Chapter 2: Recovery
Sudden thunder and darkness engulf the whole area and Titans emerge from either side of the hill. Bertholdt finds himself hugging 2 large tombstones. Each tombstone has names scripted on it "Reiner Braun" and "Annie Leonhardt". Bertholdt backs off and bumps on the back of large titan.
He turns around only to see a 60-meter titan looking at him with fiery eyes. The titan lifts its hands to the sky, much to Bertholdt's horror. The Titan then slams its hands into the hill blasting Bertholdt out. Bertholdt stands only to find Annie dead with a gunshot to the chest beside him. He backs off and bumps on Reiner dead with a bleeding head and gunshot to the shoulder.
He runs in horror and stumbles upon a small child crying in the middle of the forest. Bertholdt feels sympathy and approaches the boy. He finds the boy resembling Annie and hugs him tightly. The titan emerges from the trees and tries to slam its hands into Bertholdt again. Bertholdt holds the boy tightly as everything goes black.
"Zzzzz….Zzzzzz" The loud snore wakes Bertholdt up and he finds himself inside his house again. He tries to pinch his cheeks, "Ouch!" but it wasn't a dream, he was really in his house. Suddenly, Shawn appears with a smile. "Oh you're already awake?" Shawn said as he walks pass Bertholdt and gets something from the kitchen. "When did we got home?" Bertholdt said as he strokes his dizzy head.
"Here, Change into these…" Shawn said as he gives Bertholdt a piece of gray T-shirt, a brown blazer and some pants. "We'll be meeting with Annie in the middle of town in just about 10 minutes." Shawn grabs his coat and takes Bertholdt with him on the horse cart. While on the ride, Bertholdt seemed anxious, "Uhm….Shawn I want to ask you something….." Shawn quickly turns to Bertholdt on the back and smiles at him. "Did…did Reiner take us back home?" Bertholdt said as he looked down on his feet.
Shawn turns back and doesn't make sound. Bertholdt at the back still looks on the ground and reminisces some of the memories he had that day.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you both" These words make Bertholdt think…think more…think deeper…..Think! "Hey Bertholdt! Snap out of it!" Shawn shakes Bertholdt back and forth that he gets dizzy. Shawn and Bertholdt walk out of the cart into a torch at the middle of town. Annie is there waiting guarded by the lookout. "Stay here" Shawn pushed Bertholdt beside Annie as he marches beside the torch along with his guards.
"Annie, Bertholdt and the rest who are here, Due to the 1st mission's failure and success, one of the 3 designated Titan Shifter was killed but…..*walks back and forth* 2 of those 3 were able to break down an outer wall. Because of that we will proceed with the 2nd mission but…..We'll be having a new recruit *points to a dark corner*" Everyone faces to the corner hoping to find something. They face at it hardly and wait for someone to appear. In unexpected circumstances someone pats Annie's shoulder. "Hey, Annie!" Annie quickly turns back only to find Reiner standing before her.
Annie couldn't believe her eyes, standing before her was her deceased brother-like friend. "I present to you, Reiner Braun from Program X" Shawn said.
Bertholdt and Annie were astounded and hugged Reiner tightly. "I knew you would come back!" Annie cried. "Wait! Guys! What's happening?!" Reiner said with a giggle as he pushes Annie and Bertholdt away. "We just met as teammates and you already miss me?" Reiner said which makes Annie and Bertholdt confused.
Suddenly, Shawn pulls Annie and Bertholdt to a side and orders the lookout to take Reiner to his cabin. "This Reiner that you saw juts now is not the Reiner from that day, Program X suppressed his memories, He just knows about you but nothing from the past, If you don't want to lose him again, I suggest you keep quiet!" Shawn intimidates both of Annie and Bertholdt and then leaves. The lookout leads them into their designated cabin and they discover that they'll be sharing cabins with Reiner.
"You'll be training for 4 years with Reiner here, on the last year you'll be sent to Wall Rose and to the Military Training Camp to complete your training and then you'll start the mission" The lookout said before he slams the door off. Annie and Bertholdt turn around at Reiner who is relaxing at his bed. "Hey! Did I do something wrong?" Reiner giggled as he sees the 2 look at him weirdly.
The training starts after 3 months and the three are pitted against the power of nature, machine and each other. First training was Forest Maneuver where they are dropped off at random location of a large forest roaming with 6-meter titans. They have to locate any finish line around the forest. There 4 finish lines randomly located around the forest.
First to encounter a Titan was Annie who chances upon a 7-meter titan who caught her scent. The titan quickly lunges at her but Annie outruns it by swinging using the weeds.
Next was Bertholdt who chances upon 2 5-meter Titans who are roaming when they chanced to corner Bertholdt around a tree. Bertholdt manages to climb a tree but is too paralyzed to jump around as he is afraid that he might slip and fall.
Last was Reiner who manages to outrun each Titan he encounters. On the contrary he uses land maneuver instead of tree maneuver and using the leafy bushes, he can quickly hide whenever a Titan roams nearby, and he uses mud to protect his scent.
Annie on the other side finds a finish line and there she finds a green smoke round. She shoots it up.
Reiner and Bertholdt see this. This signifies that one of them have reached a finish line. While looking for possible hiding bushes, Reiner chances upon 2 5-meter Titans who are trying to climb up to what seems to be Bertholdt on top of a tree. Reiner picks up a sharp rock and ties 2 strands of weed on it. He then swings it into a distant branch.
"Hey, Buttheads! Over here!" Reiner shouted making the 2 titans to run into his direction. He runs as fast as he can and barely dodges the 2 titans trying to grab him by the rear. He jumps and grabs the other end of the weed causing him to swing into a higher branch. He sees Bertholdt on the other side.
"Hey, Bert! Grab this" He throws the end of the weed with the sharp rock into Bertholdt's branch. Bertholdt reluctantly grabs it and jumps off the tree. The titans see this and they try to jump up to catch him. Reiner notices this and jumps on the other side of the tree, causing Berthold to swing drastically high.
Reiner falls into the ground and gets covered in mud. Bertholdt, now on top of the tree branch watches as Reiner crawls out of the mud coughing. Reiner hides behind a bush and tries to stay still until the Titans leave. Hours later, Bertholdt couldn't see any movement on the bush and gets worried. "Reiner….." Bertholdt whispered as he tries to get down from branch to branch.
He silently lands on the ground and approaches the bush. He peeks into the bush but finds no one there. "Reiner" He whispered as he searches around when suddenly, he encounters a 10-meter titan looking before him with Hungry eyes. Bertholdt shakes with terror and backs off until he is cornered within a tree.
Meanwhile…..
Reiner, wandering around the forest, full of mud finds a finish and line and finds a black smoke round. He shoots it up and the guards around take him outside of the forest. Once taken to the cabin, he finds Annie reading a book on her bed. "Hey, Annie! Have you seen Bertholdt anywhere?" Reiner asked.
"Who knows, He might have been eaten….." Annie said as he glared at Reiner with an emotionless face. Reiner sighs and takes his things with him and goes out. "If you're thinking of saving him again….Go then" Annie yelled as Reiner continues going out.
Meanwhile…..Inside the forest.
Bertholdt, tired of running away hides himself on a bush hoping that the Titan will pass him by. Bertholdt was having daytime nightmares; soon he begins to panic and breathes heavily. His cold breath echoing through the wind. Rustles and scratches worry him more.
The sound goes nearer and nearer, Bertholdt, finding his memories with his friends being an inspiration, holds tighter to his sharp stone. Suddenly… *WHACK!* Bertholdt swings his stone only to end up wounding Reiner on the arm. Bertholdt, surprised to see his companion helps Reiner up from the mud. "*Gasp* Sorry!" Bertholdt said but it wasn't the end, a large arm slams between them, blasting them both out of the bush. Reiner rolls down and hits a tree instantly whacking himself from reality. Another 10-meter titan has revealed itself. The titan approaches Reiner only to get amputated by Bertholdt. While the Titan recovers, Bertholdt tries to support Reiner up as they walk far away. Unfortunately, the titan chases them off and as it gets on a reaching distance, it wipes Bertholdt off, blasting them both away.
Recovering his consciousness, Reiner wakes only to find a piece of Bertholdt's clothes on his arm and blood all over the place. He stands up only to find Bertholdt over the dead and evaporating titan. Bertholdt loses consciousness and Reiner carries him to a finish line. Reiner shoots a red smoke flare which Shawn sees from his window. "*Sigh* Finally!" Shawn smiled as he readied his convoy and they head to the forest. There they find Bertholdt resting upon Reiner's lap as Reiner rests beside a tree. They are both bloody and bruised to the point that Shawn almost mistaken them for dead.
"Program X….Program X…..We'll put him under Program X…..He's still alive? How could this be?... Vital signs going low…Checking heart beat…Reviving…..Reviving…A cut across the arm….A cut across the arm… A cut across the arm….A CUT ACROSS THE ARM! *GASP*" Reiner wakes up in his bed inside the cabin, full of bandages and feeling pain. Annie was there, reading a book beside Bertholdt who is sleeping. Reiner stands up and and washes his hands, picks up a bowl and cooks soup.
"Hey! Reiner, you're…..still weak…right?" Annie said. "How….How could you have me save him while you run off first?!" Reiner said in anger. This made Annie shocked. "Annie…Annie tell me?!" Reiner shouted. "I'm…Reiner…..I didn't mean to…I'm….I'm…..I'm Sorry!" Annie cried out as she remembers some of her memories from the day Reiner was shot because of her. Suddenly Annie comes to a realization "Reiner….you remembered?" Annie asked.
"What do you mean? Remembered? I was just irritated by you relaxing here at home, while I dumped myself in mud just to save him! And why are you crying on the floor?" Reiner said confused. "Uhm..What? Aheehe! That was my over act tho-"Annie said in embarrassment. "Have you been this weird since we met?" Reiner asked while stirring the soup. "I…I….don't….really….." Annie said in shock. "YES! But she'll be okay…" Bertholdt slipped in. The 3 of them reconcile that night, just like the old times. Annie and Reiner took turns on taking care of Bertholdt. However, Shawn looks closely at the window and bites his lips as he orders his security to surround the cottage.
That Night…
"No! Don't! I'll go with you…..Please don't…. *Runs Away*" Annie in a fit of a shock runs away. "Shoot Her!" Shawn shouted. *Bang* A loud gunshot echoed through the forest. Surprisingly, someone lunges at Annie to take her down. Annie kicks the person away only to find out that it was Reiner, with a gunshot to the shoulder. "No…No Reiner, not you too." Annie sobbed as she faces only to see Bertholdt held at gunpoint by Shawn.
Suddenly, *BANG* Bertholdt falls to the ground but he was still alive and unscathed. He stands up only to find Shawn falling to the ground dead. Reiner reveals to be the shooter. "You're ruler days are over now Shawn!" Reiner said. However they were surrounded. "Uhm, Hey! Guys, after this do we really have somewhere to go to?" Reiner asked.
Suddenly, Bertholdt gets an idea. "How about the walls, we could hide there!" Bertholdt said with a smile. "Buckle Up!" Reiner said as he takes the 2 and they run towards Shawn's caravan and steals and wagon. "Hey! How come?!" Annie asked. "I guess, I've had enough of his teaching!" Reiner said with a smile. The 3 of them smile as they finally get out of the village, in the middle of their journey, a rustle under the wagon stops them.
Annie kicks out what seems to be a boy. "Hey! What's Berick doing here?!" Reiner said as he scratched the back of his head. "Uhm….Huh…..Wha- What?!" The boy gasped in shock as before him stands 3 persons of his age. "Is it morning already? *Yawns*" Berick said scratching his eyes.
"Is he any threat?" Annie asked. "He's one of my friends back at camp, just never thought, he'd be sleeping in the wagon." Reiner said jokingly. Bertholdt helps Berick up only to find that he has a scratch at his cheek. "Hey! You're bleeding!" Bertholdt gasped.
"Oh that?! That's just my practice" Berick said with a smile. Annie looked at him in a perplexed way but then they had to go on to find a camp as the night goes darker.
Exhausted and sleepy, Reiner sets a camp under a huge tree. They gather wood and leaves to make fire and use their remaining rations to eat. "About that scar…What's your practice?" Bertholt said while giving Berick some of his food. "This? This is the scar Shawn instructed me to make if I want to save myself." Berick said. Annie and Reiner become alarmed and Annie, in a fit of distress holds Berick at knife point. Bertholt tries to calm down Annie.
Berick pushes Annie and Bertholdt away and wounds his cheek more. A surge of lightning falls down and from the ashes arise a mighty 15 meter Titan. It has large claws and long feet. With Annie and Bertholt unconscious, the Titan assaults Reiner, headbutting a tree and stunning itself. Reiner regains his stance but the Titan is already near him. Annie, regaining her consciousness covers Reiner only to get swiped sideways against a tree.
Reiner sees this and gets enraged. He assaults the titan only to get punched away. He lands on a tree, impaling his arm on a twig. Reiner can barely move as he sees Annie about to be eaten by Berick. "A cut across the arm…A cut across the arm…..A CUT ACROSS THE ARM!" Reiner's eyes widen. Reiner tries to pulls his arm from the twig but it is too painful. However he sees Annie about to be swallowed. Reiner becomes more enraged and he successfully makes a cut across his arm.
Another surge of lightning occurs. A lot of trees fall by. Annie becomes devoured by Berick. Suddenly, a peculiar looking titan emerges from the ashes; it punches Berick on the face only to spit out Annie. Berick tries to assault the titan but he only gets rammed to the ground. Berick's head gets smashed and pounded. Bertholdt helps Annie up only to see the peculiar titan biting a chunk of flesh on its fallen enemy and then it swallows the chunk of flesh.
Bertholdt's eyes widen when he realized that the Titan from the wall was no other than the titan standing before him. The same thing happens as Reiner slashes his way out of the Titan but this time he was holding an unconscious Berick. Bertholdt hold Annie up together with Berick and orders Bertholdt to follow him inside the forest.
Inside, Reiner straps Annie and Berick on a high branch and keeps himself intact below them. Bertholdt positioned beside Annie swings down to lay beside Reiner. "Uhm….This Berick guy….Who is he?" Bertholdt asked. Reiner only shift sideways away from Bertholdt. Bertholdt, disappointed shift sideways too but…..
"He was one of the test experiments I met while I was in Program X" Reiner murmured which made Bertholdt interested.
*Flashback*
Reiner wakes up in the middle of a debacle where people are freaking around and keeps saying numbers. "Number 5 down….Number 10 down….Number 2 down…Number 8 down" He looks beside him only to find a flatline person suddenly, Reiner feels an instant urge in his chest like his heart is about to burst out of it. People gather around him and one puts an oxygen mask on him, the other one injecting something on him and one is slicing a wound on his arm. Then everything goes to black.
A stinging pain briefly awakens Reiner who is very weak. He opens his eyes and finds himself wounded in a bed.. "Ugh!" Reiner moans as the stinging pain continues. He can feel a damp object wiping around his body. "Don't move yet, You're bleeding" A voice said. Reiner opens his eyes to see a boy wiping a moist cloth around his face. "That was really fantastic, What you did back there was really awesome?" The boy continued.
"I'm gonna leave you for today but then, I'll be here again tomorrow" The boy smiled.
The next day, Reiner has regained his strength and decides to have a walk outside the cottage. He walks out only to find the boy who was taking care of him being whipped to the ground. "Shawn has ordered you to go back to your cottage!" The guard said. "But….but…..I have to!" The boy can barely speak. "No buts…..No whys….No nows! Get it!" The guarded shouted.
Suddenly….The guard was held at gunpoint by Reiner. "Ok…OK….But just for a few hours, I'll get killed because of the 2 of you" The guard surrendered. Reiner takes the boy in. "By the way…..What's your name?" Reiner asked. "Berick, you can call me Berck" The boy quickly replies. Moments later, the 2 were talking like nothing happened. The scene fades out into black.
*End of Flashback*
"That's how I met him, I knew he was like me but then, I never expected this to happen" Reiner ended his talk only to realize that Bertholdt is already half asleep which takes Reiner into an awkward notices that Bertholdt is near the edge of the tree branch so he tucks him a little closer to avoid him falling down.
In the middle of the night, Reiner awakens only to hear rustles on the branch above them. Suddenly, Berick falls with one of his feet tied and swings upside down. Reiner pulls Berick up and says "What the hell are you thinking right now?" Reiner said. "Uhm, I'm Hungry?" Berick quickly replied.
Reiner carefully slips from the branch to avoid waking Bertholdt up. As Bertholdt is to about untie Berick "Uhm…What about me?" Reiner looks up and finds Annie tangled in vines. However, Berick accidentally slips out of his vine causing Reiner to fall and as Reiner were holding the other vines, he causes Annie and Bertholdt to fall off the tree too. Reiner lands on the ground butt-first. Just as he thought that it was all ok, Bertholdt falls on his chest, next was Berick who fell on Bertholdt's back. Lastly Annie was able to slowly climb down using a vine. The 3 boys look at her awkwardly.
The 4 of them walk around the forest. Annie and Bertholdt were able to find fresh fruits while Berick and Reiner go find some wood and dried leaves for fire. However Reiner chances upon a crystal clear river. Reiner thinks it's a nice time to go fishing. Luckily, a school of different fishes are nearby and Reiner was able to catch a bucket of them. After that, Reiner makes an awkward look when he sees Annie, Berick and Bertholdt sleeping on the green grass.
Moments Later…..
*SPLASH!* The sound of water splashing wakes Annie up only to get splashed by water on the face. Reiner laughs only to get hit by mud on the face. Annie giggles only to get pulled into the water by Reiner. Bertholdt and Berick are awakened only to get hit by mud on the face.
The 4 of them have fun on the river. Unfortunately, Reiner was pushed by Bertholdt so hard that he slipped. Reiner falls down the water and hits himself on a rock, causing a flash of blue images to occur. Reiner's bleeding wound covers the water in red alarming the others. Berick and Bertholdt quickly get him out of water and put him on the ground. *BANG* A gun shot was heard. A cry of a girl is echoing. *SLAP* A girl slaps her friend. *SLAP* A rolling bandage can be seen rolling. "Ha! What will you do? Throw it to me?" A daring speech. *BANG* another gunshot was heard, "Put him under Program X…He's still alive….Program X…..Fascinating….He's still alive…Reiner ….. Reiner ….Reiner!" After the scream everything goes to black.