Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 37: Unfinished Business
Michael had finally finished reliving his memories and exposition on how he got to this point. The rest of the group sitting around him felt a sense of relief that he was finally able to wrap up his little tale. As interesting as it was, some of them felt like it was never going to end.
Among them, Zeke and Lazarus were the most intrigued by it. Though Lazarus was able to regain his lost memories of Michael upon making contact with the Crystal Titan, he still wasn't sure as to why he wiped his mind in the first place. Now he knew. He only did it to protect him and help increase his chances of surviving the experiments. He could've died like all the others, hadn't Michael taken away his worries.
As for Zeke, Michael's story helped fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle that was set up by Tom Ksaver's research behind the Winged Titan. Combined with what he discovered, and Michael's past, the truth was all coming together.
He looks over at Lazarus who was sitting across from him. He couldn't help but look at him in a completely different light. Since they first met, he always treated him as a little brother and helped him adjust to his life of duty within the military. But as he got older, he started to wonder why that is. The only person he was close with was his predecessor, Tom Ksaver. He didn't even view the other members of the Warrior unit as friends. Only as comrades and nothing more.
After all this time he knows the reason why he felt a sense of trust and familiarity within Lazarus. As well as the secret behind why he alone was the only one who survived the experiments.
"Wow, Michael. That's some story." Ymir spoke up after spending most of her time since the arrival of Zeke being silent. "And here I thought Lazarus had it worse. No wonder you two are so close."
Lazarus and Michael glance at each other briefly and form a smile, agreeing to her claim. Reiner and Bertolt were still in the process of understanding everything Michael had just told them. They still found the whole thing unbelievable. Not only was the Crystal Titan legend real, but it was a Titan unique only to the Ackerman Clan and had its own curse behind it. They honestly couldn't decide what was worse. Only living for thirteen years or living a full life with voices in your head.
But what they do know now is that the Michael Smith they grew up, trained, and fought with/against, is now dead. Now there's only Michael Suurvalta/Ackerman reborn in his place. He no longer had a desire to make them pay for their actions five years ago. Now all he desires was to help them complete their mission and return home to Marley. To his birth parents. And hopefully, help Lazarus put an end to the war against Paradis now that they all know they aren't what they thought they were.
Lazarus had the same thought. But a new sudden realisation passed through his psyche, causing his smile to disappear.
"Michael… You are back to the person you're meant to be, right?"
"I am Laz. That part of me that planned on killing you all as soon as I got my memories back is gone. You don't have to worry about how I feel anymore. I understand why you attacked the walls, and I know neither of you took pleasure in killing those people. You were just kids who were ordered into attacking them, brainwashed into believing the people here were devils." He reassured them. "None of you could've refused that… What happened five years ago was also partially my fault."
"What do you mean?" Reiner questioned him.
"Before I wiped his mind, I told Lazarus to use any means necessary to bring me back to Marley. He never would've done all those things if it hadn't been for that unbreakable vow we made to each other. Had this curse never existed, I could've become a Warrior myself and led you guys through the hidden tunnel network to locate the Founder. All of that unnecessary death could've been avoided. We could've obtained the Founding Titan before Eren could… Before today, I wanted you all to suffer for what you did. But now I see that you already have."
It was at that moment that Lazarus could no longer hold back the small piece of information that had been eating away at him ever since he opened up to the others about the Winged Titan's origins. He needed to come clean now while he still had the chance.
"You're wrong, Michael! Please don't make up excuses for our actions. It's not fair on you!" He blurted out, scaring him into silence before continuing. "… I haven't been entirely truthful with you before. When I was telling you about the False Founder Project, I left out a small part of the story. I did it because I wanted to wait until you were YOU again."
Lazarus pauses momentarily so that he could muster the strength needed to reveal this gut-wrenching secret. Even looking him straight in the eye had proven to be more challenging than he would've liked.
"The day I first transformed into the Winged Titan; I unintentionally unleashed the Hellfire Force for the very first time. The resulting explosion ended up destroying the entire underground facility and everyone in it. The explosion also annihilated most of Odiha… What I didn't mention before was…" He starts to break down crying slightly, no longer able to hold onto his composure.
"Your birth parents, Jacob and Greta, were among the civilians caught up in the blast! … I left that part out because I was afraid you'd back out of our agreement and rush back to Erwin. Seeing your parents again and remembering your old life was what drove you to agree to come with us in the first place. I- I didn't wanna lose you again… I'm so sorry, Michael! I can't expect you not to hate me for this. I know you'll probably hold a grudge for lying to you. Just please don't let this change-
Michael raises his hand to his face, shutting him up so that he could speak now. Lazarus just sat there in silence, closing his eyes and scrunches up his face, expecting a punch from him.
But to his shocking surprise, Michael responded by pulling him into a tight embrace. It was so sudden, and yet so welcoming at the same time. They then began to wonder if this was one of those hugs where the individual would whisper something threatening in the other's ear, hiding their intentions from the others around them. But this was a genuine, caring, comforting hug.
"It's ok, Laz. I already knew." Michael whispered into his ear.
"What?! You knew?" Lazarus responded, flabbergasted by how he delivered that line.
"I had a feeling when you told me your story. It doesn't take a genius to deduce that my parents, who lived near the car factory, would end up caught up in the explosion as well. I also told you about how they were the reason you became a test subject in the first place… What happened was beyond your control. You are not to blame for my parents' deaths." He reassured him as he patted his back. "To be honest. I blame the founders of the project for forcing them into the position in the first place."
The two of them break off the hug and properly look each other in the eyes. Lazarus wipes away his tears using his Scout jacket.
"My parents may be gone, but that doesn't mean I don't have a life back in Marley." He started speaking up again after a moment's peace. "Now that I have my memories back, and the curse is broken, I can focus on my true goal."
"Which is?" Bertolt asked.
"To help you guys complete your mission. Recapture the Founding Titan and use its power to bring an end to this cursed war. Laz, I want to help you accomplish your goal of erasing the existence of Titans from the world and making all Eldians human. That way all the people living on this island, including my dad and our friends, can live long peaceful lives. We owe them this."
Lazarus smiled in response to Michael's proposal. With the Crystal Titan now on their side, the mission should prove to be a lot easier to pull off if they tread carefully. But there was still one issue that Reiner felt the need to bring up. He only just realised it now, as his mind was on the cusp of breaking down due to his PTSD.
"There's still one problem with the mission though… If we do capture Eren and obtain the Founding Titan, how are we gonna control its power? Only someone of royal blood can control its full power." He pointed out.
"Yeah, he's right," Bertolt added. "Even if we had someone with royal blood, they'll only end up being under the influence of the Vow Renouncing War. It's a no-win scenario."
"There is another way." Michael interrupted. All eyes fell on him as they were curious to know what he has in mind.
"My grandfather, Noah, had discovered a way to break the Vow Renouncing War. But he died before he had a chance to share it with my family. But since I was able to see into his memories, I know what it was he'd discovered… If a Titan with royal blood makes physical contact with the holder of the Founding Titan, then the Founder's full power can be drawn out."
Everyone's eyes widen with surprise. They all couldn't believe it at first. But Lazarus started to recall Eren making contact with a Titan which, at first, he couldn't understand. But now it was clear to him that the Titan he touched had royal blood in its system. Allowing Eren to unlock the Founder's power and use it against them.
"However, what the power is used for is down to the Founder's host. If one of us were to devour Eren and obtain the Founding Titan, all we need to do is touch someone with royal blood and then we can use its power to rewrite the anatomy of our bodies and erase everything Titan related. Right, Lazarus?"
"Yeah, that's right. But there's one problem with that theory. Marley doesn't have anyone with royal blood. The members of the royal family that stayed behind after the Great Titan War were all wiped out. The Reiss family are all that remains of that bloodline." He explained.
"Actually… There is one among us who possesses royal blood."
Now everyone's attention was drawn towards Zeke. At first, they thought this was some kind of joke. But Lazarus knows Zeke better than anyone. He wasn't the type of person to make jokes in situations like this. He could tell by the gleam in his eyes behind his glasses that he was serious. The question is, who among them was he referring to?
"It's clear to me that the research your grandfather created was the same research Mister Ksaver invested in. Everything Michael says is true. And fortunately for us, we do have someone with royal blood among us."
"Can you just skip to the part where you tell us who is it?" Reiner asked what everyone else was thinking.
"Alicia."
Everyone fell silent in response to that name, unclear as to who he was talking about. But Michael quickly made the connection that he was referring to the same Alicia his grandfather, Noah, once had feelings for when he was young. And the supposed grandmother of Lazarus.
"Alicia? The woman from Michael's story?" Lazarus questioned. "What are you implying, Zeke?"
"When you guys were here carrying out the mission, I was back in Marley looking into Mister Ksaver's research. Particularly the surviving copies of the research behind the False Founder Project. I wanted to know why you were the only one to survive it, Lazarus. What was it about you that made you special? … I looked into your family history for clues, and I was able to find an answer. But I wasn't sure at the time if it was true. But Michael's story has confirmed it."
"Enough with the suspense already!" Ymir called out from her isolated spot away from the campfire. "Just tell us already, beardy!"
Zeke ignores her comments and proceeds to tell the others everything he has discovered over the five years they've been away.
"That woman, Alicia, comes from a long line of Karl Fritz's descendants. Her true name is Alicia Fritz. A woman of royal blood. She then continued that bloodline through her daughter, Lydia. And she would pass it on to her son…"
Zeke then focuses his vision on Lazarus. Everyone else, including Ymir, slowly turn their heads in Lazarus's direction as the realisation began to kick in. Even Michael had difficulty believing what his ears were hearing.
"Now I understand." Zeke slowly spoke up again. Everyone's eyes were still fixed on Lazarus to focus on his words. "The reason why only Lazarus was able to survive the False Founder Project… Is because he has royal blood flowing through his veins."
The whole camp fell silent as they let those final words of exposition sink in. All that could be heard was the barely audible sounds of the campfire crackling and the wind blowing.
Everyone had more of a hard time believing this revelation compared to the others that came before it. Not even Michael had known about Laz's secret royal heritage on his mother's side. Noah must not have known either, otherwise, he would've seen it in his memories.
"That's… impossible," Lazarus responded in denial. "There's no way I have royal blood. I would've known! I've made physical contact with Eren and Michael on multiple occasions and nothing happened. If I had royal blood, I would've been able to restore Michael's memories on my own. Your research must be outdated."
"I was expecting you to be in denial." He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out what appears to be a vial of blood. "So, I figured it's better to show you what I've found."
The Warriors close in around Zeke to get a better look at the vial. The blood appeared to be a brighter shade of red than most. There was also a faint and very brief flash of energy flowing within it, showing that it was contaminated with Titan energy.
"This vial contains a royal blood sample that was taken from your mother when she joined the Warrior Program. It was used as a template for the experiments."
He then reaches into his other pocket, pulls out a second vial, and presents it to them. The blood in that one was a lot darker in colour. Titan energy was flowing throughout that one as well, though the way it was moving around appeared off compared to the first one.
"This is your blood, Lazarus."
Lazarus carefully takes hold of the vial and examines it. He then, to the others' surprise, cuts his finger on the pointy end of one of his horns, forcing himself to bleed. He was shocked to see that the blood in the vial and the few drops leaking from his fingertip are the same.
"It's true." He muttered under his breath. "This IS my blood. But how? How come my blood doesn't work the same way as the royal family?"
"Maybe it's a side effect of the experimental serum?" Reiner assumed.
"That's correct, Reiner," Zeke confirmed before continuing his explanation. "The power of the Titans was originally one when our founder, Ymir, obtained it. The False Founder Project's purpose was to create a new Founding Titan by combining the power of all nine Titans into one again. But the Marleyans failed to realise that spinal fluid wasn't enough. The serum needed to be controlled by a strong host with royal blood in their veins. Every other subject before Lazarus was just a regular Eldian. They couldn't handle it."
"The Founding Titan not only has the power to erase and manipulate memories. But it can also change the structure of our bodies. We Subjects of Ymir are extensions of the Founding Titan. We're all connected to it… But when Lazarus was injected with the serum and evolved into the Winged Titan for the first time, the serum's effects caused his DNA to mutate."
"Into what?" Bertolt asked.
"Something new," Zeke uttered. He then approaches Lazarus and places his hands on his shoulder. "What I'm trying to say, Lazarus. Is that the Winged Titan power has severed your connection to the Paths. Ever since the first moment you assumed Titan form, you were no longer a Subject of Ymir. You have become the first, and last, of a brand-new subspecies of human. You have no path. No connection to the Tree of Life. You are… an abnormal."
"Abnormal? Couldn't you have picked anything more ironic?" Ymir joked in the background.
Lazarus carefully hands the vial of his blood back to Zeke and allows his fingertip to heal itself. All that information proved to be a lot more overwhelming than he was expecting. He ended up losing the feeling in his legs and collapses on the top of the wall. Michael immediately sat beside him and attempted to comfort him, thinking he may need a calming down.
"My mother had royal blood all this time. Why didn't she tell me? More importantly, Lucia knew. So why didn't she tell me?!" His tone of surprise was replaced by anger.
"Maybe she didn't know either?" Bertolt suggested.
"Unlikely." Zeke interrupted again. "The research was discovered by Tom Ksaver, Leonardo Waldenburg, and Lucia Muller. She did inherit the Female Titan from your mother before passing it down to Annie. Most likely she would've seen her memories and learned of her heritage."
"Lazarus." Michael places his arm around his adopted brother's shoulders. "I don't know this Lucia. But I know she is to you what Erwin was to me. She took you in and raised you like you were her son. She kept your bloodline a secret to protect you from Marley. If any of them had known the truth, they would've ended up locking you in that pit she rescued you from."
"He's right, Lazarus. Miss Muller saved your life. It was never her intention to lie to you, but she did it out of love. You shouldn't let this knowledge change you. We still have a mission to complete. And the Warriors need the power of the Winged Titan." Zeke concluded.
Lazarus looks back up at Zeke and wore a look of determination. He was right. It's no use dwelling on the past. Whatever secrets were kept from him, it didn't change the fact that Lucia was the reason he was standing atop the walls today. The Warriors probably would've made it this far without him, but they never would've been able to reclaim the Crystal Titan if not for his guidance.
He stands back up and looks over his friends one by one. He even glances back at Ymir, who was still sitting away from them. They may have had their differences, and she may have killed Marcel, but she was the reason the Warriors weren't completely swarmed by Titans. She gave up her one chance at happiness to repay a debt they unintentionally gave her. And that was something he couldn't ignore.
"Thank you for sharing this with me, Zeke. I now know that I can use the Founding Titan's power to accomplish my goals."
"Wait a minute." Bertolt interrupted again. "If you have royal blood, that means you too can fall under the king's will and succumb to the Vow Renouncing War. Right?"
"Didn't you hear what Zeke said?" Michael annoyingly asked him. "He said that Laz's blood has been mutated. He's no longer connected to the Founding Titan. Meaning, he, and he alone, can inherit the Founder's power and use its fullest without succumbing to the Vow Renouncing War. That king's will only affect those who're connected to the paths. Lazarus practically is his own Founding Titan. And if he were to possess its power, my own Crystal Titan won't be under his control. So, weirdly, the experiments were a success, not a failure."
"Yeah… This could work!" Lazarus nodded in agreement. "We can still win this war! We just need to capture Eren and bring him back to Marley, and-
"Hold your horses, Lazarus. Don't forget that I'm the leader of our unit." Zeke interrupted, putting him in his place. "Now that I'm here, I will decide how to proceed from this point. The first order of business is delivering the girl who stole the Jaw Titan back to Marley." Ymir glares at Zeke, knowing he was talking about her. She lets out a deep sigh in response, knowing what fate befalls her once she reaches Marley.
"Lazarus, I want you to take the prisoner back to Marley. Then once you're there, I need you to bring the Cart Titan here to assist us with the mission."
"Pieck? What could she do? No offence to her, but the Cart Titan wasn't built for combat." Lazarus pointed out.
"We don't need her to fight. Only gather intel on the enemy's next move. The logical sense is to send a Titan they don't know about to spy on them." He explained.
Lazarus would admit that he made a good point there. Maybe having the Cart Titan help them out would be beneficial to the recovery of Eren. Plus, it had been five years since he'd seen Pieck and Porco. He was looking forward to reuniting with the rest of his classmates. Mostly Pieck.
"Knowing the commander. He'll probably have Porco inherit his brother's Titan… He's not gonna be happy once he hears the news about Marcel's demise." He thought to himself.
"As for you, Michael. I'd like to hear everything you know about the island's military. You mentioned being the adopted son of their commander, yes? Any information you could provide me would be much appreciated.
"Sounds good," Michael added. "But I'm afraid I'm gonna have to decline. I've got my own mission I need to focus on."
Michael then stands up and was about to walk off in the opposite direction, only to be stopped by Lazarus who grabs him by the arm.
"Where are you going?"
"I have to go back. I have some unfinished business that I need to take care of."
"No! You can't go back! You're an enemy of the walls now. If you go back, they'll kill you. Or worse." Lazarus warned him.
"I know. But this is something I have to do." He pulls his arm away to properly address him on why he needs to go back.
"You said it yourself; my birth parents are dead. I no longer have any family there, apart from you. But I still have family here. We may not be related by blood, but Erwin Smith is still my dad. I have to see him again. I want him to see the real me. Maybe I can convince him to come with us. He can finally see the world beyond the walls we come from."
"Erwin refused to go with you the first time you asked. What makes you think he'll agree to it this time?" He questioned him. "I'm sorry, Michael, but I can't let you take that risk. If something were to happen to you, after all the effort I exhausted to get you back, I could never forgive myself."
"I'll be fine. We may be on opposite sides now. But deep down I know my dad cares deeply about me. He won't betray me… Even though I ended up betraying him. Please… If I can't convince him, at least let me say goodbye. That's all I ask."
"Sorry, Michael. But that decision isn't down to me anymore." He looks back at Zeke, expecting him to decide for him.
"Let him go."
"What? But Zeke-
Zeke raises his hand, silencing Lazarus before he had a chance to object.
"Michael can easily traverse the island undetected using the underground tunnel network. As long as he stays out of sight, I trust him enough to do what he must. However, I cannot trust him not to warn his father and his men of our plans."
"He won't tattle on us; I promise you that. I trust him. Besides, it's not like they'll welcome him back with open arms if he did tell them our plans anyway."
Zeke scratches his right ear in response to Lazarus. He was still sceptical about letting Michael go off on his own without supervision. Lazarus and the others may trust him, but he wasn't ready to put any of his faith and trust in him yet. But Lazarus hadn't let him down before, and he doubts that he will now. So, he inevitably gives Michael his permission to go back to the Scout Regiment and make peace with his father. Though he still thought it was just a waste of time.
As Michael was about to race down the side of the wall facing Shiganshina with his ODM gear, Lazarus decided to interrupt him once more.
"What now, Laz? Zeke said I could go."
"I know. I just wanted to do something first." He then draws one of his Cloud Zero katana blades and points it at him, forcing Michael to back away. "Relax, I'm not gonna attack you. I just wanted to make your switch to the winning team official."
Michael couldn't help but scoff at Lazarus, realising what he was planning. He gets down on one knee and lowers his head. Lazarus then performs a knighting ceremony using his blade. He gently taps it on Michael's shoulders.
"Congratulations, Michael Suurvalta. You're a Warrior now." He pleaded happily as he re-sheathed his sword. Zeke, Reiner, and Bertolt all nod in agreement, happy to have Michael as one of them.
"Thanks, Laz. I'll be sure to be back as soon as I can." He inches closer to the edge of the wall. But he suddenly stops and glances back at his friend again. "What do you say we make things more interesting?"
"What do you have in mind?" Lazarus wondered.
"Let's see who can complete their mission and return here first. First one back gets…" He struggles to come up with a consolation prize for whoever wins their so-called race. "Well, we can come up with a prize later. See you guys soon, I hope."
"You too, Michael." Lazarus, Reiner, and Bertolt all responded in unison.
"And welcome back to the winning team," Zeke added as he readjusts his glasses.
Michael nods in response and leaps off of the wall facing the interior of Wall Maria, creating a platform of crystal to slow his descent. Once he reaches the ground, he makes some distance between himself and the hole where the inner gate used to be.
Channelling energy within his hands, Michael places both of them on the grass-covered ground and unlocks one of the hidden entrances to the tunnels with his Titan powers. He opens the hole all the way so that it would be big enough for his Titan form to fit through.
Immediately after the entrance was opened, Michael cuts his hand with a knife he carried in his right boot and triggers his Titan transformation. Travelling to Wall Rose would've taken him days on foot, even through the tunnels. As a Titan, he could make it there at a much faster pace.
He looks back one last time at his comrades and even gives them a little wave in his Titan form before jumping down the hole and resealing it like it hadn't been unveiled at all.
With Michael on his way to Wall Rose, it was now Lazarus's turn to begin his long trip back to Marley. He performs a couple of arm, leg, and back stretches, prepping his body for the upcoming two-hour-long flight back to the motherland.
"You trying to show off your muscles or something?" Ymir teased him.
"I'm making sure my body is in peak physical condition before flying us both back to Marley. It's a HUGE distance from the port to the motherland. To be honest, I'm a little nervous. I've never actually flown that big a distance before, let alone flown for two hours straight. We arrived here by boat before. But the boat Zeke came here on has sailed back by now."
Once he was finished stretching, Lazarus begins rummaging through a backpack Zeke brought with him, searching for a canteen of water. He downs as much of it as he can without drinking it all. Once he was properly hydrated, he hands the rest of the water to Ymir, along with some bread, a tin of soup, a spoon, and a can opener.
"Here. Something to keep your stomach full for the journey."
"I just saw you put your mouth on that. I'm not drinking from the same canteen you drank from. You trying to infect me with your cooties you got from Annie?" She teased again, with a hint of disgust.
"Just shut up and take 'em. Trust me, you're gonna want to eat something good. The brass will most likely serve you prison slop to keep you alive long enough to transfer the Jaw Titan. You'll thank me later."
Ymir rolls her eyes and takes the packed food and canteen. She is then lowered down the opposite side of the wall facing Shiganshina via a rope Lazarus had acquired.
As soon as she was safely down, Lazarus leaps off of the wall and slices his left palm open, triggering his transformation into the Winged Titan. Ymir and the other Warriors all look away from the brightness of the energy burst as the Titans body was forming within.
The fully manifested Winged Titan carefully lands within Shiganshina by the inner gate and kneels to Ymir. It places the back of its right hand on the ground, allowing the girl to climb atop it. It carefully raises its hand and curls up its hands into a bowl, hoping to keep Ymir safely secured like before. Once Ymir gave him the "all good". The Winged Titan takes up a running stance before sprinting down the ruined streets of Shiganshina. Its wings spread out wide and began flapping intensely as soon as he leapt off the ground.
The Winged Titan takes flight and begins soaring above the walls. It begins its long flight from Paradis back to Marley.
Once it was out of sight, Zeke decided to take a breather and sat back down near the campfire, gazing up at the beautifully lit-up night sky full of stars. Now that Lazarus was out of range, he could freely think out loud without the fear of him overhearing his thoughts.
"I wish I could've told you the whole truth, Lazarus… Ever since I discovered that you and I are cousins, I thought I could trust you with anything. Even my, and Mister Ksaver's, euthanisation plan. But you are dead set on changing Eldians into real people… (sigh) You still have the beliefs of a child. Even if you can make all Subjects of Ymir human, it won't ever change how the rest of the world sees us. It won't change the things our race has done… I'm sorry, Lazarus. But when we obtain the Founding Titan, I'll be the one to use it, not you… The only way for us Eldians to be free of this cycle of hatred is to put us all out of our misery."
"War Chief Zeke?"
Zeke was suddenly pulled out of his trance by Reiner and Bertolt who sat opposite him.
"With Lazarus and Michael gone, we were hoping to share with you all we've learned over the past five years," Reiner explained.
"Ah, yes. Right." He finally responded as he took a moment to get back to the business at hand. "So, tell me more about this Eren, and how you were able to lose Annie."
Deep underground, the Crystal Titan was racing through the labyrinth, using the knowledge of his ancestors to navigate the fastest route to the opening closest to the Scout Regiment's headquarters within Wall Rose.
As far as he knew, only he alone knew about the existence of these tunnels. As well as how to navigate it. He hasn't seen any other living, breathing thing enter these shining tunnels made of bright crystals… Until now.
As he was sprinting down a left tunnel he just went down, the Crystal Titan unexpectedly trips over a thick cable that was set up as a tripwire. The Crystal Titan ends up falling forwards and skids across the floor, creating sparks as the crystals on his chest scraped against the ground. "What the hell?!" He thought in a panic.
In response to setting off the tripwire, the cut cable retracts, dropping a huge, heavy netting atop him, pinning him down. The Crystal Titan roars as it attempts to break free by extending the crystal shards sticking out of its back to raise the netting.
Unfortunately, he was stopped by an explosion that went off atop his back, mere inches away from his nape. The Crystal Titan roars in pain as it struggles to break free.
"Hahaha! We caught ourselves a big, shining fish!"
The Crystal Titan focuses its attention on the tunnel in front of him. He spotted a lone silhouetted individual standing a few feet away from him. He couldn't properly make out who it was, other than he was quite tall for the average man, and he wore a cowboy hat atop his head.
"Lazarus?" was the first assumption that had popped into his head.
As the mysterious figure got closer though, he was able to get a better look at him. He was an older-looking man wielding some kind of ODM gear. His, however, was of a completely different design compared to the ones the Scouts use. He only had one gas canister which was strapped to his back instead of his hips. And instead of blades, this man was wielding a firearm of some kind. Underneath the barrel, where he assumed the bullets came out of, was the firing anchor. And strapped to his legs were several metallic cylinders that resembles the gun barrels. Most likely how they reload once they've emptied their current barrel.
"We figured you might come down here again. I must say it's an honour to finally meet The Crystal Titan in person. Or do you prefer to be called, Michael?" The man addressed him as he closes the distance between them.
The Crystal Titan growls as it attempts to raise its arms and attack his unknown assailants. But the middle-aged man quickly points his right gun at his left eye, the Titan grunts as he does so and stops growling.
"Uh, uh, uh. I wouldn't do that if I were you." He then places two fingers in his mouth and lets loose a loud whistle.
The whistle was to signal his comrades to descend from their hiding spots and surround the Crystal Titan's body. All of them were wielding the same Gun Gear their leader had.
They set up a couple of explosives around Michael's Titan body, and hook them up to a detonator sitting at their leader's feet. The old man then decided to scare Michael into submission by placing his right foot atop the handle. All he had to do was press his foot down and the Crystal Titan's body would be blown to bits, and him along with it.
"Now listen here, Michael. I'm gonna ask ya nicely to step outta your Titan body and surrender to us. If you refuse. Well, you can figure it out for yourself." He taunted him. "You have three seconds… One… Two…"
Michael had no choice but to comply with their demands. Steam erupts out of the nape of the Crystal Titan. The crystals protecting the nape also break off, allowing Michael's actual body to emerge.
As soon as he was out, the Gun Gear soldiers restrain him and drag him down to their leaders' feet. Satisfied with his surrender, he takes his foot off of the TNT plunger and disarms it.
"Smart choice, Kid. You saved me a whole lotta trouble finding your power again had I gone through with blowin` you up."
"Who are you guys?! How did you find this place? And more importantly, how in the fuck did you know I was coming?!" Michael demanded.
"So many questions. So much teen angst. You kinda remind me of that little runt, Levi. He was a feisty one too."
Michael was shocked to hear him mention that name in his presence. A lot of people know of Levi and his reputation within the Scout Regiment. But this man was talking of him in a way that sounded like he knew him personally.
Levi told him very little about his past before joining the Scouts back when he was raised by Erwin. He wasn't exactly known to be open with others. Not even Erwin or Hange.
"I won't ask you again! I demand that you tell me who you are right now!" Michael raised his voice at his captor.
"Well damn. You got a mighty pair of lungs on ya." The man looked down on him like the weakling he saw him as. "I'm honestly insulted you haven't figured it out yet. But what would I expect from a dumbass controlling a treasure trove?"
"Watch it, pal! You have no idea what I'm capable of!" Michael spat in a threatening tone.
That only triggered the man to roundhouse kick him in the side of the head, putting him in his place. He then leans down to his level and wore a look of pure intent and seriousness.
"It is YOU who has no idea what I'M capable of! The names Kenny Ackerman. You may know me as Kenny the Ripper. I'm a famous mass murderer in the interior of Wall Sina, known for slitting the throats of a hundred MPs. I'm the one who taught lil Levi everything he knows. You've seen him fight. Everything he can do; I can do better!"
Michael's eyes widen with shock and terror. He should've made the connection sooner. He had heard the stories behind Kenny the Ripper. Like everyone else, he thought he was nothing more than an urban legend. But like his own Titan, the legend ended up being true. And on top of that, he was the man who raised and trained Levi. He has landed in some deep shit here.
"As fun, as it was, I had to retire from my serial killer days and was recruited by some people who're no friends of yours. They hired me, and my posse here, to find and capture you should you ever decide to come back through these tunnels. Looks like we won the jackpot by setting up the trap here. They'll have thought you wouldn't be stupid enough to return to your dear old daddy's arms. But I know how runts like you think."
"Listen to me," Michael spoke up whilst still trembling with fear. "Whoever you work for, whatever they're paying you, I can double it! My father is the commander of the Scout Regiment. If you let me go, I can convince him to clear your criminal record or something."
Michael's pleas only caused Kenny and his crew to burst out laughing in response to his scared, pathetic behaviour. Two of the First Interior Squad members lift Michael off of the ground and brought him up to eye level with Kenny.
"You're in no position to strike a deal, Kid. You already possess the only thing I want in return for my services to the king."
Michael was about to ask him what that was, only to have the realisation pass through his mind like a bullet to the brain. It was obvious what he wanted.
"I see you're using your brain for once. That's right, Kid. What I want… is your Crystal Titan. And once I bring you back to my employer, I'm gonna get it." He signals his right-hand woman to gag Michael's mouth with a piece of torn cloth, preventing him from biting his tongue and triggering his transformation a second time.
"With your Titan power under my control, I will be feared by everyone within the walls! I won't just be known as Kenny the Ripper. I will be feared by all as Kenny, the new Crystal Titan! Hahahaha!"
Kenny then zooms away on his Gun Gear down the tunnels, laughing hysterically all the way, excited to obtain the deadliest power passed down through generations of his family bloodline.
The members of the First Interior Squad knock Michael out with a quick bonk to the back of the head and carry him down the tunnels, attempting to catch up with their power-hungry captain.
To Be Continued