Chapter 6: The Armoured Titan Part 1: Traitors

Everything is filled with a churning, roiling mass of steam. The heat is so intense that I can only just barely retain consciousness. I find myself trying to gasp for air that won't come and I stagger and fall. Finally the huge gush of vapour subsides and I look up. The sixty metre tall goliath stares down at me, its shadow blotting out the sun.

Twenty minutes earlier I was still recovering from my night's ordeal. Despite Armin's grim news, I couldn't keep awake for much longer and slept again until sixteen hundred hours. All of the soldiers in the area have been attempting to reorganise and word has been sent out that Wall Rose is in fact not breached. It is expected that the evacuees will be able to begin to return as early as the next day. Ironically the main work load for the military is dismantling all of the defences that had to be set up in such a hurry the day before.

With no titans inside the Walls the mood has calmed considerably. Most people are still finding things to do. Filling in half dug ditches, reloading supplies that were unloaded only that morning and deconstructing forward outposts that never saw service. No one's particularly irritated though. The fear of an actual breach to Wall Rose was so great that the news of its integrity overwhelms all negative feelings about manual labour. Well, almost all of them.

Most of the Military Police are still standing around doing nothing, even though there are now three squads of soldiers here. It's pleasing to see that some of them helping out. I suppose even the MPs must have some decent people in their ranks.

The sun is still high in the summer sky so I decide to try and help out where I can. I'm a little disappointed when I'm told not to exert myself by working. I feel almost fully recovered by this point. Still, orders are orders I suppose.

I sit on a rock and watch as some Garrison soldiers pack away one of the larger tents. 'I certainly hope we're wrong. I've always respected Reiner so much! He's one of the bravest people I know, even if he isn't the most intelligent. Bertolt has always been the quiet type. He almost never says anything he doesn't have to say. But he's always been kind towards everyone else, and he showed that he was brave during the Battle of Trost and 57th Recon Mission.

'But, we've got more on them than just a stress attack. According to records both Reiner and Bertolt are from the same village as Annie, so that's suspicion enough. On top of that both of them had copies of the plan where Eren was in the right wing, which was where the Female Titan attacked looking for him. Then there's the fact that the Female Titan suddenly seemed to know to change her course to make for the centre rank. Reiner was the one that asked about Eren's actual location, even though looking back on it, it would have been better not to know. And Reiner should have known that. If a higher up keeps something from you, it's probably for a good reason. Reiner's principles as a soldier should have dictated that he not ask that question.

'Furthermore, Reiner would have had no chance of cutting his way out of the Female Titan's hands after being grabbed. Also, the time between the initial blood spurt and Reiner's escape was too long. Armin thinks that Reiner used that moment to carve a brief message into the Female Titan's hand, which would explain why she sat staring at it for several seconds before moving on. It all adds up in the end but, I don't want it to be true. Annie was easier to deal with I guess because not only did she in some ways run out on us by choosing the MPs over the Scouts, she was never a particularly good friend to any of us. Reiner and Bertolt are a different story.'

Angrily I pick up a stone and squeeze it as hard as I can in my hands before hurling it into the dirt. I feel a slight stinging and realise that I was stupid enough to cut my hand open. As I look down at the red line, a thin trail of white vapour rises from the wound and it vanishes. The sight just pisses me off all the more. I sit there fuming inside at how cruel fate is to have put anyone in this kind of a situation. But then I stop myself from thinking like that. Fate seems too much like a way to say God, and there's no point blaming God.

To me it seems pointless to only acknowledge him when you want to either blame him for something, or barter for your life. So often people try to call out to a god they don't believe exists just because they want someone to shove all their troubles on. I'm not going to be that kind of a hypocrite. I'm not sure if there is a god or not, but I find myself hoping there is, because the idea of death being the cut off point when you're in my line of work is terrifying.

I shake my head and try not to think about it. I always screw myself over when I think philosophically. I let out a long groan and slide down off the rock so that my back is resting against its base. "Why, why them?" I ask nobody in particular.

"Why who?" asks a deep voice from behind me. I look up to see Reiner looking down at me.

'Well speak of the devil I suppose.' "Nothing, just talking out loud," I reply, not looking up from the ground. I'm not sure I can look him in the eye.

"You got something on your mind?" he asks, sitting down next to me.

'Oh well, I guess this is typical of what he would do. He always was interested in how other people were doing.' "Ah," I say, throwing another stone. "It's just, the whole idea of there being one traitor in the 104th was bad enough. Now we're more or less certain there has to be two."

"What makes you guys so sure?"

"We know it was Annie who killed Hange's test subjects. We also know that she had a lookout to warn her about the guards. On top of that we know that she also had to get some inside information from someone in the Scouts in order to have known where to try to hunt down Eren from during the Recon Mission."

"That doesn't mean it has to be one of us," says Reiner. His voice sounds concerned, but not as such for himself.

'I suppose he doesn't think we know. Or at least he hopes we don't.' "No it doesn't. There's one more thing though. When we were first admitted into the Scouts I had my first mental connection to someone. They said that they only had to stay in the Regiment for one month and then it would all be over. In one month the Female Titan attacked. The only other people there who weren't part of the 104th are dead now. It has to have been one of us."

"Could you recognise who?"

"No, the voice sounded really far away. All I could get was that it was almost certainly male. Besides, most people sound slightly different inside their heads, so that just makes it all the more difficult."

Reiner falls silent for a little while. "I guess the idea does stink huh? I mean, we've been together as a group for over three years now. It's pretty hard to imagine someone turning their back on that."

I nod in agreement and idly draw one of my blades, pointing it up at the sky. "You know Reiner. I don't think we ever actually heard the name of the village you and Bertolt came from. What was it?"

"Schlangenzunge. It wasn't a very big place but it was home."

"You know I think I might know what that name means actually."

"Oh really, in the old language you mean."

"Yeah, I learnt a bit during training. It means the snake's tongue."

"Heh, not particularly flattering is it?"

"No. It's ironic though; they always used to associate snakes with liars." Reiner stiffens slightly at that.

"Reiner," I say, almost idly after about thirty seconds, "why?"

"Why what?" he asks, his voice now extremely heavy.

"Why'd you and Bertolt betray us? Who are you guys anyway?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. I think you might have a touch of the sun there Matthias."

"Don't play dumb with me please. I know you and Bertolt had a negative reaction at the same time at about nineteen hundred hours yesterday. That's at exactly the same time Eren and I did. Only titan shifters reacted to that, no one else. We have plenty of other stuff on you guys as well, and you just proved to me only a few seconds ago that you lied about where you came from. I suppose you just picked the name of some backwater village and expected no one to have come from there. Now, can you answer my question please?"

Reiner's shoulders slump and he looks at the ground. "Fine," he says in a very different tone of voice to the one I'm used to, "You want to know who I am? I'm the Armoured Titan that broke through Wall Maria. Bertolt's the Colossal that kicked in the Gate of Shiganshina."

I sit up and look at him cross legged. I don't know why, but I feel perfectly calm and at ease. "Why? Why would do that? Didn't you realise the number of people and lives that would be destroyed as a consequence?"

"We thought we did. We thought we knew exactly what the cost was and that it was a price worth paying. Ever since that day I've asked myself if I was right. I can't begin to tell you how glad I was when the attack on Trost was called off. I happy I wouldn't have to do it again for at least a few more days. I'd get to live this life for just a little bit longer."

"You'd rather be who you were as a soldier than who you were as a traitor?"

"A big part of me would yeah. Not that matters now." He looks up at me, his eyes hard. "So, how do you want to do this? You know what comes next don't you."

"You and Bertolt attempt to kidnap me and Eren and make a break for it. You take us both over the Wall and through the titan fields until you find whoever it is our real enemy is here. Then you hand us over to them."

"Right. So, are you coming?"

"You know I can't do that Reiner."

"I know. I guess it's the hard way huh?"

"That's your choice in the end. You could always surrender."

"Why would I? I'm a mass murder; the only fate I have with Humanity now is the gallows."

"I see. Then I'm sorry." Before Reiner can move a muscle I lash out with the blade in my hand. The steel tool slices through his throat and Reiner falls forwards, choking on his own blood. I put the tip of the blade under his chin. "You'll heal from that, but move again and I'll run this through your skull."

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that Matthias," says Bertolt. I look up in time to see him swing a wooden plank into my head. For several seconds everything is black. Then light floods back into my eyes and I find myself lying on the grass with Reiner and Bertolt standing over me.

"I figured this was going to happen sooner or later," Bertolt is saying to Reiner. "He should never have just gone and done it without giving us a heads up first. We weren't ready for that."

"At least we can still salvage the situation," replies Reiner. "If we can get the Sacrifice and the Coordinate over the Wall then none of this matter anyway."

Bertolt looks down at me. "Reiner, he's awake."

"All right then. It's time to go." Reiner bites down on his hand before vanishing in a plume of yellow light. As it dissipates the last strands of muscle pull themselves into place, and the large bone like plates of armour form over the exposed red. The Armoured Titan looms over me, sixteen metres tall with burning yellow eyes. He reaches down and lifts me up from the ground. I'm only half conscious so I don't struggle. Bertolt grabs onto the Armoured Titan's arm as it goes back up into the air, riding it up to the top before sliding into a nook in the armour plates around the neck. It almost looks like it was put there specifically for him.

All around us I can hear confused shouts and cries from below. The soldiers are panicking no doubt at the new titan's sudden appearance amongst them. The Armoured Titan sets off at a run, heavy feet pounding over the grass. I manage to twist my head around in time to see him plough straight through a single story house. It shouldn't tale him more than a minute to reach the Wall, and then only another minute to climb it. After that they're both home free.

'But what about Eren? Don't they need him as well?' My question is answered by a bright flash of lightning off to the right. 'Oh, they knew he'd do that didn't they?'

The Berserker comes tearing out of the faint wisp of fog, eyes burning like some monster out of hell. "Reiner!" I hear Eren howl. "You dam traitor!" Without missing a beat the Armoured Titan spins on the spot and smashes into Eren's head with a punch so powerful it cracks apart his skull on impact. The Berserker Titan flies backwards, landing heavily.

"Sorry about this Eren," rumbles the deep voice of Reiner. "But right now you're the only real way out of this mess for us." He strides forwards towards the battered titan form. Steam pours from its head in a massive torrent and it sits unmoving against a large pine tree. The Armoured Titan leans forwards to rip away the nape.

"To hell with you Reiner!" I scream biting down into my tongue as before with the Beast Titan. Just like last time my titan form erupts into being sending the Armoured Titan sprawling.

"Ah, what the hell?"

'Eren,' I growl at him with as much focus as I can. 'Eren you need to get up.'

"I'm trying dam it! This worthless piece of trash won't move!" he snaps back.

'Great, now I have to fight Reiner alone.' I take several steps back and bend my knees slightly. When were training I managed to beat Reiner a few times, but most of the time his greater strength allowed him to win out. Now he has armour as strong as the Female Titan's nape over his entire body. My chances aren't that good.

The Armoured Titan climbs back to his feet and looks at me. "I know you can hear me Matthias," says Reiner. "Back down and take this the painless way."

'Reiner, I'm sorry you made choices that perhaps you didn't understand, and now those choices have put you in a difficult position. But you still killed all those people, including Eren's mom. You can just go back to whatever disgusting shit hole your crawled out of and die as far as I'm concerned now.'

"If that's how this is going to be then." He charges forwards with incredible speed I can't react. The kind of speed the Armoured Titan has makes the Female Titan looks like a slug. I fly backwards and smash into the ground, bouncing back up into the air and then crashing back down again. Ever last tissue in my body hurts after that, and I can see the steam coming off of me in huge clouds. I slowly push myself back to my feet, my entire body shaking. 'Ow,' is pretty much all I can think.

The Armoured Titan stands up straight again and gets ready to charge for the second time. 'If he hits me like that again this fight is over before it begins. I wish hand to hand combat had been more my specialty.' I throw myself to the side as the Armoured Titan flies past me, pulverising another lone building into dust. I scramble to my feet and try to think of some kind of way I can fight back.

I try to think back to our training on unarmed fighting. "If your opponent is stronger than you, do not try to match their strength. Use it against them." 'Wait, I don't remember that. I mean, I remember stuff like it but I don't remember anyone saying that. Come to think of it I don't recognise the voice either. Oh well, it makes sense so for now that's all I need to know.'

The Armoured Titan turns to face me again. He sprints at me again, his attack lower speed this time with more control to it. At the last second I jump out of the way and kick him in the back of the knee. His own momentum carries the Armoured Titan into the ground with massive force. I wince inwardly at the sound of cracking bones. 'I wonder how Bertolt is enjoying the ride.' I can't hear Bertolt's thoughts yet since he's able to shield them from me out of titan form, but I can imagine he's not having the best ride of all time right now.

"That, was good," admits Reiner a little grudgingly. "But you can't keep that up forever you know."

'I don't need to.' A defining roar adds emphasis to may statement as the Berserker-now fully healed-tears across the open ground towards us.

"Dam it!" The Armoured Titan jumps back as the Berserker Titan almost crashes into him. The Berserker pulls up and spins around. I notice in surprise that the large plate covering the Armoured Titan's mouth has slide down to reveal his teeth. "Bertolt," I hear him growl. A second later and I see a human figure climbing out of its nook in the Armoured Titan's neck and jumping into the air.

'Eren it's Bertolt, he's going to-

I'm cut off by a blast of yellow lightning so massive I can't see a thing for the next thirty seconds. Then everything is filled with a churning, roiling mass of steam. The heat is so intense that I can only just barely retain consciousness. I find myself trying to gasp for air that won't come and I stagger and fall. Finally the huge gush of vapour subsides and I look up. The sixty metre tall goliath stares down at me, its shadow blotting out the sun.

"Son of a bitch!" I hear Eren hiss.