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By the time they reached the lake near camp, the two Titan Shifters were soaked to the bone. Whereas more sensible minds were indoors, huddling under blankets and near roaring fires, they braved the elements for a greater purpose. This was their finest chance to properly train in their ultimate form. They stood near the lake's edge, several meters from the shore, and raised their right hands.

The air crackled with intent.

A thumb split open on a ring's hooked blade.

Sharp teeth bit through the soft flesh between thumb and finger.

Dual booming bolts flashed, cutting through the rainy night, and struck them. Steaming flesh and hardening bone formed, excessively hot in the chill spring storm. Their human shapes were meshed into larger frames, growing taller and taller. Skin and cartilage came into being, wrapping around massive forms, as towering as trees.

Seconds after the bolts struck, two Titans stood where there were once humans. One was fifteen meters tall, lipless with a jagged jaw and coarse black hair. Rain ran smoothly over olive skin that restrained bulked, tenacious muscle. Green eyes glowed with repressed fury, the natural state of mind for the Shifter within.

The other was a meter shorter, with shoulder length blonde hair and startling blue eyes. The shorter Titan's form was distinctly feminine with a generous bust and wider hips. Along with her limbs and torso, red sinewy muscle was exposed, covered in a few places by bands of supportive flesh. She flexed her hands, fingers of pure bone possessing the flexibility of normal digits.

She raised loosely clenched fists into a high guard as her left foot slid forward. The other Titan rumbled, raising his arms into a similar guard while maintaining a boxier stance.

They stood there, upon the shore, waiting for their foe to make their first move. There was a moment of brief hesitation, both minds wondering who would move first, and then he lunged forward, drawing his right fist back in an openly telegraphed move. She frowned. Her back foot shifted slightly along the muddy ground. Her balance didn't waver, even with the slosh of cold, wet gunk over her foot and the silty mud that pushed up between her toes.

She forced away the wet, cold sensations as her gaze focused upon her opponent. She squatted slightly, just in time as the telegraphed punch crossed the final distance. It came down strangely, as if meant for someone taller. She hesitated, years of instinct and reflex suddenly failing her. Perhaps it was the massive forms, or maybe his odd attack. Regardless, he gained the momentum he needed to transform his punch into a grapple.

The fist went behind her head, shifting over a shoulder while his other arm lunged up from beside his chest. She allowed him to begin enclosing his grapple around her head and shoulder. Just before his hands could come together, she spun and slammed her hips into his. Her arms swiveled, grasping points along his arms and collar to gain sudden control of the fight.

Seconds later, her Titan foe crashed into the lake, disturbing it with a great splash. A massive plunge of white water bloomed up from where he struck the surface. Waves spread out, powerful enough to lap over her feet and push several meters past the lake's normal shoreline.

She chuckled softly as he rose from the water, the surface just touching the top of his thighs. She had thought the lake was deeper. Instead, it was rather shallow, even when approaching the center.

"Already finished?" she asked, unnatural voice rumbling. "Or do I need to rip you out?"

He gestured for her to approach, palm up and fingers flexing. She tilted her head as if considering the request before responding by placing her fists upon her hips, glowering at him. A gurgling sound emerged from his toothy mouth, the limitations of his Titan form to speak. He trudged through the water to shore, methodical with every step to ensure he reached the muddy shore without opening himself up to attack or slipping and crashing back under the lake's surface.

"Hurry," she demanded, moving away from the shoreline. Despite the fact she showed her back, he didn't rush. That would make too much sound, and risk an easy counter once he was back to shore. He kept pace. She imagined the slight signs of frustration working their way out of her amused him—stiff shoulders, tapping foot, fists on hips.

Had he lips, he would've smirked at her reactions to his actions.

The moment he reached the shore, the Female Titan turned, prepared for the Attack Titan to strike. Instead of attacking, he made three quick gestures with his large, yet awkward hands—fists against each other, hands pretending to clap, then two fingers.

Two approaching on foot.

They laid down, steam hissing up from their napes. Annie Leonhardt disconnected from her Titan form with practiced ease, the muscular lines that bound her to the looming form snapping off. By the time she had pulled out and reached the nape of her sparring partner, Eren Jaeger was crawling out of the muscular hovel he sat in upon shifting, streaks of pink spreading out from his eyes.

"Hurry, Eren!" Annie hissed.

"No need to repeat yourself," he grumbled, getting mud onto his white military pants. "Any guess who it might be?"

"I was hoping you'd know. You heard them first."

"Well—"

Annie turned away to scan the woods beyond the lake. "We need to hide."

Eren followed her gaze. Despite failing to see whatever she had noticed, he nodded. They scurried to the forest line, several meters from the path to the lake's shore, and slumped down into the thick, wet bushes. Their Titan forms evaporated into steam, leaving behind bone fragments as the two interlopers finally reached the lake.

Hidden in the bushes, Eren was dismayed—and unsurprised—that it was Armin and Mikasa. The two had been getting more concerned about his training with Annie, so it was natural they would come looking for them.

"There appears to be something near the water…" Armin said, gesturing towards the dissolving bones. Mikasa approached them, staring down carefully.

"They're steaming, like how they have described a dead Titan," she observed. Mikasa turned back to Armin. "Are you sure this is where Eren and Annie went?"

"It's where they've gone before," he replied. "Eren mentioned it once by accident." Armin looked down and frowned. After several seconds, he asked, "Are those giant footsteps?"

Annie gave Eren a death stare, regardless of the fact they were more likely her footsteps than his. He swallowed thickly, already fearing what she might put him through in the name of training. Despite how close he felt they were, she still possessed a deadly presence that could find a way to inspire a fear of death in him. Only Mikasa could be as terrifying, though she had never directed that distilled, murderous fury upon him.

Too often it was deployed on his behalf instead of hers.

"It appears so."

Armin nodded thoughtfully at Mikasa's plain pronouncement. The storm began to lighten up, the darkness lingering even as the clouds started to thin out. He rubbed his chin as he looked around the lake's shoreline.

"Would you think I was mad if I suggested people could transform into Titans?"

"Yes, and you should forget such a ludicrous theory," Mikasa immediately answered. "We should find Eren and return to camp without being caught."

"And what about Annie?" asked Armin, genuinely concerned.

"If she is with Eren, then she can return with us." Mikasa paused, turning to stare towards where Eren and Annie hid. They both tensed, waiting for her to act. She eventually turned away and added, "She can drown for all I care."

"Mikasa!"

Eren glanced at Annie, who looked more than ready to storm out there, and was relived the circular connection lines from her shift were completely gone. He grabbed her hand, ignoring her sudden, half-hearted protest at his tight grip, and dragged her out into the open. Armin and Mikasa turned to face them, mouths slightly agape.

He looked away, cheeks burning with frustration. He was certain, at least to Mikasa, he appeared embarrassed. It should be enough to distract them from the evidence of his training with Annie. Getting Armin to let the matter rest would be tougher, even with the cold rain turning everything upon the lake's shore into a muddy mush.

"What are you two doing out here?" asked Eren, trying to pour concern into his voice. Instead, he sounded very frustrated and perhaps a touch flustered.

Armin raised a hand before Mikasa, who glanced at him with alarmed surprise. Eren glanced between them, trying to suppress the frown his ace naturally wanted to produce. He guessed Armin was afraid of how the animosity between Mikasa and Annie might play out, given they were all caught out in a storm.

"I was going to ask the same thing," Armin said, slow and measured. "We came out into this storm to find the two of you when it turned out nobody knew where you two were."

"As you can see, Armin, we're safe and sound," Annie stated, a touch more defensive than normal.

He nodded, even as the rain soaked his chin-length hair. "Did either of you see anything odd?"

"No."

The finality of Annie's tone was only matched in harshness by Mikasa's glower. She had a black, murderous look that frightened Eren, clear and expressive as the rain blended in with the darkness of night. It was nearly as terrifying as Annie's own black mood, those rare times he was faced with it.

Only difference is that Mikasa will only inconvenience me. She won't injure me, as Annie might.

He pointedly ignored the fact the injuries inflicted upon him by Annie typically healed in a couple hours, if not sooner.

Their stand-off ended shortly after, and they started back to camp. Mikasa grumpily took the rear, rejecting their offers to take the lead. Eren didn't need to ask why Armin accepted allowing her to follow them back, though he could live without Annie's incessant grumbling about the matter. As amusing as some of her swears were, he did not need the extra pressure of two dear friends at each other's throats.

"What were you two doing?" asked Armin about halfway back. Annie walked several paces ahead of them, while Mikasa was nearly ten paces behind.

"Just some training," Eren replied hastily. "You don't need to worry about it so much."

"Eren," Armin began, heavy emphasis upon the other's name. "We found evidence of—"

"Oi! Are you four all right?" shouted a strong voice. They looked up the path as Reiner emerged from past the ridge they were close to reaching. They continued on towards the ridge. Reiner waited where he had seen them before saying, "We heard thunder and lightning out this way and after Armin ran out, well…" He gestured backward with his head. "Marco was worried about everyone. He convinced me to come help."

Marco appeared besides Reiner, nearly as tall but with narrower shoulders. He grinned, stretching the distinctive freckles across his cheeks. He wore the thick, standard issue wet weather gear over his uniform, unlike most of them.

"Is this everyone?" he asked just as Mikasa strolled up to the rest of the group.

"It appears so," Reiner replied. He glanced at Annie, then at the rest. "We should head back to the barracks before the Commander finds out. He'll have our hides if he learns we were out in this weather."

Eren shivered at the mention. Commander Shadis had changed since that day in Shiganshina when he declared the death of one of his men to be pointless. He had barely recognized the man after two years, yet the moment he spoke it was clear as day. His head butts alone were legendary among the trainees.

"Good," Marco replied. "The conditions out here can get all of you sick."

Of the four who trekked down to the lake in the storm, only Armin Arlert was sick the next morning.

Annie followed Reiner and Bertholdt as they walked away from the training camp. She already knew what their conversation was going to be about, and she was bitter about dreading the looming confrontation. Ever since she revealed to Eren the truth of being a Titan Shifter, she had started growing closer to him. It was a gradual thing, yet his infectious passion had gotten to her and she felt more alive than since her father's death. She couldn't deny that his idea that they enlist in the Survey Corps and use their shifting powers for the benefit of the Paradisians was a good one.

The Marleyan Warriors were entering perhaps the tenth copses of trees they had reached, heading away from the lake where Annie trained Eren, when Reiner turned to face her.

"So you and Jaeger, huh?" he asked, dropping his soldier masquerade. "You shouldn't get so close to a devil like him, Annie."

She scowled, hearing the tone that always reminded her of the obnoxious, Marley-worshiping brat given the Armored Titan over Porco Galliard.

"What's it to you? You've been living it up, pretending to be a soldier like the rest of them," she responded, crossing her arms over her chest. Bertholdt glanced nervously between them, a trick of seat running from his brow.

"I'm just worried for you, that's all," Reiner stated, pretending to be Marcel. She honestly wished that Titan had devoured the blond idiot in front of her instead of the elder Galliard. But then, there were times she wished she could take back the day they breached Wall Maria. "If Eren finds out about us…"

"He won't." At least not about you two, if only for now. "You know as well as I that none of the Paradisians know about the world beyond their walls. Eren happens to believe once the Titans are dead that they'll be free to expand and explore and colonize as they please."

She thought it curious, though increasingly unsurprising, how fiercely Eren valued freedom above anything else. Sometimes Annie wondered what he would think about the real world—of Marley and Liberio, of the Eldian race and the Powers of Ymir. He would certainly rage, especially once he realized how similar he was to the Warriors. She could see him, should the betrayals be terrible enough, inflicting the same tragedy he had seen that day in Shiganshina upon the Marleyans—and perhaps even the world.

Reiner snorted, drawing a frown to her face. "I doubt he'll survive his first expedition beyond the walls. Guy has a lot of fire, but not enough skill."

"As if Mikasa would allow him to die," Annie replied, trying not to be bitter. "He won't die until she does."

"Well, you would know," commented Reiner. "You spend enough time around him that the brass back home might think you've been going native."

"Going native?" she snarled, returning his words with vicious heat. She tried to ignore any panic or worry that they were in communication with the higher-ups back in Marley. They had planned the mission as if they would be alone, without backup until over five years passed. "I don't need a fraud pretending to be Marcel lecturing me about going native, unless you happen to be very good at playing stupid." Annie sneered at him and Bertholdt. "Unless you actually have something important to talk about, we're done here."

They hesitated, uncertain how to handle her rejection of their concerns. Annie turned away and stormed off, fuming. It was probably foolish, getting so upset, but Reiner was in no position to lecture her about becoming friendly with Paradisians. She knew from their training that she should've informed them about Eren and his shifting power the moment she learned of it a year ago. Yet she was increasingly sympathetic to the plight of those within the walls, and couldn't find the stomach to continue with Marley's plan.

Not like I have anyone waiting for me back in Liberio.

She followed a narrow game trail upon her right, which would lead her toward camp. Annie frowned, troubled that she was even considering the idea of defecting from Marley. Yet she couldn't justify why she might continue fighting for them. With Eren by her side, they could face the Armored Titan and be victorious.

The problem, she knew, was the Colossal Titan. Perhaps Bertholdt could be dealt with in another way beyond crippling him and sealing him underground until a successor could be picked. Unlike Reiner, Bert's motivation had nothing to do with the propaganda they were fed since childhood in Liberio. It had purely to do with his family. He was the youngest of seven, forced into the Warrior Program because of a relative, just like the Grices with both Colt and Falco.

Maybe their families had members who supported Eldian restoration back on the mainland. If that's so…

It was definitely a stretch, especially since Annie suspected Reiner leveraged greater influence over Bertholdt than she ever could. Maybe when they first enlisted she could have swayed Bertholdt, but the two boys had grown closer over the past two years, while she had busied herself with distancing herself from nearly everyone.

Reiner has only himself to blame, if he's so frustrated over my relationship with Eren. He was the one who propelled him my way.

Annie sighed. She wanted nothing more than to get back and forget that she had enlisted into a foreign military for the purposes of furthering a mission to destroy the very people whose military she now served in. It was a cruel world, and she was only now realizing that once she made the choice of whom she was truly loyal to, she would be a traitor to the other side. Would she betray the people of Paradis, who tilled and toiled and sacrificed so she could become one of their soldiers? Or would she betray Marley, and in doing so betray the comradery she had with Bertholdt and Reiner?

She gulped at the thought. Annie wasn't a strong person like Eren. He was the kind of man to do whatever he had to in order to achieve his ends. In the right circumstance, he could be a great leader of men. She was a follower, content to go along with the flow.

Her blue eyes dipped to the forest floor. The anger that had pushed her to defy Reiner earlier faltered, and Annie froze. Could she actually do it? Could Annie Leonhardt side with the Paradisians? It would mean there were three shifters fighting against Marley, assuming the Founding Titan could finally be convinced to take a stand instead of allowing his people to die.

Not that anyone seems to know who actually possesses it, she thought bitterly. Despite her disloyal thoughts, she had still investigated the matter for the Marleyans. The king in Mitras does not possess it, though it's questionable whether or not he's truly the king. There's no lead to who might possess the Coordinate… Is there a puppet master in hiding? A soldier untrained?

Annie was mentally exhausted as she returned to camp. Part of her wanted to seek out Eren and tell him everything, the entire truth he desperately desired. It was only the fear of death that stopped her, though she wasn't sure whose death made her hesitate. She feared he'd fly off the handle, learning that the two most responsible for the Breach and the Fall of Wall Maria were trainees with him. In a conflict between them in the midst of the military, someone would end up dead.

While never fully expressed, he clearly thought highly of Reiner and trusted Bertholdt. To learn the truth would destroy him.

Her hands clenched, considering what could happen. Eren might not believe her, or he might shift in the middle of the mess of all places. She wished his anger could be more predictable. The very passion that defined Eren had a terrifying potential for devastation when aimed in a specific direction.

If he possessed the Coordinate, Annie could envision him unleashing the Rumbling, the prophesized end of the world laid down by the King of the Walls. His hatred of Titans was so palpable he likely wouldn't think twice of lashing out at Marley.

For now, she had to deceive everyone. Annie would trick her fellow warriors into believing she was continuing the mission. She would play along with Eren's desire for vengeance, and his delusion that freedom was just beyond Wall Maria.

Annie was more than aware such a path would lead to suffering in the future. Yet it was easier for her to prolong that fateful decision, if only for a while longer.

Eren watched Annie closely, frowning at how skittish she acted. Ever since Armin and Mikasa had nearly found them training—and by the Walls had it been close—she had begun acting odd. Well, odd for her. Her typical, crystal-strong exterior seemed fractured, as though somehow it was in the process of shattering from unseen pressure.

He knew the only reason he noticed was thanks to the amount of time he spent with her. There wasn't anyone else who was with Annie more—not even her bunkmate, Mina Caroline. Everyone else treated her the same, unaware of how pernicious her mood could be. Eren wished he could know the exact cause, especially since he doubted anyone other than him had seen her smile. He had been lucky, having only seen that smile a few times.

The one that still remained with Eren, as clear as when he first saw it, came after his first successful shift.

Several months had passed since Eren Jaeger had learned about his Titan powers. After a blistering, dry summer and a harsh, windy autumn, it was the arrival of winter that finally granted the weather conditions best suited to disguising their shifts. Annie's explanation of the lightning which would come down reminded him of the strange flash, right before the Colossal Titan made himself known and shattered his childhood world.

The 104th South had returned from their northern wilderness training when Annie gave Eren the signal for shifter training—the presence of a ring upon her right hand. Their eyes met after he noticed, and with the slightest of movements, confirmed that the other knew what was to come.

A blizzard warning was announced on the third afternoon back, the very event they had been waiting for. It would be within the howling swell he would complete his first shift. Annie slipped away following supper, while Eren left his friends behind while en route to their barracks.

He found her on the lake's shore, staring at the frosted, frozen surface. A fierce wind crossed the icy mass, piercing through the wool coat over his uniform. The falling snow moved across his face, as though the wind was holding them out.

"So uh," he began, rubbing his arms, "now what?"

"Focus only on shifting into your Titan form," Annie instructed, turning away from the lake. She was deadly serious, her gaze harsher than the blizzard. "Any other thought, any other aim, could endanger one of us, or weaken your shift. You remember what else you need to do?"

Eren nodded. Pining the thought I need to shift into a Titan in his mind, he sunk his sharp front teeth into the soft flesh between his thumb and forefinger. He just noticed Annie handing him a knife when lightning struck and heat engulfed him.

When his eyes finally opened, Eren had to blink several times. For a moment, he swore he was dreaming. The forest's upper canopy was right before his face, those last branches hanging over the lake's edge. They bent with great loads of snow. Steam rolled from his mouth, searing hot breath rapidly chilling in the frigid weather.

"…the hell, Jaeger?" screamed a familiar voice. It sounded faint. Despite her normal act, he knew Annie could put a great deal of effort into a shout.

He peered down, and had to force back the urge to laugh at how tiny she appeared to his Titan form. Her hands were cupped around her mouth as she shouted, "Do you understand me, Eren?"

Eren opened his mouth to speak, but only released a humorous, gurgling sound. He tried to speak again, and then a third time, but the best he got out was a warbling roar. Annie's head was turned away as her entire body shook. It took him several seconds to reach the conclusion that she was laughing at him.

His anger spiked, growling as he kneeled down to get closer. Annie stepped back, alarmed by Eren's sudden move. Her hand twitched, and he just noticed a shiny flash on one of her hands.

The ring she had used to signal they would train.

"Calm down," said Annie, soft to Eren's strong Titan ears. "I'd rather not shift and rip you out, but I will if I must."

Eren blinked. A hand came up, running along his face. His fingers withdrew when he felt that there were no lips over his Titan form's exposed teeth. His mouth opened slightly as though he were gaping in surprise.

"Rather interesting, isn't it?" Annie asked, fully aware he couldn't properly answer. "Each of the Nine is different. If I didn't know better, I would suspect you possessed the Jaws Titan, not the Attack Titan."

The grumble he wanted to speak aloud emerged as a pitiful growl, akin to a whining dog. Annie's eyes widened before she had to turn away, snorting.

In a fit of rage, Eren suddenly found himself pulling out of his Titan form, laying upon the ground and steaming, before scrambling over to confront Annie.

"Was I really so—" he began before suddenly falling to the ground. Eren could just spot a large plume of steam rising from his Titan body. The face was angular, with a toothy grin that stretched back further than he thought could be possible. As he had felt, there were no lips over the fracturing teeth, steaming away.

"Freaky, isn't it?" asked Annie. He glanced at her, surprised by her smile. "It's clear you're a shifter to anyone who might know—like the king, if the stories are true."

Eren had never quested her about that final statement, transfixed by her pleased smile. Now that he remembered that day, he wondered about her comment concerning the king. Did he know about shifters? Were there others loyal to humanity?

He guessed it didn't really matter. Not when he didn't even know when his father could've given him these powers. All that mattered was using his powers to create a better future for humanity.