Yep, i miss Ymir's bad attitude too; but that will be fixed in a few chapters :D..
Chapter 17: Confrontation.
The small group staying in the castle was in a bleak mood; hours had passed since the first sighting of titans and their frustrated search for the breach in the wall only to find it was intact, leaving more questions than answers. Mike stood by the door while Gergel and Nanaba sat next to the small fire, exchanging anxious looks but saying nothing to avoid upsetting the rookies which were huddled against a wall.
_Attention! -Mike said suddenly startling them all and sniffing the air- Titans approach from the forest!
Everyone jumped to their feet, the soldiers hurrying to take positions on the nearby buildings while the recruits were sent upstairs, instructed to prepare a barricade while the squad dealt with the creatures; as soon as they finished piling whatever could be used to hold outsiders back they rushed to the top of the tower to find the legionairs waiting on the roofs, ready to act at the slightest sign of danger.
Then they heard it: a repetitive rumbling noise coming from beyond the trees, the stomping of gigantic feet, and some unnerving, disturbing cackle mixed with pained moans and hollow cries that made the teenagers feel a chill running down their spines; Krista got closer to Ymir who put an arm around her shoulders without taking her eyes off of the dark tree-tops, while Reiner and Bertholdt shared a nervous glance towards Connie that Springer didn't notice, too busy fighting the impulse to shout at the titans to go fuck themselves. The noises got louder, nearer and suddenly the cackling stopped at once while the rest of the noises continued; they were closing to the forest's edge when a thundering crash was heard, like something big falling on the ground. Then again, a loud crash and the noises moving from closer to the castle to away from it, as if running erratically after something; not long after it began, the sounds began to fade, until a single running pair of feet could be heard before a final falling reached the castle residents.
And then, the silence.
_What... what was all that? -Nanaba asked with apprehension- What happened in there? And how could titans be active now it's dark?
No one answered: Gergel gulped from time to time and along with Henning threw worried glances around while Lynne and Mike checked the forest to spot any movement.
_There! -the woman said, pointing at a figure moving in the shadows.
The five soldiers prepared to fight, but it turned out to be only a horse coming out of the forest with two people on its back: the man riding turned to look at his companion, who wore a dark red cloak covering her features.
_Looks like we found them. -Nikolai said to Pieck before turning and shouting at the people- All clear! No more titans nearby!
He moved forward, scanning the place quickly as the soldiers approached and seeing the recruits standing on top of the structure; the soldier nodded slightly at this and stopped.
_N-Nikolai? -Gergel said half relieved, half confused- How did you get here?
_Were you injured back at HQ? -Lynne asked- Who's she?
_I'm fine. This is Pieck, i found her on my way here; she has a bit of trouble walking so i'll help her get inside but before that... Mike? -he said glancing at the squad leader, who nodded in response.
_It's here, unharmed. What's the situation?
_I have taken care of any titans i found, including the ones in the forest but i can't be sure it's all of them; i'm also afraid we'll have to change the plans.
He leaned forward and whispered something in Zacharius's ear; the man's eyes widened in surprise, then looked back at Nikolai and nodded his approval.
_Fine. I hope you know what you're doing... follow me. The rest of you -he said at the soldiers- stay here in case another wandering titan comes, except Gergel; i'll give you a message you must give to either Hange or Levi.
_Not the Commander?
_They will report to him. -Mike answered as he wrote quickly on a paper- No one else must see this message; now go.
Without questioning the squad took moved, scanning the vicinity for possible hostiles while Gergel went for his horse and Niko rode behind Mike until they reached the castle; once there he dismounted and carefully helped the young shifter to get down and carried her on his arms, face still obscured by the cloak. Inside the building, the blonde scout took Nikolai's package and went up the stairs to meet the young recruits.
_Connie, Krista, Ymir -he said in a commanding tone- i need you to go down and wait there. You two -he ordered Reiner and Bertholdt- stay here until i tell you otherwise.
WIth that, he left Niko's possession on the floor and led the three teenagers downstairs, where they briefly saw the white haired soldier as he carried Pieck; he ignored their questions, a harsh look on his eyes. He arrived to to the top and found the other two standing with their backs on him and, for a split second, his mind considered the idea of getting rid of both shifters before smiling in resignation and shaking his head; he moved silently and carefully left the brunette on the floor before calling the warriors with a soft whistle.
Any other time, Nikolai would have bursted into laughter when Braun and Hoover turned around and saw Pieck removing her cloak, their eyes going so wide the white haired man actually thought they'd pop out of their sockets; however, he had other things that were far too important to leave place to any amusement, and contented with a faint smirk.
_I can see you guys are quite surprised -he said eyeing the girl- and i can't blame you; but i have to tell you that seeing Pieck will be the least of your surprises this day.
_P-Pieck? -Reiner mumbled, still in shock- How... why are you here?
_Di-did you come to see us? -Betholdt managed to blurt out, and glanced at the blonde- Y-you should have sent a letter, and we'd have... have...
_Boys. -Pieck's voice was soft, but still sounded like a command as she eyed Niko- Don't try to deceive him. He knows.
Both of her friends shared a look of fear before staring at the soldier, who matched their gaze; then Nikolai nodded with a sad smile and sat beside the young woman. Reiner then watched his comrade recently arrived, and spoke slowly and with a slightly trembling voice.
_Do you mean he knows i... we are...?
_And what you've done. -Niko answered cutting him- Since the incident within wall Sina... Annie told me the general aspects.
_Annie!? -Bertholdt exclaimed, fixing his eyes on him- Where's she!? What have you done with her!?
_She's in a safe, secluded place -Nikolai said dismissively with a lazy hand wave- although she's quite isolated, which makes it basically impossible to communicate... for now. I won't tell you anything else until the situation has calmed, but in this moment you don't need to worry about her. Take a sit -he said motioning for them to do so in front of him on the floor- and we will discuss more urgent matters.
The shifter duo hesitated only a moment before sitting on the ground in front of Niko and Pieck, who seemed strangely relaxed to the point of leaning on him for support; the male asked her if she'd be alright or needed a softer surface, to which she shook her head and thanked him. Hoover and Braun shared a nervous look.
_What did she tell you? -Reiner asked cautiously- And why are you telling us?
Nikolai didn't answer immediately, instead looking at the sky first then at Pieck and finally turning his gaze towards the other two.
_Her situation and identity as a shifter was... compromised; i confronted her and offered my help...
_What? -Braun cut him, surprised- Why and how would you help her?
_I'll explain that soon, as i did already with Pieck -he asnwered calmly, nodding at the girl- what my reasons are, and more importantly what i aim at; because before our paths separated, Annie asked me to help you. All of you.
At this, both boys looked at each other in slight confusion before Reiner gave Nikolai a hopeful look.
_Help us? -he said in a lower voice, despite being completely alone- Will you then aid us in recovering... you know what?
The grey eyed man sighed and shook his head, eyes closed; when he looked at them again, his eyes had a hard look they had seen before: it was the look of a veteran soldier, used to fighting and bleeding, before heading into the battlefield.
_No. I said i'd help you, not the ones who sent you; i won't aid Marley, actually is quite the opposite because i will use my strength and resources in the eldians's favor, both here and in the continent.
Hoover and his friend gave him a shocked look, unable to answer until the blonde finally managed to control his mouth.
_Wha... no, you can't! -he said suddenly- You can't help these, these...!
_Devils? -he interrupted the blonde- That's how you call them, according to Pieck; the monsters beyond the sea that threaten to destroy everything, the selfish, scheming and rotting traitors who fled and left those who were willing to... purge their sins behind. Did i miss anything?
_We talked for a good while during our first meeting. -Pieck added softly- He wanted to know how the eldians lived, how our people was treated by the world and specially by the marleyans.
_And she said exactly what i expected Reiner. -Niko said with bitterness- The way you are looked down by every non eldian you meet, how your race is condemned by the world and used as a mere scapegoat to vent their frustrations for your ancestors's alleged crimes... and how every eldian bows and licks marleyan boots with a stupid smile on their faces.
_We... -Bertholdt's voice trembled and he gulped- We eldians have many sins to pay for; much blood was spilled because of us... of our past deeds.
_Bullshit. -Nikolai spat- Nothing justifies what you've suffered and you know it. Do you kill a man's son if he hurts a member of your family? Do you take an old woman's things because one of her children stole from you? Do you hold a grudge against every generation of a family because one of them wronged you?
_It's not the same! -Reiner said, leaning forward with harsh eyes- Our past crimes are...!
_Are gone! You are not your ancestors! Their burden's not yours to bear! These people are ot guilty of whatever shit they told you and you fucking know it!
A stunned silence followed Nikolai's outburst; the man had spoken with a fury not shown ever before, which confused the duo. Pieck simply straightened her body and gave her friends a sad, tired look.
_That you have things to redeem for i can't deny -Niko said- but not towards Marley; it's here where you made a major fuck up boys... and i'm not counting what you did to the neighbouring countries before you arrived.
_I told him how we put our powers to test. -Pieck said- What we all did.
Reiner looked between both of them, clearly conflicted as how to proceed; Bertholdt instead stayed still, looking down.
_I don't understand this... why do you want to help the eldians in the continent? They are not your people!
_Neither are the ones within the walls; i am not eldian at all, guys.
Both male shifters stared at Nikolai with uncertainty, no really trusting their own ears.
_What?
The soldier chuckled at their confusion, then let out a short sigh and looked at them in the eye.
_It's best if i show you; Pieck knows some of the details, but this will have new things for her. Bertholdt? -he asked and the shifter stood straight in attention- Bring the package Mike left over there.
Hoover nodded softly and obeyed, bringing the square bag while studying the material it was made of with childish curiosity.
_What is this? -he asked when he gave it to Nikolai- I've never seen anything like...
_A mix of different polymers derivated from eight types of minerals: resilient to temperatures to a great degree, durable and keeps your stuff dry and safe even when buried for years; it's commonly known as "Teslik".
_Where is this thing from? -Reiner said, feeling it- If it's so useful why isn't it popular?
_Oh it is, trust me; only that not in this uh, neighbourhood. -he unzipped the bag and took his device out- And you're not gonna believe what this is for.
He positioned it so the other three would get a clear view and said the activation word, making it spring to life and startling both males; Pieck on the other hand stared at it with keen interest as the screen lit up. Nikolai touched a few keys and then the screen, which split into four smaller squares showing different images.
_N-N-Nikolai... what the hell is this? -Braun said with a faint voice- How is this... is that moving?!
_Incredible. -Pieck said with admiration- It is as you described it; so does this thing... have knowledge about other worlds?
_Other worlds? -Berholdt echoed astonished- What do you mean? Where is this from? And you?
The white haired male didn't answer, instead turning his eyes up to look at the sky; the clouds had left long ago and the stars shone above them in the darkness.
_Have you ever watched them at night, wondering if there's something out there? Other planets where other people live and sometimes ask themselves the same question?
Niko looked down and remained silent for a few moments, then touched one of the squares: it grew and covered the whole screen, showing a bright figure shaped like a circle with several "arms" extending from the center; it moved slowly in a circle and just looking at it gave a strange feeling of relaxation.
_This is galaxy Konig IV in human speech, but each species has given it a different name; this -he said pointing at it- is where i come from.
_Wait a minute. -Reiner said lifting both hands- You come from somewhere in this... galaxy?
_Which, i must add, is not the same one where this planet -he said circling around with ihs arm- is located in.
_What?!
_You say you are from another... another planet? But that's impossible! You're human, not a... whatever lives out there. -Hoover said skeptically.
_Actually... no.
The other two gaped at him and he took advantage of their silence to take out a small blade from his pocket; before anyone could question him he opened a wound on his palm and showed the bleeding cut to them. Soon it stopped leaking and closed as they watched; Pieck gave a quick amused look at her friends while they stared at Niko's hand.
_But... how? -Bert asked eyeing him and his now intact skin.
_Tissue regenaration, a gift from one of the species my DNA is composed of. I am mostly human, but the difference between "mostly" and "completely" is huge, genetically speaking.
_Mostly...? Aw shit, i don't get it. -Braun said, covering his eyes- What does this have to do with us?
Nikolai sighed as he glanced at the screen, where Konig IV spun slowly and turned his eyes to Reiner with a bitter smile.
_More than you could possibly imagine, Reiner. I wasn't born -Niko answered and the shifters frowned as one- I was made.
Before they could ask anything he pressed more buttons on his machine, which closed the view on Konig IV and instead showed something different: a view from above of some kind of arena, all made in some kind of white metal; in there they saw two figures standing one beside the other and then the view moved, floating towards them like a ghost.
The first one seemed to be a man of middle age with short black hair, a thin and long nose and a severe expression on his face; there was some kind of device that looked like a square monocle covering his right eye, but instead of hanging from a chain it was built as part of a set placed on his temple. He looked at a rectangular shaped silver thing in his hand and nodded at the screen, making the three shifters exhange a look.
_Did that man...? -Reiner said nervously.
_This was recorded and put in the computer's... this machine's memory; it's something that happened years ago. Keep watching.
They obeyed and saw the man leaving the place: when he approached the wall a part of it suddenly moved up and left an opening, closing behind him with a soft wheeze, and the screen focused on the second person; by his height, they realized it was a child with white hair, and when he turned to watch at them they saw his empty, grey eyes. Bertholdt pried his eyes from it to look at the soldier.
_Nikolai... is this you? -he said and the other nodded- When did this...?
_Just look. I'll answer later.
Gulping, Hoover did so in time to see another door open and a giant of a man entered the room, but he didn't look like the last one, who was tidy and clean looking; this one gave an aura of danger in every move and aspect, from his sunken and blood shot eyes to his burly arms, on which some white scars showed up. His hair was an unkempt brown mane with dreadlocks while his face was constantly showing an expression mixture of distrust and despise when he stopped a few meters from the young Nikolai, the boy barely reaching the height of his belt; then a voice came from the device, making the trio jump on their butts.
_Mr. Zkovn, you were selected for our project in the creation of a unit of specialized mercenaries. The report marks you as a superb hand to hand fighter, as well as someone willing to fullfill any kind of task.
_Yeah, that would be it. -he growled, looking around- Let me guess: you want me to kill the boy to prove i'm the man you need?
_...That would be so, yes. Please proceed.
Zkovn snorted and turned to look at the boy, only to frown at his lack of reaction at the news; he guessed either fear had paralyzed him or he wasn't really aware of what was happening. He didn't care as long as he was paid and took a long knife from its sheath.
_Come on kiddo, don't make me sweat. I promise it'll be quick. -he said, beckoning him with a finger.
Niko didn't move, apparently rooted on his place, and the man lost his patience and strode towards him; he slashed at his throat but cut only air, the albino stepping back in the last second. Growling at his lucky escape he pushed forward, dishing out stabs and cuts the kid dodged when they seemed to land and Zkovn roared in frustration; suddenly the voice spoke once more.
_Attack.
_That's what i'm doing you...!
His phrase was cut short when Niko's knee impacted on his face, spraying blood in the air; his hand almost dropping the weapon as the boy landed in front of him. The man cried in surprise, pain and anger, taking several steps back to put some distance but the smaller fighter covered it in a single leap forward; the brute made a screeching noise when he attempted a desperate slash at the boy's face only for him to duck under the attack and throw three punches on his ribs that got the air out of his lungs. Those weren't a kids blows, even adults had to work to get that kind of strength and Zkovn's face showed fear when he retreated against the wall closely followed by Nikolai.
_Wait, wait! -he said, staring in disbelief- This isn't what i...!
Nikolai dashed forward and grabbed the man's forearm as he tried a stab and twisted it with unsuspected strength, forcing him to bend down, then his little foot went upwards and hit the mercenary's throat; Zkovn made a strangled noise and dropped the knife, which barely left his hand when Niko's fingers took it mid-air and unceremoniously buried the blade on his owner's nape. The other dropped down with a low sigh, then twitched and nothing else.
_Experiment successful. Readings stable, reflexes and coordination in excellent condition. Subect 88, leave for your quarters until further tests are assigned.
Nikolai turned and left, not giving a glance at the corpse and the screen stayed a few more seconds on the dead man, then turned black and the real Nikolai coughed on his fist, taking the others out of their trance; they looked at him in silence until Pieck dared to speak.
_Nikolai... how old were you then?
At this, the man frowned slightly and then sighed through his teeth.
_Well, since the moment i was, um, "born"... when that happened i was more or less seven.
_Seven years old and already killing? -she said in shock, covering her mouth. Nikolai snorted despite himself.
_Sorry about that... but no Pieck. -he said- Seven months old.
End of Chapter.