Chapter 38: Clash of the Titans

I can't move.

It was the first coherent thought that came to Reiner as he slowly began to regain his consciousness. His head felt like he smashed it against the wall, making him wonder what could have caused that feeling. The last thing he remembered was seeing Dillon asking him if he missed him. It was good to see that he made a recovery from the Expedition. And then, there was nothing. Did he pass out from blood loss and suffer a concussion? Seemed like the most logical explanation. After all, there were a lot of stone bricks he could have fallen on. He hoped that he didn't suffer any internal injuries.

Why can't I move?

His focus shifted to his arm, noticing that it felt a bit sore, and yet, nothing felt broken. Considering that he had a Titan's jaw fastened around it earlier, that was more than a bit odd. Maybe he was injected with morphine, which would dull the pain to such a great extent. All the factors seemed to be pointing that he was in a hospital bed making a slow recovery.

However, he felt drops of something wet repeatedly fall on his face. Definitely water, but why would it fall in such a way?

Wait, rain. I'm still outside.

The ground shook violently every now and then. Those weren't the sounds of Titan movements. Was it an earthquake? To his knowledge, there weren't any on this island. All of this was so confusing.

Then, he took notice of another odd factor: there was something in his mouth. It felt like a piece of fabric. Instinctively, he tried to get it out, but it was tightly wrapped around mouth and given that he couldn't move his arms, it wasn't going anywhere for a while. Now, he was completely confused. Why was there a gag in his mouth?

"Thought… last longer…"

Okay, so he wasn't alone. That was a good sign. Despite his wooziness, he did his best to listen to what was going on.

Come on, Reiner. Focus!

His vision started to return as he eyes began taking in the colors of black and dark blue. It seemed like the rain had subsided for the moment, so at least he wouldn't have any problems seeing outside of his own injuries impeding him.

"Load them… carriages and inject… getting out of here."

What the hell is going on?

"Section Commander, isn't this dosage too much?"

"They're Titan Shifters. We're not taking any chances. Inject them now."

Reiner's blood ran cold as he began facing the realization of the situation. The gag, the fact he couldn't move, and the head injury. The Scouts… they figured it out. They knew who he was, who Bertholdt was. At first, he tried to brush it off as his paranoia taking control, but he couldn't let it go. He couldn't afford to.

He was able to turn his head and noticed a Scout walking towards him with a sedative and then immediately freezing when he noticed the motion.

"He's awake!" he exclaimed.

"Hurry!" a female voice, Hanji, commanded urgently.

They've got me. He thought as he frantically tried to think of a way out of this situation. If they injected him, it was over. His mission would fail and he and Bertholdt would never be able to return home as a result. He needed something, anything, to cut himself with. Then, he could be free and he could fight.

Then, he saw it. A chance that needed to be taken. The needle of sedative that was coming for him was his only shot. A long one, to be sure, but there was no other option left. He needed to scratch himself with it.

The Scout pinned his head to the ground with one hand and moved the needle towards his neck. He struggled a bit to loosen the man's grip on his head, and, in a panic, the Scout tried to inject him quickly. With all the strength he manage, he turned his head sharply, causing the needle to slash his neck instead of impaling it. The Scout gasped, recoiling a bit before moving to try again. However, the damage was already done.

Energy crackled around Reiner as the transformation began. It rejuvenated his energy, making him feel strong once more. He didn't know how these people figured out who he was, but it didn't matter. Despite the advanced warning, there was nothing they could to stop him. He was going home, and Eren would be dragged along with him.

He saw another Scout move to cut his head off, but then lightning struck his body. It was too late for them.


A phrase that Hanji learned quickly during her time with the Scouts was that no plan survives first contact. She cursed herself for not using a far stronger sedative for the Shifters, but she had to think fast for a solution. The moment energy started crackling around Reiner, she knew the situation would escalate, so she did the only thing she could do.

"Everyone, get back!" she yelled, pulling a couple of her subordinates away from them.

She took notice that a Scout had attempted to kill Reiner before the transformation was complete, and for the briefest of moments, she believed that he was fast enough. Any hopes were dashed the moment lightning struck his body.

Naturally, that Scout and any of the others that didn't heed her warnings were caught in the blast and killed instantly. To make matters worse, his transformation set off Bertholdt's transformation, causing a chain reaction of explosions. The blast was strong enough to send nearly everyone flying off the wall, though the Scouts were able to grapple onto the ledge. Despite not having ODM gear, Connie and Historia were able to stay on top while shielding Dillon albeit barely. The wind continuing to bluster around them as the transformation was completed, the two Titans letting out their roars.

The Colossal Titan, this time around, was only half formed. Instead of legs, his waist consisted of claw-like bones that kept his body attached to the top. His long arm stretched out towards Ymir, who went flying as a result of the blast, and caught her, trapping in his fist.

"Ymir!" Historia cried out.

The Armored Titan, on the other hand, manifested himself completely. His yellow, glowing eyes pierced through the smoke, giving off a very ominous aura. The skinless body was covered in yellow-brown armor that wasn't going to be easy to get through. He spotted Eren in midair, having been blasted off the ledge before he could get away, and snatched him quickly, glaring at him. Quickly, the Titan jumped off the edge, sliding down the Wall with his objective literally in hand.

Eyes blazing with fury, Eren screamed, "Damn you, you traitors!" before sinking his teeth into his hand.

Quicker than it usually took, the Rogue Titan manifested around Eren, hand already turned into a punch. With a roar, Eren smashed Reiner's head into the Wall as they slid down before making a hard landing. It resulted in two large craters being formed, one for each Titan.

"Eren!" Mikasa shouted as she landed on the side of the wall, worried about him. With gritted teeth, she stared up at the Colossal Titan. She couldn't believe that no matter the precautions they took, they still weren't enough for these bastards. By sheer, dumb luck, they were able to escape. It was a relief that this wasn't happening in a populated city like the last time they tried to capture a Titan Shifter, but this felt more humiliating.

On top of the Wall, Hanji and her section along with Mike, Nanaba, and Gelgar, stared at Bertholdt, waiting for him to make the first move. Steam was emitting from his entire body, making them feel like they were standing in front of the furnace. He finally reared his arm back, ready to strike.

"Move, everyone," Hanji commanded.

With two Scouts grabbing Historia, Connie, and Dillon, the Scouts turned tail and ran as the massive hand came crashing down. Most of them were able to get away. However, one soldier wasn't so fortunate as he was crushed underneath its palm. They watched in horror as the monster tossed both Ymir and the dead soldier into his mouth, slamming it shut soon afterwards.

"Shit," Keiji swore as he and the rest of the Scouts landed on the side of the Wall.

"No, this isn't happening," Sasha said, trying to deny what her eyes were seeing.

"How could Bertholdt…?" Armin couldn't finish, still grieved that one of his friends was a traitor and a killer.

Historia was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe that she lost the woman she loved.

Hanji, however, was reaching a boiling point. Not only did the plan fail spectacularly, but now she lost one of her men to that monster. If that didn't seal his and the Armored Titan's fate, nothing else would.

"Soldiers, prepare to attack," she ordered, taking charge. "The Colossal Titan doesn't walk away from this. It's a curse to all mankind. Swarm and terminate!"

Determined, the Scouts followed Hanji up the wall, flying above Bertholdt. This would deplete their tanks tremendously, but as long as they could kill him, it would be all worth it. With a growl, he threw a punch at the group Hanji was in, but they managed to split off in the nick of time, zooming down his arm like annoying flies. Getting irritated, Bertholdt attempted to punch another group that was attempting to get close, but like the others, they narrowly dodged his slow attacks.

"This guy's slower than I thought he'd be," Gelgar said.

"With a body that big, it should be no surprise," Nanaba replied.

Both groups combined into one large section as they divebombed toward his unguarded nape.

"He's wide open," Hanji yelled. "Slice the nape!"

As things usually went when fighting Shifters, it was never that easy. Letting out an ear-piercing roar, a tidal wave of steam jettisoned out from his body, aimed at the Scouts. They were knocked out of the air by the scalding heat, screaming in pain as they were burned.

"Fall back," Hanji ordered quickly as she managed to get her bearings. "Fall back!"

Fortunately, no one was killed by the defense mechanism, but many of them sustained more than a few burns.

"My… my hand," one of the Scouts said, dropping his sword as he clutched his burning hand.

"Water! We need water," a blonde-haired Scout, Rashad, announced.

Hanji stared at, for lack of a better description, the Titan-sized, out-of-control geyser with a clenched a fist. "Ugh, he's vanishing."

"I don't know," Armin countered, watching the scene intently. "Something's different here. The last time he disappeared, it was, more or less, instantaneous. He's maintaining his form to emit heat. I think he's protecting himself." He tested his theory by launching a hook at him, only for the hot air and steam to blow it right back. "As long as he generates steam, our rigs are useless. What do we do?"

"Annie told us that this would be a possibility," Mike pointed out, remembering the amount of information she gave them regarding the other Shifters. "While it's a great defense mechanism, it can't last forever."

"You're right," Hanji agreed. "All we can do is wait." She turned to address her section. "Squads 3 and 4, take position behind the target. Rashad has command."

"Got it," Rashad replied.

"Squad 2, stay put. Lauda has command."

"Understood," a black-haired man with a bit of a ponytail, Lauda, responded.

Mike spoke to the survivors from the Utgard Castle Assault. "You are all on stand-by for any equipment we need including extra gas, water, and blades. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir!" they answered.

Hanji walked over to Dillon once more, who was being helped to his feet. "Any chance you can make our lives easier and mind blast the son of a bitch?"

The blacksmith shook his head. "Not yet. I'm doing all I can to stay conscious."

Hanji froze as a crazy thought, even for her, popped up. The rock throws seemed random, the only objective being to cause as much chaos and damage as possible. Two things resulted from the Beast Titan's attack: Annie ran off to engage him and Dillon was unable to fight back. Essentially, two valuable assets were taken out of play. What if that was his plan the entire time?

A frustrated noise erupted out of Hanji as she went back to her subordinates. "The minute he comes up, we rush the big bastard," she went on before addressing Armin. "Forget taking them alive. We destroy them here and now. No second thoughts."

Armin's eyes widened for a brief moment before steeling himself. They had made their choice, and they would face the consequences.

"You're with me," she added before jumping off the Wall. "Squad 1, look alive. We've got a date with the Armored Titan. Mike, you see an opening, take it."

"Naturally," he replied.

"Krista, Connie, stay further back," Nifa advised as the two cadets in question carried a couple of Scouts to safety. "For now, just take care of those two."

Before she could leave, Historia spoke up. "Ymir, she… she's not dead. It just isn't possible. I know it." She stared up at her with tears filling up. "Please save her!"

"Don't worry," Nifa assured, returning to the others.

Dillon noticed that he wasn't told to stay back as well. Perhaps he'd be able to be useful after all soon.

Mike stared at the Colossal Titan with disgust. "You and your comrades have caused nothing but grief, pain, and death for the past five years. Today marks your day of reckoning, and you two won't escape from it."


(Wall Rose Territory)

Once Annie was close enough, the Beast Titan backhanded her hard enough to send her crashing through several trees. She let out a groan, berating herself for letting her emotions take control like that. Her eyes widened as he effortlessly uprooted a tree. He ran at her and brought it down like a club, but she managed to roll out of the way. Hardening her foot, she kicked his knee, breaking it instantly. He fell to one knee and she immediately followed up with a hardened kick to his oversized stomach immediately, sending him onto his back.

"I see you haven't lost your fighting prowess," the Beast Titan complemented as his knee began healing.

Annie didn't respond as she dashed towards him. An opportunity like this wouldn't come again. However, he pushed himself up with his hands and kicked her in the gut, downing her. She had forgotten that, despite his size, he was much quicker than any preconceived notions she had. The only strategy for this fight was to wear him down. For now, she would have to conserve her crystalizing and wait for the opportune moment.

Smirking, the Beast Titan charged her, swinging away with the tree. She jumped back from his first swipe and by his next swipe, she performed a spin kick without hardening her leg, breaking the tree in half. However, it nearly broke her leg, leaving her with a limp for the moment. When he tossed what was left of the tree at her, she simply knocked it aside. With those gangly arms, it was going to be a challenge to get past them. Now, if she could just rip them off, she would have a much better chance at defeating him.

However, he scooped up the ground and threw it right into her face, blinding her temporarily. Trying to anticipate his next attack, she moved left, but instead, she got caught in a chokehold and was slammed against a tree. Luckily, Annie thought fast and sliced his fingers off with her hardened ones. He let out a pained roar as she quickly snaked behind him. Jaw opening wide, she moved to tear out his nape but when she bit down, her teeth were shattered on impact. Her eyes widened in shock when she saw that his nape was hardened. What?

"Did I forget to mention I could do that?" the Beast Titan as he elbowed Annie in the gut, causing her to crash through some more trees. "Must have slipped my mind."

An animalistic snarl made its way out of the Female Titan's throat, her mouth dripping with blood. Nevertheless, she stood, taking her fighting stance. Zeke, you fucking bastard!

He sighed sadly. "It seems that you do not understand the futility of your situation. Perhaps five more minutes should be enough for you to see the truth."


(Wall Maria Territory)

Eren wasn't doing quite as well as he hoped. He was punching Reiner repeatedly with everything he had, yet they were doing little to no damage. To make matters worse, throughout his punching, one of his hands were completely destroyed. Having enough, the Armored Titan punched him once in the face. It sent him flying into the air and he crashed to the ground on his back, skidding across the ground. His face was wrecked by that one blow, and that just pissed him off.

Reiner, you lying, piece of shit. Eren thought furiously. Going off by what it means to be a soldier, always talking about honor. Played us all for fools, huh? Combat training must have been a joke to you. How much were you holding back? And here, I took you to be a stand-up guy. Calm under pressure, intensely focused, a sort of man who puts his comrades before himself.

The ground shook as the Armored Titan approached him slowly.

Damn you. I'd have given anything in the world to be half as strong as you. You were my hero.

Mikasa decided to launch her own attack, going for the nape. Since it was armored like the rest of his body, the blades broke off on impact. Oh, come on! Replenishing her blades, she tried to get the back of his legs and achieved the exact same result. Where the hell are Annie and Dillon when you need them? "Eren!"

His energy returning to him, Eren's wounds began rejuvenating. Rage coursed through his body as he thought about that day five years ago, how these two were responsible for everything that happened. Hey, Reiner, asshole, I don't know what kind of face you're making right now, but I hope you miserable pieces of shit are pleased with yourselves. If you think I care about what kind of life you lived that brought you to this point, then you're the greatest idiot of all.

Desperate, Mikasa landed on Reiner's shoulder and tried impaling it, hoping it would do something, but all it did was whittle her blade down to nothing. Her eyes widened in shock as Eren slowly rose up, absolute murder in his eyes. Wisely, she got away from the two.

You deserve to be erased. Trash like you can't be allowed to exist. What was going through your head? You disgust me. Just thinking about your face makes my insides churn. You make me wanna puke! Even his own thoughts sounded more akin to an animal than a human. You're a pest! A revolting PARASITE! PEST! AND PESTS… HAVE TO BE EXTERMINATED!

With another roar, Eren landed the hardest punch he had ever thrown, which did absolutely nothing. Unfazed, Reiner punched Eren once again, resulting in him taking to the skies... again, and plummeting to the ground… again.

However, that punch jogged something in Eren's mind: a memory that seemed like a lifetime ago.


With a pained grunt, Eren fell flat on his back, sustaining more bruises than before. "Hey, take it easy. That hurt! We're just sparring. You're supposed to hold back a little."

Annie stared down at him, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "If you want to hold back, that's your business. I defend myself assuming you're coming at me with everything you've got. Otherwise, what's the point? Let's remember: I'm the girl. I'm weaker. I have to protect my frail, little body from the big, bad man."

"What? Ha hah, Annie. Very funny. You're a riot," he replied, not at all amused by her patronizing tone. "Frail little nothing. I'm the one who just got shoved in the dirt, you know."

"Good point," she conceded, dropping the rifle and taking a few steps towards him once he was back on his feet. "That last move wasn't about who's stronger, okay? I was using a special defense technique. Comes in handy when your opponent has a few pounds on you." Once again, she got into her fighting stance everyone knew her for. "Trust me. You could benefit from learning it."

Eren took a couple of steps back. "Uh, sure. What do you say we take a break now-?"

Annie launched a punch at him which he barely dodged. He tried to return the favor in a panic, but she easily wrapped her arm around his neck from the front. With apparent ease, she threw him to the ground. He frantically tried to escape her chokehold and was failing miserably as he was unable to breathe.

"That's enough, Annie," he protested weakly. "You can let go."

Annie scoffed. "Come on. I've barely shown you how this works and already, you're surrendering? There's a twofold benefit here, or don't you wanna learn how to talk to women?"

His face was getting redder as he resorted to begging, feeling like he was going to blackout any second. "All right, whatever. Just, please, stop strangling me!" It took so much to even talk.

"Ah, so you are interested in what I can show you."

"And that doesn't sound suggestive in the slightest," a familiar voice snarked.

Rolling her eyes, Annie looked up at Dillon. "What, are you jealous?"

"Yes, I am envying the position you have put Eren in," he said in a deadpan tone, making no moves to help him.

She flashed him a smirk. "Then stick around. I can show you some of my better moves."

"Amsdale, get her off me, you bastard," Eren demanded, strained.

Before he could do just that, there was a loud yell. Annie looked up to see Reiner's body being flung towards her. She narrowly jumped out of the way, causing the cadet to land directly on Eren. It at least got the job done.

"Not really sure I want to know how you got here," Eren said, thinking they might need to make a stop at the infirmary.

Reiner only responded with a groan.

"Hey, Annie, your technique seems really solid," the assailant being Mikasa said dangerously. "Teach me."

"Not this again," Dillon muttered, wisely getting out of the way.

Annie sighed, getting up and circling her. "I'm flattered, but it's a method for normal people. So, why would you ever need it? Still, I'm curious to know if it can work on animals." She re-entered her stance while giving a look to Dillon that told him to stay out of it. "Let's find out."

That caught the attention of the cadets as they quickly abandoned combat training to watch this fight go down.

"Is this happening? Holy crap," Eren said, shocked.

"Hold up!" Connie interjected. "Are these two about to fight?"

"This is gonna be epic," Sasha added with excitement.

"Who do we bet on?" Daz asked.

"Who else? Annie," Marco answered.

That earned him a death glare on Jean. "What? Idiot! Dinner says Mikasa wipes the floor with her."

"Careful, Jean," Dillon warned with a smirk and crossed arms. "That's my girlfriend you're talking about, and combat skill beats ludicrous strength any day of the week."

Reiner massaged his sore head before asking Eren, "So, who do you think's gonna win?"

"Well, I…" The boy was at a loss for words. "Honestly, I don't know."


Unfortunately, the memory came to an abrupt end just as the Rogue Titan hit the ground with a very deformed face as a result of the punch.

Wait, how did that play out? Eren wondered. And why's it coming to me now? Is this… is this my life flashing before my eyes? Eyes narrowing, he began getting back up to attack the approaching Armored Titan. So, what? Who gives a shit? It's not like it matters. Not when I feel like this!

"No!" Armin shouted to him. "Back down. You can't win in a fist fight. Make a break for the Wall."

Eren ignored him as he faced his opponent, eyes glowing with a frozen grin on his face.

"Eren, don't be rash," Armin pleaded once more.

The only response he would give was a roar, blood and a couple of teeth flying out of his mouth.

"Eren!" Mikasa yelled, trying to snap him out of his rage.

Armin's eyes widened in horror. "Oh, no."

"He's blinded by rage," Hanji noted. Again.

Almost as if he was bored at this point, Reiner threw another punch at him just Eren did the same.

The second before it made contact, however, Eren ducked out of the way in time. He wrapped his arms around his neck, trapping his arm and constricting his neck. With a roar, he used Reiner's weight against him, pulling him down to the ground.

The Scouts on the Wall were shocked by this development.

"What the hell is he doing?" Hanji questioned.

A huge grin appeared on Dillon's face. "He's in control."

Eren's wounds healed as eyes returned to normal. He was in control of his Titan as he raised a fist for a punch. You know what? Even when Annie was on your side, your master plan seems to have a few holes in it.

Reiner managed to get one of his arms free as he attempted to get on top. Luckily, it was all part of Eren's plan. As he went down, he wrapped his legs around his neck and shoulder in a triangle-choke.

Wanna eradicate humanity? Maybe next time, don't teach me how to kick your ass!

Reiner struggled to get out of it, but the Rogue Titan was clenching too tight. So tight, in fact, that his armor on his shoulder started to crack.

There's still a chance. Eren realized.

Trying to escape, Reiner grabbed his leg and began to stand up, preparing to lift and slam him.

I don't think so. Quickly, Eren countered by lifting his leg up and slamming him into the ground with it. It was hard enough to break the ground and uproot the trees around them. Keeping him pinned with his legs, Eren pulled Reiner's arm back, causing it to crack. He let out a triumphant roar as he managed to rip it off, his arm now ending at the elbow. The severed arm landed next to Mikasa, who jumped when it crashed nearby.

"He did it," she said, amazed that he pulled it off.

Eren released Reiner at last, prepared to go again.

"Eren, can you hear me?" Armin shouted once he and Mikasa got close enough.

The Rogue Titan stared down at them, wondering what they wanted.

"Run away! You've got to get closer to the Wall," he strongly advised. "They're trying to abduct you. We can't let them do that. Trust me, escape is our best option."

"You say that, but come on, Armin," Mikasa interjected. "They're not just gonna let us leave."

On cue, Reiner stood back up, letting out a pained growl as steam emitted from his stump.

Behind the cadets, a blonde man with glasses, nicknamed Goggles, spoke to them. "Both of you, fall back now."

Grunting in annoyance, Mikasa did as ordered along with Armin. However, what they didn't expect was for Eren to follow them, stopping at the Wall. His eyes were still on Reiner, prepared for anything.

Come on, come on. Dillon thought as his eyes began to glow. If he couldn't even do this, there was no point. Finally, he managed to link Eren up with the majority of the Scouts. "I've got Eren linked up."

"Linked up?" Sasha asked, confused.

"Can you all hear me?" Eren's distorted voice asked.

Exclamations and swears sounded throughout the group, not expecting that. It brought Dillon some amusement.

Giggling madly, Hanji, grappled down to Eren's shoulder. "Loud and clear, Eren. Now, listen up. If we're going to get you out of here, you've got to buy us some time. Stop Reiner dead in his tracks. Think you break off his leg with another one of those joint holds?"

"Yes, I can," he answered.

Satisfied, she looked up at the Psion. "Dillon, give him hell, but keep your distance."

"Got it," Dillon responded, ready this time. "He won't see it coming."

Seeing that Mikasa didn't have any blades since she used them up on trying to break through Reiner's armor, Armin offered up his. "Mikasa, take my blades."

Nodding, she quickly replenished her stock.

"I'm counting on both you!" Hanji said, getting off his shoulder and back to the Wall.

"My concentration is going to be solely on Reiner's mind," Dillon told Eren once he was closer. "If he physically tries to go after me, let me know."

"Don't worry," he assured. "He won't be in a position to go after you."

"Let's show these bastards what we're made of." He gave him a smirk before grappling towards some trees.

"This is the one time where running away guarantees victory," Eren thought as he got into a fighter's stance. "You guys are screwed for letting us see your true colors. You've backed yourselves into a—"

"Uh, Eren, we can still hear you," Hanji interrupted.

Before Eren could respond, he gasped when he saw Reiner making a mad dash towards him, faster than they thought he could run.

No, you don't. Dillon thought as his eyes flashed, striking him with a strong, mental assault.

Reiner stumbled as he clutched his head in pain, but he was still running. However, the mental attack was enough for Eren to dive out of the way as he hit the Wall hard. The people on top felt it shake a bit, but there was no danger of them falling.

From the angle he was at, Dillon could see exactly why the Armored Titan was able to run. "Hanji, the backs of his legs are exposed. Now's your chance!"

Eyes widening, Hanji looked to Mikasa and gave her a nod. It was time to end this.

Even as Dillon kept up his mental attacks and the fact that Reiner's face was beginning to bleed, he still kept going. In fact, he made another run for him that Eren couldn't escape from.

"Bring it on," he taunted as Reiner rammed his head into his stomach.

The two went down, but Eren managed to wrap his legs around Reiner's back and wrap his arms around his neck. The Armored Titan tried to pull the arm off and slip out of his grasp, and Eren was beginning to feel his grip slipping, but Mikasa intervened. With a yell, she sliced open the back of his knee. Unable to stand on it, Reiner leg gave way, giving Eren the chance to further this chance. He slammed his head, further into the ground, choking the life out of him as the armor on his back began to crack.

He let out screams as the pain in his head grew worse since Dillon was going to town on Reiner's mind. From the brief flashes he could see, it seemed that he had a lot of trauma in him, which was exactly the perfect spot to strike. It didn't matter what caused Reiner to go down this path, or the pain he went through. All that mattered was ending him once and for all. This is for Shiganshina, Trost, and Marco, you son of a bitch.

Getting on his hands and knees, Reiner slowly began crawling, trying to get Eren off of him, but the Rogue Titan's grip was iron. He wasn't letting go anytime soon.

"What's he doing?" Armin asked.

Keiji chuckled. "Hah! Good luck, pal."

"You got him," Nifa cheered. "Keep it up!"

After 20 seconds of crawling, Reiner came to a halt to the surprise of the Scouts. With nothing left to do, he began letting out screams that sounded desperation.

Hanji's eyes widened, remembering the last time a Shifter began screaming like that. "Everyone, be on guard. He's calling for backup!"

Goggles quickly grappled to a vantage point and stated, "No sign of incoming Titans."

"He's got no chance in Hell," Keiji said angrily. "Try screaming without a head, asshole. It's almost off."

On cue, the nape finally started to crack, blood pouring from it.

Connie, however, stared down at the scene in worry. "I don't like this. There had to be some reason for that scream."

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound that filled the air. He and the Scouts looked at the Colossal Titan, the source of the sound.

"What the…?" Connie's eyes widened, finally realizing what was going on. "No, no, no, no!"

The bone-like claws detached, causing Bertholdt to tilt in the direction of the Titans.

"Above you! Look out!" Mike screamed.

Eren looked up to see the Colossal Titan plummeting towards him with his mouth wide open and eyes bright red. Even Dillon stopped his attacks the moment he heard the declaration. There was no way either of them could get away fast enough, so they braced themselves for what was to come.


(Wall Rose Territory)

Panting heavily, Annie took her fighting stance yet again as she slowly got back to her feet. While she was able to score many blows against the Beadt Titan, he kept throwing her around and delivering blows that constantly sent her flying. He was tiring her out, and it was working. She couldn't keep this up for long, and he knew it. That being said, there was no way in hell that she would ever give up.

With a loud roar, Annie hardened her leg and spun it in an attempt to take his head off. Unfortunately, he grabbed hold of it and flung her into a more trees. This time, she landed on a jagged stump that popped out of her stomach. She thrashed in pain, trying to get up, but she was unsucessful.

Her eyes widened in horror as Zeke approached her. She attempted to kick him, but he simply grabbed one of the legs and twisted his wrist. Annie screamed as her leg was torn off, leaving a bloody stump behind.

He waited until the screaming stopped to speak. "You fought well, Annie," the Beast Titan said sincerely as he tossed the limb aside. "No one could ask for more than that from you, but I'm afraid that it was inevitable you would lose." His hand fastened around her nape quicker than she could harden it, not that she could in her position. "I'll give your father your regards."

With a tight squeeze, he crushed the back of Annie's neck, targeting the spot where she laid.

The Female Titan began to distegrate as he examined the gore in his hands. Amidst all the disappearing blood and flesh, he did not see the trace of a human within it. His ears detected the sounds of ODM gear, and he watched as Annie sped away without looking back. He wasn't fast enough to chase her, and the trees would interfere with whatever he threw at her.

"You always knew how to run," Zeke muttered, lumbering away.


(Wall Maria Territory)

The moment the Colossal Titan impacted the Shifters, his body released an explosion of hot air and steam with a large radius. The Scouts on the Wall were engulfed by the blast in an instant. Armin was about to be blown away as well, but Sasha grappled down and shielded him, having her back face the explosion. Mikasa tried to stand up to the roaring winds, but the tree beneath her gave way, causing her to fly off. The same thing happened to Dillon, who, despite using his powers to push the blast away from, was unable to prevent the tree from crumbling beneath her. The people on top of the Walls were forced to hold on tightly lest they succumb to the fate of their peers.

As if things couldn't get any worse, the Armored Titan was finally free if his roar was anything to go by. Eren was lying motionless beneath him, giving him the opportunity to bite down on his nape and pull it out, taking his real body into his mouth.

Once the explosion began to subside, Bertholdt crawled out of his Titan with ODM gear attached to his back and a motionless Ymir in his arms. As Reiner began retreating, he fired the cable into his back, landing on him and hanging on. However, there was one more person they needed to get.

Slowing down to a halt, Reiner glared down at Dillon, who was lying against the trunk of a broken tree. Combined with the burns on his body and his exhaustion, the Psion was on the verge of passing out, leaving him vulnerable to whatever he had planned. Reiner considered killing him, but he wanted answers before doing so. Without a second thought, he snatched him from the ground and tossed him into his mouth before continuing his run.

"Eren! Dillon!" Armin screamed, his voice echoing in the winds.

All their planning, all their attempts to get one step ahead of the Shifters had been in vain. Now, not only did they escape capture, but they managed to take two people that were crucial to winning against the Titans and the Marleyans. A blow was struck, and unless they could act fast, they wouldn't recover from this.


Remastered Edits: Not as much as last time, though I decided to fix Zeke intending to spare her. He's ruthless, so he's gonna try and finish the job.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I look forward to your reviews, and I'll see you all in the next one.