Seeking Reclamation
Rico Brzenska glanced at her commander, unable to help her frown. Ever since the first cadets arrived from Headquarters, their gas canisters refilled with what had been thought of as lost materials, he had begun fuming and grumbling. It had gotten worse when the aberrant Titan that had been with the cadets during their arrival approached the last group, visible from their perch upon Wall Rose, leaned against a wall, his nape exploding outward, and a soldier, one of their own, crawled out of the abomination and zipped up to join the last group of cadets.
"Should I have him hung?" muttered Commander Kitz Weilman, rubbing his beard. "Maybe a firing squad, to prevent him from getting too close to my men. Or maybe we should cut off his head, like the Titan he is."
"Sir!" cried a soldier assigned to the nearest cannon. "The last group is coming up the wall. The Titan brat is among them!"
"Bah! They moved too quickly!" Kitz cursed. Rico had her doubts about how quickly they had moved, but there weren't any spyglasses strong enough to make out the faces of the six incoming cadets. Plus, she had skipped the graduation ceremony the previous night, busy drinking with her friends. "Do you have any positive IDs?"
"One of them is Cadet Mikasa Ackerman, who assisted in the civilian withdrawal. Sergeant Dietrich would know more. He reported she left her assignment to regroup with the cadets near the city center."
Ian knows one of them? This Ackerman girl has to be impressive to get assigned to his detail during the evacuation.
Kitz swore again, though this time a great deal fouler and louder. Rico frowned, especially at the approaching sounds of hissing gas and tethers, firing and retracting. Maybe a minute after she heard them, six cadets launched themselves onto the wall, landing as graceful as newborn colts. One of them, a stubborn-looking boy with brown hair, nearly rolled onto his back and would've destroyed his expensive gear, if not for the oriental girl with a red scarf more or less at his hip.
An oriental? Rico thought, surprised. I thought they had all died out years ago, either through breeding or slavers hunting them down. Wonder where this girl came from.
"You need to be more careful, Eren," the girl warned. "You nearly used up all of your remaining gas. I understand it was—"
"I'm fine, Mikasa," Eren grumbled, rising onto his feet. "I had plenty of gas to reach the wall without you babysitting me midair." There were odd pink lines on his face, stretching down from below his eyes across his cheeks. They were faded, smoking—
"How dare you traitors show your faces in the light of day!" roared Commander Kitz. He drew his sword, striding towards where Eren and Mikasa stood. The blade came forward, pointing at the boy with steaming marks. "You must be the foul beast who emerged from a Titan's body! Don't dare to lie boy, for we saw you from here. What do you want? Why are you attacking us?"
Eren took a step back; eyes wide as his brain likely failed to fully understand what was occurring. Mikasa stepped before him, hands on her swords as she glared down at the commander. Rico glanced at the other four and watched them warily. The brunette appeared frightened, while most of the blonds were merely wary. The blonde girl failed to react to the commander's outrage, as if what was happening didn't matter to her. Instead, her gaze lingered on Eren's back, curious about what he might do.
That was enough to make Rico suspicious of the girl. She would need to get the girl's name and ranking within the 104th Cadets before the end of the day.
"I'm not a Titan!" Eren shouted. "I can shift into one, yes, but I'm not one of them! I'm still human."
"Shift?" asked Rico, narrowing her eyes behind the glasses she required. Eren glanced at her, his eyes flashing with realization. "What do you mean by that?"
He blinked dumbly, almost like cattle. Eren chewed on his lip for several seconds before gesturing back into the city with his head. "I'm talking about when I shifted—um, I mean when transformed into a Titan." He flushed, realizing how he had phrased it and added quickly, "The body formed around me! I was completely conscious while within."
"Eren is correct," said one of the blonds, shorter and smaller than the other. "He is even able to communicate with others while inside his Titan form."
"It doesn't matter!" bellowed Commander Kitz. "We all saw you come out of that…that monster! Tell us here and now: are you human or a Titan?"
"I'm human, stupid!"
Rico audibly sighed at the frustrated cadet's idiocy. Her commander was reactionary and small-minded. He wasn't grossly incompetent, but with what had happened with Trost, she suspected he would be demoted regardless of his culpability in the day's events.
"And how can we believe you?"
"Because he can save us!" shouted the blond who had tried before to defend Eren. He was a young man with a rather childish haircut, with everything below the jaw cut away evenly. "There's a boulder in the city, large enough to plug the breach in the wall! If he can carry it there using his Titan form, then we can seal off Wall Rose and reclaim Trost!"
To Rico's astonishment, the small boy's shout echoed slightly, rippling through the air upon the walls. Commander Kitz stared at him darkly, unfazed and unconvinced by what had been said. He was the kind to make up his mind and stick to it, unless someone above him in command coerced him to enforce their will instead. At this rate, it would take Pixis or another of the Southern Regiment generals to stop him from putting this Eren to death and potentially risking a valuable military resource.
Though the question is will he stop with the Titan-shifter, or will Kitz go further?
She glanced at the other cadets. Mikasa and the short blond with the terrible haircut would stand firmly by Eren, but Rico couldn't say what the other ones would do. The female blonde was too impassive to be of concern, though her gaze almost seemed calculating, as if there was something specific she was waiting on. The boys, men really, watched on carefully, though the large blond appeared uncertain on whether or not he should try to intervene.
"You're mad, I say, mad!" the Commander screamed. His arm rose, shaking as he pointed directly at Eren. "You're a fiend, some new Titan meant to infiltrate the Walls! I swear I shall have you killed!"
"What the hell are you thinking?" Eren bellowed back. "I'm the only hope humanity still has!"
Oh great, Rico lamented. He's a hothead, too. Please hurry, General.
"Sir," said the blonde girl, voice clear and cutting through the echoes of their shouting. "Why not force him to prove his loyalty? Cadet Jaeger has spoken repeatedly and loudly about killing Titans and joining the Survey Corps. Couldn't he prove that he was honest and not lying to everyone around him by sacrificing himself and his heart to cleanse Trost of the enemy, including plugging the breach in the outer wall?"
Her fellow cadets stared at her, mouths agape, yet Eren's expression was oddly guarded. Rico scowled, glancing between them as she tried to figure out what their connection was. She doubted it was a romance, even if those incidents weren't uncommon among the recent cadet crops.
"Commander," shouted a familiar voice. Rico and Fitz both looked over as Ian Dietrich ran over, gear clanking as he approached. "Word just arrived—General Pixis is fifteen minutes away, and will be here within the half hour. Probably sooner."
"Then let him decide!" cried Eren. "Let General Pixis decide what my fate should be!"
Even if his desperation wasn't clear and evident, Rico knew it was a foolish effort. Dot Pixis played things too safe to go along with using a biological weapon like Eren Jaeger, though he was nationalistic enough that a strong enough appeal to the military and their national identity that he could be brought around to agreeing to any plan that leveraged the boy and his strange Titan power. And with the performance they had seen from the wall, she could almost imagine him being successful and carrying the boulder she knew for certain was within the district to the breached gate.
Rico glanced at the blonde girl. She had been aware of the boulder and its purpose, despite the military's secrecy.
"You'll be dead before he arrives," the commander decided. "Sergeant Dietrich. Execute this traitor."
Ian nodded grimly. He stepped forward, drawing one of his blades, but froze when Mikasa stepped in his path. A moment passed before he took a step back.
Rico frowned, rubbing her jaw. She had glanced at a few after-battle reports from the Fall of Trost, as some were already calling this day. A name sprung to mind, one she suspected belonged to the girl daring enough to go against the commands of the Garrison: Mikasa Ackerman. She had proved her value and valor, slaying a Titan rushing the gate during the withdrawal that none of the others assigned to protect the fleeing civilians were able to reach.
If she is willing to stand in favor of this Eren character, then…
"Commander," she began, loud enough to draw everyone's attention. "If Eren and his Titan powers can be used for the benefit of humanity, wouldn't it be wise to decide so now, before General Pixis arrives and strips you of command? You would be a hero, if their mad plan works."
Commander Fitz gaped at her, bearded jaw flexing. He appeared flummoxed by her brazen words. At any other time, she could be put up for court-martial and risk losing what benefits she'd have following retirement in twenty years, but right now it wasn't important. The blonds who had spoken up had a point about the uses of the boy's Titan powers, and a dangerous woman was willing to stand up for this Eren Jaeger.
"At worst, the Titans will destroy him once he is exhausted from the effort." She shot the boy in question a pointed look before adding, "It will be one less thing to worry about. And we will lose little in the process, putting so much on your shoulders."
Eren was stopped from protesting her idea thanks to the blond who grabbed his arm and shook his head, his face serious, almost grim. Rico hoped the boy would prove he was as intelligent as she suspected and join the Garrison, but with the friends he appeared to keep, she had a bad feeling he'd somehow end up in the Survey Corps. Eren was an easy peg for the Corps regardless of Central Command's future decision, though she frankly couldn't see where someone with his kind of power could go.
Assuming he survives, naturally.
"I will overlook you questioning my decision, Brzenska. I do not fault your wish to retake the city, being a native child, but we cannot do so by relying on the power of our enemy. Who knows where the Armored Titan is, now that the city is fallen and the gate breached by his horrid fellow."
"I'm not in league with them," Eren growled. "I'd have a better chance killing him than you."
Rico frowned at his tone. She couldn't put a finger down on the why, exactly, but she suspected he knew something about the Armored Titan that would be enough for Commander Fitz to execute him on charges of treason and sedition, regardless of the boy's arguments. Or perhaps it would be enough for Fitz to jump to a conclusion worthy of execution.
"Well, what do we have here?" asked a reedy, cultured voice.
Everyone turned to watch as Dot Pixis and his two attendants approached, following the wall's slight curve. There was an elevator several paces away, horses kept in place aboard it despite the problems they could cause. A bright red sash crossed Pixis's chest, hiding the spot where a flask of whiskey or gin was hidden.
"General Pixis," bit out Commander Fitz. "I did not expect you to arrive so swiftly. We were told a half hour, perhaps less."
"Yes, well the most curious rumor reached us as we approached Trost. I moved with the greatest amount of swiftness my horse could muster, so that I might check upon it myself." He stopped beside Fitz, but did not look at his immediate subordinate. Instead, his attention was firmly placed upon Cadet Eren. "If what I have heard is true, you—or another of those present—emerged from the body of a Titan, yes?"
"That was me," Eren admitted without hesitation. "I don't know exactly how long I've had this power, but I discovered it during training. It was my intention to use it as a member of the Survey Corps, to better serve humanity."
"Ah," drawled General Pixis with an amused smile. "Commander Smith would certainly appreciate the potential you would give his Corps, along with the energetic fervor that scientist of his would have in studying you. Alive, of course. Erwin would settle for nothing less."
"Uh, yeah," Eren muttered, slightly put off.
Rico had once serious encounter with Hange Zoe, and she regretted the experience. It had been horrid and convinced her joining the Garrison had been the right choice, back in those early days where the romance of the Survey Corps lingered. She hoped the boy understood what he was getting himself involved with, being so openly willing to join the Corps. If not, it would serve him right for being so foolish.
But that did raise a pressing question.
"How long have you known about your powers?" asked Rico, frowning. "If we do use you, I don't like the idea of leaving the lives of good men in the hands of a child with more power than sense."
"For…uh, two years?" Eren said, scratching his head. His voice had cracked and his face went red, yet he soldiered on. "I found out back in 848 that I had Titan-like powers, but it took some time before I learned I could transform into one."
She glanced at her fellow Garrison members. None of them, not even Commander Fitz, appeared ready to call out the obvious lie. Rico wouldn't blame the kid for lying to their faces, since she doubted she would trust people she didn't know were she in possession of such terrible, tremendous power. Either he had somehow secretly transformed the first time he had accessed his powers, or there was someone aiding him, a teacher of sorts.
There was no way his stated story was completely true.
"Quite fascinating," said General Pixis. "Tell me, young Eren. Can you and your strange power seal the breach and help us recover Trost? Are you willing to sacrifice your heart for humanity?"
The boy's beaming grin was answer enough for Pixis. Rico merely prayed their losses would be minimal.
Annie strained from the effort required to ignore the stares fixed on the back of her head. Her attempt to volunteer for the squad responsible for keeping Eren safe had been shot down quickly. There had been an easy way to get around the rejection, but Annie wasn't as trusting as Eren with their powers. Already, rumors would be spreading about him. Enough people had seen his form and survived the battle that the soldiers gathered just north of the walled district knew there was something unique about Eren Jaeger.
Soon enough they would know about her closeness with him, and begin to suspect what she knew and didn't know.
"You really think she knew this entire time?" whispered Marco, a little too loudly. Annie's jaw clenched, knowing exactly who the 'she' he mentioned was.
"Nobody was closer to Eren during training, especially in our final year, than Annie."
She nearly flinched at Armin's response, but held her emotional reactions firmly in place. Reiner and Bertholdt were watching her, presences she couldn't find a way to ignore. What they thought they might see, what they feared or hoped to see, she didn't know. All Annie could do was remain strong, firm in her conviction to hold back until the time was right.
But when will that time come to pass?
A sigh slipped through her lips as several other cadets came over the lip of the wall and joined them. She wondered how many had been briefed on their mission and how many were lost in the dark, only ordered to come up to the top of the wall for some purpose.
General Pixis had been quick to approve Armin and Eren's plan for retaking Trost. It was simple, yet effective: most of the force would occupy the corner furthest from the boulder and the gate to draw as many Titans as possible in that direction. Meanwhile, a crack team of soldiers would escort Eren to the boulder and protect him as he carried it to the breached gate. Mikasa was the only cadet assigned to that team, having impressed some of the Garrison brass during the civilian withdrawal.
"Are you worried about Eren?"
She turned toward the voice, and nearly tripped over her feet at finding Jean Kirschstein right behind her. The Trost native had been odd ever since they learned about Eren's power, though there were several others who reacted similar to him. Reiner and Bertholdt stood out among that number. Unlike the other two, who shot her pained looks all but screaming a fear of betrayal, Jean had been taken completely off-guard by this day's revelation, and had likely seen his questionable hopes and dreams for the future shattered like the glass of his childhood home.
"I am," she admitted, nearly clenching her jaw. "Eren's a hotheaded, and even though the breach was only a few hours ago, the district must be swarming with Titans by now. He'll need more than a few crack soldiers defending him to complete his mission."
Jean frowned, as though he had expected her to say something uplifting or inspiring. She tried not to frown at him, though Annie doubted anyone had considered how quickly Trost could fill up with the multitude of hungry beings beyond the walls.
Armin must have accounted for the numbers when he had developed his plan, or else he was under predicting how quickly the hostile force beyond Wall Rose could spill through a single breach.
They approached the northwestern corner of Trost, the location most distant from the boulder's current resting place and the breached gate, waiting to be sealed. Soldiers were already gathering, some hanging from tethers along the wall while others remained at the top, preparing cannons to blast apart the gathered Titans. She doubted the packs would grow too thick to require pruning, but she could be wrong. Some of the soldiers tethered to the wall would certainly fall and die this day, Annie feared, for she doubted the Garrison were well trained enough to maintain their positions above so many hungry maws.
Lightning cut through the skies of Trost for the third time. The sky flashed green. They all watched as a green flare shot up, initiating the mission.
"Dammit," Jean hissed. "They're moving too quickly. Not everyone is position yet!"
Annie glanced around and frowned at the sight around them. There were many soldiers behind them, yet to get into position, but there appeared to be enough in the corner to draw some Titans away from the boulder. It should ease Eren's path forward, though not make it a simple walk. She could only think of one solution to further ease Eren's advance upon the breach, but that would reveal what she was.
Eren was willing to face the consequences of being exposed because he believed his power can be used for the benefit of humanity, Annie thought, trying to ignore the swell of pride she felt, thinking of him. Her thoughts swiftly soured. But if he truly knew about Marley, about Eldia, the world beyond… Would he still hold those beliefs? Or would it all collapse into despair?
She sighed. Annie hated the small, yet growing desire to head out there after Eren. It was an impulse too much like him, one that screamed punishment be damned. It wanted her to head out there and shift, supporting him with her own Titan form. Yet she was a coward, unwilling to use her powers for the common good.
Not that the common good is truly that. Marley calls the internment of the Eldian race 'the common good', yet we're treated worse than dogs and our only hope of advancement is to die fighting their wars. They even have the gall to tell us we deserve to be treated so, as if slavery is naught but the greatest evil imagined.
Remembering the propaganda she had been exposed to as a child made her feel sickened. Her gut twisted, leaving behind queasy feelings that might distract her mind. There was something about being on Paradis, living side by side with her people, that shattered any illusions she might've still held that these people were demons. They were the victims of a man's delusion and weakness, unaware of the taint upon their heads, and she had been used as a weapon against them.
Movement within the city caught her attention. She glanced over and nearly gasped as a yellow flare rose into the clouds, all too close to where the green flare had only just shot up. It was near the location where Eren had shifted, and Annie suspected it was near the boulder central to Armin's plan. She could already hear doubtful and suspicious whispers from the other soldiers.
She remembered the despair that lingered over the Paradisians after the Fall of Shiganshina and the rest of Wall Maria. It had been choking, cloistering, despite the throbbing masses that had fled to hide behind Wall Rose. The hundreds of thousands sent to their deaths, allegedly to retake their lost lands, had not been the callousness of demons, as Reiner had said.
It was the only hope some of them had, even as they knew none would return but the soldiers sent to ensure the undesirable masses perished to save the rest of humanity. Those people had saved the rest, sacrificing themselves just as soldiers did.
Her mind reeled in the face of Eren's failure. She had been certain she had trained him well, fearing most he would be forced to shift while within the stomach of a Titan. It was a grotesque situation to be in, though one she frankly expected from the idiot. She had not thought any the failures that might affect him would come about after his first shift in open combat.
"Annie!"
She turned and found Armin racing her way. He nearly crashed into her, moving too quickly in his haste. After a moment, he leaned in close and whispered, "I need you to come with me. Something has happened with Eren, and you're the only person who can help."
She glanced around before scowling at him. "Do you know what the problem is?"
"I was hoping you would know," he said without emotion. "You're the one who trained him."
Annie nearly tried to play dumb, but his pointed look was too strong to ignore. He knew she had assisted Eren with his training, and likely suspected what she was. She sighed and glanced away, brushing aside her long, loose bang. Her gut twisted with the knowledge that Armin was on to her. She didn't dare question how he had figured it out. She would leave that beast alone until after Trost was secured.
She scanned the others around them, taking note of how Reiner and Bertholdt stood further away than the rest. The latter watched her nervously, while Reiner was trying to get out of a conversation with some of the others. Connie was working hard to keep Reiner's attention, while Marco had dragged Jean over.
Annie turned back to Armin. "What are you thinking?" she asked him, keeping her voice soft enough to barely travel.
His eyes widened. "I… I thought we should head over to where he is first. Whatever is wrong will be clear once we're there, and perhaps we can help Eren and his squad salvage the mission."
Annie nodded. She swallowed her doubts, thinking of what Eren might say, and replied, "After you, then."
Armin led her toward where the faint remnant of the second flare lingered in the gloomy late day sky, a putrid shade against the dim orange sky. There had been little resistance from others when they departed the safety of the walls; many were too busy managing the swarming Titans below that corner of the Wall. Annie was grateful for his presence, if only because it gave her the strength to act. He was stronger than her, despite his physical weakness.
After all, Armin had spent a lot more time around Eren, and thus had absorbed some of his friend's strength of will.
They reached the site from where the flare had been fired a few minutes after heading off. They had been fortunate, avoiding any serious or deadly encounters with Titans. Annie doubted Armin had been able to lead them through the city without an encounter on purpose, but perhaps she was too suspicious of him.
For some bizarre reason, Eren's steaming Titan form rested against the boulder, as though sleeping.
"Armin? Annie? What are you doing here?"
They adjusted in midair, spotting Mikasa upon a rooftop. The other Garrison soldiers were arguing nearby. They were drawn away from whatever bitter words had turned their cheeks red by their arrival. Annie landed on the rooftop first, the clay tiles clattering under her leather boots. Armin landed beside her, hustling over to his childhood friend.
"What happened with Eren?" asked Armin.
Mikasa shrugged, glancing at the inert form of Eren's Titan. "He seemed fine at first, after shifting. But then he became…confused. He didn't seem to be himself, though he didn't lash out at us. After a minute or so, he collapsed against the boulder."
Annie frowned, staring at the unconscious Titan body. She'd need to move quickly, or else they might risk a chance of Eren merging with his form. There was a reason Marley had regulations about the amount of time a shifter could occupy their form before having to be forcibly removed. He wasn't close to the point they'd pull at, but being unconscious shortened the window considerably.
She glanced down at her hands, and noticed her gleaming ring, a gift from her father after she was chosen to inherit the Female Titan. Her gaze lingered upon the ring, and her thumb brushed over the metal. Annie looked back up, staring at Eren's inert form. She knew what he would do, were their positions reversed. After a few seconds, she sighed, knowing his decision would be the right one.
Idiot better survive. He owes me for this.
Annie stormed towards the edge of the rooftop. She flicked open the small blade upon the ring, and focused on the aims of the mission. Once she reached the edge, she pressed the meat of her thumb against the sharp point of the hooked blade—
Her world erupted with lightning and flesh and steam.