Ugh what a week I've had. I hope you're all having a much better time than I am, darlings. But I won't bore you with my rants, I'll just let you get on with reading!
As always my lovelies, go ahead and enjoy this chapter and don't forget to toss me a little review, to let me know what you think~ ;)
P.S. All Attack on Titan characters belong to Isayama Hajime. I only own my OCs.
14. Don't be a hero
~ 850 ~
"...Excuse me."
Looking up from her evening meal at the timid voice, Natalie spotted Armin standing in front of her table.
"May I...?" he inquired again, gesturing to the chair across from her and taking a seat when she nodded. "I... never got the chance to thank you. For trying to talk to Annie... for not treating her like she was just a monster. Eren said you also never treated him like a monster and..."
When he fell silent, the redhead smiled softly and pushed the bowl aside. It was amazing to her that they still had time to eat and chat like that, with the report of Titan sightings within Wall Rose and the very palpable fear that the second wall had been breached.
"That's not something that needs any gratitude, Armin. They're not monsters; they're just... just kids who were forced into an impossible situation."
"Was it the same for you?"
At first his question left her gawking at him and her heart squeezed... had he really been able to read that much into her words? Did he suspect that maybe she was like Eren?
"What you told Annie... those were the words of someone who was speaking from personal experience. I guess I'm just... curious, if at one point you also had to make an impossible decision. I heard a lot of stories about the Survey Corps... I imagine there were a lot of situations like that, where you had to make such choices."
Calming down somewhat when it seemed like he wasn't on the right track, she heaved a sigh and clasped her hands.
"Yeah... there were..." she whispered. "That's why I felt so sorry for her... at least, I always had someone who was there for me. Someone who protected me, someone who was always on my side no matter what everyone else said."
"...Captain Levi?"
When her eyes snapped back to him, startled that he had somehow guessed who she was talking about, she found the boy staring to their left and turned to see Levi watching them.
"Get ready, we're moving out soon." he said, watching as Armin leapt to his feet and hurried out of the mess hall. "Looks like he's a bit too smart for his own good..."
"I have a feeling... that pretty soon secrecy won't matter anymore." she replied, clenching her hands until her knuckles whitened. "Now that Wall Rose was breached, I may have to—"
"Just make sure you think it through, before you do it." he interjected. "Let's go. Hange's waiting..."
Left with no option but to follow him, they soon joined Hange and one of the Wall priests on their way to their designated cart. Given that she hadn't been told about it, it surprised her to an extent to see Eren, Armin and Mikasa waiting for them.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Hange greeted them with a smile. "Took longer to prepare than we thought."
"Um... isn't this a priest from the Order of the Walls?" Armin inquired, staring in surprise at the pastor.
"Yeah." Hange nodded, plopping an arm around the man's shoulders. "Nick and I are best buddies, you see... right? Don't let him bother you; the whole makeup of this squad doesn't make any sense, does it Levi?"
"No, I think it might." the man replied, having taken a seat between the priest and Natalie. "Erwin didn't choose them for no reason."
Upon leaving Stohess, Hange at last told them about the priest having known all that time that the walls were made of actual Titans.
"Huh?!" Eren gasped. "You mean, he's known all this time and said nothing?"
"Yeah." Hange nodded. "He's kept his mouth shut all this time. But now he's coming with us to witness the harsh reality. We'll see then if his belief is strong enough to keep him silent, or if seeing it with his own eyes will make him question himself."
"No, no, no! This is all messed up!" Eren shouted in the pastor's face. "If you know something, then tell us right now! There's nothing more important than ensuring humanity's survival, is there?!"
"Eren, calm down..." Mikasa pleaded when he got dizzy and fell back onto his seat. "You're still recovering from your last transformation."
"There's more than one way to get answers." Levi retorted, startling Natalie with the sound of a cocking pistol. "I may be injured and useless right now, but it doesn't take much to watch someone like him. I'm hoping we can settle this without blowing a hole in anyone."
"Threatening him doesn't work, Levi." Hange sighed. "Believe me, I tried... it seems to me that he is capable of sound judgment. That's why I wonder... what if the reason he doesn't talk, is because he knows something more important than humanity's survival?"
'So you're finally getting it, Hange...' Natalie concurred, turning to pull the coat properly onto Levi's shoulders again.
When he reached out to briefly cover her hand with his own, she looked up and saw the reassuring look in his eyes. Masking that with a soft smile, she then leaned sideways to look over at Hange.
"Did you manage to examine that fragment, by chance? Maybe that'll tell us something..." she said, hoping to be able to give Hange some pointers without making it too obvious that she knew probably just as much as Nick, if not more.
"I did..." the researcher replied, pulling out a fragment of shiny mineral from their pocket. "This is a fragment of hardened skin left behind by the Female Titan."
At that explanation, Armin's eyes widened and he leaned forth to get a better look at it.
"It... didn't disappear?!"
"Right! Annie reverted from her Titan form, but it's still intact even though it broke off her body. It didn't evaporate, so I thought... 'what if'. When I compared it to a fragment of the wall, its pattern and composition were practically identical. In other words, the Walls are a barricade of Colossal Titans and if I'm right, they're made of hardened Titan skin."
"That's exactly what Armin was saying..." Mikasa interjected, looking more shocked than Natalie had ever seen her.
"At this rate we'll be hard pressed to plug up Wall Maria... unless we find the perfect boulder to seal the hole. But if... if Eren, in his Titan form, could use that hardening ability in a more controlled way, to plug up the hole..."
"You're saying that extra layer of skin he had last time, is the same as the Female Titan's hardened skin?" Natalie inquired.
"Exactly... it should be made of the same material, right? And seeing how the hardened section wouldn't evaporate, even after he transforms back... it's possible."
'Good work, Hange...' she smiled to herself, yet again grateful for the Section Commander's intellect.
"I think it's well worth the risk to try." Armin concurred. "And assuming it really does work, then reclaiming Wall Maria is feasible. Up until now, we've had to transport lots of materials and supplies. That's why the need for outposts outside the Walls has slowed down our progress. But if we don't need to accommodate any supply wagons... we could quickly make our way to Shiganshina. What if we carried out the plan at night?"
"At night?"
"Yes! During the night, when Titans can't move."
"It's feasible, Hange-san..." Natalie agreed. "If the group was small enough, we could sneak all the way to Wall Maria by traveling at night. Of course, that depends on whether or not Eren can seal that hole."
"Yeah..." Hange nodded. "Eren, I realize asking this hardly seems fair, but... think you can do it?"
In the face of his hesitation, Natalie yet again pitied him for having all the pressure on his shoulders.
"It doesn't matter what you think." Levi chimed in, startling even her after he had been silent for so long. "You have to. There's no other choice. We're out of options... our forces are struggling so desperately already, that there's nothing else they can do. You have to succeed."
"Yes!" Eren replied. "I'll do whatever it takes to seal that hole!"
~ oOo ~
Upon their arrival in Ehrmich District, Natalie was left to endure the painful reality of having the second Wall breached as well. Rows upon rows of refugees were lining the streets – men, women and children – all with the empty, hollow gazes of people who had nothing left to live for.
"Keep moving, or you'll end up like a little lost kid." she heard Levi next to her, looking over in time to see him kicking the priest to get him walking again.
But the man was too shocked at the sight, to be able to move another inch.
"This is..."
"What did you expect you'd see?" the young Captain retorted. "This is what happens when the Wall falls... take a good look at the faces of people who have lost everything. The faces of everyone you and your people abandoned. If your church's wish comes true and Titans come flooding through the walls, we'll all be gobbled up in their stinking mouths and die a horrible death. All of humanity, digested as one."
At that he reached out to briefly weigh a comforting hand onto Natalie's head before pulling Nick along towards the barracks where Hange and the others were almost ready to go.
"Well?" the Section Commander inquired, upon seeing the pastor. "Have you had a change of heart yet?"
When the man hesitated answering, Hange at last gave in to anger and walked up to shout in his face.
"We don't have time for this! Will you tell us anything, or not?! Make up your mind already!"
"I cannot say anything." he at last replied, despite looking sincerely regretful. "The other believers are the same as I; that will never change."
"Well thanks for nothing! We're grateful for all the help you haven't been!"
"It's too big a decision to make, for just one person. The Order of the Walls must always adhere to the sacred will we're bound to obey."
"Whose will?" Natalie chimed in, her own curiosity now piqued given her twin hadn't said anything about that.
"I cannot say..." Nick replied. "However, I can inform you of a person whom, under their sacred will, we were instructed to monitor. That person joined the Survey Corps as of this year. That child's name is... Krista Lenz."
Instantly the redhead's eyes went to Levi to find the young Captain already watching her; yet another member of the 104th with an odd story to their existence.
'I swear... is this entire group cursed or something?' she huffed to herself.
"She should be at the southern outpost with the rest of the rookies. Miche and his squad were keeping an eye on them." Levi replied to Hange before the researcher could even ask.
"Either way, you must bring this girl here right away." the priest went on, and the fear on his face sent a cold shiver down Natalie's spine. "Only she may know the truths which we cannot perceive. That is all the information I can share."
"Wait, if the Wall was breached... that means she's on the front lines right now, isn't she?" the redhead gasped.
"We have to hurry!" Eren called out, turning around only to run Sasha over.
"So who's this girl from the 104th?" Hange inquired, while they were getting their gear on, after receiving the message from Erwin that Sasha had delivered.
"She's the smallest one of us." Eren replied.
"She's got long golden hair, and... she's cute..." Armin added.
"She's always hanging around Ymir." Mikasa replied.
"Huh? Ymir...?" Hange blinked.
'That's it... there's no way I can sit this out.' Natalie frowned before walking over to Levi. "Captain... I'm going!"
In the way his lips pulled together into a thin line she understood he would have rather not sent her out there, but she knew just as well as he did... he had no valid reason to hold her back. However, Hange's sudden gasp drew their attention to the Section Commander, who had taken that time to read Erwin's message.
"I just got my hands on Annie's background file." the researcher spoke up, glancing over to Natalie and Levi. "Thank you for all your work, both of you. Erwin said you went through the archive to get these. Anyway, there were two others in the 104th Cadet Corps who came from the same region as her. Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover..."
Though Natalie was glad Erwin had trusted their judgment enough to warn the rest of the team, she couldn't help but give Levi an anxious look.
"Thanks to the chaos five years ago, all their family records are spotty or missing." Hange continued. "However, during the long-range scouting formation their unit was given false information. They were among those purposely told that Eren was in the right wing."
"The Female Titan attacked from the right wing!" Armin gasped. "So it's possible they passed that information along to Annie..."
"Wait a minute, Armin..." Eren frowned. "You can't just—"
"I understand that's not enough to prove anything, Eren." Hange interjected. "So I'd like to hear from you all how these three interacted during training."
'Maybe it's because I know for a fact that at least Reiner is a shifter... but this is proof enough.' Natalie gulped, her heart again squeezing with that nagging bad feeling.
"I knew they were both from the same village, but... I don't think they ever interacted much with Annie." Armin stated.
"Yeah, they didn't talk much to her." Eren concurred. "Not that Annie talked much in the first place. Still, as their comrade I'd find that hard to believe. Set aside Bertholdt, who doesn't say much... Reiner was like everyone's big brother. He's not devious enough to deceive all of us."
"I agree..." Armin nodded. "Reiner gave everything he had fighting the Female Titan with me. He would've gotten crushed in her hand if he hadn't—"
At that he suddenly went silent with a gasp, his eyes widening as though he had just had an epiphany.
"Reiner managed to escape, but..." he stated as if he couldn't believe his own words. "Annie suddenly changed her course and ran in the direction of Eren's location."
"Did he seem overly interested in learning where Eren was?" Natalie chimed in. 'Come on, Armin... you're smart enough!'
"I..." he mumbled, staring at her in horror. "I did mention that Eren might be at the center rear, but Annie was too far away to hear it. And... Reiner did ask me about it... I only started talking about Eren's location because he asked first. Also, when that happened the Female Titan was staring at her palm. If he used the blades to carve up her palm... he could have written a message to her."
"...What the hell?" Eren at last spoke up. "Why are you saying things like this? You should—"
"Eren!" Hange interrupted him before he could berate Armin. "No, everyone listen up! If we encounter Reiner and Bertholdt, act in such a way as to not arouse suspicion. We need to lead them underground and confine them!"
"I have to go, Captain." Natalie said again, looking to Levi.
"Just don't be a hero again. Do you understand? You do whatever it takes to come back to me alive." he replied, seeing her eyes growing wide before he plopped a hand onto her head.
"We have to go!"
"Calm down, Eren." he frowned at the impatient boy. "You all listen, too. We're going our separate ways now, so the rest is up to you. Got it, Armin? Work with Hange and combine your knowledge."
"Y-yes sir! Understood!"
"Mikasa... I don't know why you're so attached to Eren, but use the full extent of your skills to protect him."
"Yes sir! Of course!"
"And, Eren... learn how to control yourself. Don't succumb to rage and lose sight of your goal. We can't afford another mistake."
"Yes, sir!"
Taking another moment to stare the boy down, as if to make sure he had gotten the message, the young Captain at last turned back to the redhead, his hand sliding along her hair down to the side of her head.
"I'll leave these brats in your hands." he said on a softer tone, watching as she left the room along with Hange and the others. 'You'd better come back...'
~ oOo ~
"That should be the last of them." Natalie reported to Hange, heaving for breath. "Looks like the Cadets made it out alive. But... Miche's squad..."
"They're gone, huh?" they replied, sighing when the redhead nodded grimly.
Upon their arrival at Utgard Castle, from where Hange had planned to have them assess any potential damage to the wall, they had found some of the 104th rookies trapped amidst the rubble with Titans surrounding them on all sides. Fortunately, they had managed to dispatch all of the creatures before any of the cadets had been eaten.
"Come with me..." Hange beckoned her.
Following the Section Commander, she was led to where the girl they were looking for was kneeling next to one of the other cadets.
'What... is this...?' she frowned.
The injured girl was missing an arm and a leg, a gaping hole in her stomach all but showing her insides... and yet she was still alive. And then, amidst the dust clouds still floating on the air, she could swear she saw steam coming from the wounds.
'Another shifter...?' she gasped.
Was it possible that all nine of them were within the Walls? But... she recalled her twin mentioning that some were on the mainland. So then why were there so many shifters on that one island? What did they want? Why was Eren so important... more important than any other shifter?
"Get ready to move out to the Wall." Hange called out.
"Hange-san..." the redhead, spoke up looking between them and Reiner whom she had spotted standing over to the side with the others.
"We don't have time, right now..." they replied. "You'll have to wait until we get to the wall. You can talk to them there."
'What if it's too late by then?' she pondered, her heart again squeezing with that bad feeling she'd had ever since they had left Ehrmich.
But with Hange in charge, she had no choice except to obey their orders. Once atop the wall, however, as soon as she saw the two had been brought up she made a beeline for them only to stop upon realizing Eren and Armin were already talking to them.
"...A Titan nearly gnawed my arm off." Reiner said. "That was pathetic. I thought I was done for."
"Even someone as strong as you gets this way sometimes." Eren replied.
"What are you talking about? It's the second time for me! Tell him, Armin... remember when I almost got crushed in that Titan's hand?"
"Oh... back then..." the boy replied.
"That makes it twice I've nearly died. At this rate, I'll be dead before I know it. I picked this path on my own, but being a soldier is rough. It's like a soldier's spirit breaks down before their body. Though, until we plug up this wall there's no time to waste whining about it."
Watching them from that distance, Natalie could perfectly see not only Eren and Armin's suspicious looks but also Bertholdt's odd expression.
"Yeah... you two have been driven far enough away from your hometown. I'm thinking... this is where we have to draw the line."
Eren's words, intentional as they were, served to put Reiner in clear distress. But then, rather than him it was Bertholdt who spoke up, again stirring that bad feeling of hers.
"He's right, Reiner!" he smiled. "Our hometown... let's go back! Isn't it about time we went back home? Compared to all the trouble we've been through, what's left to do is nothing!"
"That's right..." Reiner at last replied, an almost crazed smile lighting up his face. "We're so close, there's only a few steps left until the end!"
"Huh?" Eren blinked in confusion. "What are you guys talking about?"
'I know perfectly well what they're talking about...' Natalie scowled. 'This is the absolute worst... we were right about both of them! If they turn here...'
In that moment she wished nothing more than to have Levi there; with him, even injured as he was, at least they had a chance to take them down if it came to a fight. But as it was... no, she still had to try and talk to them. To her relief, the arrival of the Garrison squad who had been investigating for the hole's location drew everyone's attention, allowing her to slip over to the two who seemed to have intentionally hung back.
"Reiner... can I have a word?" she inquired, gesturing for them to walk a few steps away from the group. "You too, Bertholdt..."
Waiting until they had followed her, their curiosity clearly piqued, she then reached out to place a hand over the bandaged wound on Reiner's arm.
"How's your arm?" she asked, doing her best to not change her expression when she felt the heat of steam warming her hand. "Does it still hurt?"
"...Not as much." he replied. "Krista did a good job with it."
"That's good. That was very brave of you... saving Conny's life like that. In fact, I heard both of you were incredibly brave, taking on the Titans who had entered the tower."
"It's... we were only doing what anyone would have done." Bertholdt replied with a timid smile.
"That's right... you guys are really admirable warriors." she goaded them on, using the term her twin had whispered to her just moments before.
In the way they both gaped at her, she only got further confirmation that they had been right. And she could only thank Erwin for informing Hange and the rest of the team about it before they had left the district; more than that, for putting his trust in what she and Levi had theorized and investigating it further. But then Eren joined her and she clenched her jaw, not sure that was the best thing.
"Y-you..." Bertholdt gasped, watching her as though she had suddenly grown three heads. "Are you...?"
"You two can still side with us." she stated, not giving them the time to recover from the shock. "I know you're both scared, I know whoever's behind you is forcing you to do this. Help us and let us help you in return."
"You... you don't understand..." he mumbled. "We don't have any choice... if you're like us, then you should know why we have to do this."
"Listen to me." she insisted, taking the risk to reach out and grab his hand. "Whoever's pushing you to do this doesn't care about either of you. Why not help us, like Eren? I know you're both better than this..."
"Huh?" Eren asked, still trying to play innocent despite having overheard much of the conversation. "What's this about, Natalie-san?"
Before she could say anything, however, Reiner seemed to make up his mind and answered in her stead.
"Five years ago we demolished the Wall and began our assault upon mankind. I'm the Armored Titan and he's the Colossal Titan." he said, gesturing to Bertholdt who was staring at him with just as much horror on his face as Natalie felt in her own body.
"Why are you telling them, Reiner?!"
"Our primary goal was to ensure all of humanity would be wiped out." he continued, pulling his arm from Bertholdt's grasp. "But now there's no need for that. Eren... if you agree to come with us, we won't have to destroy any more of the walls. Of course, you can come with us as well Natalie. Someone with your knowledge would definitely be valuable in our hometown."
'How... how the fuck did he turn this around on me?' she gasped, staring at him in utter shock.
"Wait a minute!" Eren scowled. "I don't understand this at all!"
"I'm saying, why don't you just come with us? I know it's sudden, but we have to go now. So? What will it be, Eren? It's not a bad deal, right?"
At first Eren simply fell silent, glancing casually to the others who had been walking away; all except Mikasa, staring them down with a death glare.
"You're just tired, aren't you?" he at last replied, reaching out to grasp Reiner's shoulder. "Right, Bertholdt? You've been through so much, it's making you crazy..."
"Y-yeah..." Bertholdt replied. "Reiner's just really tired."
"Besides, if you were really the Armored Titan that wants to destroy humanity... why would you be asking me this in the first place? What did you think would happen? Did you just expect me to agree and come with you quietly?"
For a moment only the wind could be heard as it whistled past them, while Reiner stared at Eren in shock, like he had just realized he had blown their covers. But then the crazed smile that again lit up his face made Natalie inch herself cautiously between him and Eren, ready to grab the boy and push him out of the way if she had to.
"That's right..." he murmured. "What the hell was I thinking? Have I really gone crazy?"
"Anyway, let's go." Eren stated, grabbing Natalie's shoulder and pulling her along as he walked away.
In the deathly silence, as the rest of the Scouts stopped walking and the tension in the air grew thicker by the second, Natalie froze at the sound of Reiner's voice.
"I see... that has to be it. I've been here too long for my own good. We were just kids... we didn't know anything. If only I never knew that there were people like this... I... wouldn't have become such a half-assed piece of shit! It's too late now, I don't know what's right anymore! The only choice for me now is to face the consequences of my actions!"
Turning back to them, Natalie's eyes widened when he removed the bandage on his arm and she could now clearly see the steam coming from the wound. But it seemed Reiner no longer cared to hide himself, and it showed when he focused his healing to instantly close the injury.
"As a warrior... I have to fulfill my duty to the bitter end!"
"Reiner... we're doing it?" Bertholdt called out. "Here?! Right now?!"
"Yeah..." he replied, suddenly walking towards them with the clear intent to take Eren by force. "We settle this right here... right now!"
"Try..." her twin whispered, making the redhead's body move on its own.
Practically jumping forward she grabbed Reiner by his shirt causing him to hesitate.
"Please, Reiner! It's still not too late..." she begged him. "You can still do the right thing! You can still be a good person! Please...!"
At first he only stared at her clearly conflicted, though she didn't know if it was her words or just the sheer desperation on her face that gave him pause.
"I'm sorry..." he then said, and his words reminded her of Annie just before she had gone down that path of no return.
When he grabbed her by the jacket she thought he would shove her aside, but instead she felt his knee smashing into her stomach with all the force of a ramming bull, knocking the air out of her lungs and making her black out for a split second. Next thing she knew she was flying off the edge of the wall, hearing Eren shouting her name like in a dream as he grew smaller and smaller into the distance.
'I can't... move...' she realized much to her horror, the pain having paralyzed her to where she could barely breathe.
She couldn't reach for her gear, to anchor into the wall; she couldn't reach for a blade to turn and hopefully save herself that way... was that really how she was going to die? But then she spotted something moving quickly towards her and blinked to clear her vision, only to realize it was...
'Armin...?'
Using a burst of gas to propel himself faster downwards, he at last reached her and she felt their bodies colliding when he went to wrap his arms around her. A moment later her stomach fell to the bottom of her feet at the sudden stop, when he anchored them into the wall.
"Are you alright, Natalie-san?" he asked hastily, still heaving for breath from the adrenaline rush.
"Y-yeah... somehow..." she gasped.
A second later they both froze at the yellow lightning coming from atop the wall, and were left to stare at the Colossal Titan rising above them. Within moments the Armored Titan came sliding down along the wall, Eren firmly grasped in one of his hands.
"Eren!" Armin called out, but with Natalie in his grasp he had no way of following them.
It felt like time had slowed down as the redhead watched Reiner taking Eren away, and she was just about to push herself free of Armin's hold to follow, when his voice reached them.
"You fucking traitors! I'll hammer you into the ground!"
Immediately after, the lightning blinded them for a moment and the thunder blast nearly caused Armin's anchors to snap. Right before their eyes his Titan body was forming in midair and he had just pulled his arm back to deliver a punch when a second layer of skin began to cover him. The hit that landed onto Reiner's cheek was enough to crack his armor, though not nearly sufficient to break through even if it did shove him into the ground.
"I'm alright..." Natalie at last said, anchoring herself to the wall. "Armin, go back up and see how the situation is there. Hange might need you."
Looking around in the hopes of spotting Mikasa, she saw the girl hanging off the wall a few meters above them, watching the scene.
"Mikasa!" she called out, beckoning the girl to join her before looking back to Armin. "Tell Hange we'll try to stay close to Eren and help. Got it?"
"Y-yes!" he replied, immediately taking off to climb the wall while the brunette joined her.
"Listen... we have to—"
Her voice died out at the roar coming from below them and they both looked down just in time to see Reiner's punch connecting with Eren and breaking the skin protecting his face, the force of it sending him flying back.
~ oOo ~
He had quite nearly blacked out even inside the Titan's nape, from the force of the hit which had coursed his body.
'You piece of shit... and here you wouldn't shut up about a soldier's duty.' he pondered, his body still too stunned to move. 'You're so strong it's ridiculous... I can't move my body at all. I always thought you were a stand-up guy. And to think I wanted to be as strong as you, one day.'
"Eren!"
Mikasa's voice reached him somewhat muffled, like his ears were plugged, and he felt his rage rising as he spotted Reiner walking towards him.
'You guys... really are the worst pieces of shit! I'll bet no one in the history of humanity ever did something as bad as you two! I've gotta destroy you... you shouldn't be allowed to exist anymore!'
He had just started getting back on his feet, ready to engage in yet another slugfest with Reiner, before he heard a second familiar tone calling out.
"Stop wasting your blades, Mikasa!"
'Is that...?' he gasped.
"What if you made it your goal to stay in control? If you feel too nervous about it, try taking a deep breath and counting to ten." the redhead's words echoed in his head, his mind replaying the memory of them sitting on that dimly lit staircase right before it switched to her scowling expression as she stared at him. "Are you still you?! Or are you the same as that monster?"
Though he didn't have the luxury of time to be able to count all the way to ten, he did take a moment to close his eyes and try to calm his mind. As his anger decreased his memory brought up yet another instance from his training years, and he knew with almost frightening clarity what he had to do. Reiner himself had given him all the tools he needed to win, by teaching him how to grapple with a larger, stronger opponent.
'That's it!' he gasped.
Deciding to try a diversion he kept rising the Titan's body from the ground, his spasming motions and the unhinged roar he issued convincing Reiner that he was still blinded by rage.
"Don't, Eren!" Mikasa called out. "Don't fight him head-on!"
It was only at the very moment when Reiner's fist would have collided with his face, likely putting an end to the fight, that he ducked and lunged forth.
'This was your biggest mistake... you should've never taught me how to fight!'
Recalling Annie's martial arts that he had so painfully learned from her demonstrating on him, he trapped Reiner in a grapple pulling him down to the ground. The once protective armor now proved to be the shifter's downfall, in the face of Eren's greater mobility and agility. Taking hold of his former friend's arm, Eren's skillful lock ended up cracking the armor on his cheek and shoulder through sheer strength. At last, after what seemed to him like forever, his efforts paid off when the armor on Reiner's arm snapped and broke off letting him rip off the limb up to the elbow.
'I did it!' he gasped at the end of their short but intense scuffle, only to find himself thrown off his opponent yet again.
Seeing Reiner getting back to his feet, seemingly not at all affected by the lost arm, any and all elation he had felt died out like one would blow out a candle.
'What the hell? What do I do now?!'
"Eren! Can you hear me?" Armin called out, having just joined the two girls on the ground. "Get back closer to the wall! Their goal is to kidnap you and take you away! Don't fight him!"
"Reiner won't let us do as we please, Armin." Mikasa stated, watching as he walked towards them.
With another of the Scouts ordering them to pull back, due to the very real danger of being trampled if the two began fighting again, Natalie was left conflicted when Eren didn't move to follow them.
'Shit... why is it always like this?' she scowled. 'Why are you always such a hotheaded idiot?!'
"Teach him..." she heard her twin whispering in her ear.
Almost at the same time she was suddenly no longer standing on the battlefield, but on what looked to be a forest road, at night. Somewhere in front of her Eren in his Titan form was approaching, and she saw the exact moment when several figures leapt out of the trees to attack him. For a split second he halted in his tracks, before the hardened layer of skin on his body rippled like water, countless spikes shooting out from it to defend him.
All at once she was again back in the moment, just as Mikasa anchored herself into the nearest tree heading back to the wall. But now that she knew what she needed to do to help him, the redhead instead hooked into Eren's back, pulling herself up onto his shoulder. Maybe he couldn't yet focus enough to do exactly that, but... what if he could fashion weapons for himself, much like Annie had made claws to help her climb the wall?
"Eren! Listen closely!" she called out prompting him to turn his eyes to her, to see her pointing one of her swords at Reiner. "Do you know what he is? He's just another Titan that you have to take down!"
'I know that...' he huffed, somewhat annoyed that his Titan couldn't talk. 'But how do I even do that?'
"You're not some petty second-hand thug, who only knows how to use his fists. You're a soldier, aren't you?" she went on, presenting one of her swords to him. "Then use a soldier's weapons to do it!"
'Wait... are you saying...' he gasped, looking down at his empty hands. 'I see...'
The memory was vague and somewhat fuzzy due to how enraged he had been back then, but he did remember Annie had made claws for herself out of her hardened skin, to climb the wall. Did that mean... he could make weapons out of his? As if responding to his thoughts, he felt a ripple going through the outside layer of skin on his arms, from shoulder all the way to his fingertips.
'I can do it... no, I have to do it!' he scowled, gritting his teeth and trying to focus all of his thoughts on the shape of his swords.
"Natalie!" she heard Hange shouting, as Reiner was nearly upon them. "Get out of there!"
'That's it!" Natalie encouraged him, ignoring the order as she watched the skin on his palms start to ripple faster and faster. "Just keep focusing... focus!"
If he couldn't get himself armed, then he would be left completely open again once she retreated. And with how hotheaded he was, she had no hope he would follow her to the wall. At that she turned her gaze up from his hands, to see Reiner pulling his remaining arm back for a punch. Already she could see it playing out in her head... Eren would be sent flying and she would likely be thrown off heaven knew where. If the collision alone wouldn't kill her, it certainly would leave her too injured to move and she would be utterly defenseless.
Like in slow motion she saw Reiner's fist hurtling towards them, and resigned herself to whatever would come next. And yet what happened then was the last thing she had expected. At first she was blinded by whatever had blocked her gaze, when it caught the sunlight peeking through the scattered clouds above. Then she realized she was still standing on Eren's shoulder; that the fist hadn't connected with him somehow. Looking back up she had to smile at the twin swords he had parried Reiner's punch with, using the flats of the blades. Feeling her knees trembling from the sheer relief, she had to grab one of Eren's hair locks to keep herself standing while she took a deep breath to lower her adrenaline.
"Well done! Now don't screw around with him!" she called out a final piece of advice. "Just get yourself closer to the wall as fast as you can, so we can help you!"
Waiting until he nodded, to make sure he'd gotten the message, she at last retreated towards the wall hoping he wouldn't succumb to his emotions again. She had just anchored herself to the structure, next to Mikasa, when the metallic blows coming from behind had her turn around to see Eren trying to break off some of Reiner's armor with the swords.
Suddenly finding himself facing an armed opponent, all Reiner could do was to go on the defensive and try to dodge as many of Eren's merciless attacks as possible.
'How did he even do that?' he pondered with a scowl, his eyes going to the group on the wall when he recalled he had seen the redhead talking to Eren before. '...Was it you? Did you do something? I should have snapped your neck before I tossed you aside.'
Due to his moment of distraction he ended up taking a direct slash to the back of his leg, hearing the armor crack as the vibration coursed his entire body. Refocusing on the fight he waited until he'd fallen onto his knee and used that to roll away. If he couldn't keep some distance between him and Eren, until his right arm grew back, things could take a dangerous turn.
Again Eren lunged at him, not giving him any time to breathe, and one of the swords slashed at his side now that he didn't have his arm to parry. And again the armor cracked, only for the blade to shatter as well. But Eren didn't seem deterred by that, instead using the weapon he had left in a horizontal swing meant to hit the armor on Reiner's nape. Though the hit made contact, the blade broke this time without doing any damage, leaving Eren barely enough time to jump back before Reiner could turn around to punch him.
'Shit... he's still too inexperienced to harden them properly.' the redhead scowled. 'No, that's not it... he's done some damage. Is he getting tired?'
At the very least she was grateful that he seemed to have listened to her advice when he pulled back until he was backed up close to the wall below them. As if he had been waiting for that Reiner suddenly broke into a sprint, ramming Eren into the wall, without seeming to notice the armor on his left leg had completely broken off by now. Again they grappled now that Eren had no more weapons, until he managed to lock in Reiner's head with the clear intention of ripping it right off his shoulders.
"We have to help somehow!" Mikasa scoffed.
"I have an idea..." Hange suddenly replied. "In the armor they used in the past, there were places at the joins not covered in metal, to allow for movement. If he can move that fast, then his armor has to be similar. His elbows, groin and the back of his knees might be vulnerable..."
"Got it!"
With that she immediately rushed off along the wall to reach the two, slicing right through the exposed muscle and forcing Reiner to lose part of his leverage. With the others encouraging Eren onwards, Natalie turned her gaze back up to where Bertholdt's Titan was still emitting waves of steam. Something... something would go wrong at some point; she again had that horrible nagging feeling, just like with Annie.
'I'll do it... the more time we waste here, the more—' she gritted her teeth, looking back to Eren who was still struggling to tear off Reiner's head.
They absolutely couldn't afford another failure like the one in Stohess. They desperately needed to capture at least one of them alive and get information.
"Don't be a hero again." Levi's words echoed in her head, stopping her as she was inching her hand towards one of the blades.
Gritting her teeth she cursed herself for making those promises to him, as well as for being too selfish and afraid to accept the consequences of exposing herself. Her thoughts blanked, however, when she heard Reiner's roars and she looked over to see he had somehow dragged Eren further away from them before finally seeming to run out of strength.
"Be careful everyone!" Hange called out. "He's calling in other Titans!"
"That's not it!" the redhead argued, pointing one of her swords upwards. "He's calling for Bertholdt! We have to move back, right now!"
"Wha—?" Armin blinked, looking up to the Colossal Titan above them and finally realizing Reiner and Eren were right underneath him. "She's right! Everyone get away!"
He would have called for Mikasa, but the air was knocked out of his lungs when Natalie whizzed past him, grabbing him by the waist and taking him with her.
"Pull everyone back, Hange-san!" she screamed over her shoulder.
Had she been any closer to anyone else, she would have taken as many people with her as possible. But for now, she just had to hope that Hange would trust her judgment.
"Everyone get back!" she heard the Section Commander call out behind her. "Mikasa, get away from there!"
No sooner had they started making way, than the crunch of broken bones reached them and she heard Armin gasping next to her ear as he watched the Colossal Titan's half-body breaking off from the wall, falling right on top of the other two. Even with the distance they had gotten, the shockwave from the blast still nearly knocked them off the wall. And even Natalie yelped in pain at the steam that scorched her back, barely managing to change Armin's position in time so she could use her body to protect his face.
"Natalie-san!" she heard him gasping, and felt him catching her when her muscles lost all tension.
Fortunately the explosion had settled by then, and the last thing she saw before her eyes darkened was Reiner running away with Bertholdt on his shoulder, the latter holding the unconscious female shifter they had found at the castle.