Mitras – Wall Sina
2 Days since the 57th expedition
11:13 am
Eren let out a long, tired sigh. He was, yet again, in a cold and dark prison cell, several metres underground waiting for someone else to decide his fate. He idly wondered if this was his life from now on, being moved from cell to cellar, then back to a cell when things went wrong.
He rubbed his wrists as he sat on the uncomfortable prison bed, privately admitting it was at least slightly better than last time. They hadn't chained him to the wall like a wild animal and had even permitted Petra and Captain Levi to stand guard outside his cell, instead of two angry MPs. So at least he had people to talk to.
It had been nearly two days since that strange meeting in the Commander's office and, unsurprisingly, Erwin had been right. A squad of MPs had turned up at the Scout's headquarters this morning at first light and handed Erwin a missive from the Premier, summoning him, Eren and the remnants of the special operation squad to the capital.
At the commander's request, Petra and Levi had grabbed their 3MD gear before heading out.
Even at that early hour, the castle was quiet. A good portion of the corp had been shipped out the day before, escorting carts full of training supplies in numerous directions. He had asked Petra where they were going, but she wasn't too sure herself.
"Looks like most of the recruits are going, so it might be a training exercise to determine which squad they'll be placed in. The Commander gets the final say, but squad leaders can put in a request if someone catches their eye." She explained with a shrug. "Normally they would all train together, but I guess that isn't practical with that many recruits."
He had been fortunate enough to see Armin and Mikasa off. It had been weeks since he had been able to spend more than a handful of minutes with them, and even now he could only smile and wave as they left.
They rode alongside a sweating Bertholdt, a scowling Horseface and several other people he knew from bootcamp with Hanji leading them out.
She had taken a strange liking towards Armin and was avidly talking to him over her shoulder about her Titan theories and past experiments. Judging from the strained look on his friend's face when he waved back, Hanji had been doing so for a while now.
They left the castle with before the morning dew had dried and maintained a steady pace as they travelled. Levi and the Commander rode some distance ahead, having a private discussion. This left Eren and Petra to make idle talk to pass the time; they exchanged stories about their time in bootcamp and couldn't help but laugh at the wild stories of drunken shenanigans or ill-conceived pranks they both had.
It was nice to be just a normal soldier, even if it only lasted for an hour or two.
When they approached Hermina, the southern district of Wall Sina, they were joined by a small army of MPs, who 'guided' them through the city, clearing the streets by barking orders and brandishing rifles at any civilians who blocked their path.
It didn't stop plenty of people from coming out and pointing at them.
"Oh my… That's the titan boy!"
"They let that thing in here?! What are they thinking?"
"My cousin in the Garrison told me she saw him lifting that boulder in Trost."
"Wow, he looks so young. I thought he'd be older."
Most of the residents were just curious and wanted to see him. Eren tried to ignore what they were saying about him, but it was difficult. Some people were supportive, a few even called him the 'Hero of Trost', as if he was the only one.
But for every bit of undeserved praise he received, he heard twice as many insults; Monster, Titan scum, Bastard, etc. He struggled to remain calm.
Eventually, to Eren's immense relief, the crowd started to thin out and they passed through the inner gate without him exploding at someone for making another vile comment about his mother and his conception.
Rather than returning to their duties in the city, the MPs followed them all the way to the gates of the defence ministry, located in the very heart of the capital. As they entered the massive parade ground out front, they met Commander Dawk and his personal retinue of soldiers.
"You're earlier Erwin, Pixis hasn't arrived yet and the Premier is in another meeting. You can wait inside, but Yeager must be secured underground until the meeting is concluded."
"Is that necessary Nile? Eren isn't a threat to us."
"That's not for you to decide. The security of this meeting is paramount and it's too dangerous to let him roam about." Nile waved his men forward.
Eren carefully dismounted his horse with a dozen rifles pointed at him, knowing full well they wouldn't hesitate to shoot him if he stepped out of line. A younger MP trod forward, holding out a pair of shackles with shaky hands.
The fearful MP went to clamp them around Eren's wrists when Levi stepped forward, blocking the man's path.
"Eren is a scout, not a common criminal. You're not cuffing him." He spoke directly at Nile. The fact he was a superior officer meant absolutely nothing to humanity's strongest.
This defiance almost caused the tense situation to boil over, as a dozen more rifles were quickly levelled in their direction. But Levi remained unfazed and unmoving, almost daring the MPs to try it.
After several long seconds Nile relented, more concerned with getting Eren underground than binding his hands. "Fine, forget the bloody cuffs. Just get him to a cell."
With the rifles still pointed at him, Eren was led through the grandiose building and down a long spiral staircase into the basement and placed in the deepest cell they could find. The ear-splitting screech the door made when it was pulled open told him exactly how long it had been since someone was last placed in here.
When Levi saw the inch-thick dust lying on every surface, his right eye twitched and he quickly pulled up his cravat to cover his mouth. It hadn't been moved since.
Eren thought this whole thing was completely unnecessary; he was loyal to humanity, even if they didn't trust him.
'I want to kill the Titans more than anyone. What do I have to do to prove I'm on their side?' That question brought forth another sigh as he kicked his legs back and forth in frustration.
"Yeager, knock that shit off. Being in this filthy basement is bad enough without your constant sighing." Levi ordered, "It's giving me a headache."
"Sorry, Sir." He mumbled back, not feeling particularly sorry. All he could do now was wait and hope that the Commander comes back with some good news.
"So, Erwin, please explain to me how, despite having Eren Yeager at your disposal, the survey corp was forced to retreat only a few hours after leaving Calaneth. I placed him in your custody because you told me you'd be able to retake Wall Maria with his powers. Yet all you have to show for the trust I put in you is two dozen of dead soldiers, including three of our best, and the complete failure to achieve any of the objectives for this expedition."
Dhalis Zachary sat at the head of the large oak table, fingers steepled in front of him, and with a face so devoid of emotion it could've been carved from stone.
Pixis and Nile sat either side of the table to represent their regiments in this debriefing. It was unusual for all four heads of the military to be in one room, ignoring the potential security threat it created, their constant and demanding responsibilities normally prevent such a meeting from occurring. Only in the most serious situation do all four of them meet.
Apparently listening to Erwin defending himself, his corp and their continued custody of Eren Yeager counted as a serious situation.
"My apologies Premier, but while you are correct that we failed to retake Wall Maria, that wasn't the only objective for this expedition."
"Ever since the breach four years ago, humanity has been operating on the belief that the Armoured and Colossal Titan were just two very abnormal, perhaps even intelligent, Titans and that the attack had been a one-off disaster. However, since the Trost incursion and the discovery of Eren's powers, I believed that a new theory had to be considered. That they were not Titans at all but are in fact 'shifters' like Eren."
He let the thought hang for a moment, taking in the mixed reactions from his fellow commanders.
Zachary's face continued to be unreadable, Pixis seemed contemplative while Nile looked sceptical.
"Testing this theory was our principal objective for that expedition. If I was correct, these shifters wouldn't allow Eren to fight alongside us, his power would be too much of a threat to their plan, so they would likely try to either capture or kill him. And they did."
"The Armoured Titan appeared within our formation, breaking up the right flank before heading toward the centre. Anticipating this, I redirected the formation into a nearby forest, intending to capture the Armoured using our restraining cannons, and using Eren and the special operation squad as a lure. Unfortunately, I underestimated our target's strength and the trap failed."
"Captain Levi then followed our contingency plan, of ensuring Eren's safety no matter the cost. Eld Jinn, Oluo Bozado and Gunther Schultz gave their lives for this purpose, and Petra Ral would have died had it not been for the sudden appearance of another Titan."
"A Female Titan."
Pixis noticeable sat up in his chair. "I'm sorry, my old ears must be failing me; it sounded like you just said a 'Female' Titan?" The man asked, sounding almost hopeful.
"I did. It was a 15m class, mostly skinless but had a distinctly feminine body shape including what we would recognise as mammary glands. The only such example of these features ever being seen on a Titan. It also showed signs of intelligence and an understanding of martial combat, similar to Eren's Titan and the Armoured."
The elderly man did a quick double-take at the flask in his hand before setting it aside with a dreamy smile. "It's real." He breathed out, gazing into the middle distance.
Many miles away, a girl with a red scarf felt a shiver go down her spine.
Zachary rolled his eyes at Pixis's behaviour and prompted Erwin to continue.
"According to Petra's testimony, the two Titans engaged in a battle for some time, before the Female picked Petra up and led the Armoured Titan deeper into the forest, away from Eren and Levi. After 'she' placed Petra somewhere safe, the fight resumed. The Armoured seemed to be winning at first before the Female Titan created some kind of crystalline layering around her hands, which could damage the Armoured's defences, and started gaining the upper hand."
"When I eventually arrived with reinforcements, both Titans were injured and fled when we attempted to surround them."
"I gave the order to pursue, but with gas supplies running low and the denseness of the inner forest obstructing our lines of sight we lost track of the Armoured Titan, but we did discover the remains of the Female. It had torn open its own nape, and we found this inside." Erwin reached into his pocket, pulling out the object and placing it on the table.
The three men looked at it for a moment, before glancing at each other in confusion.
Zachary sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"… Erwin, why have you put a bloody rag on my table?" he asked, sounding somewhat annoyed.
Using two fingers, Erwin slides the object across the table allowing his fellow Commanders to have a closer look.
"This rag is a torn fragment from a scout's cloak. It has the same texture and colouring and because of our need for more weather-resistant clothing than the rest of the military, it's made from a thicker material. From the conditions of the Titan's remains, we believe that the shifter inside accidentally ripped their cloak and injured themselves during their escape."
"Hang on a minute. Erwin, are you saying that this 'Female Titan' is a scout?" Nile interrupted.
"Yes." Was Erwin's simple reply. "and there's something else."
"During the expedition, there was a 7 minutes period between the Armoured Titan's first appearance and when it entered the forest. During that time someone fired off a brown flare on the right flank. At the time, this was assumed to be a defective red flare, which isn't unheard of. But with what we now know about the Female Titan, I suspect it was, in fact, a signal, purposely made to informing the shifter about the approaching threat."
That caused a stir; the very existence of shifters was a grave threat to humanity, someone who had the power of a Titan but could hide in plain sight was a defensive nightmare, especially when the only thing standing between humanity and extinction via Titan was four gates. So, the possibility of someone within the ranks could be assisting the shifters was a sobering thought. How could they deal with this new threat when they can't even trust their own soldiers?
"So, your giant lady Titan must have at least one accomplice within your ranks." Pixis mused as he rubbed his chin. "And they must have anticipated this attack as well. Otherwise, why have a special flare?"
"Could this person be a shifter as well?" Nile queried, looking grim. If the survey corp had already been infiltrated by multiple shifters despite its small size, how many were hiding in the Garrison? Or in his regiment? Could one of them be guarding the King as they speak?
"Let us summarise." Zachary had stood up and walked towards his large window, gazing upon the busy parade ground below.
"The Armoured and Colossal Titans are probably 'shifters' like Yeager, and may have infiltrated our armed forces, and therefore would have an in-depth understanding of our weaponry, tactics and vulnerabilities. The fact the Armoured appeared within the formation rather than approaching it indicates they're a member of the survey corp, while the Colossal remains unaccounted for."
"And not only that, there's at least one other shifter who has been hiding in the scouts for Walls know how long, and for whatever reason, these shifters are fighting one another."
He turned around the face them, the morning sunlight silhouetting his form.
"If I didn't know any better, I would say we have been caught in the middle of a civil war." Zachary let out a huff.
"I won't allow humanity to be collateral damage in their war, we've already lost far too much. Erwin, do you have any leads about the shifter's identities? They seem to be drawn to your regiment after all." The semi-accusatory tone in his voice wasn't missed by anyone.
Erwin held his head high, unfazed by the accusation. He would have kept the others in the dark about the shifters if he didn't have any leads, he didn't want them doing something rash to flush the shifters out.
"At this moment we have very few leads regarding the true identity of the Female Titan. If we assume the shifter is also female, that leaves approximately 35% of the corp suspect. Right now, there is only a handful of women we can fully rule out, mainly those who were in the reinforcement squad who witnessed the Female Titan first-hand. As for the collaborator, all we know is that they were on the right flank. Their age, rank and gender are completely unknown to us at this point."
Leaning down, Erwin pulled six files out of his bag and placed them on the table.
"However, significantly more progress has been made on the Armoured Titan's identity. Our investigation points towards them being a former member of the 104th cadet corp."
Nile interrupted with a scoff. "I find that hard to believe, Erwin. Shifters are one thing, but do you seriously think that the Titan which broke through wall Maria, dooming thousands, and wiped out some of your best, is one of those kids? None of them are old enough to even order a drink, and you're suggesting one of them committed a genocide."
"I find myself in agreement, Erwin. Most of them would have been around ten years old when Wall Maria fell." Pixis spoke up. "What could possibly make someone so young do such a thing?"
Before Erwin could start his explanation, Zachary got involved.
"Enough. I don't care about why they did it right now; I care about who did it. Once we've captured them, we can extract their motives. I've got something that can make 'em talk… or encourage them to." Zachary looked wistful for a moment, thinking his special machine before turning serious once more.
"I expect you have good reasons to suspect them, Erwin. Let's hear it."
"Yes, Sir. On the day of the initial breach, the Survey corp had just returned from an expedition, we had suffered many casualties, but no one was left behind. The Colossal and Armoured Titan appeared nearly three hours later, while we were still travelling back to our Marian Headquarters. Then at Trost, our situation was reversed. We were on an expedition and was miles away from Wall Rose when the Colossal broke the outer gate. This would rule out any scouts who were enlisted before Trost, as they had no opportunity to launch such an attack."
"Initially the attack on Trost was nearly identical to Shiganshina. The Colossal appeared outside the wall and kicked in the outer gate, allowing for Titans to enter the city. The next stage would have been for the Armoured to shift and then break down the inner gate, forcing us to fall back to Sina."
"However, something must have prevented them from changing, something which wouldn't have affected them last time. At first, I assumed this to be Eren and the reveal of his power, but the timing doesn't work. The battle had been raging for nearly an hour before the first confirmed sighting of Eren's titan, so that wouldn't have stopped them."
"The other difference between the two attacks was the implementation of the Breach Defense Plan. With the Garrison divided between the van and rearguard, the 104th was broken into squads and spread over the rest of the city. The shifter would have been surrounded by people who knew them, and as the Titans reached deeper into the city the cadets were forced to regroup, preventing the shifter from sneaking away unnoticed."
"That doesn't prove it was someone from the 104th. It could have been a member of the garrison, after all, many of the surviving soldiers from Shiganshina were folded under the Trost garrison, and they would have faced the same issues preventing them from changing." Nile countered, still doubtful.
"The Armoured can't be one of mine, regardless of their original posting." Pixis jumped in, to protect his regiment's reputation. "Whoever they are is now a member of the Survey corp, and I haven't received a single division transfer request in two years."
Erwin nodded at the aged Commander's words. "A member 104th is the only possible option. They are the only ones who could have been at Shiganshina, were in Trost and had the opportunity to join the scouts. The Colossal is another matter however, they could be almost anyone; garrison, MP, civilian or scout. It's unlikely we will be able to confirm their identity until we've found the Armoured."
Nile grimaced at the reminder the Colossal was still uncounted for, but he couldn't find any fault in Erwin's words. At least something good came out of his humiliation at the 104th graduation ceremony, he dreaded to think what would happen if the Armoured had joined his regiment.
Zachary frowned as he considered Erwin's claim. It did make sense, but that didn't mean he had to like it. "So, if it is a 104th graduate, how did you cut it down to six? You had one the largest intakes in the corps history from this class, am I right?"
"Yes, that is true. 40 members of the 104th signed up, but only 33 survived the recent expedition, so it was just as case of profiling those who remained. For the shifter to successfully infiltrate our society, they would have to prevent us from easily cross-checking their origins; likely claiming to have lost their homes and been orphaned during the breach, and then living as a refugee before enlisting. That would explain their lack of paperwork or other official records before the fall."
"There are six people in the 104th who matched these criteria. We can't be sure which of these people may be genuine, but I took the opportunity yesterday to divide these suspects into two groups and isolated them in separate locations. Once this meeting is concluded, with your authorisation, I will take Eren and strike at each location, quietly apprehending the suspects without the shifter knowing until it's too late."
"Very well. Until we know exactly who the Armoured is, I want all six in chains before the day is out. Now, who are they?" Zachary demanded; his voice cold and hard. Pixis and Nile leaned forward, keen to find out who was responsible for all the death and destruction that had been inflicted on humanity.
"Our primary suspects are Bertholdt Hoover, Reiner Braun, Ar…"
A growing commotion outside the room drowns out the rest. Raised voices could be heard from the corridor and the four men could hear the heavy footfalls of someone rushing towards the office.
They turned to look at the door, unsure about what was disturbance was about. It was answered seconds later as the office door was thrown open and Anka Rheinberger, Pixis's right-hand woman and second in command, quickly stormed in with a foreboding look on her face.
"Apologies for intruding, but…" Anka swallowed thickly, before continuing. Whatever it was had left her visibly shaken. "But the Armoured Titan has been spotted within Wall Rose."
All four of them were silent, momentarily stunned at the unexpected news. It ends quickly as Pixis surges up to his feet, deceptively fast for a man his age.
"When was it spotted and has Wall Rose been breached?" he demanded to know.
Anka shook her head "We just received a message from Hermina. Approximately 30 minutes ago the soldiers stationed there reported some kind of lightning strike several miles south-west of the city and spotted the Titan using a telescope. We've had no reports of any breaches at this time."
Pixis silently cursed the delay in communication. 30 minutes was a long time when dealing with titans; humanity had lost Shiganshina and Wall Maria in half that time. He turned back to his fellow commanders and tried to make some light of this situation, "Well, I guess this all but proves the shifter theory. After all, an actual Titan couldn't have such dramatic timing."
The dry comment was enough to shake the other three out of their stupor. Zachary drew himself to his full height, cutting a very commanding figure, and started firing off orders to his three most senior officers.
"Erwin, get Yeager out of that cell and take as many troops as you need. Capture the shifter if possible, but if not… terminate them. Pixis, I want the garrison mobilised to defend the southern and western districts, and be ready to assist the scouts if they need it. Nile, start the evacuating procedures and get as many people into Wall Sina as possible, we must consider the possibility of a breach."
"Get moving Gentlemen. The fate of humanity may be resting upon us, let us not be found wanting."
Hermina District – Wall Sina
12:31 pm
They were pushing their specially bred horses to the limit as they charged out of the capital and thundered back into Hermina, hoping they wouldn't be too late. With most of the Survey corp spread out within Wall Rose and no time to gather them together, Pixis had offered Erwin one of his rapid response squads to assist them while the rest of his regiment was getting prepared.
When Erwin had told his three scouts what had happened, Eren didn't want to believe it. The possibility that one of his fellow trainees, one of his friends, was the Armoured Titan made his head spin.
'How? Why?!'
He hesitated slightly as the cell door was pulled open, could he really fight someone he had trained and bonded with for years? Even if it was one of the trainees he hadn't been overly close to, he had shed blood, sweat and tears with all of them. That was a type of bond not easily broken.
As he stepped out, Petra placed a hand on his arm and gave it a quick squeeze. "Are you ready for this, Eren?"
Was he? He might have to kill someone he knew, and cared about.
"And I promise you Eren, next time we find that monster, we'll kill it together. For them."
'No,' Iron resolve fill his body as he remembered what Petra had said, what they had promised each other. 'If the Armoured Titan is someone I know, they forfeited the right for mercy or compassion when they destroyed Wall Maria and slaughtered my squad.'
Eren clenched his hands into fists and felt his heart harden toward his foe, whoever it may be. After everything they had done, to him and to humanity, they weren't human anymore. They were just a piece of shit Titan playing pretend.
And like all Titans, Eren would put them down.
"I'm ready."
They rode hard through the district, the horse's hooves relentlessly clattering against the paved streets. Strangely though, that seemed to be the only noise that could be heard in what had been a busy city only a few hours ago.
The sighting of the Armoured Titan had come from here, so Erwin fully expected to see terrified civilians running around, trying to protect their families or valuables. But instead it was quiet; no screaming, no crying children and no ringing of the evacuation bells. Nothing.
He couldn't shake the growing sensation of wrongness he felt as they moved closer and closer to the outer gate.
Shops selling jewellery worth more than his yearly salary were empty, doors left ajar for anyone to walk in and loot. Market stalls selling the finest meats and vegetables had been abandoned, allowing flies and other pests to swarm over the produce.
A well-groomed dog darted across the street, grabbing a sausage off a stall before diving into an alleyway and out of sight. There was no sign of the owner.
It was like the whole city had been emptied, but they hadn't passed any fleeing crowds as they approached the district. Had the whole city been evacuated underground?
'Unlikely, even if the abandoned underground cities had enough space, it doesn't explain where all the soldiers are.'
When they turned the final corner onto the straight before the gate, the sensation becomes almost overwhelming.
The gate was sealed shut, but there wasn't a single soldier in sight. The lifts lay immobile at the base of the wall, already loaded with barrels of gunpowder, gas canisters, and spare blades, ready to be lifted the 50m to the summit. It was like defence preparations had started but for some reason had been forsaken.
Erwin raised his fist, bringing their mad charge to a halt. There was something very wrong here.
"Erwin." Levi warns, coming to a halt behind him. He was already gripping one of his sword hilts as his eyes surveyed around the area. He could sense it too.
"I know." His hands tighten around the reins. He knew something was about to happen but wasn't sure what.
"What the hell?! Where is everyone?" the leader of the garrison squad, Major Schmidt, said as he pulled up next to Erwin. He was a heavyset man, even larger than Mike, and pushed the upper weight limit for effective 3DM gear usage. But despite this, he had been one of the few soldiers in Shiganshina who managed to kill a titan during the breach.
Schmidt looked like he was about to say something else when a shot rang out. Blood and brain matter splattered across Erwin's face and clothes as the major's head exploded in a red mist. The force of the blast sent the now headless body flying.
Before he could even process what had happened, something crashed into his side, knocking him to the ground as a second shot rang out. Erwin felt something burning hot pass just over his head, singeing some of his hair just before he landed. Schmidt's horse let out an agonised screech and collapsed after being hit with the bullet meant for him.
Levi rolled off him and leapt to his feet, pulling both blades from their holsters. He glared at a figure on the nearby roof, his face twisting into a look of unrestrained fury as he recognised who it was.
"Yo, Levi." The man shouted, leering down at them with a sadistic smile. The two smoking guns he held told them all he was responsible for the Garrison Officers death and Erwin's near experience.
"You grown any yet?"