Chapter 6: The Sky Falls
Mikasa Ackerman peaked her head outside the HQ's side entrance and sighed in relief when all she saw was Armin writing in his journal. He glanced up when he saw her approaching and gave her a little wave. "Hey, Mikasa, feeling better?"
"I don't know," Mikasa replied with a little huff most would not notice. But Armin had known her since they were children. He noticed the irritation in her tone.
He placed a bookmark in his journal and closed it, and wordlessly placed it to his side before turning to her. "You don't know?"
"He won't give me space to see if I am better or not," Mikasa pouted ever so slightly.
"Eren? But you got away from him now?" Armin asked.
"He thinks I'm bathing…" Mikasa sighed.
"In his defense, you did give us a big scare," Armin sat back and crossed his arms behind his head. "We're all he has left, right?" he then glanced at her, "And well… it's not like you can't get overbearing on him, too."
"Am I really that bad?" Mikasa glanced toward the HQ.
"Ehhh…" Armin flattened his hand and wiggled it between them. "He … might have complained to me from time to time…"
Armin held up his hands when Mikasa honestly looked hurt. "You two just really care about each other. You want to protect him. And up until the Female Titan coming at you… you've always been untouchable to all of us. The idea of you even being able to get hurt is a foreign thought to him. Honestly was to me, too..."
"Sorry…" Mikasa ducked her head.
"For what? Being human?" Armin chuckled, "Not all of us can change into giants."
"I worry about that…" Mikasa sighed, "I feel the State is depending on Eren too much. Commander Erwin, Captain Levi, everyone… they put it all on his shoulders."
"Well, Eren can grow some pretty big shoulders," Armin replied.
"There you are!" Mikasa's head snapped up to see Eren walking toward them.
"Speak of the devil, huh?" Armin shook his head, "Hey, Eren."
"Hey Armin," Eren greeted, "Did I run the bath warm enough, Mikasa?"
"It was fine, Eren," Mikasa flushed slightly.
"I have to run to town to pick up some supplies," Armin piped in, "You two want to come with me?"
"Have to clear it with Captain Levi," Eren replied, glancing to Mikasa, "And Hange to make sure you're up for the trip."
"Eren, I'm fine." Mikasa narrowed her eyes.
-G-
Mikasa and Eren carried baskets of food, trailing behind Armin as they walked through the street.
"I see why you asked us to come now…" Eren grunted as he held his basket, "Pack mules…"
"You could have said no," Armin pointed out.
Eren suddenly stopped walking as he looked around, sniffing the air. "Eren?" Mikasa asked, looking back.
"It… It can't be…" Eren's eyes widened as he recognized a scent.
"What's wrong?" Armin asked, as Eren dropped his basket and began looking around wildly, catching the attention of many in the market.
"He can't be here…" Eren growled, "He shouldn't still be alive. He can't be…"
A tall man with blond hair and beard stepped out from the side of a market booth in a full suit, in one hand he held what looked like a briefcase, and the other an apple. "Kong…" Eren growled.
"Long live the king," the man said, his grey eyes staring hard into Eren's, "But which one?" he turned and began walking through the crowded street. Eren immediately took off running after him.
"Eren!" Mikasa called out, as she and Armin ran after him.
Eren chased him into the underground tunnels but instead of cornering him, he only found the metal brief case open. "Eren! Why did you take off like that?" Armin asked, before looking at the object. "What is this thing?"
The three looked over it, Armin especially was interested. He'd never seen anything like it. Parts of it glowed and it had writing on it in a language he'd never seen.
"What is this language?" He asked.
"English…" Eren growled.
"What's it say?" Mikasa asked, just as curious as Armin.
"ORCA…" Eren replied. He then noticed the green lights turning red, "Mikasa! Armin! Get back!" Eren yelled before the machine began releasing a high-pitched noise, and he started holding his head.
"Eren?" Mikasa reached for him but he jerked away, still cradling his head in his hands.
"Run…" Eren growled out through clinched teeth.
"We're not running anywhere…" Mikasa said defiantly, but gasped when Eren turned toward her with completely white eyes.
"I said RUN!" He growled out, his teeth already sharpening. "I … can't… hold… it back…"
Armin grabbed Mikasa and ran back the way they came out of the tunnel. "Armin!" Mikasa snapped, looking back, "Eren! We…" She started but gasped when Godzilla began to rise, ripping through the stone streets.
"Eren?" Mikasa called the towering monster. Godzilla snarled and slowly turned toward them. Armin and Mikasa took a step back upon seeing instead of Eren's eyes on the monster's face, they saw a pair of evil, white eyes. Then to their horror his fins glowed brightly before he released a wave of atomic breath from his mouth, destroying nearby buildings and catching many on fire.
SKREEEEEEEEEEEEOOOOONK!
"This is not good…" Armin breathed as Godzilla began tearing through a row of buildings as people screamed and ran in terror.
"Eren…" Mikasa whispered in concern, before Armin grabbed her arm.
"we have to get some gear from the Survey base," Armin said to her questioning gaze. The confusion morphed into shocked horror. "We have to try to stop him, Mikasa. I know, but he's out of control." He said as they ran through the destroyed street.
-G-
Meanwhile in the center of the walls, in the state palace a heavy-set man stood next to the throne. The throne room was high up so that it could overlook the cities and towns. And seeing Godzilla's rampage he took a step back. "What… what should we do?" King Fritz breathed, horrified at the King of the Monsters.
"Put out the order," Lord Reiss breathed, as he rubbed his face to try to calm his nerves, "I want every military personnel there now. Kill it. Kill it now!"
"But… but according to Commander Erwin that's Eren Yeager, he might be our only chance at destroying the Titans and reclaiming our lost lands…" the King replied.
Reiss slapped him in the face, "I didn't hire you to question me, put in the order NOW! I WANT IT DEAD!"
-G-
Armin glanced at Mikasa worriedly as they snapped on their 3DM gear. She was visibly shaken by what happened to Eren. "We need to figure out who this 'Kong' is," Armin said, finishing his straps. "But first we need to find that thing that did this. It went off and caused him to go out of control. If I we can find it and stop it, Eren should come back to."
The two glanced up to see the rest of the G-Force arrive with a small army of soldiers in 3DM gear. "Captain Levi?" Armin asked their leader noticing the grim looks on all their faces, even Krista.
"Orders direct from the throne…" Levi said, glancing to the rampaging monster, "Godzilla has to die."
"W-What?" Armin gasped while Mikasa stared in horror. "But he's being controlled! I can stop it… I think."
"And what happens if it's used again?" Levi sighed, not happy about it either. "We don't have a choice, he's too much of a wild card."
Armin grabbed Mikasa before she could attack, "Do you actually think we can?"
"One way to find out," Levi said, drawing his blades. "All forces move out!"
"They'll never be able to stop him… let alone hold him off…" Armin said, watching the combined forces take to the air toward the chaos. "Mikasa, go try to keep Eren distracted. Try to keep him from hurting anyone."
"What about you?" Mikasa asked.
"I have to find someone, then find that device," Armin said, firing off his gear, to take him in the opposite direction, toward the inner wall. "I'll be back soon. I promise!" he said, launching himself into the air.
-G-
Annie Leonhart was busy trying to control traffic, sending them to safety. She never even saw Armin coming till he had tackled her into the air. They landed roughly on a rooftop a short distance away, and she shoved the Scout away. "Armin?!" She glared, "What the hell?"
"Annie!" Armin, said pulling himself up to face her. "I need your help."
"Did you have to flying tackle me for that?" Annie huffed.
"I need you to help me save Eren," Armin stated.
"Armin … You know he's got a death mark from the highest of high, right?" Annie frowned, reaching for his hand.
"I know, so we'll probably have to run as soon as I finish my plan," Armine replied. "That's where you come in. I need you to fight him back to where he was underground. That way we can all escape together."
"Have you lost it?" Annie asked, "the whole army is fighting him now, what do you expect me to do?"
"Turn into the Female Titan," Armin stated, staring into her eyes.
She jerked her hand away and stepped back. "What?"
"Annie… I know…" He glanced away a moment, "I don't know how, why, or what your goal is… though I know it has something to do with Mikasa…" He glanced up, "We can work out all that later. Right now Eren needs us."
She turned her back and walked to the edge of the roof. "You're not denying it…" Armin said softly.
"Armin… Am I good person to you?" Annie asked, looking at the billowing smoke.
"A good person, huh?" Armin crossed his arms, "I don't really like this way of putting it, because, you know… I feel like those words are simply what people use to call those who are convenient to them. And no one can be convenient to all. You may be useful to some people, but at the same time a bad person to others. That's why…" Armin turned his back to her, "If you don't help us now, to me you'll be a bad person."
Annie glanced back at him, before looking down at her feet.
-G-
Mikasa soared around Godzilla, as he fired his atomic breath, burning up more buildings as if they were made of thin paper.
"We're not getting anywhere!" Connie barked, "He's not a Titan! We haven't been trained for this!"
Godzilla growled as he started to turn but grunted loudly when the Female Titan punched him square in the face.
Godzilla shook his head, and his eyes seemed to flash normally before returning to white. He turned and bared his teeth as he faced off with the Female Titan.
"Is that the Female Titan? And is she helping us?" Jean asked as he and Reiner soared between two buildings and she took a fighting stance before the King of Monsters.
"What is she doing?" Reiner growled, glaring at the Titan.
She ducked a tail swipe from Godzilla and glanced to see Armin flying toward past Godzilla toward the wreckage he rose from. He landed and glanced back to her and she shot him a glance that screamed hurry and be careful. She gasped when Godzilla rammed into her slamming her through a church.
Armin hesitated just long enough to see Annie get back up, before climbing down in the hole where Godzilla rose from. He had to find that thing that started all this. If he could destroy it maybe Eren would regain control. It was the only chance they had… at least the one he was most willing to deal with. But even with Annie's help he didn't think they had enough to kill him.
"Where is it… Where is it…" He said, trying to ignore Annie and Godzilla's roars and the sound of battle.
Armin stopped when he heard something high pitched, and then he spotted a faint light under some rubble. "THERE!" He said, jumping down and begging to dig. He smiled when he saw the device still working, the little screens flashing red. He grabbed it and climbed back to the surface. He threw it down then grabbed the biggest piece of rubble he could find. He began pounding it with the rock, but barely made a dint on the outer metallic shell. It wasn't working. "What to do… what to do…" He glanced up just in time to see the Female Titan barely dodge a blast from Godzilla's atomic breath. "That's it…"
The Female Titan was dazed as Godzilla grabbed her and threw her into another building. He turned to her barring his massive fangs. He grunted when Armin shot right past him, slashing the side of his head with a blade.
"Eren!" Armin snapped angrily. "You think this makes you scary! No one has ever been afraid of you! You're pathetic! It's always been Mikasa behind you that made people run. Never you, you piece of crap!"
Everyone looked at him liked he had lost his mind. "Armin?" Mikasa asked landing on a nearby rooftop.
"COME ON! SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT!" Armin screamed, standing before the device. "COME ON!" He screamed and Godzilla turned toward the Scout, his fins beginning to glow. The Female Titan tried to get up to help and protect him but Godzilla responded with slamming her again with his tail, holding her down with it.
"Wait for it…" Armin whispered to himself as he stared down at his best friend. "Wait for it…"
Godzilla opened his mouth, now glowing blue. "NOW!" Godzilla released his blast atomizing the device and the roof it was on.
"ARMIN!" Mikasa screamed, at the same time the Female Titan began clawing at Godzilla's tail, trying to get to him, to stop his attack.
Godzilla blinked his green eyes rapidly, ending his blast, and beginning to sway as he began to shrink, regaining his Eren form.
"EREN!" Mikasa called as Eren fell face first on the ground. She quickly swept to his side as Armin landed beside her. "Armin?"
"I dodged," Armin smiled, "Is he ok?" He asked, as she rolled him over in his lap.
"Yes, he's just unconscious…" Mikasa said, but reacted instantly, deflecting Sasha's blade that was aimed for his throat.
She brandished both blades and stood over Eren, glancing around the mixed group of angry and sad faces surrounding them.
"We have our orders, Ackerman," Levi said, "If he can't control himself, we have to remove him."
"Go through me first…" She narrowed her eyes, and tightened her grip on her blades, glaring at each.
Armin pulled his own blades and joined her protectively over Eren. "Me too…"
Before anyone could make another move the Female Titan scooped all three up in her hands and made a dash for the wall. She held them protectively to her chest with one hand while she hardened her fingers and toes as she closed into the outer wall.
"Stop her!" Levi called but they were already crossing the wall.
-G-
Eren slowly began to wake up feeling the soothing feelings of soft fingers stroking his face. "Hey Mikasa…" He said weakly without opening his eyes.
"Eren?" Mikasa asked, stopping her toying of his skin but not removing her hand as he opened his eyes.
"What happened?" Eren groaned, "Where are we?" He slowly sat up with her help. He glanced around and found them in a small wooden cabin-like hut with three makeshift cots.
"We're in … a safehouse, not far from Wall Maria," Mikasa explained as she sat next to him. "That machine the one you called Kong used … it made you turn into Godzilla and go berserk."
"Armin got Annie to fight you while he found it and used your attack to destroy it. After that you turned back and passed out. We had to run since the King put an order out for your head…"
"Annie?" Eren blinked.
"She's the Female Titan… Armin convinced her to help us. She got us away from the others before we had to fight…" Mikasa glanced to the door where muffled voices could be heard arguing outside, "I think those details are what they're… working out now."
"I'm not from this island… We came to find a way to stop … a creature similar to Eren's Godzilla." Annie explained heatedly.
"There's other people outside… wait… How you knew how to fight Godzilla in the forest and then when I got you to face him…" Armin began putting some things together. "Did you sleep with me to get into Hange's notes!?"
"No!" Annie replied, "At … at least not after that first time." She flushed hotly from frustration as she glanced away for a moment. "I… I came back after, you know?"
"Oh, that helps!" Armin threw up his hands, "Why did you go after Mikasa anyway? Why do you want her?"
"I'm… not at liberty to say…" Annie hugged herself.
"Who else are you working with? Are you working with the one who did this?" Armin pressed.
"I can't say," Annie replied again, growing softer.
"Why? Who are you trying to protect?" Armin growled.
"You." Annie replied, meeting his eyes in a mutual glare.
"Would you two just kiss and make up," Eren said as he came out, leaning on Mikasa's shoulder. "This fussing is making my headache worse."
"Eren!" Armin said, turning from the blond to see his best friends. "Are you ok?"
"Head feels like it could explode, but we're fine. Gojira's pissed at being used. I'm not much better than him at the moment…" He said, glancing to Annie, "Is there anything you are at liberty to say?"
"The one you called Kong… his human host is called Zeke. He is a mix of Kaiju and Titan. I don't understand how it works…" Annie said after a moment. "I … I'm not important enough to know those details… But Zeke is the son of the Warchief of the Warriors. We came with specific objectives to save mankind. That… whatever it was that made you go berserk. It didn't come with us from outside. It was… it had to come from the island. If we had something like that… He… we wouldn't have had to come."
"Who are we, beside you and Zeke?" Armin asked.
"I told you, I can't tell you. They'll… they'll kill you Armin. We… already have people who have found out…" Annie said, avoiding his gaze.
"So what are we going to do?" Mikasa asked.
"We have to find where the ORCA came from… the machine that did this. We can't go back until we can be sure I can't be used against our friends." He glanced to Annie, "You come with us?"
"You want me to come with you? Even though…" Annie asked, her eyes widening.
"We don't know who your friends are, but they know you helped us. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that may have put you in danger as well…" Eren stated and glanced at Armin. "And Armin will worry if we let you go back by yourself. Traveling with a normal Armin is bad enough, do you think I want to travel with a worried Armin?"
Annie smiled softly and nodded. "Ok, are we good?" Eren glanced around the group. "I'm going to go back in and take a nap before we move on. Try to sleep off this headache. You all might want to get some rest too." Eren said, turning and he and Mikasa went back into the hut.
"I'll take watch," Armin stated, and Annie nodded and started to follow the others. "Annie… wait…"
Annie stopped and glanced to Armin's back. "Annie… so much that I know now is fake… You heard me talk about wanting to know about the ocean… the outside world… and you knew and kept silent… just listening… were you just listening to find ways go against us?"
"No, Armin, I promise…" Annie started, but he held up a hand. "One last question and I'll let you rest…" he said, sitting down on a large rock by the hidden hut. "Were we… what we had… was it real?"
"It is to me…" Annie whispered.
"It is to me too," Armin sighed, "It's going to take some work…"
"Everything is…" Annie nodded, going inside the hut, and silently taking a cot.
-G-
High Above the walls a transparent vehicle hovered high in the clouds. "Super X to Hizuru, preparing to place Super X in auto suspension and infiltrate. Permission to begin operation."
"Hizuru to Super X," the voice on the radio responded to the female pilot. "permission Begin operations granted. Good luck."
The woman put the computer in control of the vehicle and left the pilot seat. She moved to the hatch and quickly put on a parachute before opening and diving out into the night.
She landed safely in a battle torn part of the settlement. It was her ideal target. Less people around for her to get accumulated to the surroundings. She removed the parachute, leaving her form fitting black body suit that left little the imagination. She then quickly removed her mask and let her mid shoulder length dark hair fall lose.
She glanced around the destruction and squatted down and touched the edge of a massive footprint. "Gojira…"
"DON'T MOVE!" she froze and slowly lifted her palms. Jean Kirstein held his blade toward her. "On your feet. Slowly."
"Turn toward me… slow. No sudden movements…" Jean ordered, and she followed his instruction. His eyes widened when he saw her face.
"Mikasa?" Jean asked, "Why did you come back? What are you wearing? Where are Eren and Armin? Where's the Female Titan?"
'Mikasa' gave a little smile, "I'd like to know that myself…"
To Be Continued…