Alright part 2 for the Battle of Trost. Another long chapter I made, as changes starting to take place in this chapter. So after this chapter, I decided that I will not continue with the Female Titan arc. So Uprising Arc is on the go. Enjoy.
FEW HOURS AGO
After Eren got swallowed by the titan he wakes up, inside the belly of a titan. He wonders why he is still alive and not sharing the same fate as Marcel. As soon as he remembers his name, he begins to find a way out. He remembers that he still had his blades to cut the titan's belly and escape but the blades were already damaged.
'I must find get out of here. I want to live and survive. I'm not ready to die yet, not until I liberate every Eldian in this world, not until I avenge Marcel's death.' He thinks of another option, to shift into his titan. He knows what the consequences will be if he revealed himself to be a shifter. He might be labelled as humanity's enemy by the people and his friends. He might as well compromise Reiner, Bertholt and Annie's real identities. But he needs to live, so finds his will to shift and bite his arm, causing him to turn into the Attack Titan, escaping from the titan's belly. He eliminates every titan he sees and went to the supply base, where titans are all gathered.
NOW
Reiner, Bertholt and Annie immediately went down to check who was inside the titan. As the steam subsided their face turns into shock as they saw the shifter's identity. Reiner takes him out from the titan's nape and drags him out. Meanwhile, Jean, Mikasa and Armin were called by the Garrison soldiers to assist them retaking the other side of the city. They didn't manage to have a look on the person inside the titan's nape and they let Reiner, Bertholt and Annie handle it for the meantime.
Eren wakes up, feeling dizzy after tiring himself in his titan form. He tries to recall what happened after he escaped from the titan belly and all he remembers is that he begins attacking other titans, killing every one of them until he didn't see it anymore. Although he was in control of his titan, he sometimes has the primal desire to destroy everything in his path. Maybe it's the nature of his titan form as it lives by its name, the Attack Titan.
Feeling that he's conscious enough already, he gets up from the bed and look at his surrounding area. He is in a room, probably abandoned due to the evacuation call by the military. As he was about to get out from his room, the door opens and reveals Annie. She instantly hugs him and he returns it. The thought of someone that is close to her dying doesn't sit well with her since her mother died. She had no one else to care for except Eren and his father, although he was the one that didn't give a childhood she deserves. After for almost like a minute, she releases him and asks for his condition.
"How are you doing?"
"I'm fine, nothing to worry about." Annie frowns when he said that.
"Huh, trying to act tough I see. But seriously, I was worried about you. We all are. Even Reiner stopped the mission after we heard about your death."
Eren looked surprised. Reiner was willing to stop the mission just because he was presumed dead. It was too late to stop now, with the titans now swarming inside the city. He could use his titan again to help them but it may raise suspicion of others as well. They need to find a way to seal the hole Bertholt made if they want to really stop the mission.
"Where is he now?"
"He's outside, fighting with the Garrison Corps."
"What about you? Aren't you supposed to be outside as well, fighting with them?"
"Reiner told me to stay and watch over you until you wake up. I will go out soon enough."
Eren desperately wants to help them but because he is presumed dead, he can't be seen by others or they will start questioning how he survived. He wouldn't want to risk that and let them know that he is a shifter. It was his mistake that led to this situation. If only he had been careful that time.
Annie went to the door to leave and join the soldiers. She has been missing for quite a while and she doesn't want to raise suspicion of others. Before she leaves, she looks back at Eren and he wishes her to stay safe. She smiles at him, the same smile that she gave him when she offered him to teach her techniques. She went out from the building and returns to her cold and bored personality and went to join the rest of the recruits.
...
By now the casualties have increased and so does the titans. But with the hole on what used to be a gate, they can't do anything about it as more and more titans are swarming in. Reiner and Bertholt wonder how many Eldians that Marley sent to Paradis and turn them to mindless titans. They were gathered at a rooftop to resupply their gas and blades when Annie returns to them. The two assumed that Eren was alright and well. Soon they were confronted by Mikasa, Armin and Jean, who was also resupplying. Armin has questions for them regarding earlier and it comes sooner or later.
"Reiner, I saw you carrying someone to some place before we got called by the Garrison soldiers. Who is that from the titan's nape?"
Reiner doesn't know how to answer that. They can't say that it was Eren because they need to protect their identities and his as well. But he sees from the corner and saw Mikasa staring at him intently. It's like she knew something or knew that he was trying to cover up by lying. One wrong word and he might have a blade aimed at his throat or living in the dungeons of the Military Police just because they tried to cover up the truth. Before Reiner could say anything, Rico Brzenska, one of the members of the Elite division in the Garrison corps, called all of them to join the others for a meeting with the Commander of the Garrison, Dot Pixis. He arrived sooner after he heard that Wall Rose was breached and it is up to him to plan the retake of the city.
Reiner couldn't be more grateful with the close calls he had and this is one of them. He needs to formulate a perfect lie to cover up Eren's identity. He can't blame him though for shifting, it is after all his will to survive and he might do the same as well if he's desperate. He could just shift to the Armored Titan and ram the second gate, but what stopped him from doing that is, he can't afford to risk more deaths, including his friends from the Training Corps, Sasha, Connie and most important of all, Krista. He already witnessed the flaw in his plan, and it is Eren's 'death'. Luckily he shifted and lived to fight for another day.
...
On the gates leading to the last wall, Dot Pixis, stood there watching injured soldiers were carried, some have been mentally scarred by the near death experience they faced, some began to lose hope to retake the city. Now he's here, he needs to raise their spirits and keep fighting until the second gate has fallen.
The rest of the soldiers all gathered together with all of the surviving top ten cadets, including Ymir and Armin, preparing to hear what the commander of the Garrison has to say.
"Soldiers, it has been a great pleasure serving with all of you. These are tough times we have to face and we stand here today to fight against the enemy that threaten our survival, the titans. However, humanity lost the first line of defence against the titans, by the hands of the colossal type titan and the armored type titan."
Reiner and Bertholt almost flinched listening to that, but managed to keep a normal face. They try not to let guilt consume them again with all that is happening right now.
"Today, I heard from my squad leaders that the colossal type titan strikes again at the gates of Trost. The armored one should come by any minute now but still there are no signs of it appearing. Therefore, it's our chance to strike back and decimate every titan in this city. We will find a way to seal the gates and stop the titans from advancing in to our city. I ask all of you to be ready to sacrifice your lives for humanity. We shall not let the other's sacrifice to be in vain by losing here but we need to honour them by winning this battle. Soldiers! Move out!"
Most of the soldiers' spirits are lifted and some are still reluctant to fight. The top ten cadets, namely, Mikasa, Armin and Connie are still grieving but decided not to let Eren's sacrifice to be in vain. Marco had convinced Jean to lead his own squad to battle, seeing that he's capable of doing so although Jean tries to deny it. Before they were confronted, Reiner and Bertholt went to their squad while Annie needs to find a way to help Eren escape the city. With soldiers now all over the city, it's impossible to get out of the city unnoticed. She decides to think about it later and joins her squad.
...
Meanwhile, Eren used a cape that he found inside the house to sneak in the city. Somehow, nobody managed to capture him yet. He found a set of 3DMG from a dead soldier which still has gas in it, including blades.
'He must have resupplied but died when the titans got him. Luckily the gear and harness is still intact.'
He loots from the dead soldier and put the gear on himself. He needs to get to higher ground to get a clear view of what's happening in the city. But before he could get up on the roof, he was dragged by someone to an alleyway and it was Bertholt. He releases him and tells him to keep quiet and follow him.
"What was that for just now?" Eren said after catching his breath.
"Sorry. Didn't mean to startle you like that, but we have to be careful right now. Soldiers are now all over the city. Luckily I found you before they do, especially, Mikasa, Armin and Jean. They have been questioning Reiner and we don't know how long before he is forced to spill the beans."
"Where are we going right now?"
"Somewhere, Reiner told me to get you from the house but you're not there. Then I saw you wearing a dead soldier's gear. So I approached you."
"Aren't you guys supposed to be in your squads right now?"
"We were ordered to split up and kill any titans that come across our path. We took the opportunity to get you out of the city."
...
Soon they arrived at a building. They went in and saw Reiner and Annie waiting for them. Eren seemed tense knowing that he almost accidentally revealed his identity. It is right for Reiner to blame him knowing that he jeopardized the mission because of his carelessness. But before Eren thinks that he would receive a scolding or punch from him, instead Reiner confronts him knowing that he's alright and alive.
"I'm sorry Eren. We heard for Armin that you died and I felt guilty for suggesting this stupid plan. I break my promise to go home together."
"What about the mission?"
"We should stick with the original plan. Join the Military Police, and find something in there. Well for your case, I think you can disguise yourself as a civilian inside. We are together in this. We find the Founding Titan and we all can go home, together."
From the look of his eyes, Reiner doesn't want to repeat the mistakes that he did in the past. Losing a warrior and friend is enough. They don't have to lose any more of them. Although they plan to just sneak in quietly, they made more friends inside the walls. Eren's death was the prime example of the flaws of his plan. His warrior persona won't care about the others, but his soldier persona doesn't want them to die. They promised to go home together and they will.
"What happens now?" Eren finally break the long silence among them. This time Reiner went back from his soldier persona to his warrior persona.
"I don't know. We need to leave this city and head for the inner walls. They can presume us killed or missing in action, but that won't be the best option since we need to join the Military Police. Faking our deaths to get in won't do. If there is no other way, I will destroy the second gate and it will all be over."
Eren then rose from where he is seating. He knows that his warrior persona is back from the moment he said the last line.
"We can't do that. We can't let them die here."
"Then what do you suggest we do? Are you starting to show sympathy to the island devils already? Which side are you on right now? Is it Marley or these island devils?"
Bertholt went to stop Reiner. It is getting out of hand, with his warrior persona, he starts to question others and become truly committed to Marley. Annie feels disgusted hearing that he is still loyal to Marley's cause. Does he need some more beating to know that Marley are just liars? The words she said 5 years ago doesn't seem to get into his skull and she doesn't know what to do.
"Those people are your friends! The friends that you made during training! If you are still going through with breaking the second gate, then I will be there to protect them all. I don't know why I agreed to this plan in the first place."
Reiner escaped from Bertholt's grip and went to land a punch on Eren's face, while pinning him down. The other 2 tries to get him off of Eren.
"So you finally show your true colours. Traitor! Maybe you just let Marcel die on purpose. 'Can't save him' my ass. Who's next? Are you trying to betray us one by one, tossing Bertholt in prison? Let Annie die by their hands?"
This time Eren had enough as he slips through Reiner's grip and he began to beat him down. The other 2 just stares at him as he beat Reiner, although he is bigger than him.
"You don't know the guilt I have to face for 5 years do you?! His death hits me the most because I can't save him and you just branded me a traitor because of that?! I have to see that titans are the monsters that killed Marcel, but at the same time I see them as Eldians because they were once."
He stops beating him and begins to let his tears fall.
"I don't know what's right or wrong anymore. All this Eldians, titans, Marley, freedom, they all confuse me. So I end up just going with the flow, going through with the plan to destroy wall Maria, and wall Rose. The only thing that kept me from being insane is during our time at training, where I met different people. Now, I'm feeling useless to those people, just because I have this power. I had to fake my death, even though I can help them."
Reiner's injuries healed soon enough and he wipes the blood of his face. He went out with Bertholt following him. Before he left, Bertholt looked back at Eren and silently apologizes him. He was left with Annie in the building. Annie knew the day would come when Eren started to act like this. He was left without a purpose and this mission breaks him more. She doesn't know how to comfort people but before she could do it, Eren started to talk with her.
"You know, your father asked me to protect you and bring you back safely. I almost failed that promise the moment I shifted. If they capture me, they will sure know my identity soon and connect the dots and that's where I put you guys into danger, the moment I shifted to a titan. Somehow, I failed to become a warrior, and I can't become a soldier fighting for them. What am I doing right now?"
The guilt was too much for Eren. He endangered both his warrior comrades and soldier friends. From the moment they made friends with someone inside the walls, they knew the risks that they take. They will sacrifice them for the greater good, to find the Founding Titan. But without the right results, their sacrifices will be in vain. He remembers what Zeke told him about sacrifice, it is to free others. It's the perfect example of what is happening now. The titans, as well as the soldiers, who are fighting for their lives right now are pawns to lure the Founding Titan.
Annie remains speechless for a while. She never knew that Eren was tasked by her father to protect her. Her father knew that her daughter is strong, and does not need any protection from anyone. What he wants to protect is not her wellbeing, but her emotional being. Being in the island for 5 years can be stressful. The attack on wall Maria proves it. She often relies on Eren for emotional support even though he doesn't know. Looking at him like this, it feels like it's her job again to bring Eren back into shape, like she did before after the war with the north.
"Eren, Marcel's death is not only your fault. We were to blame as well. But his death lets us move forward. If you keep on like this, his death will serve no meaning to what we are fighting for."
He doesn't know if he could trust Annie with his family's secrets, but then again, he always saw his father together with her father. Maybe they are on the same side. Eren thinks that it's time to tell his true mission to this island.
"Annie, promise me you will not tell Reiner and Bertholt about what I'm going to tell you after this. I know I can trust you on this. I need someone I can rely on and that's you."
"You know that I will always fight with you and watch your back. You said it before when we were kids. Just share the burden with me as I will always be at your side."
Annie realised what she said on the last part. What she meant was side by side as comrades but her mind misinterpreted the meaning. It has been for a while now but she realised that she had feelings for him. She doesn't know how, why or when it happened. It is something she needs to confront with him after this is over. Right now she needs to listen what he had to say.
From what Annie said, he knew that she will always be at his side. It was like he said when they were still training as warriors. He feels relieved that he has to share the burden with another person, and that person is no other than Annie herself. He takes a deep breath and readied himself to talk to her about what he truly fights for and he's not holding back every single information he knows because he trusts her and vice versa.
...
Reiner still got a few bruises, went from building to building. If there is a titan that he sees, he immediately takes care of it. His mind right now is in disarray. Both his warrior and soldier persona clashed and right now he's just blank. His soldier persona would dedicate his duty to eliminate the titans. His warrior persona would dedicate his heart out to Marley and destroy the island devils. But what Eren said just now bites him. He saw the truth but chose to deny it. He made friends with people in the walls. He even made himself as a big brother to them. He realises that his friends trust and depend on him more than the other warriors, namely, Porco. The others have doubts on his ability as a warrior and considered him as the weakest, except Eren and Bertholt. He doesn't know what to believe in anymore. Maybe Annie was right, they were too fed with Marley's bullshit that some Eldians are willing to kiss their feet, praise them like gods and their saviour, including her mother, although he hate to admit it. It was only his dedication to Marley made him the warrior he is today, but it also made him the weakest among them. If only he could change things for the good of all. The only thing he could do right now is to finish what he started. The mission must go on. He raises his hand on his blade and slits it but he can't transform.
Bertholt was behind Reiner, chasing him. He's neutral about things but he too believes that Marley just fed him bullshits as he realised that the people here are very friendly, except for the Military Police. He feels sorry for them, as they were brainwashed by the royal government and left them corrupted. He felt sorry for the people here as well not knowing that their real hometown was on the other side of the ocean. But all he can do is just follow the way things are. He believes that someone had to have blood on their hands and it's got to be him and the rest of his warrior comrades, it is for the sake of others and his family. Finally he managed to catch up to Reiner, but he was about to shift and he was a second too late to stop him as he slit his hand with the blade but he didn't transform.
Reiner doesn't know why but he keeps on thinking about a goal, which is to destroy the second gate. But his other persona didn't allow him to shift. It keeps on telling him not to betray his friend's trust but he already did. He was an enemy of humanity. He wants to save humanity as well but words are just meaningless when action speaks louder. He was on his knees letting his tears fall. Bertholt then came and saw it. He can't shift. Not because he's powerless, not because he's purposeless, but it's because of himself. He's the one that won't allow him to shift. It's because he didn't want to betray his friends inside the walls.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm weak. I'm sorry I can't be that Marcel. Annie was right, we should just go home the first time we stepped foot on this land, so we wouldn't feel the guilt. We've been here for too long, and I'm starting to get attached to this place, surrounded by idiots, but good ones. If only I never knew these people, I wouldn't have become a half-assed piece of shit like this. Now, no matter how hard I try to destroy this place, the people here always come back on my mind. I…"
Before he could say anything more, Marco heard every word that Reiner said. Even Bertholt didn't notice him. Both of them were speechless as Marco breaks the silence.
"What are you talking about? Destroying the walls? Never stepped foot on this land?"
But before he could say anything, Reiner went to him quickly, putting a blade on him. Marco was scared, he never seen Reiner in this manner. Reiner proceeds to stab him but he stopped just an inch. He can't do it. He dropped his blade and begins to laugh and cry at the same time.
"Why? Why I can't do it? Am I too attached to them already?"
Bertholt went to comfort him and he helps Marco up. Bertholt doesn't know what to do. Their secret went out, but worst of all, it went out to Marco. He's a good guy, helps everyone in need, although he isn't that skilled but he's just like Reiner and Armin, weak but strong willed, and smart. His words are filled with wisdom when he talks to others.
"Marco, I know this is hard for you to understand, but please, keep this a secret between us. I promise I will tell you later. Right now, Reiner is not in the right state of mind right now. He's… been thinking. But I promise to tell you everything, I you promise to keep it a secret."
If it was Reiner handling this situation, he would kill Marco, or feed him to the titans. But still the blood is still on his hands. Bertholt is now in charge by the looks of it, and he is no good leader. But with Reiner like this, he has to do something for the warriors at least. So he approached the diplomatic way. Luckily there are no soldiers around this area, probably cleared this place. Marco just stood there trying to absorb everything he heard.
"O-okay. I will pretend that this never happened. I'm s-sorry for interrupting."
"Thank you, Marco."
Bertholt hopes that is enough to silence him up. While he may not be too attached to the others like Reiner, he still cares for his friends in the 104th training corps. He by any means not that cruel. While the three still at the rooftop, both Eren and Annie came to their place and saw Marco there. Marco look shocked to see Eren's still alive and Eren to see Reiner is now on the verge of breakdown.
"It's okay Eren. I talked to him. He won't give us any trouble, I hope."
Bertholt reassured him. But it is not Marco that he's worried, it's Reiner's state right now. Bertholt told him that Reiner decides to shift but he can't because something doesn't allow him to. It is then Reiner saw Eren and he went to him, begging for his forgiveness, for his harsh words to him. He knows that he's right and Annie's right too. He was too blinded by Marley's propaganda that he couldn't see the truth. All he hoping right now is to shift and escape the walls and go back to Marley. He doesn't care if he's branded as a failure. He just wants to end his suffering. Eren puts his hand on Reiner's shoulder to forgive him but before he could say anything, loud footsteps are heard from outside the walls. Every soldier stopped doing what they are doing.
...
The five went to the top of the wall and saw a colossal titan, going towards the wall. It is not like Bertholt's colossal titan, the titan still has rocks on his body. Then the warriors realise, it is the wall titan and it's moving towards Trost. Is the true royal family finally made their move? Will it destroy Trost in the process? There is no time to think as it is heading its way. What they heard that its skin is impenetrable, can't be cut by a simple blade, not even the blade that they use right now.
"What should we do?" Bertholt asks them.
The others were too shocked to answer him. Eren finally regains his conscience and looks over every place. There are still titans, but there are only a few of them, and most of them are nearby the broken gate. So he assumed that the titans in the middle of the city have been eradicated. Reiner suggested something that may be a ludicrous idea for them. It is to shift and help them eliminate the titans inside, while Eren with his armor ability can help seal the gate. Bertholt uses his colossal titan to fight the wall titan, while Reiner and Annie eliminate the rest of the titans inside. While it may be stupid, it is the only plan Reiner at least can do to help. Knowing that they are all in this together, they agree to his plan. Marco was asked to call the rest of their friends in the Training Corps to help them and he went to find them one by one.
"Guys, I'm sorry that I could not be a good leader. Annie, you were right, we should just go back and not proceed with the mission. Eren, sorry for what I said earlier. It's too late now, if I never met these people I wouldn't have felt this much regret. Now, I think what we should do is help this people. We are warriors. We do what is right in our hearts. At the same time, we are soldiers. We dedicate ourselves to do what is right. Now that the clue to finding the true royal family is in front of us, we can finish this mission without causing more deaths. So whatever happens, we will always be together."
Reiner raised his fist for a fist bump, followed by Bertholt and Eren, and finally Annie. Then they proceed to their destination. Bertholt went in front of the gate, despite the warnings given by the garrison soldiers above the wall and below, he fall and immediately shifted to become the Colossus Titan. Reiner, Eren and Annie went inside the wall. They look at their surroundings to see if there is anyone watching them and proceed to fall and shift, and three titans appear which are the Armored Titan, Attack Titan and Female Titan.
...
The soldiers who were terrified by the appearance of four abnormal titans, especially the Armored and the Colossal, begin to aim their cannons towards them and shoot. The other soldiers wait for a moment to strike at the other two titans that are not protected like the Armored. Mikasa, Armin, Jean and Connie gathered together and saw the two titans that were considered the enemies of humanity. Mikasa readied her blades to try and kill it but was stopped by Marco.
"Calm down Mikasa. We can't kill them yet."
This surprises all of them as Marco seems to know something about it.
"What are you saying?! They are the enemies of humanity, they are the ones destroyed Wall Maria, and I never thought the titan that helped us sided with them all this time."
But Marco keeps a calm face and tells them to calm down.
"Calm down. Trust me on this. Right now we should kill all the titans here. We'll deal with them later."
Armin trusts Marco and his decision. Whatever he said, it must be important that he tries to keep the abnormal titans alive. Although Armin had to admit, he still had a grudge on the titans that stole his home and kill almost 250000 people, but his family is safe from the attack, only the Military Police that killed his family, and he's still bitter about it. The rest seems to calm down while Mikasa just continues killing all the titans inside the walls. The rest follow suit while watching what are the four abnormal titans are doing.
...
Bertholt went forward, towards the wall titan that is slowly advancing towards Wall Rose. He doesn't know what purpose of it doing here. Which wall did he come out from, and how come only one appeared? He knows he can try to stop it due to the similarity in size. The cannon fire from the top of Wall Rose isn't helping him, but he tries to hold out as long as he can. Reiner, Annie and Eren too have the same trouble. With cannons shooting towards them, they try to hold out as long as they can. Both Eren and Annie harden their napes to prevent it from being attacked and it took a toll on them for keeping it as long as they can. Eren went to the gates while using his armor ability to close the gate. Reiner and Annie obliterate any titan that they saw which surprised the other soldiers. Commander Pixis seems to be intrigued by this change of events and he ordered all the soldiers to cease fire on the four titans, and aim the mindless ones instead. The soldiers were surprised by the orders given, but followed it.
Eren has completed his task on sealing the gates with his hardening abilities and proceeds to get out from his titan's nape. Reiner and Annie also completed their task of eliminating the titans as the last one is being taken care off by Mikasa, and they too went out from their titan's nape. As they got out, they went to the top of the walls to see how Bertholt handle the wall titan. The wall titan begins to harden his fists to finish Bertholt in one go, but was stopped as its nape was cut a little causing it to faze.
Bertholt saw the Survey Corps returning and it is his chance to finish off the wall titan by breaking his head off and the wall titan is killed. But he was surprised to see someone managed to cut the nape of the wall titan, even a little. He then kneel down and also gets out from his titan's nape, only to be caught off guard by the Survey Corp's elites, as they are aiming for its nape to finish him off, but a got surprised as a person came out from it. The three others weren't in a good situation as well as they were also caught by the Garrison soldiers only for their lives spared by Pixis himself.
"Well well, look what we have here."
Bertholt came with the Survey Corp's elites, together with their commander, Erwin Smith. He seemed intrigued by the four shifters they caught and he might interrogate them later for further information. Now he had to follow procedures and bring them to prison, which is under the jurisdiction of the Military Police.
Alright chapter 9 is done. After this chapter, things will be completely AU and I understand that the re-telling from the actual storyline, with some changes, is kind of boring. Somehow, I feel like I'm off track with Annie's character here and some may question it as well. Nevertheless, I already established how she will be in the future chapters since chapter 4. On second note, I don't know how Reiner's personality changes from time to time. Like when Marco died, he was in warrior persona then changed after he witnessed Marco eaten by a titan. So I assume that is it. Anyway, I think my writing is off because I'm starting to get busy right now. Reviews might help me correct my mistakes. If you guys think this chapter isn't that satisfactory, I may rewrite it, because there are many situations I planned for this chapter. Thank You.
