Part 65
Their Own Thunder
"Erwin… You know he's just gonna crawl up here…" Levi hissed among the many soldiers atop the wall, all gazing out to the strategically placed Titans out yonder, with the Beast Titan at the helm and with Reiner awaiting below them, shifting his armoured shell into Titan Crystal before sprinting for the Wall, digging his formed fingers into the layers of brick like it was nothing more than a piece of loose skin to him.
"Avoid clashing with the Armoured Titan!" Roared Erwin's next order.
"Why isn't he signalling for an attack?" Fretted Eren from further down the line.
"He's watching their movements." Hange implied, pushing up her goggles. "I'm betting this guy and his friends have some grand welcome waiting for us all…"
Fury, at this time, came to nudge Erwin. Flicking her gaze over to the Beast Titan, who had one other Titan beside him with cargo upon its bare back. "It wasn't one of those who just transformed." She informed the Commander. "Could be their Scout. Perhaps another shifter? I wouldn't put it past them to have more…"
"It's intelligent." Erwin surmised, emitting a sigh. A shudder then rattled beneath their feet. The Beast Titan had slammed his fist onto the ground, startling the nearby birds who pecked for food.
An unsteady silence filled the world around them until the first line of Mindless Titans began to make their sprint towards the wall. Focused and seemingly under order.
"They'll be going for the horses first, no doubt." Erwin thought. "Their main targets are to probably catch Eren, and maybe even Fury. Yet to achieve that, they'll take away our only escape."
"Commander!" Called Armin, pointing. "The Armoured Titan is close! And we don't know where Bertholdt is!" However, Erwin remained trapped within his thoughts.
"Are you done giving us the silent treatment?" Levi barked to Erwin from standing behind the man. "I could've taken three shits by now…"
Erwin frowned, though only slightly. "Squad One and Squad Two, protect the horses at the Gate with Squad Three!" Erwin then turned his shift to the left. "Levi Squad and Hange Squad, take down the Armoured Titan! Employ the Thunder Spears at your own discretion!
This moment!
This battle!
The survival of humanity depends on this!
Once more, for humanity, give your hearts!"
"Sir!" Every soldier acknowledged, moving to their respected locations as Fury herself gave one last glance at Erwin before moving with Levi squad to behind the Wall and out of earshot.
"Wait! Levi, Armin!" Erwin halted before the two moved to join the rest. "I did say Levi Squad, but I need you to stay, Levi."
"To… protect horses?" Levi questioned, solemnly. "And not Eren? Or Fury?"
Erwin pointed his cutter directly at the Beast Titan. "I need you to strike him down, when the time comes. You're the only one I can entrust to take on the Beast Titan directly. We can't depend on Fury's Bloodborn skills, not when he shows similarities of being able to control."
"Understood." Levi accepted. "I failed to kill the Armoured Titan earlier, so I'll make up for it by giving you that Beast Titan's head." Levi then anchored to move out to be below with the other squads focused on protecting the horses, leaving Erwin to command Armin.
"I have a plan for the Armoured Titan…" He revealed. "There are two halves in this battle for humanity's sake. And one of them, I'm putting on your shoulders."
Reiner finally made his Titan form to sit perched atop the Wall, gazing upon the soldiers below him who were fighting off the Titans distracting them. His steady gaze moved to the horses, still tied to their posts and yet to move.
"All gathered in one place." He spoke to himself from within his shell. "Kill them, then I make a break for it. No matter how strong Captain Levi is, he's got no chance against our War Chief.
And with Bloodborn's unable to control Titan Shifters, Fury is no threat to me, or them.
Though I suppose Levi's blade through my neck was scarily close. If I were any slower transferring my consciousness to my body, I would've died instantly.
But how the hell did they come think to check inside the Wall?
Armin…
Was it you? Huh… Not like it matters…With this, everything will be coming to an end." Reiner's steady gaze moved to look over to Erwin, who stood calmly, who stood doing nothing but look back at the Armoured Titan that was perched almost right next to him. "Erwin Smith… No, I can't get distracted. I have to kill those horses."
A bright flash and a crackle of thunder exploded with a blinding light from behind Reiner, fully distracting him. His eyes shaking at the sight of Eren's Titan form emerging stood ready and focused.
"Why did he show up unprovoked?!" Reiner panicked. "Aren't they aware that he's our main objective? What are you thinking…?"
Eren's Titan sighed heavily. His muscled form turning to begin running in the opposite direction, further stunning Reiner into confusion. "To flee south and escape over the wall? As a Titan, he could escape to Trost without a horse. Then we'd have to stay here and fight… Even if we did manage to kill all the Scouts… we can't let someone who has mastered hardening back inside the Walls. And if he learns the Co-Ordinate's full power, it'll be too late!
But… If he really were escaping, he would've transformed after using ODM to scale the wall. So why would he transform when Shiganshina is surround by them?
Huh… I get it… They're trying to change my target from the horses to Eren!
Not giving me time to think, huh? Dammit, Commander… And I climbed all the way up here…"
With one last stare to Erwin, Reiner took the bait and moved to begin following Eren. And yet Eren halted, shifting his stance to a fighting position as Reiner still moved towards him. Both Titans soon beginning to circle one another, the ground shuddering with each one of their steps taken.
"I've beaten you once already…" Eren winced, never leaving Reiner's movements. "I even had it in the bag… So one-on-one, I can win! When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, Annie was a tougher opponent by far!"
Both Titan Shifters lunged towards each other. Hardened fists swinging both ways, both layered in a coating of Titan Crystal that threatened to crack upon any impact it made on each of them.
Eren remembered Annie's stances, her way of fighting, and would come to use them to avoid all of Reiner's attempted strikes. Even giving Eren an opening to have his fist connect with the jaw of the Armoured Titan, shattering a section of his hardened layer of armour, knocking Reiner's Titan to the ground.
"Go now!" Came the alerting call of Hange's orders, just as Reiner began to steadily move back onto his feet.
Over one shoulder of Eren's Titan came Hange herself, the other side came Mikasa. Strapped to their arms via new locking mechanisms were the new weapons known as "Thunder Spears" that Hange had constructed for this exact moment. The spear linked to a single thread of wire, removing it would cause the spear to detonate in a small radial discharged explosion. Perfected to penetrate through the most durable of materials, including Titan armour.
Both Mikasa and Hange launched their spears directly into the eyes of Reiner's Titan. The linked thread being removed from their pull, the spears detonated and instantly caused Reiner's eyesight to be left redundant.
The next onslaught of Thunder Spears that were implanted into Reiner's nape came from Sasha, Conny and Jean. The ensuing explosion had combined enough to shatter the armour that protected that area.
Fury then came through with last Thunder Spear of her own, launching it at Reiner's nape once more
"W-Wait!" Reiner called out in a clear panic from within his Titan. Looking up, he saw the single spear that would begin to glow as it prepared its detonation after Fury severed her link from it.
This was thunder of their own. But would it become enough to pry Reiner out of his Titan? And leave them with one less threat to deal with?
