CHAPTER - 24 { Trapped }

Boom!

The loud explosion, as if thunder, echoed throughout the entire town alarming every single individual.

"That!"

Rose gazed at the explosion in the town with wide eyes as a huge figure walked out of the smoke.

"Female Titan!"

Mike spoke without holding back any hatred in his voice or eyes.

"Hold on to the position."

Vlad ordered, he stood with his arms crossed over his chest and looked down at the Female Titan which was trying to escape from within the Walls.

"Is this why we are tasked to stay on the Walls by the commander?"

Muttered Rose. She glanced towards Vlad to see him not react at all.

His eyes were glowing in a faint dark light, like he was greeting death itself.

"It will come… here."

His words, it caused Mike to stop being excited and calm himself.

"Damn it!"

"Why the hell is there a titan in the town?"

The soldiers from the Garrison Regiment all panicked as they paced around the Walls.

"Rose, Mike, I will let you two handle it. When necessary, I will help."

Saying so, Vlad stepped back from the edge and sat down near the cannonball containing boxes.

"Hm."

Rose and Mike agreed and turned to observe the town and the Female Titan.

* * *

As the Female Titan ran forward on the road to catch Armin and Jean, her eyes suddenly caught a movement between the building gaps.

There, a few soldiers hid waiting for the right time to ambush it.

The Female Titan could only watch as hundreds of hooks were shot into her body.

Ting!

The strings let out a sound as the Female Titan fell on the road heavily while tens of soldiers threw nets with spikes on it.

"Okay! I thought there won't be any need for plan C, but nope… That's Commander Erwin for you, I guess."

On the roof of a building, a female soldier with glasses stood in the middle of other soldiers.

Hange Zoe, in charge of the fourth Squad mostly responsible for research on titans.

"Now then…"

Hange walked forward and came down the building as she stood in front of the Female Titan's eyes.

"Here, you're too far in to get titans to devour you like before."

Raising the blade just next to the huge eye of the Female Titan's, Hange appeared serious.

"But don't worry… I'll be the one to devour you instead."

Seeing the crazy look in Hange' face, the Female Titan narrowed her eyes.

"I'll devour all the information that we can drag out from you."

Realizing something, the Female Titan suddenly made a final struggle to escape these nets and hooks.

It moved its leg and kicked around destroying all the mechanisms connected to the strings while the soldiers fled.

"She escaped!"

"We need more troops!"

Mikasa said with surprise as well as worry while Hange gritted her teeth in regret.

Boom!

The Female Titan stomped her way out of the circle of soldiers and ran towards the Walls.

"Don't let her escape! Follow her!"

Mikasa, Armin, Hange, Jean, and many more soldiers rushed towards the Female Titan.

On the other hand, at a collapsed house, Eren lay with multiple injuries.

The large wooden piece pierced his shoulder, and a few metal rods restricted his legs.

Blood flowed out of his mouth, one might even think that Eren had died if not for the little chest movements.

'Someone who can't sacrifice anything can never change anything!'

Armin's words rang in Eren' mind continuously. It was as if Armin was there in person reminding him time and again.

'I know that… That's why I failed. I clung to my companions and my ties to them, and I failed.'

'Remember…'

Eren's wide open eyes, the green colored irises, the blood in them, everything screamed in agony.

The memories of the past, all struck back in his mind like a storm.

How his home was destroyed as the titans breached in the Walls.

How his mother was eaten alive right in front of his eyes by the titan.

And how he survived all the time without having any power to change.

Only now was different… because he had it. The power to change the fate which appears in his mind if he doesn't react.

"Ahge! Ahhge!"

Raising his body, the sharp edges of the wood ripped his flesh while breaking his bones.

Blood splashed all over his body giving him a bloodbath of his own.

'I'll wipe you out…'

'No… I'll kill you!'

The hatred deep in eyes burned in a bright light as Eren clenched his jaws tightly.

'There's no time to figure it out if this is the right thing to do. Just move…'

'Don't try to keep your hands clean! That's right!'

"The world is cruel!"

The spark flickered around Eren as he roared which then was followed by the loud thunder.

Boom!

This time, it was much stronger than the first as the entire town lit up in the yellow light.

The ground shook as the footsteps neared, the Female Titan stopped on her track and stood alerted.

Even the house walls trembled as parts of the ceiling and concrete fell off.

"Rwwaaah!"

As the Female Titan turned her face, it could only feel a force on its cheek which came too fast to even react.

Boom.

It flew and hit a sole building around an open ground. The building was half crushed by its weight.

Before the Female Titan, stood Eren in his Titan form emitting heat, smoke and some small amount of radiation.

"Rwwaah!"

The dark green light in his eyes, made even the Female Titan horrified for the moment.

He then lowered his upper body and charged at the Female Titan at full speed.

* * *

"Eren…"

Muttered Vlad while his eyes closed, he subconsciously looked in the future.

"Annie, it was you all along. I didn't really suspect but now the truth is before all…"

When he opened his eyes, the white lines had stretched further and also grew wider slightly.

"Rose, Mike, it's about time for us two to get ready. When they enter our range, you both go forward while I provide support if needed."

Said Vlad, Rose and Mike came to him and saluted. This was an order from the captain of the squad.

Officially, they had to obey and salute him. A smile formed on his face when Vlad watched Rose and Mike salute to him.

"We will catch it alive, the person responsible for the death of many soldiers including Vector."

Mike closed his eyes as his heart beat increased, his blood seeming to boil in the thought of killing the Female Titan.

Rose held on a small dagger, a gift from her late brother, as she caressed it.

"Yes, whoever it is. Will be punished for everything they have done."

Rose said. Vlad petted their shoulders and nodded with some encouragement.

"Now watch, as it comes in our hands."

Walking forward, Vlad stopped at the edge and looked down on the ground almost 60 meters away.

'This will be the cage, for you Annie. And I will be the lock.'

The glow of red light flashed in his cold eyes. Vlad's body was covered in the fog of darkness as only his eyes were visible.

The Female Titan, Annie, was in the light as an abyss surrounded her.

The Walls rose up into metal pillars going up and meeting at one point in the sky forming a cage.

The only way out of the cage was the path blocked by the red eyes watching her.

'Now come… try to break this lock if you can…'