DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SHINGEKI NO KYOJIN.

Date Uploaded: January 13, 2018

Note: Advanced apologies for the OOCs.

scattershot98: Ahaha, I guess yeah it was kinda creepy to be inside that basement. I'm glad you find it interesting. It's waaay off the manga/anime now. Anyway, thank you once again for your continuous support and amazing reviews!

Read on!

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE TITAN TRIO
Inside the barn back at Trost, the rain was pouring down on the roof. Bertholdt was at the corner, crying while Reiner was on the other corner, also crying. Annie was on the corner opposite of Reiner and Ymir was unconscious lying down the hay in between Reiner and Annie.

"Please just come back, Bert. We'll be with you every step of the way, I promise." Reiner started to speak again.

The silence was long enough and the gloomy atmosphere wasn't helping their case.

"There's no going back Reiner. The moment we became Warriors, it is our fate to kill or be killed." his friend says. "Even if you two have done so much for these people... it will not change the fact that you're Warriors."

"You're right, it doesn't. But it also doesn't change the fact that these people are victims of Marley." Annie says and Bertholdt looks up at her. "You saw my memories. You know what was in that basement."

"Until now you're going to try and convince me to believe that?"

"You saw it, didn't you?" she asked again since he didn't answer.

"Yes. Yes I saw it! Marley was injecting the virus to the citizens and throws them here. But they are still the enemies!" Bertholdt shouts at her. For him, whatever was happening to these people is none of his business. What matters to him is that, these people are changing his friends and turning them against him. "We still have no way of knowing where the Coordinate is and the Attack Titan is Eren! We haven't achieved a single objective!"

"Bertholdt, the Coordinate is a vial. Technically only the Reiss family knows where it is."

"When we bashed Rod Reiss and sabotaged his chapel, we found out that the vial was lost for years. We have no leads on where to find that vial. Someone could've consumed it already." Reiner added.

"Crossing it off the list, we only have Eren." Annie said.

"Eren wouldn't come with us no matter what."

"Then we force him to come with us!" Bertholdt pressed.

"Bert, aren't you getting it? The mission is no longer to retrieve any of them!" Reiner shouts in case Bertholdt still doesn't get it. "Our mission is to annihilate everyone! That's what Zeke wants us to do!"

"Then we do that! I don't get why it's so hard! There's three of us and they only have Eren as titan shifter, we can dominate!"

Before Reiner could say another word, he paused, realizing what the problem was. He chuckled hysterically when he saw it coming.

"It's because Krista is now Queen, isn't it? You couldn't bring yourself to destroy her kingdom." He says. "And you'll be Reiner Braun, her knight in shining armor." he says to tease.

"You won't gain anything by killing these people. We will still return empty-handed." Annie tells him.

"Yeah, but at least we won't return home a traitor!" The tall boy stood up to walk towards his friends. "Don't you see?! Zeke is telling us it's okay to abort the mission!"

"We're dead the moment we step in our own land." Reiner says.

"They'll be the one to turn on us." Annie adds.

"So we turn on them in exchange?" Bertholdt asked. "These peoople trained and raised us! They are OUR family! And as far as I remember, you two have people waiting for you on the other side!"

Tears kept flowing out of his eyes. He just couldn't bear the pain.

Reiner and Annie knew Bertholdt was hurting. But they couldn't do anything to help him.

"I'm scared..." Bertholdt adds softly, his voice breaking. "I want to be with you two. Grow up and live. But not like this..."

Annie slowly crawled towards him and wrapped her short arms around him. She wasn't big enough to keep him warm or to comfort him, but she wanted to let him know that they were still the same as before.

"Annie... I'm sorry..." he continued to sob.

"Bertholdt I don't hate you for what you did. I can't return your feelings that you confessed either. But you, me and Reiner, we will be friends no matter what." she spoke softly. "I will help you overcome your fears."

"I can't... I can't face them anymore..."

"I felt the same but, they will not think twice to welcome you with open arms."

Reiner did not stop the salty liquid pouring down his cheeks as he walked towards them to give them a hug. One arm around Bertholdt and the other around Annie. He pressed his head to touch the two, crying as well.

"You're never alone man. We'll always be with you." he says.

"Reiner I'm sorry."

"It's okay.. it's okay we got your back."

Bertholdt and Annie spread their arms so they'd be hugging each other. Copying Reiner, they put their arms over each other, their heads hitting together in the center and their tears falling on the the ground.

"We're not leaving you again.."

"You don't have to be scared anymore."

Their voices were soft and gentle, their voices were breaking when hiccuping as they cried. It's been a while since they were able to be together again like they were before when they were kids (reference Little Soldiers).

"Reiner, Annie..."

"We love you two Bertholdt." the two said in unison.

And Bertholdt cried all the more. He wasn't alone. He doesn't have to be afraid anymore. He had his friends with him all this time.

Karla led everyone around Shiganshina and arrives at the former Garrison fort by the walls.

Hannes remembered and recognized the place but was surprised that Karla was living there like she was some sole survivor with a badass development. There were less casualties with a few wounded soldiers when they arrived. Everyone was soaking wet.

It was dark outside with their torches dying out.

Now they stretched their arms and legs when finally they were safe.

"That was a long walk." Connie said as he fell on the floor to rest.

"Eren, are you alright?" Mikasa asked the moment they all entered the fort and locking it to secure themselves. Eren nods at her and he looked for his mom. He will not let her out of his sight again.

"Eren." Armin calls and joins them.

"Armin, how's everyone?" Eren asked.

"No one was gravely injured. Don't worry."

When Armin said so, Eren could finally heave a sigh of relief. He couldn't see well in the dark in his titan form so they refrained him from turning. Mikasa and Armin pats him in the back.

"Everything is fine."

Pushing through the soldiers, Karla joins her son. "Eren."

"Mom!" the heavy sigh earlier turned to joy when he saw his mother. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Hannes never left my side." she replied and studied her son's face, seeing he had no wounds or anything in his face. She's never been so worried of him. "Are you alright? Were you hurt anywhere?"

"I'm fine mom... I'm alright.." Eren said and buried his face in her shoulders as he hugged her as tightly as he could.

Mikasa and Armin smiled at the continuation of their reunion. It must be nice to finally reunite with a loved one. Mikasa would remember both her parents had turned and now she had no other family but Eren.

Karla smiled softly and returned Eren's tight embrace.

It doesn't matter if he was a big boy now. He's her son and she wouldn't want to miss him growing up in the future again. She'll be right by his side.

However it was still no time to be lax. Levi and Hanji approaches them, both were soaking wet. "We have a bigger problem." Levi said, cutting the moment that the mother and son were having. "Sorry to interrupt but you two need to hear this."

"What is it?" Eren asked as he parted with his mom.

"Grisha is still missing along with a group of scouts." Levi reports.

"Thomas Wagner's group consists of Sasha Blouse and Mina Carolina. They're missing." Hanji expounds and Eren's eyes were as wide as saucers. "We called all scouts around the perimeter back there but they did not respond."

"It's either they got far or something bad happened." Levi assumed. "The missing Grisha could be with them or alone."

"Then we gotta find them!"

Levi pushes Eren back. "Not so fast brat."

Armin was worried as well. If Sasha and Thomas were missing then Jean would freak out by now. Mikasa on the other hand remembered that Jean indeed was looking for them.

"If our comrades are out there, we should find them." Eren said sternly. "It's not safe out there."

"Exactly. That's why we're going to search for them tomorrow when the sun is up." Levi said.

"What?!"

"But Captain, it may be too late by then." Armin said. If Jean were here he'd gone nuts. At least before this news reaches him, they should already come to an agreement where they will send out a search party tonight.

"If they're smart then they'd find a safe place to rest instead of stroll around the dark."

"But-!"

"We can't risk ordering a party out there. It's a death wish." Levi said his final words. "Now suck it up and rest. We leave at first light."

Meanwhile, the trio are now lying down together in the hay. Reiner was at the side, Bertholdt in the middle and Annie beside him. Just like how they were years ago on their first entrance to Shiganshina. (reference Little Soldiers).

Two of the blondes were fast asleep while Bertholdt was just lying down in peace.

He could never been more happier than this.

Bertholdt turned to Reiner, seeing that he was snoring and sleeping so peacefully, he smiled and turns his back on him so he could face Annie who was also asleep like an innocent little girl.

He smiled widely. It was just like before when they were kids.

"Annie." he calls out to her softly. A hand reaching to her face until she opened her eyes. "Hey."

The girl rubbed her eyes. "Sorry, did we fall asleep?"

"No it's fine. I, I'm sorry I woke you up." he said. "I just wanted to talk to you about something."

When she was finally awake, she moved to her side and faced him, locking her eyes on his. "If it's about the plan, we're not backing down. We'll be with you every step of the way and that's a promise."

"I know. I wanted to talk about something else." he says. Annie was nervous what it was about. She's been unsure how to speak to him one on one ever since she realized his feelings after all. "It's about Armin."

And there he said it.

"What about him?"

"You like him don't you? I'm not even going to ask why but.. I just want to know how strong your feelings for him are." he says.

Since Bertholdt was honest and serious that moment, Annie decided to drop the sugarcoating and just tell him the truth. "Yes I like him. I am willing to do anything for him and I didn't care if Erwin was using those feelings against me."

"And I don't care if Zeke used my feelings against me." Bertholdt says. "I guess we're the same."

"Bertholdt..."

He didn't want to her her apologize again so he hushed her and let out a smile. "It's okay. I don't want you to beat yourself for me. I just want you to be happy."

No words left her lips. She wasn't sure what to say. She's never had a serious conversation with him before. At least not one without Reiner in it and without them talking about the mission all the time.

Bertholdt did not let it bother him though. "Can I ask you to do something for me?"

"What is it?"

"Will you kiss me?" when he saw Annie's shocked expression, he added a followup. "I mean one where I won't force you. Just you and me doing it."

"I can't.." she replied and he nodded. Shifting from his position, he looks up at the ceiling.

"Yeah it was a weird request." he says, not wanting to let it get to him.

"You'll always be like a little brother to me." Annie said. "You and Reiner." when she said that, Bertholdt chuckled and turned back to her, again shifting from where he lay. His smile wasn't forced, she was glad.

"Little brother? I think you should call us big brothers." he teased.

"You may be taller than me even before, but you were a crybaby." (reference Little Soldiers). she threw back at him when she remembered when they first met.

"Ah well, at least I met you. If I was so brave like Reiner then maybe you wouldn't have approached me that day." he said and poked her nose. "That's why I don't regret being a crybaby."

Stare.

Silence.

"Annie..." he spoke again to break the silence. "If we never became Warriors.. if you never have met him.. would you have fallen for me?" he asked.

The small blonde places a hand on the side of his face, crawling to his hair and pulls his head close to hers until their foreheads touch. Bertholdt blushed that they were rather close. "Like I said.. you're like a little brother to me. And I will protect you like an older sister would. And I love you as family, Bertholdt."

"I.. I see.." he says. "Well then Annie.. I love you like family like to."