Chapter 21 – Reiner (Arc 2)
As Reiner entered Berk alongside his allies as refugees of the war waged outside its waters, he felt a sense of ease that had long since become lost to him; perhaps it was the cold Nordic air being drawn into his lungs or the towering bronze sculptures filling his eyes, or maybe it was just the reassuring presence of Berthold's hand resting in his. Maybe it was all of these and more. Or maybe it was just the chance of a clean slate, free of the warrior, in control of his thoughts and his actions.
Living in back alleys, off of scraps wasn't actually as bad as it sounded to everyone they told that piece of his past too. Both Annie and him had been hardened by their imprisoned existence, living off of nothing more than crusts of bread and drops of rainwater. Their bodies had grown to thrive in the environment, even if Reiner's mind had become somewhat perverted. The same cannot be said for Bertholdt.
As he sat, his thin body shivering to his core, he felt Reiner's stronger arm come around his shoulder, giving a meek smile to the boy now sat beside him who was trying to give him as much heat as he could; draping his own overtunic over the taller boy's chest, letting him warm his hands in Reiner's. Bertholdt sat against the cold brick wall as it sapped away at his heat, feeling weariness overtake him as his body ceased to shiver.
When Reiner saw his eyes flutter shut, he softly shook the boy by the shoulders to wake him back up. Then he shook harder. And harder. Until he was staring into the boy's vacant expression, crying his name without restraint, his breaking yelling only ceasing when heard the brown eyed boy softly whisper
"Hey… Can you tone down the yelling? It's hurting… My ears…"
"Shit man, I'm so sorry, we're going to fix this okay? We'll get you some help, An- Annie!" He shouted, his eyes never leaving Bertholdt's "I promise, you'll pull through, I'll make su-"
"Maybe… You shouldn't…" Came the croaking reply
The stunned silence filling the air as soft flakes of snow began to drift down from the clouds above them
"What in Thor's name are you talking about Bert?" he said jokingly, the desperation leaking through in his voice "Come on, it's getting to your head, we'll ge-"
His words being jerked to a halt as Bert grabbed his collar and yanked him closer to the ground that the taller boy now laid on
"No. You are going to shut up and listen this once. You deserve to know the kind of monster you're trying to save" Reiner's expression filled with shock and surprise as Bertholdt's voice began to crack "Please… Just listen…"
Steeling himself, Reiner locked his jaw, firmly saying
"Alright Bert. I'm listening"
Bertholdt's face relaxed in satisfaction as he began to tell the tale of his life
"You remember it right?... Hometown…" He started, eyes glowing with reminiscent memories of the past, "I wasn't a very assertive guy abck then. I always just followed you guys and your leads. Don't get me wrong it was great! It's jus-" He exclaimed before roughly coughing, throwing his whole body into convulsions before he grabbed for air for what seemed an eternity before returning to his story
"It's just that; well, when those soldiers took us, away from home. I think I let myself do the only thing I had ever done. Follow"
"I guess the only difference being that when they put me in there, told me who to kill, pure and simply with my bare hands. Being able to do it without having to shoulder the responsibility…I found myself enjoying it. Maybe some part of me always knew that it was wrong I don't even know anymore… but at the time, and actually even still, it felt good, like for the first time I was actua-"
Reiner forcefully threw his arms around the boy he thought he had known for those 4 years. For those four years, the only thing keeping him alive in his mind as a boy, not a Warrior, was the thought of being able to grow up and live life alongside his friend who he thought he had known. He couldn't bring himself to listen to the boy's words anymore,
"Shut up… Don't say anything else… Just wake up… Please…"
Begging, pleading to the cold shell before feeling an icy touch on his shoulder as Annie showed him the same solidarity he had shown her in the pit. Eyes never leaving the taller boy's as he watched the light fade from them. Hands never breaking contact as he felt the warmth fade. Raw tears clawing down his face. The innocent Boy of the small town dying with the boy who made his life worth living. The Armoured Titan still lying dead and faded. Both being stitched together into something new. Something of both the light and the dark. Something of balance.
The Soldier.