SFAq: Glad to see you're enjoying it!
Shadowsaraus: Actually, the Traitors Arc is unique to this fanfiction. It's a combination of the Stohess Arc and Clash of the Titans.
Traitors Arc Part VII: Jiyuu No Tsubasa
On top of Wall Rose
"You're not getting it! Alto came all the way from Wall Sina, for us! Ymir could've run away anytime she wanted. But she stayed - for us!" Historia said, "No one is closer to Ymir than I am, and her actions should speak volumes about where her loyalties lie!"
Sunlight reflected off Hanji's glasses "Is that so?" She looked toward Ymir, "In any case, she could prove to be an invaluable source of information." Hanji turned back towards Historia, "But what about Alto?"
"Alto is like a brother to me. And he had more reason to hide his powers than anyone! I don't know why, but my father - the current Lord Reiss - is hunting him down as we speak!"
Levi stepped forward, "Hold on, this is a complete 180, you say you knew nothing about Ymir, but you seem to know Alto's plight in a little bit too much detail."
"I knew about Alto because I was there." Historia looked down, "I was there five years ago, when my father executed his entire family in cold blood."
"I see." Hanji nodded, 'It certainly patches the holes in the case about Astell's mysterious death.' "For now, we'll try to be friendly to them, and see what we can learn."
Mina hadn't left Alto's side since he was recovered from Utgard,"I...don't get it...All this time...Christopher - no, Alto has been a Titan shifter?" She wondered aloud.
"It's hard to believe." Eren nodded, 'Just how much have you and Ymir kept from us?' He wondered, 'Just how much can you teach me?'
"How are they?" Hanji asked,
"Both comatose, but they're stable. Admittedly, Alto is in better shape than Ymir, probably because his Titan is more durable than Ymir's according to eye-witness reports." Moblit said,
"Then we need to take them to Trost, where they can get-"
"No!" Historia said quickly, "I mean...Alto can't go to Trost. They'll find him."
Hanji contemplated this, "Fine. Ymir can go to Trost. Alto will be taken to a safehouse."
Evangelica looked up at the greying sky silently.
"Eva." Reiner walked up behind her, "It's been a while. Can I sit?"
"Sure. I don't mind." She shrugged, "You can sit too Bertolt."
Bertholdt nodded, and sat, "Hey. Our hometown is in this direction, right?" He asked,
"Yeah...just about." Evangelica said sadly
Reiner groaned, "Shit!" He rubbed his arm as it throbbed,
"You okay Reiner?" Eren called,
"Not by a long shot." He said, "Titan almost gnawed my fucking arm off. God...how many more times..am I going to go through this!?"
Eren turned around, and helped Armin up. "What else could you think? It's just like that time." Evangelica looked towards Ymir.
"Shit. And then there was the time Annie almost flattened me. Right Armin?"
"Yeah…" Armin looked up thoughtfully, "Almost."
Evangelica stood up, and paced down the Wall.
"Hey." Ambros looked to her. "What did Reiner mean by…'that time'. I didn't know you two even knew each other."
Evangelica smiled softly, "It was a while back. We came from the same village, but got separated during the Titan attacks."
"I see." Ambros nodded,
"Pieck?" The Beast Titan spoke to another Quadruped Titan. "Are you ready?" He asked, around the Quadruped, four soldiers worked diligently, wrapping large leather straps, as well as pushing up what seemed to be pieces of armor.
"Depends. Alex?" Pieck looked to one of the soldiers.
"Almost set. Any sign of the Warriors?" Alex asked,
"Nope." Pieck shook her head.
"Hey Reiner, why don't we go home?" Bertholdt asked,
"Home...that's right." Reiner's eyes lit up,
"Yeah, I mean...we've been here long enough!" Bertolt looked into his eyes, "Compared to everything else, the rest is easy!"
"Yeah...you're right!" Reiner smiled, his eyes glinting, "There's not much further to go...before it's all done!"
"Ambros...there's something...I want to tell you." Evangelica said at last. "Something...I've wanted to tell you for years."
"Really?" Ambros asked, "W-what is that?" His normally impassive features took on a sudden red twinge.
Alto's eyes began to twitch as he found himself lying in a grassy field. "This...isn't Moregio." He said to nobody in particular.
"No. It's not." A man walked towards him, well, boy was more accurate, he couldn't be any older than Alto from appearances.
Speaking off appearances…"You look...just like me!" Alto ran a finger across his face.
"Believe me, it was a shock for me when you were born as well." The boy smiled, now that he was closer, Alto could see a sword sheathed at his waist. It was thin and sharp from the design of the scabbard.
"Who are you?" Alto asked him.
"Forgive me, I've been remiss." He placed a hand on his chest, "I am Hajime. And I'm your first ancestor."
"There's nothing?!" Hanji asked incredulously
"Nothing at all." Hannes shook his head. "Between Trost and Krolva there's nothing. No breach or open gates."
"That's impossible!"
"But it's true." Hannes shrugged, "What's even weirder, we didn't see a single Titan coming here."
"Alright, that's enough old man. Lemme smell your breath." Eren stepped forward.
"Why you- wait a minute, why are you kids even here?!" Hannes asked,
"Eren." Reiner stepped forward, "Can we talk to you?"
"Sure." Eren turned around, "Shoot."
"Five years ago...we compromised Wall Maria and launched an attack on the Walls." Reiner began, he inhaled, "I am the Armored Titan. Bertoldt is the Colossal, and Evangelica-" He pointed towards her, "-Is the Warhammer."
Mina leaned forward, and kissed Alto on the forehead. 'Maybe one day...you'll explain.' She smiled sadly. She looked towards where Bertoldt, Reiner, and Eren were all talking.
'Reiner, if it wasn't you, who was it?'
Mina shook her head, 'Wait. Why am I remembering that now?' She wondered. 'Now that I think about it. Where was Bertoldt when we were cleaning the cannons? He disappeared to get gunpowder...and didn't Evangelica, Reiner, and him all come from the same village as Annie?' Mina shook her head, 'I'm suspecting a member of Levi Squad, and two of the best Cadets in the 104th. I can't be making conspiracy theories!'
Evangelica inhaled, "Ambros, remember that day...during training...in the 100th Cadet Corps? When we had to go survive in the woods for three days?"
"Yeah...what about it?" Ambros asked, he chuckled at the memory, Evangelica yelped at every bug or noise. Clearly behaving like a noble girl unused to the outdoors.
"That...was one of the best times I had with you." Evangelica said, "I want to have more times...like that I mean."
Ambros began to flush increasingly red, "What are you trying to say?"
Evangelica sighed, "I suppose...I'm trying to say…"
"-You need to listen to me, if you don't follow me, everyone here will die." Reiner insisted, "Got it?"
"Got it? What is there to get?! You're talking crazy Reiner!"
"It's not a bad deal. It avoids unnecessary bloodshed." Reiner continued, "What do you say?"
"Where are we even going?" Eren asked,
"Just...think of it as our hometown." Reiner said, "Are you coming?"
Eren inhaled, 'Damn it...so it is true…' Eren looked back at him, "You're just tired. Aren't you?" Eren slapped Reiner on the back, who stiffed in response.
"Y-Yeah! He's just tired, right Reiner?!" Bertoldt tried to insist,
"Yeah…" Reiner scoffed, "Tired…"
"Come on, let's go." Eren said, and began to walk away…
A flag snapped in the background.
Mikasa's hand strayed to her blade.
Mina prepared to activate her ODM
Hanji looked behind with one eye,
And a flag snapped in the background.
1. "...of being surrounded by idiots." Reiner finished. "Yeah, that's the problem...I've been here too long for my own good." Reiner scoffed, "We were kids. A bunch of dumb, naive, kids playing at hero. Because we didn't know what else to do. It's how we'd get what we want! Why...why did there have to be people like this?!" Reiner's voice cracked, "If only...I'd have never met any of you! I would've never become...such a half assed piece of shit!"
Reiner sighed, "Too late anyway...damn it if I know what's right...or what's wrong anymore!" He unwrapped Historia's skirt from his arm, "Only one thing left to do…"
He finished unwrapping as steam seeped from his wound,
"And that's to face what I've done...as a warrior!" He said, "No roads left but the one that leads to the end!"
Eren gasped as Reiner raised his arm, steam billowing in full force.
...that's to face what I've done...as a warrior!"
Ambros looked and gasped as Reiner revealed his arm. "No...way." he drew his blades, "Evangelica! We need to move!" He took several steps, and then paused when she didn't move.
"Reiner! Are we doing this? Here? Now?!"
"Yeah...Right here, Right now! Evangelica! Bertolt! We're going home!" Reiner stepped towards Eren, but suddenly Mikasa put on a burst of speed and rushed the two Warriors. She went for Reiner first, aiming a strike for his neck as he put up an arm to block the attack, only for it to be chopped in two.
"Eva?" He said hesitantly, her face darkened as her white hair obscured her eyes.
"I'm glad I met you...Ambros. But at the end of the day...all we had was a beautiful dream." She looked up-
-And Ambros saw she was crying. Before he could say anything, Evangelica stepped forward and kissed him on the lips.
Mikasa quickly moved for Bertholdt, slashing out his throat before he could react. But neither of them were dead quite yet.
"Eren, run!" Mikasa moved in for a second volley, but Evangelica rushed in with ODM Gear leaving Ambros behind, kicking her to the side, but not before Mikasa cut her across her arm.
"Bertholdt! Evangelica!" Reiner shouted as they gathered together.
Eren could only watch in shock as lightning sparked, and Ambros could almost make out an, "I'm sorry." from Evangelica's mouth
"Eren! Run away!" Three lightning bolts combined into one and struck the top of Wall Rose, the explosion causing Eren to be blasted back as the Warhammer, Colossal, and Armored Titans materialized on top of Wall Rose.
The Scouts were blasted away as the Colossal grabbed Ymir's cot, and the Warhammer grabbed Alto's.
"Ymir!" Historia screamed,
"Alto!" Mina yelled,
Meanwhile, Reiner grabbed a flailing Eren, and lept off the wall with Evangelica at his side,
"Warchief! I spotted Titan lightning! There's Titan combat occurring!" Alexander shouted, dropping his binoculars.
"Alex! Get on me!" Pieck shouted, Alex nodded as he climbed into his MG bunker.
The Beast Titan stood next to a fully armored Cart Titan, "Now...let's go help our Warriors. Shall we?"
'Reiner…'
"Alright Eren, go!"
"I want to return to the home that was taken from me...I will do it. No matter what."
'Evangelica…'
"Everyone, Calm down, Eren is not our enemy!"
"Relax Eren, breathe, and let the ODM do it's work."
'Bertholdt…'
"You guys! Check this out! I found it in the library!"
"You're a nice guy, Eren."
'All of you…' Eren sobbed, "Are traitors!" He screamed as he bit down, and Reiner's hand exploded.
A/N: And the Traitors Arc has finally come to an end! And with that S1 of The Flare Titan has also ended. S2 will start on the first sunday of November, since I want to take time to focus on writing other fanficitons. However, if you check out the fandom (link below) I'll be teasing snippets of upcoming chapters. I'll also be answering questions and may or may not confirm things about characters and the story via the wiki.
Fandom link: the-official-flare-titan .fandom .com
