"Argh!"

The crown of Marco's head crashed into Reiner's nose. There was a good chance he was hoping for Reiner to lose his grip long enough to make a run for it. He wasn't so lucky.

"You bastard," Reiner said, a trail of blood snaking its way over his lip. He used far more force then necessary to drag Marco down the stairs. Marco struggled to stay on his feet, a sideways glance conveying his panic.

There'd always been a hint of something warm behind Marco's gaze from the moment Reiner had introduced himself and first shook his hand. After that moment, he and Marco had hardly spoken a word to one another before being assigned to the same squad in the Cadets. Their reunion found him being treated with as much familiarity as if he and Marco had known one another their whole lives. That familiarity only ever waivered back in Trost, where it'd been replaced with fear and confusion until Bertholdt had released Marco from his better senses.

When Marco looked at Reiner now, all indications that Reiner was anything more than a stranger to him were gone.

Why do I hate this more ... Reiner thought, tightening his grip.

... than when he was trying to choke me to death?

Marco's eyes darted away. They'd reached the bottom of the stairs to find Annie waiting with parted lips as her eyes flitted between the group through the bars.

"Don't go with them, Annie."

Reiner shoved Marco against the wall. He felt Marco's back shudder as his breath came out in a coughing gasp.

Annie's lips trembled. She opened her mouth, but another voice beat her to the punch.

"Interesting."

Reiner tensed. He'd been aware of there being a guard in the room, but Marco's comment had kept his attention from focusing on the man's face. He remained frozen in place as Bertholdt took a step back to lift the rifle in his hands and level it at Commander Erwin.

"Give us the key," Bertholdt said.

Erwin didn't move. He seemed generally unperturbed as his eyes slid from the barrel of the rifle to the fervent expression behind it. "Bertholdt Hoover," he said. There was a short pause as he slowly turned his head. "Reiner Braun. You two graduated second and third in your class of the 104th Cadets. You also joined the Scout Regiment … under my command."

Reiner flinched. This induced a panicked side glance from Bertholdt.

"You two are my responsibility," Erwin said. He took a step forward. His chest tapped the muzzle of the rifle, Bertholdt's boot sliding in an unsteady fashion as he backed away.

"As such," Erwin continued. "I will protect you. Surrender, and I'll ensure the dozens of soldiers about to descend on this place won't kill you on sight."

The grip Bertholdt had on the rifle tightened. "We don't need your protection. Give us the key to Annie's cell."

"I don't have it."

Bertholdt grit his teeth. He waited for further explanation, but Erwin only continued to watch him with a passive expression.

"Where–?"

"I would assume the keys are in the possession of one of your fellow soldiers you slaughtered upstairs," Erwin said. This statement came with the first hint of emotion from the commander. The look caused Bertholdt to recoil.

"Reiner," Bertholdt said, looking to the side.

"Ah."

Reiner shoved Marco to the floor. He took the rifle from Bertholdt and raised it to Erwin. His attention remained fixed forward as Bertholdt turned and leapt up the stairs.

"You don't have enough time to escape," Erwin said with the air of stating a fact. "And if you two are also Titans as I suspect, you won't be able to transform underground. Your best course of action is to give yourselves up."

"Shut up," Reiner said. His eyes narrowed. "We don't need to be the subject of a lecture."

"Then how about the subject of an order?" Erwin said, matching Reiner's look of contempt. "Or are you truly not a soldier?"

There was a flaw in Reiner's barrier; a chip in his resolve that snaked through his brain when Erwin had laced his voice with authority.

Erwin raised his hand. He risked the motion spooking Reiner into shooting him point-blank. Reiner's finger over the trigger twitched, but the muzzle dipped slightly when Reiner took in Erwin placing his fist over his heart in a salute.

"When you pledged your hearts for humanity," Erwin said, furrowing his brow. "Was that a lie? When you fought alongside your comrades through the horror of Trost … was that a lie? When you looked me in the eyes on the night you said you'd give everything you have to rid us of the threat of Titans and help to find the answers we've been seeking … was that a lie?!"

"It wasn't!"

Marco regarded him in shock. This sentiment was shared by Annie; even Reiner had some surprise from his own words.

Erwin's features relaxed as he lowered his arm. He placed his hands behind his back, waiting.

"I'm … I'm a warrior," Reiner said. He squeezed his eyes shut, his lips pulling back in a grimace. "I've never stopped being a warrior. Never. You people … You devils of this cursed place … All of you deserve to die. Everyone here …"

"You as well?" Erwin asked.

Reiner's eyes snapped open. His jaw hung slack as he looked ahead.

"You're one of us, Reiner Braun," Erwin said. "The second you became a soldier and pledged your heart, you became a piece of humanity. Perhaps it happened too slowly for you to notice – like a frog unaware the water around it has come to a boil. No matter how it happened, I look into your eyes and see you've passed the point of no return. You have ties you can never cut; your heart will belong here despite whatever distance you try to put between yourself and this home you call cursed. You may be a warrior, but above all else, you are a soldier of the Scout Regiment serving humanity."

The barrel of the gun had lowered with every word. Reiner's hands were shaking so violently it was unlikely he'd be able to make a clear shot even if he wanted to.

"Private Braun," Erwin said. A hand was outstretched, palm up. "You are being ordered to stand down."

"I …"

Images flashed through Reiner's mind, melting together to form muddled words and faces. He saw his mother's smile, and heard the babblings of his cousin as he'd hoisted her up in one arm so she could get a better look at a bright red kite against the sky.

He recalled the sensation of Christa tying a bandage around his arm and the way his stomach had flopped from the brush of her dainty fingers.

His mother had waved goodbye to him as the ship taking him from home had floated further and further from shore.

Conny had waved goodbye when they split up before the last scouting mission. He'd made Reiner promise to stay alive, because if he couldn't, what hope would Conny have?

Marcel had been eaten alive, eyes pleading as the young boy reached out for aid that didn't come.

A hand had reached out to Reiner, Marco's offer being accepted as his friend promised to help keep him safe.

"Yes, Commander."

The finger Reiner had over the trigger relaxed. He stared at it, uncertain if whatever was flowing through him now to be fear or relief. Either way, his heart was beating fast enough for it to feel as if it would burst from his chest any moment. The walls were closing in. It was becoming too much. It had been becoming too much since the day he joined the Cadets. No, before that – since the day he was chosen to become the Armored Titan.

Don't make me have to decide, anymore.

The rifle was slowly offered to Erwin.

Someone … Please tell me what the right thing is for me to do.

. . .

"Reiner!"

Reiner's gun brushed the tips of Erwin's fingers before hitting the floor in a clatter. It spun away when Reiner turned on his heel.

Bertholdt came thundering down the steps.

"Reiner!" Berthold said, his alarm rising. "What the hell are you doing?!"

The opportunity of Reiner's distracted state was seized as Erwin stepped behind him and wrapped an arm around his neck. The effort Reiner made to pull the arm away stopped short when Erwin placed the tip of a knife to his jugular.

The wayward gun bumped against the wall a few feet away. Marco lunged toward it.

"Don't move!"

Marco froze. The semi-crouch he was in was unstable, his knees giving out as he sank to the floor under Bertholdt's piercing stare. The ring of metal keys looped around Bertholdt's fingers clacked against the handle of the rifle pointed in Marco's direction.

"Let him go!" Bertholdt said, looking up. "Let Reiner go, or I'll shoot him!"

Chains rattled as Annie made an attempt to step forward. She jolted to a halt against her restraints. "Bertholdt!"

The gun didn't move, however Bertholdt's full attention was now fixated on the look of terror radiating from Annie. He didn't know what to make of it. It wasn't until Erwin spoke did he tear his eyes away.

"I commend Private Bodt for his service," Erwin said. "But his life cannot be prioritized over the threat of allowing you to escape. I will not release anyone over threats to his person."

"You …"

Annie stared down Erwin, her anger nearly palpable. "You fucking snake."

"Don't blame the Commander, Annie!" Marco said. His expression remained steadfast as Annie turned her head.

"The Commander is making the right decision to help all of humanity," Marco continued. "If I die … if this is what has to happen for us to make sure they don't take you from here, then I did my job keeping you safe."

"Don't say that, you idiot!" Annie screamed. Her cheeks were flushed, tears threatening to escape her lashes as her distress grew. "Who said protecting me was your job? I can take care of myself! I've always been able to take care of myself! You're the one who needs looking after! And what would I even do with myself if I didn't have you to worry about anymore? What else do I even have left?!"

Marco's determination slipped away. His shoulders slumped. "Annie …"

"S-Stop," Bertholdt said.

What is … this?

Bertholdt was in pain. It started in his chest and spread like a blight through a crop, seeping down to his roots to rot everything from the core. It stemmed from the way Annie's voice cracked, how she pushed herself against her restraints with enough force to leave rings of raw flesh around her wrists. How Annie's nose had turned red, and her focus seemed to drown out everything around her … everything around her, that wasn't Marco.

"Have you betrayed us, Annie?"

Annie flinched. When she turned to Bertholdt, he got the rare sense he was actually being seen.

When they were young, Bertholdt's fleeting gazes toward Annie tended to shift between fear, apprehension, and admiration. That was how things stayed for some time. Around a year ago, those fleeting glances turned into longer studies of the way Annie's bangs brushed over her eyes and the hidden smiles touching her cheeks when she'd beat another opponent in hand-to-hand combat. Those were the times she seemed the most alive - when Bertholdt got the feeling she was really, truly seeing the person before her instead of looking right through them. He wanted more than anything for Annie to look at him that way outside the training field. Despite being the tallest person in the room on almost every occasion, Annie had the ability to make him feel completely invisible.

But not now. Now, Annie wasn't looking through him. The intensity of her stare sent a shiver down his spine.

"Have I betrayed you?" Annie said. The familiar mask slid back into place. Her back straightened, head tilting to the side. She'd returned to the Annie which Bertholdt found familiar. Relief washed over him in an instant.

"I must be more talented than I thought," Annie said. "Sorry, I got lost in the theatrics. I was hoping to get Marco to bring me the gun."

"Here."

Annie's eyes tracked the keys tossed in her direction. They were caught without much trouble as Annie made work finding the correct one for her wrist restraints.

Erwin's expression revealed little over what he thought of the previous exchange. He tightened his grip on Reiner, his hostage grunting as the knife pressed deeper against his jugular. "I'm curious what your plan is from here."

Bertholdt was watched in an expectant manner as if Erwin himself were in on the jailbreak. He pointed the gun toward Erwin in a half-hearted manner, unsure of how to answer.

"I can run through some options," Erwin said. "The main point of contention is that too much time has passed for you to flee without taking on resistance. You can kill Marco and myself, but you'll be gunned down before you find your way to the surface and transform into Titans. You can also attempt to take us as hostages and barter for your lives. I can tell you now the soldiers stationed here have already undergone a briefing considering that scenario. In the case of ensuring the captured Titan doesn't escape, they will open fire regardless of casualties, even for myself."

Metal restraints clattered across the floor. Annie stepped up to the bars, reaching through to test various keys against the lock.

"How kind of you, Commander," Annie said, keeping her eyes on her task. "You seem to be giving our well-being more thought than the poor bastards up the stairs."

"Presume what you will," Erwin said. His gaze slowly slid back to Bertholdt. "I'm just curious how you plan to escape with your lives. If nothing else, Reiner Braun will die here."

Reiner tensed, his eyes going wide as they bored into Bertholdt.

"He would only slow us down," Annie said. She pushed open the door to the cell, no sign of an apologetic nature as she took in Reiner's expression twisting in shock.

"Annie," Bertholdt said, a waiver to his voice. "You … you can't mean that. Reiner … He's our leader. We can't abandon him."

"Don't worry," Annie said. She stepped to Bertholdt's side, holding Reiner's stare. "He'll have company."

"What–?"

Annie crouched, sweeping Bertholdt's legs from under him. He landed on his back with a cry in pain. The gun was torn from his grip. An attempt to scramble backwards came to a swift halt at the sight of a rifle barrel in his face. His eyes tracked up to see Annie watching him in contempt.

N-no …

"I'm a liar, Bertholdt," Annie said. "We all are, aren't we? We've lied to others for so long we can't tell anymore when we're lying to ourselves. I'm done with that. I'm tired."

W-wait …

Everything was shattering … Bertholdt's dream of coming home a hero; the picture he had of taking Annie's hand on the deck of the ship sailing them home and telling her how he felt. The way Annie would look up at him, the orange glow from the sunset reflecting off her golden hair, and–

"Annie!"

Annie had enough sense to keep her eyes on Bertholdt. Her acknowledgement of Marco's relieved voice was to smile. It was gentle; kind. She was looking at Bertholdt, but that smile and everything behind it was meant for someone else.

The sound of shuffling was followed by Marco limping into view. He came to a stop at Annie's shoulder and regarded her with a fond expression. "Thank you, Annie. This … I'm sure the decision you had to make wasn't easy."

No, Bertholdt thought. Taking a long, hard look at Annie made the answer clear.

It was an easy choice; she would always choose you.

"I saved you … in Trost …"

The smiles fell away. Annie and Marco took a step back as Bertholdt slowly got to his feet.

"Why …" Bertholdt continued, his voice hollow. "Why did I do that? You should've died. You heard us when Reiner and I were talking about our Titans. Reiner was going to take your ODM gear and leave you to get eaten. But I stopped him. Why … Why did I do that?"

A shout echoed from the top of the stairs. The sound swelled into a chorus – the horrific scene in the tunnel had been discovered. Footsteps thundered toward the door.

"Things never go well when I'm the one making decisions," Bertholdt said. Tears rolled down his cheeks in a steady stream, the sensation not unlike hot wax being poured over his skin. Despair clutched his heart as his voice shook.

"I should've … I should've stayed in the back and kept my mouth shut like I always do. Then we wouldn't be here. Reiner wouldn't be about to die and Annie wouldn't betray us. I can't … I can't do anything right. I can only … I can only try to fix my mistake."

Bertholdt's hand snatched out to push down the barrel of the gun. His free hand rose to his mouth, teeth tearing through the flesh of his thumb.

The one thing I can do …

Annie flung herself to the side, wrapping an arm around Marco's neck as she brought a finger to her lips.

Reiner gripped Erwin's arm to guide the blade held to his neck until it sliced through skin and drew blood.

I'm not held back by obstructions like they are when I transform, Bertholdt thought. Light radiated outward, encompassing everything in sight. Bertholdt tilted his head back to meet the crash of lightning digging its way from the heavens to the earth.

I can … make things right …

Lightning struck and the world around Bertholdt fell to ashes.