Wings of Democracy 6: Traitors
Somewhere in the Wall Rose Countryside, 0600 Hours
Much of the southern countryside had been evacuated. Garrison and Survey Corp teams had secured road junctions and patrols were sent out to cull any Titan stragglers that had slipped past Utgard Castle. However, an all too uncommon sight to behold were the USMC Helicopters orbiting around Wall Rose looking for the Wall breach, being ever so vigilant.
Inside a house of an abandoned village, two Military minds come face to face once again.
"...So you wish to establish a permanent Embassy within Calaneth District?" Erwin clarified "In exchange for your Modern science'?"
Felix noded, understanding some of what he said "Ja" He replied in Erwin's language, much to the amusement of Ilse who was standing next to him.
"What sort of science are you talking about? Weapons?" Erwin questioned
Felix turns to Ilse who translated for him.
"Sciences that can improve the quality of life for your people. Medicine and better food production" Ilse translated
Erwin pondered over this for a moment but relented "I suppose it's not a bad deal. It'd smoothen up things in the Government."
Ilse perked up at his statement. She wondered if their presence has caused that much of a stir in the capital. Well, she can't exactly blame them. Humans outside the Walls isn't exactly something to be taken lightly.
"I shall present these terms to our Government." Erwin responded "However, judging by how your soldiers are settling in this abandoned village, you'll be staying until a reply is given?"
Ilse nodded smilingly "That's what I have been told, yes."
Felix who was sitting down, nudged Ilse slightly and whispered, "you showed him about our gifts right?"
"Yes, Section Commander Hanji Zoe is inspecting it outside."
Felix nodded. Sometimes he forgets that Ilse was a former Survey Corps member prior to her first contact with their world. He wondered if she recognized some of her comrades in the Corps. Unfortunately, nobody seemed to remember her. Was she sad?
Leaving those thoughts for another time, Felix turned his attention back to Erwin who had just stood up, extending his arm. "Thank you for your help."
Felix returned the gesture, standing up and shaking his hand. He didn't need to understand the words after seeing the Commander's expression.
104th Cadets, Outside
Eren looked at the olive military crates the outsiders were hauling out of their machines on a patch of open field outside the village. It was an awe-inspiring sight just looking at those mechanical birds take to the skies.
He watches attentively as they fly around Wall Rose, perhaps scouting for any Titans that may have been left out during their engagement in Utgard Castle.
He turned to his side and looked to Armin who shared his same look of astonishment.
"With their help, retaking Shiganshina would make things a whole lot easier." Eren commented
Armin nodded enthusiastically "Yes, they might be able to draw the Titans away without any casualties. We could just walk in the city unopposed!"
Everyone seemed to be happy that the foreigners, or rather the Americans were on the side of humanity. Well, it is to be expected. After all, they did just come from outside the Walls which according to them were fighting the Titans as well.
However, not all seemed content at the situation. Some of the more pessimistic and the Veterans of the Survey Corps seemed to be uneasy about all this. Eren overheard some of the Veterans talking about how the Americans would use their military might to take over the walls. After all, why wouldn't they?
As Eren began to ponder over the possibilities, one of the US Marines came up to him and surprisingly spoke to him in fluently in his language.
"Those are medicine and supplies for your people." He said softly as he stopped right in between Eren and Armin.
"Medicine? For what?" Armin questioned.
"To prevent any disease outbreaks. From what we've gathered, your kingdom is dealing with all sorts of civil problems like food shortages and disease." He clarified "It's part of our humanitarian mission to aid the humans within these walls."
"So, you discovered the cure to prevent diseases?" Eren asked seemingly surprised at this "My father was a doctor before Wall Maria fell... He would've loved to work with people like you."
The Marine smiled "Well, it's one small step for human dominance over the Titans."
"Eren!" Reiner calls out, now geared up with ODM Gear and Scout Uniform gesturing him to come closer.
Eren strides towards him. He notices Bertholdt and Ymir were standing not too far from him looking towards the walls. Was there something he needs help with? He wonders.
"Can I help you?" Eren says politely, eyeing the both of them curiously.
"Hanji passed on some orders between us." Reiner starts and points towards the Walls. "Last night our group encountered a giant abnormal walking past the castle and climbed the Wall..."
Eren seemed surprised at the revelation "A Titan climbing the Wall? Wait... Could it be...!"
"Yes. We speculate it's an intelligent Titan. Hanji gave the approval order. We leave now."
Eren nodded slowly "Alright... But why me?"
"Incase the Titan gets the jump on us, we need to be prepared." Reiner replies
Eren nodded slowly again "Alright, let's go then." He turns his attention to Bertholdt and Ymir "I assume they're coming with us as well?"
Reiner gave him a thumbs up as he walked away "Yes, they are"
Eren followed them slowly, however as he passed by Armin, he gave his bestfriend a look he was all too familiar with. And before long, all the 104th and Scout Officers were on high alert.
Colonel Pitch, FOB Bifrost
"So, they figured it out?" The Colonel says over the telephone, massaging his forehead
"Yes, they do..." A voice replies over the phone "Hiding a temple in the middle of a city isn't exactly a cake walk. Not to mention all the Military activity that's moving in and out the Park."
"Did anyone slip through?"
"None that we know of" The voice replies with a concerned tone "But if the Soviets manage to get a hold of their ODM Gear, it's gonna be a disaster for every one of us."
The Colonel becomes restless, squeezing his fists tighter with each news he's getting.
Well, this was to be expected. The Titan that managed to waltz into Central Park became public news the moment it stepped on American soil. News spread like wildfire across the country. Atleast they were able to keep Ilse's identity a secret.
If somehow a Soviet spy managed to get in and out of the Gate and report back to the USSR, then who knows what will happen. The Colonel thinks of the possibilities, and finally makes his decision.
"Halt all planned Military deployments through the Gate. I'm gonna halt here as well and preform a shakedown. No one gets in or out, understand?"
"Yes sir. I'll inform General Mattis."
"That is all. I'll report back in about a week."
"Godspeed, sir"
Somewhere near the FOB
Underneath the shadows of the forests were two mysterious figures hunching over behind the bushes. One Titan, and one bearded man wondering on what they were looking at.
"They don't look like Oriental to me" Zeke commented, fixing his glasses as he adjusted his sight towards the Military base.
"They definitely don't look like Marleyan to me... Eldian perhaps?" Pieck suggested in her Titan form.
Zeke shook his head slowly "No, it can't be them. You saw how backwards they were inside the Walls. These are definitely foreigners."
"Then who...?" Pieck contemplated. Based on what she saw, these people were definitely not Marleyan nor Oriental. Their technology was alien and by the looks of it, their military base seemed to be more heavily defended than any of what the Paradis Military could muster.
"It's best if we think about this with Colonel Magath. It seems like we have a third party in Paradis."
Zeke leaned back on a crate on the Cart Titan's luggage, pondering on their next move. "I wonder if Reiner and the others figured them out yet."
"Given how long they were inside the Walls, we should assume so" Pieck said, maneuvering around the trees in the forest.
"Perhaps..."
The duo then disappears deeper into the forest, unseen by their opposition.
Atop Wall Rose, The two warriors
"You really think this is a good idea?" Ymir whispered as they walked the edge of the Wall
"Our War Chief was here last night" Bertholdt mentioned "It only means one thing. Marley is getting impatient."
"You mean like... They want you back?"
Bertholdt nodded slowly "If we don't show results soon, it'll be bad for us..." he verified, looking back at Reiner talking to Eren on the other side of the Wall.
Ymir scoffed at his predicament "And what about those foreigners?" Ymir pointed out "How can you possibly escape them?"
Bertholdt clenched his fists hard at the thought of them "I don't know..."
They were an anomaly. Something even Marley would be petrified at the display of their abilities. At first, the two warriors speculated that they were some sort of attempt of another foreign nation to secure a foothold on the island. However, last night solidified what they feared the most. These people were not from the outside. Everything about them was alien to them. This new development within the walls is something Marley should know about.
'We're getting desperate' He thought, looking back at Reiner. He seemed to be in distress...
.
.
"Eren!" Reiner scowled at the young Titan Shifter "You need to understand... There bigger things at play here... You need to come with us!"
Eren took a step back, eyeballing Reiner with hostility "On what basis?" He sneers at him "To abandon my comrades? Let humanity eat itself inside these cramped walls because of Your Actions!?" He gripped one of his ODM Handles and clipped it to a blade on his scabbard, ready to pull it out at the first signs of hostility "No Reiner, I don't think I will. In fact, I think you should just die you damned traitor!"
Tears dripped down Eren's cheek as he said that. Reiner on the other hand could not bear to face Eren as he said those words. He felt guilt as he was reminded of how all those people died in Shiganshina. All those lives lost, all because he was trying to prove himself the better warrior.
"I had too..." He said painfully in clenched fists, fighting to keep his own tears in their eye sockets.
Noticing the pathetic state of Reiner, Bertholdt walked past Eren and stopped just infront of his fellow warrior. He looked down at the tense soldier trying to keep his cool under the weight of his own guilt.
"Reiner... Don't you remember?" Bertholdt started "We did it because... We're Warriors..."
At that moment, all tension Reiner had been fighting ceased. There was an uneasy calmness at the man. Eren and Ymir just stood there, confused at the sudden change of personality. However, it doesn't take long for one of them to notice.
"So that's it..." Ymir muttered "Reiner... You were pretending to be one of them all along"
Bertholdt's eyes widened at her accusation.
"You pretended for too long you've forgotten who you are! You dumb fuck!" Ymir lets out a hysterical laugh, one that even made Eren feel uneasy.
"No" Reiner says in a deep voice "My memory is fine, Ymir. I'm right here." He turns his gaze towards Eren, who by this point is even more confused than before. "Eren, whether or not if you agree, you will come with us."
Eren pulled out his blade but hesitates to strike Reiner. A part of him still hoped that Reiner could be persuaded one way or another. He believed that he just needed to talk this through, but then... The memories of his mother being devoured by a Titan filled his mind. They said they opened the walls... They were the ones responsible for Carla's death...
Then at that moment, as Reiner was about to grapple Eren, all hesitation dissipated, and Reiner's stomach was sliced open. "YOU DAMED TRAITORS!"
Bertholdt then came in from behind Eren and locks his head, however, remembering what Annie had taught him back in Basic Training, he flung Bertholdt towards the ground before him. Ymir took a step back, not wanting to get involved as she wasn't even sure on which side she was on. Reiner snuffed her out and confronted her after Utgard. That canned herring gave her identity away. It was obvious by that point that she could read Marleyan alphabets, and there was no point in hiding it when the two Marleyan Warriors confronted her about it.
Reiner then proceeds to tackle Eren to the ground as some of his Intestines filled out. Being somewhat weakened by his wounds, Eren simply threw him to the side. Reiner has had enough. Using his wound as a catalyst, sparks of yellow lightning emanate around him, and before long he shifts into the Armored Titan with Eren on his grasps.
Slipping his hand out of Reiner's grasp, Eren bites his thumb and with a jolt of lightning breaks out of the Armored Titan's hands. The two of them fell down of the Walls during the brief exchange, but to Eren's dismay, it was at the wrong side of the Wall.
Survey Corps, Hanji Zoe
"Someone Shifted!" A scout calls out riding on horseback "Oh shit, another one!"
"Two lightning strikes! So, our suspicions were true!" Hanji says to her Squad, who also included Mikasa and Armin "Scale the Walls!"
At that order the Scouts flung themselves towards the top of Wall Rose from where the lightning originated. There were clearly signs of fighting given the trail of blood on the floor. However, it seemed like they were not alone. Bertholdt and Ymir were shocked at the sudden arrival of the Scouts, and by the looks of their faces, they weren't pleased with their presence.
"Bertholdt" Mikasa calls out striding past the other Scouts and pointing her blade at the man "Where is Eren."
He didn't need to say anything as a Scout would answer her question from the other side of the Wall "Eren is fighting the Armored Titan on the other side!"
At that brief moment of distraction, Bertholdt retreated backwards and bit his hand, and slowly everything turned yellow. Mikasa was blown away at the shockwave of Bertholdt's transformation as well as all the Scouts in the vicinity.
As the shockwave dissipated, Hanji wasted no time and made her move. "Swarm the bastard! It's a threat to all of humanity!"
Lt. Felix Lyfeld, somewhere in the Wall Rose Countryside
"This is Kilo-1, Titan Contact! I repeat, Titan Contact on Wall Rose!" The Radio chimes.
Felix, still in the house from where he just had his meeting with Erwin froze. 'Another Titan incursion inside the Walls?' He thought
Ilse was in the same room as him gathering up the documents from the previous meeting. She overheard what the radio had said, and she could feel nothing but horror as the news of what she thinks had happened fills the room.
Clicking his radio, he begins to transmit his concern "Kilo-1 this is Hitman-Actual, please confirm over."
"Titan about 30 meters of height literally on top of Wall Rose! It's giving off a lot of smoke!" The radio screeches
Felix doesn't waste any time and strides out of the door and looks to the Walls. It wasn't clear from where he was standing, so he dropped his ALICE Webbing along with his Kevlar and climbed up the roof of the house with binoculars on hand, much to the amazement of the grunts below.
"Lieutenant, I don't think that's safe!" One of the grunts warns him worriedly.
Felix pays no mind and peeks through his binoculars. He could indeed see the smoke from the Titan on the Wall, and curses.
"Stype!" He yells at the small crowd of grunts gathered looking at him "Where the fuck is my RTO!"
"Lieutenant Lyfeld!?" Stype calls out from the crowd worried.
"Radio all Stalks and have them converge here! Radio 1st and 2nd Platoon to mount up!" He takes another peek at his binoculars "Then get Bifrost on the net..."
Author Notes:
Yeah this feels rushed again lmfao. University is getting a little hard on me with all these Research Proposals getting rejected rip. But other than that, hope you guys enjoyed this. Still can't think of a proper callsign for Felix lmao but I guess Hitman would be alright. If you have any questions I'll try to answer them heh.
Some might be thinking for why Ymir agreed to join Reiner and Bertholdt despite not showing off her Titan powers yet, and for that, It's because Reiner already figured out she was from outside the Walls the moment she was able to read the Marleyan writings on that Canned Herring during their stay in Utgard. Herring is only found in Saltwater and Canned Food isn't a thing in Paradis. She'd still be reluctant at this point however.
Alright, that should be it for now. You guys have a great day!