The fires were spreading. A house two blocks down emitted a low, drawn-out groan as if it were a stage actor playing up the dramatics of a performance. The house collapsed in on itself, dark ash flying from the flames and swirling about the occupants standing on a nearby rooftop. Neither of the figures regarded the burning house; it was far from a novelty considering it was one among dozens of buildings in such a state. The only thing of note was that the ash smelled of flesh and made Bertholdt's eyes sting.

"They're going to plug the hole with that?" he said. Bertholdt turned away from regarding the Titan in the distance carrying a large boulder through the streets of Trost. His companion appeared levelheaded despite their mission being turned upside-down.

Creating a hole in Wall Rose was supposed to be easy. Letting Trost District get overrun, then using the chaos to slip away unnoticed and create another hole in the inner wall, was also supposed to be easy. But now … Eren Jaeger could transform into a Titan. He possessed the same power as they did, but was using it to help the forsaken people of Trost. It was an unimaginable turn of events.

"If Eren gets eaten before he can plug the hole …" Berthold said with a grimace. "... then we still won't know anything."

The setting sun was rallying the last of its strength as it was nearly hidden behind Wall Rose. Reiner squinted against the orange glow.

"If it comes down to him being in trouble …" Reiner said. "... I'll have to figure out something to do with my Titan."

"You'll help him?" Bertholdt asked, panic lacing his voice. "But if their plan works, it'll patch the hole in the wall we just made. All that work …"

"It doesn't matter," Reiner said, pushing aside Bertholdt's concern. "This is the sort of clue we've been searching for over the past five years."

We finally found something, Bertholdt thought. Does that mean … we're that much closer to going home?

Excitement bubbled up in Bertholdt's chest. The thought of not having to hide anymore … of being able to rest … of coming home a hero and having the courage to take the hand of the girl he liked and tell her how he felt … That dream had seemed so far away. To have it within reach was more than he could hope for. Everything was finally going to be fine.

"… you guys?"

Bertholdt's heart felt like it dropped to his stomach. He froze, noting in his peripheral Reiner had done the same.

"What …" the new voice said, their tone mixed with uncertainty. "What were you guys talking about?"

Bertholdt couldn't recall a time turning his head took so much effort. Even when his warrior training made the simple task of reaching for a glass of water feel like a chore, it was never this difficult. The challenge in this moment was all because he knew who it was standing behind him. The last thing he wanted was to confirm it.

'I've trained and fought beside him for the past three years!'

It was an odd thought to rise up, unsolicited, when Bertholdt locked eyes with Marco. He heard Jean's voice shaking with anger over his best friend being wronged.

'We've watched each other's backs and vowed we're going to make it to graduation together.'

The image that appeared in Bertholdt's mind was of one he'd seen less than three hours before: a short woman with blonde hair standing like she'd fall apart from nothing more than a breeze.

'Marco's life is worse off because you're in it.'

Bertholdt's eyes widened. He took in the stunned expression on Marco's face, and how his squad leader's mouth hung open.

He looks … like his sister.

It was clear Marco was expecting a different reaction from Reiner and Bertholdt aside from shocked silence. There should've been a hasty explanation clearing the whole thing up; maybe demented laughter if the pair had lost what little sanity they had left. Instead, there was nothing.

"Reiner," Marco said, studying their faces. "What did you mean by 'my Titan?' Bertholdt …"

No, Bertholdt thought. His hands began to tremble.

Stop.

"You said something …" Marco continued. "... about opening a hole? What do you guys mean by that?"

Bertholdt heard Reiner take a shaky breath to his right.

Reiner will think of something. He'll fix this. He's the one in charge, not me. I don't have to think. I just need to follow what he says.

"Marco," Reiner said, solemn. "All of that … was just a joke."

A beat of silence. A roof down the block collapsed when the fire consuming it became too much. The sound of snapping wood brought Marco back from wherever his thoughts had taken him. He let out a forced scoff.

"Have you guys really lost it?" he said. "This isn't … I've never seen you guys act this way. Pull it together and focus on the mission! We have Titans headed our way we need to take care of! Let's go!"

Marco was yanked from the roof in a trail of steam. Two sets of eyes stayed glued on his retreat. He looked back over his shoulder, a glimmer of a grimace on his face before Marco rounded a corner.

"Reiner," Bertholdt said. He failed at keeping the waiver from his voice. "Was that …? Do you think he believed it?"

"Of course not," Reiner said. His features hardened. "Marco's too smart for that. I'll take care of it."

Reiner leapt after Marco. It was practically second nature by this point for Bertholdt to be on his heels. He regarded Reiner's back as their ODM gear flung them around the same corner Marco had passed seconds before. Marco hadn't gone far; he'd come to a stop at the crest of a slanted rooftop, staring at his boots as if lost in thought.

He suspects us.

Reiner was right – Marco was smart. He would piece things together with little issue. The meticulous cover Reiner and Bertholdt had been weaving for all these years would unravel the second he set foot outside of Trost. That couldn't happen.

'Thanks, Bertholdt.'

Jean had thanked him before they parted ways less than two hours ago. It felt unjustified, since Bertholdt hadn't done anything of note during the confrontation with Celine Bodt. All he had done was help Jean to his feet. That was all, yet Jean had seemed grateful for him to simply be present.

… Why?

Reiner reached his target. The hiss of his gear gave him away, causing Marco to turn at the last second. It didn't matter; Reiner was on top of Marco, slamming him down on an overhang as a cry filled with surprise and pain rang through the air. The sound cut through Bertholdt like a knife.

Why?

Bertholdt stopped atop the slanted rooftop. Below him on the overhang, Marco began to struggle. He remained pinned, unable to throw off Reiner's weight.

Bertholdt crouched.

Why?

A chimney was in ruin at Bertholdt's side; blown apart by cannon fire or the swing of a wayward Titan arm. He picked up a brick.

Why?

"Reiner!" Marco cried out as his arms were held to his back. "Reiner, what are you doing?!"

A sickening crack rang through the air.

The grip Reiner had on Marco's arms loosened. His eyes widened at the sight of blood now oozing from Marco's scalp. The dark liquid trailed from Marco's hair and began to snake down his neck. Marco made a sound that was something between a grunt and a whimper.

"What …?"

Reiner slowly turned his head. The dumbstruck look on his face remained until his eyes tracked upward as he followed the arm Bertholdt had raised overhead. His grimace prompted Bertholdt to lower his hand and take a look for himself. He found the tips of his fingers had turned red from his tight grip around the bloodstained brick.

"Bertholdt," Reiner said, the name slow on his tongue. "What have you done?"

The sound of shattering glass accompanied Bertholdt tossing the brick through a nearby window. He got to one knee, putting his hands on Marco's shoulders.

"Marco!" Bertholdt said, a fervent nature to his voice. "Don't worry – Reiner knocked you out of the way in time! You only got hit by some of the debris when a Titan took a swing at us!"

Marco mumbled something unintelligible. His legs were still pinned, Reiner leaning back in bewilderment when Bertholdt pulled him free. Marco attempted to get into a crouch, wobbled, and spewed a trail of yellow bile down the front of his shirt. He was saved from toppling from the overhang when Bertholdt snatched him by the elbow.

"Bertholdt," Reiner said. The confusion shifted to a look of desperation as another hiss of steam heralded Annie landing nearby. Her eyes darted between her squad mates as she tried to piece together the odd scene which was quickly spiraling out of Reiner's control.

"Just … hold him still for a moment," Reiner said. He leaned forward, thick fingers fumbling over the clasps of Marco's harness as he attempted to remove the ODM gear. There was no fight from Marco – he'd touched the back of his head, and was now regarding the blood on his fingers as if he'd never seen the substance before.

"It can't look like what happened to him was done by anything other than a Titan," Reiner continued. "I'll get this loose, then we need to–"

"Don't."

The fingers unclasping Marco's ODM gear stilled. Reiner froze entirely as he was stared down. Bertholdt hoped the wide-eyed look on his face would be interpreted as determination instead of terror.

"What's going on?" Annie asked. She got to one knee to study Marco's face. His eyes were cloudy, and his head slowly rocked back and forth as if he were on the deck of a ship. "Did something happen to Marco's gear? How was he injured?"

"There was an accident," Bertholdt said, glancing away from Marco to lock eyes with Reiner. "We should … we should get him back."

There wasn't a moment of hesitation as Annie hoisted Marco's arm over her shoulders. The action was mirrored by Bertholdt, the pair bringing Marco to his feet. They steadied themselves when Marco swayed and threatened to pull them back down.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Reiner said. He stood, teeth bared. "Bertholdt … In all our time together, I've never seen you stray from the path of being a warrior. Are you telling me now you're abandoning us? Are you siding with the devils of this cursed place?!"

Annie's eyes darted back and forth between Reiner and Bertholdt. "What the hell are you two talking about?"

"Marco knows, Annie," Reiner said. He held Bertholdt's steadfast stare. "He heard us talking about our Titans just now. We can't take Marco back; there's too much of a risk he'll say something."

"He won't," Berthold said. He turned his head to regard Annie. Her blue eyes bore into him as panic overtook her features.

"He won't," Bertholdt repeated. "We can … we can use him."

Marco's the type to save someone if they don't deserve it … He's the type to trust someone if they don't deserve it.

The surface beneath their boots trembled. Annie looked over her shoulder.

"A Titan," she said, her voice soft enough to invoke a sense that her eyes might be deceiving her. "A Titan is coming this way."

"We should go," Bertholdt said. He looked ahead, waiting. The only noise to come from behind him for a moment was the sound of the Titan's approaching steps.

A dull clunk signaled Reiner had unsheathed his sword. Bertholdt had been afraid for Reiner on a number of occasions. This was the first time he was afraid of him.

What am I doing?

The approaching Titan at their backs took two more steps. Bertholdt held his breath as he waited for whatever was to come.

"Take Marco to the medical outpost," Reiner said.

Bertholdt finally dared to look over his shoulder. He was met with a stoned-face expression.

"This action," Reiner said. He strengthened his grip on the hilt of his sword. "Does it still make us warriors, Bertholdt?"

Reiner was looking for confirmation. His confirmation. Only minutes before, Bertholdt had resigned himself to not having to think – to going with the flow and following Reiner's lead on every decision. He wondered if the hint of desperation in Reiner's eyes reflected a look Bertholdt made all too often.

Bertholdt nodded. The action left Reiner looking him up and down before turning to face the Titan approaching down the block.

"I'll take out this Titan and be right behind you," Reiner said. "I'll keep you in my sights."

Bertholdt's mouth stretched into a thin line. A hiss indicated Annie activated her gear before she zipped away. This snapped Bertholdt's attention forward. He adjusted his grip around Marco's torso before pressing the trigger for his own gear and going after her. Marco's head bumped against his shoulder as he let out another low groan.

Why? Why did I …?

The question had no answer. Bertholdt looked away from Marco to regard the towering, untouched wall growing in the distance.

"There he is."

Bertholdt blinked. He found he'd been looking off into the distance – somewhere over the horizon of Wall Sina. When his eyes met Reiner's, he recoiled from the judgment being thrown in his direction. It was clear his perceived inattentiveness wasn't appreciated.

"Let's go," Reiner said. He moved from behind a column, peeling himself from the shadows where he and Bertholdt had stayed hidden.

Few passed through the Military Police Headquarters this time of night. The only people they'd seen for some time were a pair of guards trailing behind a woman Bertholdt recognized as Marco's sister, Celine. Although Celine and the guards had been across the courtyard, Bertholdt's panicked expression had been enough for Reiner to remain still as stone and not make so much as a peep. There'd been plenty of people they'd been able to fool into thinking they belonged in the building so late at night; a simple presentation of a book bag paired with an explanation of a delivery to Commander Erwin had done wonders.

That woman, Bertholdt had thought, a trail of sweat tracking down his face. He'd had a clear memory of a boot shoving Jean to the dirt while he was being stared down as if by a rabid animal.

She wouldn't just let us go without question.

That had been over half an hour ago. The quiet lull which followed allowed Bertholdt's mind to wander. His thoughts landed on Annie, as they'd done many times over the past few months. He'd always admired her; Annie being the one among their group with the strongest will, always keeping her eyes on their central goal and never wavering. It was unclear when this admiration began to shift into something more. Bertholdt had found his gaze fixating on Annie pushing her bangs out of her eyes, the striking nature of her profile, and the weak smile which had crept on her face during the time Mikasa told Commandant Sadies that Sasha had—

'Wow, am I relieved to see you two.'

Bertholdt's chest grew tight. He made an attempt to fight the crushing feeling by staring out into nothing. It didn't work.

"Marco."

Bertholdt scrambled to his feet as he watched Reiner step into the moonlight. Reiner was regarding Marco with a steady expression as the other boy froze mid-step.

"Reiner?" Marco said. His gaze shifted over Reiner's shoulder. "Bertholdt? Why are you here so late? Has something happened?"

"It has," Reiner said. He gestured for Marco to retreat with him back into the shadows.

This is it.

This was the point where Bertholdt's gamble would pay off. The point where Marco would prove how deep his loyalty for his comrades - his friends - ran.

There was a pause. Something unreadable flashed over Marco's face. A grim determination grew, and he stepped forward.

Bertholdt let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

The messenger bag around Bertholdt's shoulders was eyed in a curious fashion. "Are you bringing a delivery to the Commander?" Marco asked.

"No," Reiner said. He placed a hand on Marco's shoulder. "You know this place better than we do - I need you to take us somewhere private."

Marco nodded. They entered the building, the sound of their echoing footsteps putting Bertholdt on edge. Marco shortly opened a nondescript door in the middle of the hall. The room was pitch black – Marco taking a moment to locate an oil lamp and matches on a shelf near the door. What appeared to be a storage closet for cleaning supplies was illuminated by flickering light as Reiner pulled the door shut behind them.

"How …?" Marco said. He lifted his chin. "How did you know I'd be here this time of night?"

"We did some digging to find out when you were assigned to visit Annie," Reiner said. He sighed, taking a seat on an overturned bucket. "We figured going through the courtyard would be the way back to your quarters, so that's where we waited."

"Oh," Marco's stiff demeanor deflated. "You guys just wanted to check how Annie was doing?"

"Yes," Reiner said. A shadow fell over his face. "But that isn't all; Annie's in danger, Marco. If we do nothing about it, she's going to be killed tonight."

Marco took the bait. The color drained from his face as his jaw hung slack. "Reiner … what the hell are you talking about?"

"I know you've suspected there was something off about us all this time, Marco," Reiner said. He sounded tired. It was hard for Bertholdt to determine how much of that was an act.

"Am I right in thinking you know what Annie really is?" Reiner asked. He held Marco's gaze. A few seconds ticked by before Marco made a slow nod in acknowledgement.

"Bertholdt, Annie, and I weren't born within the walls," Reiner said. "We come from a place called Marley, a land far from here and across the ocean. We were ordered to infiltrate this city as spies and gather as much intelligence as we could. Annie being a Titan was a trump card to play in case we found ourselves cornered. And when we discovered Eren and Ymir also had that same power … we thought it was best to bring them home with us. As far as we knew, only Annie had the power to become a Titan."

"'Ocean?'" Marco said, frowning. "What is that? And you said Ymir is also ..? She's …"

Marco stared into the corner, seemingly categorizing his thoughts. The clarity behind his eyes returned as he locked eyes with Reiner. "You guys … and only Annie? Annie is the only one who can become a Titan?"

"Until we saw Eren and Ymir," Reiner said, his voice steady. "Yes."

Marco's eyes drifted to Bertholdt. He was regarded with a look of apprehension.

"That's … that's right," Bertholdt said. He swallowed down the lump forming in his throat. "It was only Annie. She came here to protect us."

Marco's lips drew into a thin line. "You're saying there are people from outside the walls … And you're … spies? But why does anyone need to spy on us? Especially from so far away?"

"There was a suspicion there might be others out there like Annie," Reiner said. "People who could transform into Titans at will. This place … this island … it could be seen as a bigger threat than you realize. Enough so that Bertholdt and I weren't the only spies sent here."

It appeared Marco lost whatever grasp he believed to be having on the situation. "There's others?"

"A few, yes," Reiner said. "And they believe the military is going to get Annie to divulge confidential secrets sooner than later. There's been word of an upcoming trial. The others are planning to murder her before she gets the chance to testify."

Marco stared at his boots. It took a moment for him to process the information.

"You two," he said, looking up. "If she's a liability, why are you trying to save her?"

"Because Annie is someone special to us," Reiner said. He put his hands on his knees as he hoisted himself to his feet. "And Bertholdt and I have decided to no longer fight for Marley. We're going to free Annie and join your side one hundred percent."

Marco looked up at Reiner in shock. "Really? You'd forsake your home to help us?"

"This is our home now, Marco."

The expression on Marco's face slowly shifted to a gentle smile. "I see … I'm glad to have you guys on our side."

The hand extended toward Reiner was accepted with gusto. Reiner's expression brightened. "So, you're going to help us?"

"Of course," Marco said. "I'll take you to the Commander's quarters, and from there we can work out a plan."

"No."

The mirth drained from Reiner's face. "The other spies are everywhere, including within the military. Involving anyone else in our plan to release Annie would only result in all three of us being killed."

"But–"

"Once we have Annie," Reiner said. "We can set ourselves up to tell the Commander everything we know. We all have to be safe before that can happen. Will you help your fellow soldiers stay safe, Marco?"

Marco's hand twitched. He schooled his features. "Of course. I'll take you guys to Annie. We're part of a team – I'll do everything I can to keep you guys safe."