A ship is approaching land, the passengers on board watching with apprehension as they can see a giant wall getting bigger and bigger. The wall extends as far as they can see, covering the entire coast.
This is where those devils live...
Reiner looks the structure, impressed by the sheer size of it. At his side, a taller kid steps up, him too admiring the view -"Nervous?" he asks him, slightly tilting his head towards Reiner. The blonde kid shrugs, not looking away from what's in front -"Not really. At least, not right now. You?"
Bertholt rubs his neck, smiling weakly at his friend -" A little bit. I just don't want to die immediately" he chuckles, Reiner nudges him with his elbow, looking at him, having to slightly turn his head up -" Don't worry - we'll be alright"
"Reiner is right, Bertholt" both kids turn towarss the voice, an older teen walking up to them -"Just don't make any stupid mistakes, and you will be set. Remember, this mission is just to draw the Founder out - we have to make sure that whoever they are, come back with us. We can't let that big of a threat out in the world. It's up to us to stop it"
"But wouldn't that put us at a risk? Can we even fight the Founder?" a girl asks, wearing a bored expression, looking at the land, a docking platform getting closer to the ship. The older teen shakes his head, grimacing slightly -"No, Annie. One shout from that thing and you'll lose. You need to avoid confrontation, top priority"
Bertholt raises his hand, seeing some issues with that logic -"But then why have us here? Aren't we supposed to take down Wall Maria? But if we do that, the Founder will kill us!"
"Good point - but don't worry. The Tyburs, our allies, have said that the King inside the walls has a vow against war. There isn't going to be a problem"
"But then how can we draw them out?" Bertholt asks -"If they've renounced war, they would hide!"
"I doubt that they would simply let their people die, Bertholt. Renouncing war doesn't mean to let civilians die, but that you won't engage in war acts. It would be to defend them" the teen explains, raising one hand to stop Bertholt -"And yes, defending them could also mean using the shout. Most probably the King would try and make an appearance, either in their human form or their Titan form. But remember : according to the Tyburs, the population's memory was erased. They don't know anything of the outside world. Keep it that way" he warns them
"And anyways, whatever comes out of this, this mission is also to learn things. Do your best"
Reiner nods his head, turning to see the dock basically underneath him. Some workers lower a plank for them to walk on, and the 4 kids descend from the boat, stepping on the land of devils.
The walls in front of then are so tall, they have to tilt their heads backwards to see the top. Annie notices a flight of stairs attached to it, and she starts making her way to that.
"Make Marley proud. Make them understand we are not the enemy"
They nod, standing with their backs to the wall, watching as the ship leaves them alone, not moving until they can no longer see it, turning and starting their long climb to the top. Reiner turns his head behind, seeing Bertholt looking at the sea, having an almost unreadable expression on his face - Probably he doesn't want to do this...But I do. Every devil in this land will pay...
Annie is focusing on climbing the stairs, not interested in watching the scenery, her deadpan expression still on her face, making Reiner wonder what exactly she's thinking of.
"Please...stay safe - I only pushed you so that we could have a chance at a better life..."
Annie shakes her head, increasing her gait, climbing faster, only to stop because of Bertholt's slower speed. Behind her another kid, his eyes focused on the steps underneath, his face almost seeming depressed to Reiner, prompting him to ask him about it, stopping himself, deciding to just climb for now.
Later. Right now is not the most appropriate time.Marcel can wait.
The kids arrive at the top of the wall, stopping to rest a while, Bertholt walking to the edge, finding the other stairs for the climb down. He looks up, seeing a vast plain, a fee scattered trees breaking the horizon line. He can see a few dots moving in the distance, assuming them to be animals. He hears footsteps approaching, Marcel also watching the scenery.
"Think we can do it?"
Bertholt turns his head, facing Marcel, noticing his frown still on his face -"Maybe. I both don't want to meet people here and want to see what lives they're living" he answers, hoping that it made as much sense as it did in his head.
Marcel nods, still looking ahead, scouring the horizon for something -"I get it. We don't even know if we're going to come out of this alive though - we definitely won't live long, regardless of this outcome. So I'm not particularly worried about us"
"Come on, you guys - it would be better to set camp already. We have a long way to go" Reiner catches their attention, Annie and him already climbing down the stairs, making sure not to do any false steps.
Bertholt and Marcel follow them, the 4 climbing down in silence, occasionally watching the environment around them. After a while, everyone manages to land on the ground again, the mood having shifted to more tense on the way down.
"I'd say to walk, find a decent spot. Set camp. Repeat for the next few days" Reiner says, waving his arm towards the plains. The rest of the group nods, and they start to walk, occasionally seeing some lone deers, the animals running away as soon as the four kids are visible to them.
For a while, they keep walking, not talking between them, focusing only on putting more steps behind them. When the sun begins to set, they stop by a tree, building a big fire , and setting each sleeping bag around it. Bertholt and Marcel handle food, with Reiner and Annie in charge of making sure that their surroundings are safe.
"They did say that there won't be any Titans in these places, but you should still be careful" their superiors had warned them, the group feeling some relative safety in that notion.
Reiner looks at Marcel, noticing the frown still on the kid's face, and after sitting down in front of the fire, he decides to confront him about it -" Marcel, what is wrong with you? You've been in that mood for a while now" he asks, grabbing the bowl of food that Bertholt is handing to him.
"I'm just...I'm just sorry, Reiner"
The blonde tilts his head, waiting for his friend to explain more in detail -"What do you mean? Sorry about what?"
Marcel sighs, putting down his ration, and looking at Reiner -"You weren't supposed to be here. You're not exactly the strongest, the fastest or the better tactician" he says, watching Reiner, the kid farrowing his eyebrows -"But...but I just couldn't let the army choose my brother for this. I don't want this to happen to him"
Reiner doesn't speak, still looking at Marcel, remembering all the times that in training he was bested by every one else in the group, including Marcel's brother.
"Porco was supposed to be the one chosen in your place. So...so I made you look better in the eyes of our superiors. Talked about your loyalty, unwavering courage and focus"
The group stays silent for a few seconds, Bertholt looking at his friend with worry, his suspicions getting confirmed right now -"It was all to save my brother from this. Sorry, Reiner" he finishes, taking a deep breathe before picking his bowl up again.
No-one speaks, Reiner just staring at the ground, his food forgotten. His mind is still reeling at the revelation, seeing flashes of his almost passed out self during training hours.
Was I never enough?
The other three, after finishing their rations, decide to go to sleep, Reiner still unmoving. Bertholt raises one arm, trying to pat his back, but backs out, afraid that his gesture would come out as condescending.
Am I good enough?
The sun rises, its rays shining on Reiner's face, waking the kid up from his sleep. He tried to sleep peacefully, but all he could think about was the day when the army gave him his Titan, the proud smile he had, just before eating the previous shifter, barely even remembering who that person was. He raced home, his mother weeping tears of joy, the promise of a better life lifting their spirit.
"Come on Reiner, we let you sleep a bit more. We have to move now" Bertholt says, kneeling down in front of the kid. Reiner sits up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and slowly stands up, rolling up his sleeping bag, attaching it to his backpack. Marcel makes his way towards him, one hand rubbing his neck, obviously still anxious about what happened.
"Reiner...I'm sorry that I tricked them...I...I didn't want to see my brother in danger"
Reiner shrugs his shoulder, not answering to Marcel. He grabs his backpack, but before he walks towards the other two, he stops -"I don't know what to feel right now. I'm not worthy to be here, evidently. But I want to be. I'm going to earn my spot"
He turns, facing Marcel, his expression hardened and serious -"I want to kill these devils"
The group starts to walk again, no-one willing to speak, occasionally asking confirmation of the direction, or asking of someone's general status. Bertholt looks around the environment around them, not seeing anything apart from the usual trees.
"I know that they're not supposed to be here, but still...lucky that we haven't met them yet" he comments, Annie merely nodding in response. They keep on walking, when Annie suddenly stops, her eyes darting from side to side. Bertholt stops as well, wondering what did the girl feel.
Reiner ignores the two, maintaining his gait, focusing only on the ground in front of him. Marcel follows him, giving up on any friendly relationship with Reiner. He turns back, seeing the other two having stopped, and then he feels strong vibrations through his feet. He turns around, the rhythm of the noise increasing fast.
"LOOK OUT!" Marcel screams, pointing behind Bertholt and Annie. A giant runs on all fours, quickly catching up with the group. Bertholt and Annie barely manage to get out of the way, rolling on the ground. The Titan immediately focuses on its next target, and continues its run towards it.
I need to get better...I need to-
Reiner's thoughts get interrupted by Marcel roughly shoving him away, breaking Reiner away from his inner mind, rolling on the ground and turning to see Marcel getting crushed by the gigantic jaws of the creature. Reiner's mind goes in overdrive, scrambling to his feet and running at full speed, regardless of the direction. He can hear other footsteps behind him, assuming them to be of his friends, and he keeps on running, all while screaming with fear.
After a while, Reiner slumps down next to a tree, exhausted by his run, not having the strength to even stand up. He looks in the sky, somehow still seeing Marcel in it, his head turned to stare at Reiner, the huge teeth ripping him to shreds. Annie and Bertholt catch up to him, the girl leaning on her knees -"Congratulations..." she pants, catching her breath -"First time you've outrun me...and you did it when we lost Jaws!" she screams at him.
Bertholt leans against the tree, taking deep breaths -" W-whu...what do we do now?" he asks shakily, turning around to see if the Titan it's still chasing them.
"We might as well go home...our mission is already failed. We can't do it without Jaws...what's more, it already turned into a person by now, and who knows where they are"
"No...no! We...we can still do this! M-Marley will be proud of-" Reiner is stopped by a glare from Annie, the girl kneeling by his side -"What do you think will happen there? We lost Jaws. We can't do it alone"
"Marley will cover us wit-" Annie kicks Reiner in the face, hard enough to make him bleed from his mouth -"SHUT UP! WHO CARES ABOUT MARLEY, OR ELDIANS, OR THE DAMN FOUNDER!"
Each word is emphasised by a kick, Reiner trying to protect himself in vain. Bertholt manages to detach Annie, both walking away, turning towards the sea -" It's going to take a while now - that person probably I'd already gone who knows where. If we start walking now, we might be-" Annie stops speaking, Reiner having gotten behind her, and put his arms around her neck, choking her. They wrestle to the ground, Reiner still mantaining his hold over her -" We can do it. You want Marcel? You got it. Reiner is dead now"
Reiner's eyes are empty, his expression betraying no emotions, Annie still struggling to escape, seeing his vision turning darker and darker, her need for air increasing tenfold every second.
"We're going to carry out our mission"
Reiner releases Annie, the girl crawling away, taking in as much air as she can, while Bertholt looks at his friend with worry, not recognising him in this new state of mind.
"Now we rest...Annie, you're the fastest here. You'll transform into your Titan, once you've regained your strength. We ride to the wall"
Reiner walks forward, his attitude leaving no place for questions, and he sits down, leaning against the tree, waiting for Annie to recover.
After a while, Annie stands up, and she fishes out a small knife from her pocket. She makes sure that there's enough distance between the other two and herself, and then she slices her hand. Lightning strikes the ground around her, steam quickly covering the place. Another giant appears, at full height around 14 meters, the body covered by muscles, and with a full set of blonde hair on the head. It kneels down, allowing Reiner and Bertholt to climb on the hands.
"Ok Annie. Go" Reiner orders, the Titan starting to walk, increasing the speed bit by bit, letting her passengers getting comfortable with each stride, before breaking into a full run.
After a few hours of run, Annie is still somehow keeping up. They encountered other Titans on their way, fortunately the speed of Annie being enough to keep them at a distance. Reiner looks ahead, being able to spot a rising structure, after a few seconds identifying it as another wall.
"Annie! We reached it! Switch now!"
Reiner jumps down, him too unsheathing a knife, and using it to cut himself. Annie exits her Titan, getting caught by Bertholt, as he watches lightning strike where Reiner is. Within the steam created, another Titan rises. The body covered entirely by thick plates of armor, everywhere except the joints of the legs and arms, allowing for movement without hindrance.
Reiner's Titan form quickly grabs Annie is his hands, Bertholt helping the girl to lie down in the palm. Reiner runs towards the wall, the sheer size of it making the kid feel a sense of intimidation.
They stop close to the wall, Reiner kneeling down, Bertholt stepping on the ground, taking a few steps towards it.
"It's...it's really big...hopefully I can bring it down..."
Reiner, still in his Titan form, takes a few steps away, watching as blinding light covers everything, and another Titan appears from the smoke. The body keeps on rising up, until the head reaches the top of the wall. Making Reiner feel small, a gigantic Titan towers over him, grabbing the edge of the wall with its giant hands.
Inside the walls, three kids stare at the sight, the view of a Titan surpassing the height of the wall bringing fear into their hearts. One of them takes a step forward, almost mesmerised by it, when he gets forcefully grabbed by a girl, who manages to drag him away -"Come on Eren! We have to go!"
The Colossus Titan lifts its leg, and swiftly brings it down, using its own weight to destroy part of the wall, kicking it with full force. Giant debris fly at tremendous speed, destroying buildings and houses like they were made out of cardboard.
Screams conquer the silence, from pain and fear. Reiner can hear it, and barely manages to contain a smirk -" That's what you get...this is what you deserve!"
The Colossus kneels, Bertholt exiting from the neck, causing the body to quickly evaporate, deteriorating bit by bit. Reiner extends an arm, allowing his friend to climb on, and brings both Bertholt and the still unconscious Annie to his neck, protecting them both.
He makes his way inside the city, seeing destruction all around himself. Smirking, he charges ahead, trampling over house and debris alike. From the corner of his eyes he can see a.couple of kids trying to lift a piece of beam, underneath it a woman, imagining her to be their mother.
They must be around my age...
He almost stops, shaking his head immediately after, and continuing running at full speed. He keeps on wrecking buildings, causing more and more chaos to grow.
It's our mission! It's what we're here to do!
With one final sprint, he rams into more stuff, destroying them on impact. He turns around, seeing the annihilation that they created, feeling proud of it.
Marcel...I'm going to transform your lie into truths...
Annie wakes up, looking around, seeing dozens of of other people, all huddled up in small groups, mostly made by kids. Reiner and Bertholt are kneeling next to her, the latter helping her sit up, bringing a cup of water to her face, which she greedily drinks.
"Where...where are we?" she asks, putting down the cup.
"Inside Wall Rose - we managed to get of on of their ferries with...with these people"
Bertholt turns towards Reiner, leaning in and whispering -"Are you sure no-one saw you?"
The blonde kid nods, looking at the ground -"Yeah. I made sure of it. Everyone was busy with their...their own problems. No-one noticed us"
"What are we going to do now?"
Reiner and Bertholt look at each other, Annie stretching her back, hearing a pleasant crack with the motion.
"We should stay low. Get out of crowds. Make as much research as we can" Reiner says, trying to maintain a low volume of voice -"Honestly...I don't know..." he says, his tone defeated.
"I'm sorry, you guys...we're in this mess because of me"
Time passes, the trio having found refuge in a village created in the outskirts of the city, made up by other people whose house or villages were destroyed. Reiner and Bertholt spent most of their time helping build the village, letting Annie scout the city, taking advantage of her small stature and ability to pass unnoticed by most people.
They spent that time by themselves, not wanting to introduce each other to the other kids they saw either helping around or simply playing, the trio feeling something akin to envy at the sight, always shaking off those feelings, replacing it with the mission, or the teachings of Marley.
All of them were expecting a different sight than the one they witnessed, seeing only people trying only to survive to the next day, either uncaring of other people's struggles or helping them through, creating a sense of community. Reiner kept waiting for the moment when the people would reveal their true nature, which for some reason never occurs.
"Reiner, have you noticed that, the people here...they aren't as evil as Marley kept on saying?" Bertholt asks one evening, after making sure they were alone. Reiner shrugs, finishing his bowl of soup, and setting it aside.
"It's because of their erased memory. They don't know who they are, or what they can do. For them, the world is this island here. There's no reason for them to venture out. No reason to bother anyone"
Bertholt studies Reiner's face, seeing that even to the other, the answer isn't as eye opening as they both want it to be, but he shakes his head, ultimately agreeing with him.
A few days later, the trio meets up, Reiner busy uprooting some tree stump, preparing the field for insemination. Bertholt is helping him, digging around the stump, trying to form a trench to help cut the roots.
"So...the Founder didn't show up..." Annie starts, walking around the duo, watching the sun setting on the horizon -"And from what I've heard, King Frotz might not be the true royal"
"How...god these roots...how did you find that out?" Bertholt asks her, getting back immediately to fight with the tree stump.
"The MPs aren't as silent as they should be...they were talking about protecting the real monarchy...I couldn't hear anything more, someone else called them in the building. Although that might just be some anti establishment talks...but the church members are chatty too"
Reiner stops working, furrowing his brow at that "-What's with them?" he asks, wiping sweat off his forehead.
"They said something similar...about how there is a illegitimate child or something...apparently the real king can't keep it in his pants..." Annie answers, grimacing at that thought.
"Whatever they mean, what we care for now is snuffing out the Founder" Reiner says, using the shovel as leverage to uproot the stump -"The vow is real apparently...they didn't show up at all"
"Couldn't we just...you know...march our way in the inner city? We do have the power for it" Annie asks, not seeing any easier way out of this.
Reiner stops working, sighing deeply -" That's true..we'd end this in a few days...but...if we attack the king itself, we might end up dead. We can't do that"
"And what are you suggesting? Wait it out? We don't even know where it is! We don't need to attack all together! Bertholt is more than enough for this!"
"I don't want to risk it - rushing head first into things brings more problems than solutions.Plus, if we directly attack them, we are an open target. We need to create chaos. Like last time"
Reiner turns towards the other two -" Let's say that there is another family, the true royals. If there's one group that knows about it, it's the MPs. If we manage to enter in their ranks, we are for sure going to learn a lot of information. We might even know who the true Founder is"
Annie looks at him, her expression betraying tiredness -" We've been here for 2 years...we learned next to nothing, and we only have 10 years left. You really want to spend that time playing pretend?"
Reiner digs deep with the shovel, finally managing to find the lowest part of the stump, pushing down on the tool, causing the tree to lift up slowly -" We've been here so long...we're going to push through...the survey corps are bringing in new team members every year. The new corp is going to be formed in a few days. We have to enter it"
The stump is almost out of the earth, the roots giving up resistance inch by inch. Bertholt and Annie just look at Reiner, not having any other ideas to propose.
"We're going to make it!" Reiner exclaims, the tree toppling out, leaving a big hole to fill, the blonde kid kneeling to catch his breath.
A few days later, Reiner, Bertholt and Annie are wearing the survey corps uniform, standing in formation, listening to their superior Shadis yell at them, asking each person their reason for being here.
Most of the responses are similar, ending up in the inner city under the MPs, getting as far away from the danger of Titans as possible. Another kid catches Reiner's attention, his green eyes glaring at the commander -"I want to kill all Titans, sir!". Reiner smirks at the sentence, wanting to tell the kid the implications of that reply. Another kid is next, her icy stare comparable to Annie's deadpan expression -"I want to protect my friends, sir"
Finally, Shadis walks in front of Reiner, the kid almost able to look at him in the eyes, due to his stature and build. He waits for him to yell out the same question -"Why are you here, soldier?"
Reiner doesn't skip a beat, replying immediately, holding his composure.
"I want to save humanity, sir"