eren however was not amused. He was too focused on wanting to kill Annie, blinded by his rage and pain at seeing one of his former friends being the Female Titan.

Annie quickly throws some debris at Michael's eyes, temporarily blinding him and allowing her to run past him and escape. Eren charges after her, not even bothering to check if Michael was ok.

Lazarus was still standing atop the rooftop, bearing witness to the whole thing. Once Michael recovers, he gets his attention by clanging his blades together.

"Michael! You've got to stop Eren. He intends to kill her!"

The Crystal Titan nodded and follows after them. Lazarus manages to fire an anchor into one of the crystals on his shoulder and lands safely atop it.

Annie was smart enough to know she couldn't take both Eren and Michael at the same time, even with her enhanced abilities. She's wasted more than enough time already. It was now or never if she was going to escape Stohess alive.

Hange, Armin and Jean hang back and allow them to deal with Annie. Since they were in open ground, they were incapable of using their ODM gear.

The Crystal Titan summons a wall of crystal out of the ground in front of Annie, forcing her to go down a different path, straight into Eren's incoming fist. However, she manages to dodge it this time and leaps back, creating some distance between them.

"Annie! Always so cynical! Like every little thing around you was pointless. Nothing worth a second look" Eren thought to himself, fuelling his hatred towards her. "Every now and then though I can see through the act. Especially when you were showing off your fighting skills. Maybe hand-to-hand combat didn't count for squat for our final grade, but to you, it was a different story altogether. It was obvious that you were a liar! Fighting is your whole world, but what exactly are you fighting for?!"

He glimpses over at The Crystal Titan and notices Lazarus standing on his shoulder. At first, Eren thought maybe she was fighting for him. But there was no way that was true. Lazarus was one of his friends and most trusted allies. It was evident to him that he was kept in the dark about her true self.

"No! This was never about Lazarus. You're fighting for something else. Something more important than him. Than us. Then this world. But why? WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE WORTH ALL THIS DEATH AND DESTRUCTION?!"

Still completely blinded by rage, Eren attacks Annie again without thinking. The Female Titan takes up her fighting stance and counters Eren's punch by hardening her elbow. Followed up by a kick that Eren anticipated and caught with both arms. He then proceeds to throw her into another set of houses.

And even then he was not done. With the recklessness of Eren's attacks, the city of Stohess will become rubble and corpses in only a matter of moments.

The Crystal Titan decides to step in and grabs hold of the Attack Titan's arm, stopping him from throwing another punch. Eren glances back at him briefly before planning on fighting against his restraint. But Lazarus intervenes and calls out to him.

"STOP! Haven't you caused enough damage to the city already? Are you gonna let all these people become collateral damage due to your actions? Wrap it up already!"

Lazarus's words gave Annie an opening to strike Eren's head with a hardened punch, forcing him off of her and sending him flying into Michael. She then musters all of her strength to rip out one of the spiked pillars Michael summoned earlier to pin both Eren and Michael to the ground. She then uses her hardened fists to hammer the spike deeper into their chests, keeping them pinned.

As she strikes them, she briefly thinks back to her final moments with her father and the promise she made him that day of returning home to Marley. Afterwards, she thought about the night she and Lazarus proclaimed their love for each other and spent the night together.

Both of those were considered the most important moments of her life, and a reminder that she now has something to fight for. Something to live for. Something to die for. But today was not that day.

With both the Attack and Crystal Titans pinned down, she wastes no time heading for the walls at top speed. She was finally getting out of there.

Or so she thought. Somehow, in some way, Eren was able to muster enough strength to not only rip the spike out of his and Michael's bodies but also heal himself instantly.

Michael soon picks himself up and he and Lazarus were shocked to see Eren's Titan form go down another transformation. His whole body was covered in glowing veins, and fire seemed to be covering parts of his body. This was something neither of them had ever seen before. Not even Lazarus had any knowledge about it…except.

"It… can't be!" Was all he could think up in response to this bizarre transformation. "Those flaming veins. Those glowing white eyes. Could it be the Berserker Rage? That's not possible! There's only been one Titan Shifter in existence who unlocked a power similar to that… My father. But he was the previous host of the Beast Titan, so I assumed it was unique only to him… So why is it that Eren possesses a variant of it? Could it be that he's-

His thoughts were interrupted by the Crystal Titan suddenly deciding to run after Eren who was running on one arm and one leg in a desperate attempt to reach Annie. Michael didn't know exactly what was going on with him, but seeing Eren in that form reminded him of himself when he wasn't in control of his Titan. It was clear to him that Eren had lost control, and he needed to stop him.

Annie dodged with all her might, desperately trying to avoid Eren. But the animalistic behaviour of this new power made that a difficult task for her.

Eren manages to pin her down and viciously crushes her face in his fiery grasp, whilst using his free hand to punch her leg off.

Now completely desperate to get away, Annie hardens her fingers and slashes Erens face, clawing out his eyes and rendering his vision impaired. She then kicks him off of her before jumping onto the wall and digging her hardened finger into them. She begins to climb up the wall quickly. Before Eren or Michael could get to her.

Mikasa aggressively swoops in and slices her fingers at the joints where they weren't hardened, stopping her from reaching the top. She briefly lands atop her mangled face, looking her dead in the eyes. In that instant, she only had one thing to say.

"It's over, Annie… Now fall."

She leaps off of her and watches as the Female Titan's body falls back down to the ground. Her perception of time slowed as she realised that she had lost. In her final moments, she thinks about her father and Lazarus, the only two people in her life that she cherished more than anyone or anything.

"I'm sorry, father. But I couldn't keep my promise to you in the end."

The Female Titan's body hits the ground hard, sending out a shockwave powerful enough to obliterate all the stalls and houses close to the walls to pieces.

Now that she's down for the count, The Attack Titan leaps onto her back and proceeds to tear her body apart in a similar manner Michael did when he first transformed. Putting all his power into his fists, he brutally breaks off Annie's arms, causing the bones of his arms to snap backwards by the recoil. But Eren fought through the pain and used his other arm to tear the Female Titan's other arm off. He then throws it at another house in front of him, not even giving a damn about the people in that area.

"Eren stop!" Lazarus yelled. But it was no use, as Eren was too far gone to listen to reason.

Eren then proceeds to bite down on the Female's neck and devour Annie from within.

"STOP!"

Enraged, Lazarus leaps off of Michael's shoulder and proceeds to cut Eren out of his Titans nape to stop him.

But to his, and everyone else's surprise, Michael kicks Eren off of Annie's body and restrains him using crystal bindings around his neck, leg, and arms, pinning him to the ground.

Unfortunately, he did it too late, as Eren was able to rip open the Female Titan's nape before getting kicked off. Luckily for Lazarus, her human body was still intact.

Lazarus quickly rushes over to her and lands atop her destroyed Titan body. He was shocked to see tears running down her face but at the same time relieved beyond comprehension to see her still alive.

"Annie." Tears then started forming under his own eyes. But these were different tears compared to Annie's. They were tears of joy. The joy of seeing the woman he loves completely unharmed. "I'm sorry, Annie. Even my efforts weren't good enough to save you… I've lost Marcel. I'm NOT going to lose you too!"

As of this moment, Lazarus was too blinded by the fear of losing Annie, that he didn't even notice the other Scouts and Michael were still present around him. His left hand begins to twitch, which forces him to lift it to his mouth.

"I've got to get you outta here! I don't care about blowing my cover anymore. I'll transform and fight all of them. I'll fight Eren and Michael and force them into submission if I have to! I can't let them take you from me! Because this world is not worth living in if you're not in it! MY FUTURE IS MEANINGLESS WITHOUT YOU!"

But before Lazarus could transform, a huge burst of blue light emerges around Annie's nape, causing Lazarus to look away from the brightness of it. Crystals start to form around Annie, encasing her inside what appeared to be a cocoon of pure Titan crystal.

As Annie was being sealed inside, she uttered her final thoughts to Lazarus.

"I won't die, Lazarus. Not when I have our future to look forward to. But you can't give up on the mission. You need to see it through to the end. You need to fulfil Lucia's promise and save the world… We'll see each other again one day, I promise. And when we return home, you can properly ask me to marry you… Good luck, my love."

As soon as the cocoon had finished forming, Annie's thoughts were silenced. A grieving Lazarus approaches the cocoon and clings to it, letting out cries of loss and despair. Hange and the others watched in utter disbelief as Annie and Eren's Titan bodies began to evaporate into nothingness.

A few minutes later after the conclusion of the battle, Erwin, Levi and the higher-ups of the Military Police had gathered at the outer gate. Michael was out of his Titan body and was comforting Lazarus over the imprisonment of Annie.

Mikasa and Armin were helping Eren recover after Levi had cut him out of his Titan's body. He can see Michael with Lazarus who was still on his knees in front of the cocoon, whilst Jean was on the other side trying to crack it open with his blade. But this type of crystal was of the purest kind, so breaking it open proved impossible once they saw Jean's blade break once it reached its limit of durability.

"Damnit! All the shit we've been through and this is what we get! Annie! Wake up, Annie! You don't get to just fall asleep and ignore me like that!" He then turns to Michael. "Michael, use your powers to crack this thing open! Controlling crystals is what your good at isn't it?"

"That's enough, Jean!" Michael responded harshly. "Lazarus had just lost someone very important to him. He still hadn't recovered from the reveal. We don't need you losing your shit to add salt to the wound!"

Lazarus looks up at Michael in response to what he'd just said. He was grateful to hear those kind words, but it wasn't enough to help him heal emotionally. Before he was pretending to be upset by this to maintain his cover as one of them. But this time his feelings were genuine. While he's relieved Annie survived, she was forced to encase herself in crystal using her hardening.

This was a skill all the Warriors were taught at the academy in Marley. It was the strongest and purest of all Titan hardening. But they were told to only use it as a last resort to save themselves. Because once the cocoon is formed, it cannot be opened. At least not by the user.

With his great powers he may be able to crack that shell, but doing so could put Annie at risk as he could accidentally crush her body into pieces, and he doesn't possess a power that can undo hardening like the Founding Titan can. All the more reason why he must find and take the Founder back, not only to save the world but to save Annie as well.

"Besides." Michael continued talking to Jean. "This type of crystal is much stronger than the ones I produce. I don't know if I can break it. Even if there's a chance I could, I don't wanna risk killing Annie."

"He's right," Erwin states as he approaches the group. "We can't risk killing her when she holds valuable information we still lack. For now, we'll have this thing locked away underground. If she manages to escape on her own, she'll be unable to transform again."

He orders Hange and her squad to begin preparations to move the cocoon to the MP's headquarters and store it deep underground.

Though the Scouts were successful in stopping the Female Titan, they were left to wonder what the point of it all was. In the end, the enemy was still one step ahead and sealed the secrets away along with their comrade, preventing them from ever discovering the truth. Once again, the mission has ended in countless casualties and unanswered questions. Another failure.

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that, Lazarus," Erwin spoke up, forcing him and Michael to look up at him. "I know you and Leonhart were close. But-

"It's fine."

Both Michael and Erwin were slightly taken aback by that calm response. They were honestly expecting him to lash out and say something like "You don't know how I feel" Or something akin to that. But instead, they were presented with an even more determined Lazarus Averbach than the one they first met.

"Annie is, and always will be someone I cherish. And I may be a fool for thinking that. But I'm not gonna let her treachery get in the way of my goal to save humanity!" 

He lifts his head high so that he could properly look Erwin straight in the eye. He then valiantly performs the military salute in front of him.

"I joined the Scouts knowing people I care about would be killed. I accepted that so that I can fight! I'll never understand who or what Annie really was, but that won't stop me from moving forward… I don't hold any resentment towards you, Michael, Eren, or anyone else. You've led us further to the truth than anyone else has done in years. And for that, I will continue to devote my heart and soul to the cause, sir!"

Erwin, Michael, Eren, Hange and a couple of others were slightly blown away by Lazarus's inspiring words. Even Levi could tell that he meant every word of it. And in certain aspects he was truthful. Just not in the ways they thought.

Michael places his hand on his shoulder and gives him a respectful smile. Erwin nods in appreciation of Lazarus's devotion. He never would've thought the person closest to Annie would be the one proving his loyalty to humanity. But he was fortunate to still have him on their side

"You're a good soldier, Lazarus," Erwin responded in kindness. "Though I was told you hesitated against capturing Annie, I can understand why. It's never easy to lose someone you love, especially in this sort of way. But I admire your will and determination to keep serving the Scouts and giving your all to bring us closer to the truth. That is how a true soldier should act."

Erwin then turns his attention to his son.

"Michael. Though it's a long shot, you and Eren's actions today may've helped the Scout Regiment exonerate themselves. You two showed that you can control your powers and that you will never use them for evil. Hopefully, the brass will resign your sentences and allow you back into our custody. But only time will tell… for now, I have an important task for you and Lazarus to carry out."

"What is it, Dad?" Michael asked.

"I need you two to travel the stronghold within Wall Rose where we sent the rest of the 104th Cadet Corps before heading here. I need you to inform Miche and his team of the events that transpired here. Can you do that?"

Both Lazarus and Michael salute their commander and respond in a unified "Yes Sir!"

Erwin smiles and takes his leave to think over his next move with Levi.

"Commander?" Lazarus called out, gaining his attention. "May I make a small request?"

"You may."

"With your permission. Can I visit Annie in the place where they'll be keeping her before we leave? I want to give her a proper farewell before leaving her for good."

"I see… Very well. However, Michael will be beside you the whole time in case something happens." He instructed.

"I'm ok with that, sir. I trust Michael to watch my back as much as you do."

With that said and done, Erwin finally takes his leave. As do the two friends.

Deep underground, underneath the Military Police Regiment's headquarters, the cocoon containing Annie Leonhart was placed in the centre of a big dark room, that was dimly lit up by the few torches hanging on the walls.

The cocoon itself was bound by strong netting and held in place by a couple of wooden poles embedded in the ground. Annie's eyes were still closed and her hair had been let down.

Lazarus was standing in front of her with Michael leaning against the arch of the entrance. Outside the arch were two MPs holding rifles, tasked with guarding her at all times should she ever escape.

But Lazarus knows that's not happening, at least not for now. He also knows that even though Annie's frozen inside the crystal, her mind was still conscious and she could hear the voices of anyone near her.

"Annie I-

Even though Erwin had granted him this request, Lazarus didn't make much use of it. Seeing Annie in this state was still a lot to take in. And anything he wanted to say he couldn't say out loud for Michael and the MPs to hear.

"Lazarus? Is everything ok?" Michael asked concerned for his friend.

"It's just so hard, you know? Yesterday, I finally was able to tell her how I felt like you told me. And she told me she felt the same way. We were both happy at the moment. We were both talking about what our future together could've been like. I imagined we'd get a nice house on a hill with a great view. Get married, have kids, and maybe a dog. And we'd all sit on the porch and watch the sunset in a new peaceful world… But, like all dreams. It's just doomed to never become reality. Her being the Female Titan that attacked me and my squad, killed the Levi Squad, and caused all that destruction in Stohess. It's as if the Annie I knew and the one we fought were two entirely different people. And I don't even know which one was the real one."

Lazarus collapses to his hands and knees and stares blankly at the ground beneath him. Michael notices his distress and places his hand atop his back, gently stroking it.

"You loved her, and she loved you. So I think it's obvious which one was the true Annie Leonhart." He assured him. "I'll never understand how she, Eren or I got our powers. But I'd like to believe that Annie didn't possess a strong enough will to fully control her powers as I and Eren did. Like all my theories, I can't know for certain if she was a good or bad person. She never took pleasure in killing those soldiers. She only killed them to accomplish her mission, just like every soldier would… I can never forgive or forget what she's done. But I can never truly view her as evil either. We live in a cruel and desperate world where the main rule of survival is to kill or be killed. One day I hope we can change the way the world works and make it so nobody has to kill their kind ever again."

Lazarus looks up at Michael in shock after hearing what he'd just said. But this may be a good thing for him. If this was truly what Michael believed, then maybe there's a chance he'd be more understanding of why he and his allies were forced to do the horrible things they did five years ago.

"You really mean that?" He asked.

"Of course."

"Even for the Winged, Armoured, and Colossal Titans?" He hesitantly added.

That question causes Michael to stop stroking Lazarus's back and stand up again. Worried about how he'd respond, Lazarus also stood up to properly learn his true thoughts.

"No… Those three are beyond redemption." He answered coldly. "They were the ones who attacked the Walls and started this war. I can never comprehend why they would even do such a thing. Especially the Winged Titan."

Lazarus's eyes widened in response to the mention of his Titan but tried his absolute hardest not to give himself away.

"If they're all members of our Cadet Corps like Annie, it only makes it harder. Annie is the lesser of those evils because she distanced herself from the rest of us, apart from you. Everyone else in our class treated each other with respect and kindness. Whoever they are, they must be really good at masking their true selves. And the Winged Titan. I deem him the worst of them all because he forces his allies to attack while he sits up in the sky like a coward!" Michael's fist clench and his anger starts to flare up as he continued.

"A true leader should take responsibility for his actions. The only time he did was when he came down personally to rescue Annie. But that doesn't prove he cares, otherwise, he would've shown up again and stopped me and Eren from apprehending her… No, that Titan is a real monster. One that must suffer tenfold for everything it's done. And I am gonna be the one who kills it, with my own two hands!"

Michael's words forced Lazarus to take a couple of steps back. Each sentence felt like a painful stab to the gut for him. It was enough for him to feel an immense amount of guilt for his past actions as the Winged Titan. His words even made him question the decisions he's made leading up to this point. Had he gotten more involved in their attempts to capture Eren and Michael they could've been more successful.

The reason he didn't get involved as much though was not just because he was being cautious. But mostly because he wanted to prove to Marley that the rest of the Warriors were just as important to the mission as he was.

Ever since the success in taking over the country of Courland, the Marleyan brass started to question the necessity of having a Warrior unit when the Winged Titan was an immortal, unstoppable one-Titan army on its own. It was thanks to Commander Magath, Lucia Muller, Tom Ksaver, Leonardo Waldenburg and several others that they were convinced that sending a single child to war against Paradis would've been a terrible idea which could result in a repeat of the explosion that took place in Odiha. Lazarus may be one of, if not the most, powerful Titan Shifter created by Marley, but underneath it all, he's still a scared little boy who needed the support of his friends to help him get through it all.

But still, he will admit that he could've done things a little better, but at the end of it all, he's still human. And all humans make mistakes.

"Sorry if I've ruined the moment." Michael apologised. "This was meant to be your final farewell to Annie and here I am talking judge, jury, and executioner."

"It's ok. If that's truly what you believe, then who am I to judge?" He reassured him.

"How about I wait outside and let you finish up? I don't wanna make things any more awkward for you."

As Michael was about to head out the door, Lazarus called out to him, stopping him at the last second.

"Hey, Michael. I just wanted to let you know… I'm glad I still have you to trust."

"The feelings mutual." Michael smiles back at him before leaving the room.

Once Michael shuts the door behind him, Lazarus turns his attention back to the crystal cocoon. He closes the distance between him and it and gently places his left hand atop its smooth surface.

It saddened him that there was now a thick sheet of crystal separating his hand from Annie's face. He was heartbroken that he could no longer caress her cheek, hold her hand, or even kiss her beautiful lips. But between this and death, he's happy to have the former.

Glancing behind him, Lazarus made sure that he was completely alone. But even with the whole room to himself, he would not trust the door being soundproof. He'd already made the mistake of discussing secrets out loud with Marco. He would never make the same mistake a second time.

"Annie, I don't know if you can hear me in there. But if you are, I promise you, I will free you from this prison. I will fulfil the promise I made to you and Lucia. No matter what happens, I will never give up on my mission. I will recover the Coordinate and bring Eren and Michael back with us. I will use the Founder's power to save the world, bring the Titans to an end, and make myself human again. All so I can grow old and die with you."

He then pulls his hat back and rests it on the back of his neck, exposing his horns to press his forehead against the cocoon. This was a big risk as Michael or anyone could walk in at any moment, but right now he didn't care. He needed to let her know what he was thinking.

"I will come back and free you one day, Annie. I promise. We're all going home! And I will ask you to marry me one day. This I swear in my parents' name. Until then, rest well, my love… We'll be in each other's arms again someday.

End of Season 1