1 hour after dawn
"Eren... Ymir..." Christa's muffled voice was drowned out by her weeping as she sat in the rattling cart, her wrists rubbed raw from the tight handcuffs digging into her pale skin.
Her wide blue eyes darted helplessly around the shadowed forest, streaks of dawn's faint light slicing through the dense canopy above. Her trembling tears darkened the dry wood beneath her as the cart creaked along the uneven path.
A man seated beside her leaned closer, his hungry gaze lingering over her. "This one's got a real nice figure, doesn't she?" he sneered, his voice slimy as he dragged his tongue across his cracked lips.
Christa recoiled from his touch, her body quivering as if cold, but the chains binding her stopped her from shrinking further away.
"Hey" another voice called from the front of the cart, "we could sell her in the Underground. With a face like hers, she'd fetch a high price."
The man's grip on Christa's waist tightened as he chuckled, his laughter as grating as a rusty blade. "Oh, I'm sure she would. But I've got other plans first." He leered at Christa, whose muffled cries were muted by the dirty cloth tied around her mouth.
"Think about it," the other man pressed. "Sell her first, then we can get plenty more 'pretty' girls."
"Do what you want... make sure you don't injure her..." the first man replied, grinning, " I'll just have my fun first, then sell her." He leaned closer, and Christa flinched, closing her eyes as her silent sobs wracked her trembling frame.
The cart jolted suddenly, stopping with a loud creak.
"Sir!" one of the men at the front shouted. "The path ahead's blocked by a fallen tree!"
The leader, perched lazily on the driver's bench, tilted his head back with an irritated sigh. The dim dawn light filtering through the trees illuminated the harsh lines of his face as his sharp gaze swept over the forest.
"Then move it," he barked, his tone cold. His eyes flicked upward, scanning the cliffs that loomed above the trail before settling back on his men in the cart. "You two! Get off your lazy asses and help clear it!"
The man at Christa's side groaned, irritated. His hand brushed her waist once more, making her flinch, before he stood. "Don't worry, babe," he sneered. "I'll be back for you soon enough." He leapt from the cart and trudged toward the blockade.
Christa exhaled shakily, her eyes wet and red. Was this really the end for her? Was her life going to be reduced to this—a prize for strangers to toy with? Her heart pounded violently, threatening to burst from her chest.
A faint rustle behind her made her freeze. Then, a familiar voice whispered close to her ear.
"Shh... Don't worry. I'm here."
Christa's teary eyes widened as she turned to see Ymir crouched behind her, her jaw tight with anger and her own eyes glistening with unshed tears.
Ymir's hands worked swiftly to untie the cloth gag from Christa's mouth, glancing toward the forest trail to ensure no one noticed her movements.
"Ymir," Christa whimpered softly, barely audible through her fear. Relief flooded her trembling voice, though her body was still shaking uncontrollably.
"Keep quiet," Ymir whispered, her words low and fierce as she darted her gaze between Christa and the cart's interior. "We'll get you out of here."
Ymir's fingers hesitated as she noticed the cuffs on Christa's wrists. "Where are the keys?" she whispered urgently, her voice laced with panic.
Christa shook her head, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks. "I don't know," she choked out.
Ymir clenched her teeth, scanning the cart in frustration. Her eyes darted over the contents—random supplies and discarded equipment—but the keys were nowhere to be seen. The only thing of use was the stolen ODM gear, neatly stacked in a corner.
Above the path, hidden among the jagged cliffs, Mikasa and Bertholdt crouched silently, their ODM gear ready.
The faintest glint of dawn's light reflected off their blades as they watched the bandits from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to strike. Down below, Armin and Jean lay hidden in the underbrush, tense and poised to support the assault.
Ymir turned back to Christa, her face filled with determination. "We're going to get you out of this, no matter what," she promised. The weight of her words hung heavy in the dawn-lit forest, even as the faint sounds of the bandits' laughter echoed ominously through the trees.
Finally her patience got the best of her "Tch... Whatever. I'll just take the cart with me," Ymir muttered under her breath, gripping the reins stubbornly as if sheer determination could change the odds. Her sharp tone didn't hide how reckless the decision was.
"Ymir, don't!" Christa pleaded, panic flooding her voice. She glanced frantically at the blocked path ahead. The cart couldn't possibly turn around fast enough to escape, and trying to move it forward was a futile risk. But Ymir didn't care; her teeth were gritted, her eyes filled with defiance.
Before she could even step down to take action, a sharp voice rang out.
"Hey, you! Bitch! What the hell are you doing?"