Chapter 8: The Armoured Titan Part 3: Former Friends

"How can I be responsible for that?!" I exclaim. "Are you lying just for fun or are you trying to mess with our heads?"

"What would be the point in that?" asks Bertolt. His voice has become more level now, the streaks from the tears leaving a pair of shiny lines on his face. "In about two days Eren will probably be dead you'll have forgotten everything."

"We don't that he'll kill Eren," protests Reiner. "He might turn him into a titan; maybe even send him back without his memories."

"Look Reiner, I know you formed a lot of attachments during our time as soldiers, but try not to forget you're not a soldier. You're a warrior. Eren is Yeager, he can't be whipped. It's pretty good fortune for Matthias that he's adopted, or he'd be immune as well."

Reiner looks down between his feet. I can see some sweat pooling on his forehead. "What, what will he do about Mikasa then? Or the Captain for that matter, and how are we going to get Annie out of there? Besides, there are more untouchables within the Walls besides them. They'll remember the breach; they'll know what's going on!"

"He was able to deal with it last time, I'm sure he can deal with it this time. I'd prefer if there was another way but you know there isn't. If we don't this then he'll just send him back in to do it instead. We're immune as well you know. He'd have to kill us both. Plus, you know she'd do it without a second thought. To be honest I'm surprised she hasn't done it already."

"What are you guys talking about?" splutters Eren. "Immune to what? And what are you planning to do to Mikasa?!"

"We're not going to do anything!" shouts Reiner in a sudden outburst. "Don't you get it yet Eren? We're not volunteers okay! We have people counting on us as well. All three of us would have preferred it to be another way, but there's nothing we do about it. If only your father hadn't screwed with the balance of power like that."

"What's my dad got to do with all of this?"

"You don't think it's strange that he's disappeared for the last five years? Or that you suddenly seem to have the ability to transform despite not having any memories or experiences that might explain it? Even Matthias had to remember something before he could do it, you on the other hand just exploded into being."

"I know it was my father who gave me this power, but if you're trying to say he's somehow responsible for this then you can just shut the hell up!"

"I'm not trying to say it I am!"

"Reiner shut up!" snaps Bertolt. "Look, can't we all sit quietly for the next few hours until it's dark? I've got the most splitting headache after that last transformation." He slumps down onto his haunches. "Look guys please, the world is going to be a better place for the sacrifice you're going to make all right? We'll be able to go back to our normal lives and live in peace. Isn't that what you want Eren?"

"If you mean people will live trapped inside the Walls for the rest of their lives then no it isn't!"

"But it would be peaceful. The Titans would leave Wall Maria and all the pain and suffering of the last five years will be forgotten."

"If you think-

"Eren shut up," I snap quickly. "I know you like to get fired up about this but nows not the time. Perhaps you can save your speech for whoever we're going to meet. Bertolt, what do mean the Titans would leave Wall Maria? Why would they do that?"

"Because she'll tell them to of course."

"Who is she?"

"The queen of course Matthias," says Reiner dryly. "Once all of this is sorted out he'll have her set up and she'll be able to have all the Titans leave Wall Maria. Now I agree with Bertolt; some peace and quiet would be nice. Or do we have to gag you guys as well?"

I shake my head. 'But we don't have a queen. There hasn't been a queen on the throne since Millicent the Innocent, and that was before the coming of the Titans! Strange how the family tree of the kings stretches back about a thousand years before the Titans, but nothing else does. Eren?' I ask, concentrating on sending my thoughts his way.

"Yes?" he replies in a tired voice.

'Do you have any idea why they'd talk about a queen? We don't have one.'

"Right now nothing they say seems to make sense. I mean, you being responsible for the Titans? Come on, I know you well enough by now; you'd never do something like that."

'Maybe. But I can't remember the person that I was. Besides we don't know the circumstances, it might not have even been deliberate.'

"You're talking as if we know they're telling the truth. They could just as easily be lying to us."

'I know but, for some reason I'm certain they are.'

"What like intuition?"

'Not really. They just seem to have a sense of honesty about them I guess.' I sit still for two minutes, then an idea hits me and I sit up a little. 'Eren, think something that isn't try.'

"What?"

'Just do it. I want to test a theory.'

"Umm, the sky is green?"

'Not something stupid. Try to make it believable.'

"Armin's name is short for Armillian."

Immediately I feel a strange sort of bitter taste in my mouth. 'I think it worked. Wait, where'd you get that from?'

"Because his name is actually short for something. He made me promise never to tell anyone though."

'Oh, okay.'

"And what do you mean it worked?"

'I could feel that you were lying. I think it must be part of my abilities or something. I've had feelings like this a few times before now; I just didn't know what to make of them.'

"So that means, they are telling the truth?"

'I'm afraid I'm certain of it.'

A crack echoes from some distance off and makes me look up. "What was that?" asks Bertolt, giving voice to the question we all have. As we watch a thin green smoke trail rises up from the flatlands outside the forest. "They followed us so soon?" gasps Bertolt, looking at Reiner in panic.

"Don't worry about it," says Reiner rising to his feet. "We can still make it back to Shiganshina if we leave now. It'll be rougher, but I can make it. I'm the fastest titan shifter."

"Only over short distances. Annie's the long distance runner."

"I'll manage okay? I'll form several slots to protect you guys from the titans. That should restrain these two as well."

"What if they transform?"

"They'll collapse remember. Just try not to panic Bertolt; we're going to get out of this. Then after it's all over you can go talk to Annie about how you feel."

"Hey come on, it isn't like that."

"Sure it isn't. You stare too much," Reiner turns to look at the two of us. "All right you two, this is going to be easier if you don't struggle, so we'd appreciate that."

"Yeah right!" spits Eren venomously. "like we're going to make life easier for you traitors."

Reiner shrugs. He jumps off the branch and uses his ODM Gear to swing into a large space between the trees. He then bites into his hand, summoning the Armoured Titan in a brilliant flash of light.

The Armoured Titan turns to face the small swarm of titans milling about the base of our trees. The regular titans all turn to face the new arrival. They look at him for a few seconds, then run forwards reaching out their grasping hands towards him. The Armoured Titan calmly begins to dispatch them one by one. He crushes heads, smashes torsos and stomps down hard on the backs of their necks. The whole time I can feel a kind of emotion flowing from him. It's like his thoughts can't form themselves into words so I'm picking up what I can. I'd have expected satisfaction, perhaps disgust or exhilaration, but all I get is a kind of regret.

As the Armoured Titan rips out the last titan's nape and drops the body to the forest floor, Bertolt seizes Eren and using his 3D Gear swings down to where the Armoured Titan is waiting. Eren attempts to struggle, but without any limbs there isn't much he can do. Bertolt deposits him against the Armoured Titan's chest. As I watch the armoured plates behind Eren bend forwards and around him, enshrouding his entire body in a titan stone shell. Bertolt zips quickly back up for me. I don't waste energy struggling like Eren as I'm carried down and then covered in the bone like substance.

There are several gaps in the armour large enough to see out of, presumably so that I can still receive enough air not to suffocate. The space inside is extremely small. I can move my head forwards and backwards slightly but that's about it. 'I can't say much for your accommodations Reiner.'

"Shut up and keep quiet. If I screw this up we all end up dead understand?"

'Or we get rescued.'

"That's not going to happen."

We start off at a run and all of a sudden I'm glad for the tightness of the space. If I had any more room I'd probably be thrown around enough for my bones to break. As it is the sight outside makes me motion sick. We hurtle through to forest rapidly, trees rushing past left and right. I notice that while we're moving fast, we're moving far slower than the Armoured Titan did during the fight. In fact I'd say we're moving at roughly the same speed as the Female Titan did. 'Good, that means horses should be able to catch up to us. I don't like the idea that my fate is out of my own hands, but there's not much I can do about.'

After running for about five minutes we burst out of the forest and into the open. The ground is sparse and flat out here with only field boundaries breaking the smooth lie of the land. 'Eren? Eren?' There's no response. At first I'm about to talk to Reiner, then I think better of it. 'Bertolt, what did you do to Eren?'

"Relax. Reiner closed off his air supply for a bit so he fell unconscious. It was easier that way."

'Why not do the same to me?'

"You're not causing us any trouble right now. Besides, if we screwed it up and killed you he'd probably kill us."

'Who is he?'

"You'll know soon enough. Now be quiet."

'What, you don't want something to take your mind of the bumpy ride?'

"Matthias shut up or I will have Reiner suffocate you!"

'Fine, fine.' I almost laugh at the way in which we've been talking. We've still exchanged words in a friendly way, despite knowing that we're enemies. Of course Eren hasn't, but then again he has more reason to hate these two than most. My thoughts travel back to Trost and Shiganshina, and suddenly I hate Bertolt again. I hate how much death and destruction he's caused Humanity.

I can see what I think are titans on the horizon. It's difficult to see properly through all the bouncing up and down though, so I could be mistaken. After a few more seconds I'm certain however. There's got to be at least six of them, all running towards us. There's likely to be a lot more turning up before all of this is over. From what I can tell Reiner and Bertolt don't have the ability to control titans like the Beast Titan has, so they are potentially a very real danger.

"Shit!" I hear Reiner hiss. It doesn't seem right for him to be reacting that way to the titans. He should be able to smash his way through them without too much trouble. Then the Armoured Titan increases his pace and I hear above the din of pounding footsteps the zip of a wire. A figure flashes past outside briefly. I can't see who it is, but it looks like the rescue party has caught up.

Suddenly the Armoured Titan changes course, and starts heading directly for the group of titans.