Hopefully this is up about a week after the last update. I'm trying to hurry up with Reiner's set of chapters now that we've seen him and Eren meeting in Marley at the end of 98. Valteck this is more Au than the real story with manga style Canon in here, especially since we still haven't seen or heard form Annie since she went to sleep. As for the eradicating Marley thing, it's kinda predictable. They've been the oppressors of his race for 100 years, turned thousands if not millions of eldians into Titans and harshly enslaved them since King Fritz was forced to abandon them because of the teibers rebellion. And even though the ones Marley kept were contained, look at how the other races in the world treated them at the Teibers party. They definitely want them dead without question, Willy admits it outright and even says he has a solution for such thoughts so it's not out of the question that Eren will indeed kill them if he wants to. I expect it to happen because remember what Eren said when he went berserk? "I'll destroy the whole fucking world." why would he say that if there was no reason for it? If the world comes at him as their enemy, he will treat them as such and take care of them since he does have the power to do so. But only time will tell, the same for the whole deal with Zeke but I'll write more hints if we actually see whatever is going on with him. But I still hope he dies either way, he's done too much in my opinion. Well anyways sorry for the uber long author's note. I hope you guys enjoy. Drop a review, let us begin.

Chosen mirrors.

Reiner had been outside for about a half hour at the seaport, looking over the shops and such, taking it all in. He finally spotted Gabi along with the others all at the Sea side, looking out over the bay. At the very ocean someone who was once a friend of his desired to see more than anything. 'Enough about the past, these guys need you now. Worry later Reiner.'

He approached them all from behind, they hadn't known he was awake yet otherwise they probably would've been seeking him out. He saw Udo kick at one of the docking anchors, probably overstressed over something. The act reminded him of Bert but the difference was Bert didn't lash out. He kept it inside, except for that time Armin brought up Annie, saying she was being tortured.Then Bert had snapped in a manner of speaking, and from Udo's actions just now getting must've been feeling something similar.

About what Reiner doesn't know, but he'll take his mind off it soon enough. 'Poor kid' Reiner thought as he called out to him. "Hey Udo! Stop kicking the towns property."

The reaction was immediate as Gabi turned with a huge grin in her face and rushed to give him a hug. He found himself smiling as he gave her a hug back, she yelled out his name in happiness. "Reiner! Your all better?" He nodded his head to their eager faces and in turn asked how they were doing as he gave them all pats on the head. "Udo?" he began and the boy replied with a happier tone than he'd used before "Just a little."

"Zophia?" he asked the girl who so resembled his lost comrade and she gave a faint smile and told him "Everything's fine." Gabi just gave him a big grin but when he finally got to Falco, the kid merely held up his hand in greeting "Hello." To be honest Reiner wasn't surprised, the kid had a somewhat rebellious streak in him that made Reiner keep an eye on him. He didn't take the boy's less enthusiastic comment than that of his comrades any differently. Before he could say anything else Gabi excitedly shouted to him "Did you hear? We're going back to Liberio!!".

Her face was lit up because he knew she was eager to see her parents, her aunt (his own mother) and tell them all of her accomplishment in helping destroy the armored train. But he also felt like a stranger seeing that kind of excitement on her face, she was so happy to be going home...to a prison. A prison that everyone else called a camp to make it sound better, deluding themselves out of fear or submission, brainwashing. But believing in such fantasies doesn't take away the walls, armed Marleyean guards or the fact that it has to be traveled by train in order to reach it. Because it wasn't close to the good people of Marley oh no, it had to he in it's own place, segragated by walls.

Isolated and safe from the "devils".

But Reiner won't dampen that happiness that he can see in her eyes and cringes only a little as he tells her "Gabi...your too loud." The phrase don't seem to get through to her as she still excitedly shouts "But we're still going back! But till then let's take a walk in town, please??" He doesn't wince again but he does give a roll of the eyes. He knows she won't he swayed from it, and being the sympathetic uncle-ish figure he is despite them actually being cousins, he gives in.

Before they start walking Falco surprisingly speaks up with a hint of concern in his voice "But shouldn't Reiner be resting? I mean He's been through a lot lately..."

Reiner actually finds himself shocked at the young boys words, because they ring right on the dinner bell in his head. He has been through a lot. But that doesn't mean it should bleed out from him and onto these guys. They don't deserve to feel that, their all just kids. 'And so were all of you once.' a sad voice whispers in the back of his head as he lightly brushes off the boys concern.

"No I'll go, don't worry Falco. I'm fine." Gabi had a different reaction to the boys concern and merely snarked "You can go to sleep Falco, but I wanna see the town before we head home! We won't get another chance!". Before they all start walking Udo nervously tries to sway her from going by himself. "But Gabi you heard Captain Magath, kids shouldn't go there..." but his resistance is shot down when Zophia admits "Well I did see him going in there..." And they all have a little argument and Gabi looks at Reiner with that confident smile on her face and Reiner's eyes widen at the sight.

It's like looking at a living flashback, a blast from his past. Where he sees Gabi he only sees Marcel.

Where Falco argues with her Reiner only sees Porko, though Reiner knows the biggest difference between them is their view of him.

Where Udo stands trying to keep peace with his hands up in neutrality between the two now stands Bertoldt, his face sweating like it always did. Always wanting to resolve it avoid conflict, and yet he had the power to end nearly any conflict with a simple slice of flesh and sting of lightning.

Where Zophia stands to the side with an amused smile on her face he only sees Annie's bored look, and both don't take place in the discussion at all. Both of them shared that look of msrely being bystanders to whatever situation the world throws at them. But Annie didn't seem to care about what was argued at all, Zophia did. But she was more content to sit and observe instead of making direct comments or not thinking before she says something.

And Reiner is standing right where he was that time of which these new candidates are reminding him of. His breath quickens a bit, his pupils looking afraid at the startling resemblence. He feels a bit of fear like he would on the boat back to the mainland. Fear of being seen as compromised, when in reality he wasn't split but merely awakened to the truth. Fear of losing his family, his friends if his secret got out. Fear of making the wrong choice, fear of not even knowing who he was. All that darkness and paranoia brought to him by these 4 kids who are his fellow warriors. 'Marcel, Bert, Porko, Anni-NO!' He mentally slaps himself, but physically he's almost unchanged. Only his eyes give it away, but they don't seem to be paying him any mind as they kept talking with one another.

'No, it's not them, it's not them! Control yourself!' He thinks as he falls back into what resembled his identity crisis for a moment. It's just like then when Bert had to bring his warrior side out, but there's no Bert anymore. 'Just like there's no warrior or soldier side anymore. It's just Me!' He chants mentally, trying to steady his thoughts.

It's almost too much for him to handle as they start moving towards the town, to the more shady and matured section of city, oblivious to the struggle Reiner was facing right now. Reiner is barely getting a grip when he acts without thinking, reaching his hand out like he always did when he said the next word.

"Wait!"

That one word that he hates but relies on like an addict. The word that means he's weak, that he can't do anything without needing the help of those around him, good people who shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves for him. He's not gonna let that happen anymore. His mind clears as he looks to the new warriors, casting away the illusion of his former friends being in front of him.

They look at him in confusion, especislly Gabi and he flinches at that. He knows that she looks up to him a lot, that she joined the warrior program to be like him. He inspired her, and the last thing he was gonna do is let her see her idol crack and fall. He already felt and saw that when he first faced Eren, and that was hard enough to deal with. Gabi was his family, and he would do whatever it took to protect his family. Even from themselves.

Shaking his head to clear it Reiner put on his confident facade like he'd done on Paradise years ago. "It's too soon for you 4 to go to those kind of shops. Here let's go that way." He told them as he steered them away from the street they were trying to go and instead lead them towards the more open brighter shops. Shops that wouldn't make the kids all grow up to fast, though with the world they live in it almost didn't matter.

Gabi had risked he ride to deliver a bomb against the mid eastern union. Reiner, Marcel, Annie and Bert were no younger than these 4's age when they brought an entire country to it's knees. There was no way he could stop them from seeing the world around them, but he could help ease them into it.

Just like how he will ease Gabi into her situation by telling her the truth if he is given the chance when then they reach home. With the imminent return to Paradise looking to him, reiner is going to have to decide soon, especially if she does gain the permission. Reiner begins going through the back up plans, the things hes carefully alid out in case his secret was ever discovered. Escape routes, transportation to Paradise.

It's time. And now all he needs is a chance.