Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 30: Charge
Time was running out for the Warriors to bring their captives back to Marley. The Scout Regiment was closing in on them much sooner than they'd anticipated. Lazarus hadn't regained enough energy to fly everyone back to Marley, and flying over to Shiganshina wasn't an option either as it would be a waste of energy and take even longer to get back. Time the Survey Corps would take advantage of to rescue their valuable assets.
Worried this would offset Reiner's personality, he grabs a hold of him and asks him what he is right now.
"I'm a Warrior, calm down." He reassures him. He was entirely focused on completing their mission and finally returning home.
But Lazarus didn't look as determined as the rest of them. He looks over at the approaching Scouts and starts to think about Annie, whom they've left behind. He still wanted to go back for her, but not at the risk of losing their hostages.
"Reiner, do you really think it's wise for us to trust Ymir? Even though she's the one who devoured Marcel?" Bertolt questioned him, finally deciding to voice his thoughts on the matter.
"So, you're with Laz on not trusting her too, huh? I get where you're both coming from, but we have a handle on her motive. When she turned human again, odds are she wandered aimlessly only giving a damn about herself. Just as he said. But then Christa came into the picture. She's essentially what Commander Erwin is to Michael. Someone she cherishes more than herself. She's the kind of girl that could change your whole world. We need her, and not just because she's cute. The people she comes from are an important family within the church. Plus, suppose Eren's not the Coordinate, our job wouldn't be over. If it comes to that, having Christa around would be much easier." He thoroughly explains.
Though Lazarus wasn't looking at him, he was paying attention to the explanation. He'll admit he hadn't considered the possibility of Christa, a descendent of royalty being the Coordinate. He just assumed it was Eren on the count of his Titan powers. And he knew it couldn't be Michael because he had the Crystal Titan, which was said to be a servant of the Founder, not the Founder itself.
"It's not just her." He added. "Michael is essential as well. Among me, Bertolt, and the Founding Titan, he possesses one of the most powerful Titans ever. Once he regains his memories and realises who he truly is, Marley will have the power of the Crystal Titan on our side. Together we'll have an even greater chance of saving the world and preventing the Rumbling from ever happening. As strong as Eren is, even he can't fight all of us alone."
They then hear more smoke signals being fired off into the sky. Red smoke was rising alongside the green. And the smoke itself was getting closer. It was now or never if they wanted to get away.
"They're close," Bertolt stated. "So what's the plan? We have Reiner carry us to Shiganshina, meet up with Zeke, and then all fly back to Marley?"
"No." Lazarus cut off his assumption to his brief surprise. "You guys are gonna take them back to Shiganshina. I'm going back for Annie."
"That's too risky." Reiner butted in. "They've got her underground and under the watch of the MPs 24/7. You won't be able to get to her undetected."
"I don't have to be stealthy about it. I just need to get her and get out. I'll dig up all of Stohess if I have to! We're not leaving her behind, and that's an order!"
Reiner then to everyone's sudden shock, headbutts Lazarus, knocking his hat down and revealing his horns, as well as stagger back a bit. He then grabs him by his jacket and pulls him in close. Bertolt attempts to intervene, but Reiner orders him to stay back.
Eren, Ymir and Michael were confused as to what was going on with them, wondering if they'd changed their minds about waiting until sundown to leave.
"Earlier you told me to keep it together. That I am a Warrior, and our mission should always come first. I'm now going to give you the same advice. You lead us to this place, now we're counting on you to lead us back home! I know Annie means a lot to you, but if she were in my position, she'd be telling you the same thing. If you abandon us and go back for her now, everything we've sacrificed to get this far would've all been for nothing. Focus on finishing our mission first, then we'll go back and rescue Annie together. Understand?"
Lazarus was speechless. Reiner had come a long way since they first arrived on Paradis. He really came through with his promise of being the Warrior Marcel could've been had he survived, proving himself worthy of the Armour.
Letting his words of wisdom sink in, Lazarus determinedly nods in response and readjusts his uniform after Reiner let go. He picks up his hat from his back and places it atop his head. The Scouts were going to arrive any moment now, so they wasted no time making their next move. The only problem was getting Eren to cooperate. Ymir and Michael had already agreed to go willingly, but that didn't mean they could let their guard around them.
"Right, let's get moving. Bertolt, you'll carry Ymir, Reiner will handle Eren, and I've got Michael. Let's be quick and careful about this."
Lazarus presents his fist to them. The other two respond by placing their fist against his, forming a three-way fist bump.
"After this is done we'll come back for Annie, Erwin and Christa. After that, we'll have nothing left to keep us here. Let's finish this, boys."
They all break the connection and leap over to the tree branch the others were on.
"What are you three doing now? I thought we were waiting till dark." Eren asked.
"There's been a slight change in plans. I'm gonna ask you nicely not to put up a fight. Got it?"
Eren at first pretended to play nice with Reiner, hoping he'd let his guard down and give him an opening to attack the big bulky bastard. But Lazarus anticipated this and wraps his elbow around his neck, putting him in a chokehold.
"Did you really think we're that stupid, Eren? What gave you the idea we'd fall for a lie as simple as that?" He whispered in his ear.
Enraged, Eren starts smacking Lazarus in the face with his nubby arms. Lazarus's hold on Eren tightened until he was cutting off the oxygen to his brain. Before passing out he overhears a conversation between Ymir and Bertolt, telling her that she'd been a Titan for over 60 years and has no memory of the one she ate.
He didn't hold it against her for not remembering when he and Reiner couldn't remember their predecessors either. Eren and Michael had no recollection of who they inherited their powers from. And Lazarus never ate anyone to obtain his powers. Annie was the only one who did remember Lucia, because of the strong motherly bond she had with Laz before passing the Female Titan onto her.
His eyes then start to roll back, and his face darkens blue until he finally passes out and collapses. Once he was out, he lets go and allows Reiner to start tying him up and gagging his mouth to prevent him from biting anything.
"There, that should make things easier for you." He joked before walking over to Michael's position. "I'm surprised you didn't try to stop me."
"How could I when my arms are plated up? Speaking of which, when are you gonna take these off?"
"Until I know for certain that you won't attempt to run away or fight us. Nothing personal, just being cautious."
"I already told you I was willing to work with you until you give me what I'm owed. I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I need my hands to flip you the bird." Michael attempted to reason with him.
"Besides, whatever tricks I may have planned you already know, right? You can hear my thoughts, so you'd know instantly if I thought about attacking you… If what you said about us being friends in the past is true, then you'll learn to trust me, right?"
Lazarus took some time to think it over. He did bring up some valid points. By reading his mind he should have no way of overpowering him. He may be taking a serious gamble trusting Michael, but gambling was how the Scouts did things getting this far, so he'd be willing to take that risk. Not like he had anything to lose.
He asks Michael to hold his arms out so that he could remove the plates that were nailed into his flesh, causing Michael to cry out in pain.
"Ow ow ow OW FUCK!"
Hardening his fingertips into sharp claws, he digs into the edges of the plates and proceeded to rip them off one by one whilst trying to do it as quickly as possible.
Steam immediately blasts out of his wounds, allowing him to finally regrow his arms. Too impatient to wait that long, Michael decided to use his powers to create crystal prosthetics in their place until his actual arms grew back. He flexes each finger, getting a real feel for his new limbs. Satisfied with how they feel and how well they work, he decides to test them out…on Lazarus's crotch.
Lazarus anticipated this thanks to his telepathy and blocks his incoming strike, only to end up taking a hardened punch to the face instead, knocking him on his ass. Reiner was about to intervene, but Lazarus stops him, realising that Michael wasn't gonna attack again.
"That was for not allowing me to use my hands for hours! I had this really bad itch on my nose, and I couldn't scratch it because I DON'T HAVE GODDAMN HANDS! Do you have any idea how stressful and annoying that is?! Not being able to scratch an itch as bad as that starts to slowly drive you insane." He asks while furiously scratching said itchy nose. He then wordlessly yells at Lazarus in rage and frustration.
Speaking of noses, Lazarus's ended up broken from the hardened punch. But his high-speed regeneration fixed it up with no problem.
"You get one, Michael. You get one." He finally replied after his face healed. With that said and done, Lazarus grabs Michael and hoists him onto his back. Reiner and Bertolt do the same with the others. The three of them all Blast off deeper into the forest on their ODM gear. As they flew off, Lazarus bellowed an order to the surrounding Titans.
"Go now! Get out of the forest!"
The Titans all obey without question and leave the forest, freely deciding to head over to the approaching Scout Regiment. He doubts the Titans will stop them, but he hopes they'll at least slow them down and buy them more time to escape.
As they go deeper and deeper into the forest, the Warriors notice that some of the Titans within the forest were chasing after them instead of retreating as instructed.
"I thought you said you can control Titans?" Michael pointed out as he clung tightly to Lazarus.
"Not all the Titans are under my command. Some of them haven't been exposed to my power and remain unaffected. And I'm not in a position to get them under control either. So, for now, we find a place without Titans as far away as possible."
"I still haven't recovered enough to outrun these guys. They surround us there's jack shit my Titan can do right now." Reiner yells ahead of him.
"Then why the hell didn't we just wait for the sun to go down?" Micheal questioned. Only to be shocked when he started spotting the smoke signals. the Scouts have come to rescue him. He knew immediately it was Erwin's idea. Who else would've forced this many soldiers to come all this way just for him?
They honestly thought they had more time than this. They seemed to have underestimated the lengths a parent would go to retrieve their child. Lazarus will admit, he is hard as nails for a Scout Commander.
Things started to look worse for them when Ymir started struggling against Bertolt. If all the Scouts were taking part in this rescue mission, then there's a high chance Historia is with them.
"Reiner, Lazarus! We have to go back! Christa is with them. This is our best chance!"
"You're full of it! No way you can see that far!" Reiner denied.
But Lazarus knew she was right. Using his enhanced eyesight, he can see all the Scouts, Garrison troops, and MPs for some reason. Christa, or Historia, was indeed among them. Probably come to save Ymir. She always did want to play the brave heroine, he thought.
"It's true. But still, going back now would be dangerous. It'll have to wait."
"Wait? How long do you expect me to wait?! Long enough for you to go back on your word and let me get gobbled up by one of your warrior pals? I don't think so!" She shouts back at him.
"She's right." Michael butted in. "You said you'd give us what we want if we cooperated? Was that all a lie too?"
"It's not a lie!" Lazarus denied. "I swear to you for the first time in a long time, we're telling you the truth?!"
"Then prove it! There's no time like the present, asshole! Damn, you! Get down there and bring her with us! I need to see her… You don't understand." She starts breaking down into tears, showing them how desperate she is to be with her again.
Lazarus briefly glances back at her. The look in her eyes was more than enough to show him how much this means to her. As much as he despised her, even he can't deny he couldn't relate to her situation. Just a few moments ago he was willing to risk the mission just to go back for Annie.
"Believe me, Ymir, I do. More than anything I want to go back and save Annie. She means more to me than my mission. Saving the world is meaningless if she's not in it with me. Even if I have my friends around me, they'll always be a piece of my heart missing because I left it with her. That's how you feel about Christa, isn't it?"
Letting out a sigh of defeat, he looks over at Bertolt. "…Let her go."
"What?" Reiner and Bertolt said at the same time. Even Michael was taken aback by his decision.
"I'm not saying I trust her. But I can believe she's only going back for Christa and nothing else. These tall trees will allow her to use the Jaw Titan to leap through the forest, grab Christa, and get back before they could reach us. We can also use the brightness of her transformation to buy us more time to get away… That work for you, Ymir?"
Ymir nods in agreement.
"I'm going with her." Michael volunteered. "Relax, I'm not gonna run or warn anyone. I'm just gonna provide backup in case something happens to her."
"We both know that's a lie. You just want to go back for Erwin, bring him with us too." Laz stated. "I didn't want to mention this earlier out of fear for what you'd do. But we're not bringing him with us."
"You promised-
"I promised you we'd bring him AFTER you got your memories back. Grabbing him now is riskier than going back for Christa… Do not forget that Erwin's not your real father! Your real family are back home waiting for you. How'd you think they'd react to seeing the man who stole their son and raised him as his own?" He harshly reminded him.
"First you must focus on getting your memories back. Then after I go back to rescue Annie, I'll find Erwin and save him too. That's my final promise to you." His words are filled with compassion and understanding, showing that he should have faith in him.
Michael didn't agree with this plan, nor like it. But no matter how much he wanted to deny it, he was in no position to argue. Even if he could just transform now and escape, it would ruin his chances of regaining his memories and fully mastering the Crystal Titan forever.
"Ok, you got me… Fine, I'll wait a little while longer. But can you at least let me see him one last time? There may be a chance he'll die trying to save me. At least let me help him if that happens" He asked desperately.
Lazarus slowly nods in response and allows Michael to drop down onto a tree branch.
"You two go on ahead. Wait for us at the end of the forest. Once we're out, I'll give Reiner the signal to transform, and then we'll bolt… I'll stay with Michael and Ymir. Make sure they keep true to their word."
Reiner and Bertolt choose not to question his decision and go along with the plan. Bertolt drops Ymir onto the same branch as Michael before blasting off with Reiner and Eren.
The two of them stare at one another and nod in agreement before triggering their Titan transformations at the same time.
As the Scouts were closing in on the forest and battling the Titans Lazarus sent after them, they all notice two huge lighting strikes going off around the centre of the forest. Instantly recognising it as Titan transformation blasts, Mikasa, Armin and the rest of the 104th members head straight for it.
Erwin however was being cautious. Using his loud, authoritative voice, he orders all soldiers to disperse and begin their search for Eren and Michael, assuming it may be the enemy who's assumed Titan form. His goal was not to fight them or any of the Pure Titans. Locate, recover, and retreat. That's their only objective. Alone they stand no chance against the group of Titan Shifters, hence why they need them back.
Suddenly, the scream of Ymir's Jaw Titan echoed throughout the forest. Mikasa and the others pinpoint where the sounds coming from and followed them until they manage to come across Ymir clinging to a tree.
One of the Garrison soldiers draws their blades ready to attack, only to be stopped by Connie, telling them that it's Ymir. Their friend who they assumed managed to escape the Warriors and was seeking their help.
While Ymir was indeed seeking something, it wasn't them. She was constantly surveying the forest, looking at the soldiers who approached her one after one, trying to find Historia. Armin could tell that something was off about the way she was looking over each of them. Acting like she's trying to find someone in particular.
Historia soon arrives on the scene happy to see her friend was safe. Only to end up being inside said friend's Titan mouth when Ymir lunged at her, jumping from the tree.
With Historia secured, Ymir leapt through the trees towards the exit. The others quickly give chase, now convinced of where her true loyalties lie. With the Warriors.
Deep in the forest, the Crystal Titan was hiding behind the trees furthest away from where Ymir is, looking for his father. Lazarus was standing atop his shoulder, ensuring he doesn't try and make a break for it once he spots him.
They manage to catch a glimpse of him in the distance leading half of his forces around the forest, attempting to seal it off and catch them in the act.
"Dad… You're ok. Thank god." He thought.
They then soon hear Ymir's Titan roar in the distance to the left of them.
"That's the signal. She should be on her way back now. Michael, it's time to get moving." When the Crystal Titan decided not to respond, he attempted to remind him of their deal. "The deal was I'd let you know if he was ok, not to grab him, remember? We need to get out of-
"I heard you!" Michael mentally raised his voice, shutting him up. "I haven't forgotten. I just… I wasn't ready to say goodbye yet."
"This isn't goodbye, Michael. This is just until you get your memories back… You'll see him again, I swear on my life." He assured him as he places his hand upon his armoured cheek.
Michael then replied, "Fine then…"
The Crystal Titan then spots Ymir heading their way and proceeds to start running in the same direction she's heading in. As both parties were nearing the exit of the forest, Lazarus draws one of his blades and uses the reflection of the sun's rays off to it, giving Reiner the signal to transform into the Armoured Titan with Bertolt riding atop his shoulders with Eren tied to his back.
The Jaw Titan leaps onto his back with the Crystal Titan running alongside Reiner. Lazarus held onto the crystals sticking out of Michael's shoulders to keep himself steady with one hand, while his other was grasping one of his katana blades.
Mikasa and the others notice Michael with Reiner, Bertolt and Lazarus and wonder if he too has decided to join forces with them.
"The Crystal Titan? Has Michael joined up with them too?" Jean wondered.
"No… this isn't right." Armin tried to deny it. Michaels has been fighting alongside them for a long time. He knows Michael was just as hurt by Lazarus's betrayal as much as he was, by the way they fought each other. He had no reason to trust him all of a sudden. Not unless he's being forced to join them against his own free will.
Mikasa didn't seem convinced. At this point, she's too focused on getting Eren back that she'll slice up anyone who gets in her way, especially Michael and Ymir.
Now that they were all out in the open, they couldn't catch them with ODM gear. To chase them, they continued on horseback.
Erwin soon spots the Crystal Titan running alongside the Armoured. His eyes widened at the shock of seeing his son working alongside humanity's greatest enemies. It started to give him doubts about whether he should follow through with the plan he came up with.
He didn't know why Michael was with them. Whether he chose to join them, or they were forcing him, it did not change the fact that Eren's loyalty was still to the Scouts. Giving him more than enough reason to keep going.
"Friendships can be dangerous in our line of work. People you've forged strong bonds with allow them to cloud your judgement."
His own wise words to Michael played throughout his mind, forcing him to bare his teeth in frustration. He was now forced into a difficult decision. Should he trust in Michael and hope he has a plan to defeat them alone? Or should he go with his instincts and stop them himself, but risk killing his own son? It was the same brutal choice Levi had to put up with when it came to his comrades. Giving the commander a deeper understanding of what his right hand has to go through daily.
"Michael… I don't know what you're up to, but I can't allow them to take Eren as well as you. Without either of you, humanity has no hope of moving forward. The future of mankind must come before all else… even you." He thought regrettably.
"Let the Titans chase you! All squads follow my lead!" He ordered. His horse increases its speed and races towards the Armoured Titan. Though he plans to use the MPs as bait, he'll always remember them as soldiers who gave their all to ensure Eren's retrieval. Failure was not an option.
Lazarus and the Crystal Titan glance back at the horde of Titans chasing the soldiers who were chasing them, who were following Erwin. Lazarus was about to order the Titans to stop chasing them but was shocked to see Erwin and the others leaving the scene. At first, he wondered why, until he realised they were a distraction for Jean's group to intercept them.
As they closed in on them, Mikasa vowed that she wouldn't hesitate this time. She will kill them all without a single thought. And that included Michael and Ymir too.
Sasha didn't like that and started begging her not to, reminding her that Michael is their friend and he was not one of them. But Mikasa didn't care. There were only a few people in this world she gave a damn about, and that's Eren and Armin. Everyone else was nothing more than trash that she'll either tolerate or destroy.
"No! I won't accept it. Michael isn't with them, he can't be." Sasha denied, tears starting to build up under her eyes. "Lazarus might be forcing him to do this. Heck, maybe Lazarus, Reiner and Bertolt were forced to attack the walls as well. Did you not consider that an option?"
"Wake up, Sasha!" Jean shouts back at her. "Whether they chose to do this or not doesn't matter! Our orders are to get Eren and Michael back. If Michael chooses not to be rescued, then we'll know for certain whose side he's really on."
Ymir opens her mouth and pulls Historia out of it. Her whole body was covered in Titan saliva, some of it getting into her mouth, forcing her to resist the urge to puke in her grasp.
"You ok, Christa?" Lazarus called over to her.
Though a little dazed from being suddenly swallowed up, Historia quickly acknowledges the group around her, both human and Titan. Ymir starts to emerge slightly from her Titan's nape so that she could properly address her whilst still holding her in her Titan's hand.
"Christa- No, Historia. I'm sorry about eating you. You're probably pissed."
The short blonde-haired goddess decided to skip the small talk and get straight to the point of what was going on here. She came all this way to rescue the girl she loved, yet here she finds her working alongside the enemy. She needed to know if she was forced into helping them.
But Ymir made it abundantly clear to her that she was with them of her own free will. And like it or not she had no choice but to come with her. She believed that there was no future for them inside the walls and that the world outside it, the world where the Warriors came from, is not so bad compared to here.
Historia was shocked at her explanation. She got the idea that she'd been brainwashed by Lazarus and the others into thinking such deluded thoughts. Just how in the world can humans and Titans live alongside each other? It just wasn't possible.
Bertolt reassures her that they'd done nothing to her, and everything she told her was true. Just not in the way she was thinking. And Michael was also helping them for a similar reason.
Hearing Historia talk about how the past shouldn't matter and the present is all that she needed to focus on caused the Crystal Titan to growl at her in response. The past may not be a big deal for her, but to Michael it was everything. For years he'd been hoping for a chance to regain what he'd lost. And he'd made it clear to everyone around him that he had no second thoughts.
"Ymir… Look, in case you haven't noticed, the Scouts are closing in." Bertolt interrupted again. "If we had left earlier there might've been a decent chance of outrunning them. Going back for Christa was your idea. You forced us, remember that… We waited, and for what? Damnit Ymir, what the hell did we do this for?!"
"You better not have a change of heart," Lazarus added as he looked sternly into her eyes. "You can't afford to doubt yourself. Do you really want her to rot inside the walls? Does that seem acceptable to you now? Don't be a fool! Think!"
"Don't listen to him, Ymir!" Christa intervened.
"I CAN'T!" She finally snapped up at her. Her tears were set loose down her cheeks as she looked up at her goddess. "… I wish I could. I'm sorry sweetie. I know you think I did this for you. But at the end of the day, I did it for me… A long time ago I stole the power of the Titans from one of their comrades. Not much I can do against them. Sooner or later I'm screwed. But, they said if I cooperate and hand you over, maybe I've got a shot at leniency. Maybe my crime gets overlooked. You're crucial to the church. You know the truth about the walls."
Michael listened closely to their conversation. The way Ymir talked about playing dirty to stay alive reminded him of something. He couldn't quite place his finger on it, but he feels as if he knows someone who had a similar mindset to Ymir.
Then, like a flash, it struck him. The man who calls himself The Reaper. He knows nothing about him. His real name, age, relatives, anything. But from his encounter with him, he could tell what kind of man he used to be. The kind who planned and fought as a soldier, using any means necessary to appease his rulers. Even if it meant being ruthless and treating others like garbage. He had the same mindset as Ymir, Mikasa, and even Captain Levi.
He's the reason he's forced down this path to reclaim his lost memories. For if he doesn't, the Crystal Titan will forever be incomplete. Eventually, he might grow bored to the point where he'll take over completely and use the Crystal Titan for his benefit.
Amidst all the arguing and chasing, Eren finally awakens from his air-starved slumber shocked to see the group of soldiers led by Hannes chasing after them. Hannes attempts to cut the Armoured Titan's leg, but his blades shatter upon contact, forcing him to retreat to his horse.
More soldiers attempt to rescue him, only to be thrown away by Ymir's Titan since Reiner was preoccupied with running. Mikasa then swoops in and slashes her left eye, distracting her long enough for her to reach Bertolt.
Panicked, Bertolt rushes under Reiner's chin. Reiner quickly brings his arms up and covers them up, creating a defensive wall around Bertolt and his hostage. Mikasa stares coldly through the small gap between his fingers at the terrified Bertolt. That look carried an intense desire to kill him the moment Reiner put his hands down.
Lazarus then quickly swoops in with his Cloud Zero and kicks Mikasa off of him, then quickly retreats to Michael's shoulder.
"I told you to stay away! I warned you what would happen if you pursued us." He commented heatedly.
Mikasa ignored him and made a swift decision to kill him first. Speeding up her canisters, she spins herself around as she closes in on Lazarus, ready to slice off his head with her blades.
The crystals sticking up around Lazarus's position quickly rise and converge with each other, forming a hexagon-shaped crystal shield around him, keeping him safe from her attack, resulting in the breaking of her blades.
The two of them end up staring intensely at each other, neither one of them intimidated by the other. Her glare did not affect him as it did Bertolt, as he had that effect on the people of Marley too.
"I told you and Armin to stay away." He uttered, disappointed by her actions. "But then again, what did I expect from an Ackerman." He commented as he turned his back on her, not at all afraid of her breaking in.
The Crystal Titan then raises its left arm, attempting to grab Mikasa and throw her away, but she dodges it at the last second.
"That settles it! You're with them, aren't you Michael?" She accused him. She then draws a new set of blades and sets her eyes on Ymir. "Fine then! After I cut down this bitch, you're next!"
She then closes in on Ymir's nape, ready to strike her down without hesitation. Only to be stopped at the last second by Historia, begging her not to kill her.
"Give it up!" Lazarus calls out to her from behind the crystal dome. "Believe me, I wish it wasn't him either, but that's just how things are! Eren has what we seek, and we've come too far to give him back now!"
"Good luck talking sense into her, Lazarus."
Lazarus recognised that voice all too well. Glancing over to his right he can see Jean standing before him on the back end of Michael's shoulder. Soon Connie, Sasha and Armin arrive and surround the dome, peering through it at their former comrade.
"Telling Mikasa to give up on Eren is like telling a mother bear to give up her cub. There's no way in hell she's gonna accept that… Come on, why don't you come out of that glass box and face the music."
"Guys? … Why? …Why are you all here?" Lazarus uttered, not bearing the thought of actually looking either of them in the eye after the things he's done to them.
"Guys, come on. This is some kind of joke, right?" Connie hesitantly addresses both Lazarus and Michael. "No way this is you! The Lazarus I knew always looked out for his comrades. And Michael, you're supposed to be like a big brother figure to some of us. Have you been lying to us this whole time? We were supposed to be comrades!"
"They still are!" Sasha continued. "This is all just a big misunderstanding. I'm sure they have their reasons. Right, Michael?"
The Crystal Titan gently shifts its eyes away from her and looks away in shame. Though he can't express himself, his eyes told her what she needed to know.
"Where are you guys going? You can't keep running forever. We're not gonna let that happen, rat bastards. Through thick and thin we slept under the same roof as soldiers for three years." Jean turns away from Lazarus to speak to Bertolt, still hidden behind Reiner's hands. "Matter of fact, the positions you could sleep in were an art form, Bertolt. I'm not kidding. We all loved waking up to see your weird contortions in the morning. Used to predict the weather with them… How'd you guys do it? You must not have had a care in the world. Lying beside your victims, yet you slept like a log!"
Both Bertolt and Lazarus were deeply affected by their pain-filled words. So much so that Lazarus could no longer feel the strength in his legs and just drops to his knees. His head hanging low and his hat hides his current emotions from the others.
"Was it all just an act to you, Laz? What about the way we used to talk about surviving this together? About growing old and looking back on the worst moments over drinks? We even used to tease Michael and Sasha about getting together cuz of that one time he shared his steak with her. We both held each other as we laughed. Remember?
Lazarus starts to tremble. Clenching his fists tight. Tears started to roll down his face and drop onto his knuckles. He's not sure just how much more of this he can take. Reiner and Bertolt aren't probably faring well either, he thought.
But at least Reiner and Michael were in a predicament where they can't express themselves. And Bertolt could only hear them. He can feel their saddened, hurt and angry gazes on him outside of his shield. Seeing how much he'd hurt them started to break his heart. It was only a matter of time until he snaps and loses all sense of self.
"Everything you taught us. The speeches you gave us. The Faith and hope you've inspired in us. Was it all bullshit? … Answer me! What was the point?! What were you trying to do by tricking us?!" Connie tearfully demanded of him.
"It doesn't matter anymore." Mikasa cut in, drawing all eyes to her. "Shut up and focus on opening the traitor's neck! Hesitate for a moment and we forfeit Eren. Who cares what they pretended to be? This was their choice!"
That was the final breaking point for the two Warriors. There's no denying they're traitors in their eyes. But they weren't evil. They only appeared evil from their perspective.
Bertolt was the first one to break from all the pressure and speak his true thoughts on them.
"No! You're wrong! Who chooses to be this?! Tell me!"
His sudden outburst surprised the others, forcing them to look away from Lazarus and over to the Armoured Titan. Even Lazarus peeked over with shocking curiosity. This is the first time he, or anyone had seen Bertolt act like this. He was always quiet and kept to himself, always following Lazarus and Reiner. He'd never spoken his mind before. They all remained silent, allowing him to continue.
"What do you think I am, huh?! What?! Do you think THIS is what we aspired to be?! People loathe us. And why wouldn't they? We're monsters! We deserve to die for the things we've done!"
Everyone – apart from Mikasa - was shocked by his words. They had no idea what kind of shit they'd been through. And they probably never will either
Sniffling, Lazarus soon begins to share with them a side of his story he hadn't told anyone before. He knew deep down it wouldn't change their outlook on him and his comrades. But he'll at least give them a somewhat understanding of why he was the way he was.
"I lost everything when I was seven years old." He began, drawing all their attention back to him. Some of them were heartened by the sorrowful look in his tear-filled eyes. "My father died before I was even born. My mother had to die to pass on her power and wisdom to another. My best friend abandoned me when I needed him most. And then I had both my spirit and humanity ripped away from me by the people who made me into the very monster that flew over your heads and rained hell down upon you!"
"I was locked in a deep dark hole for months because everyone feared what I've become. An immortal devil whose only chance of redemption was to attack people they thought were devils too… I'm lost. We're all lost. I could live a thousand years and never again know peace. Try to imagine that darkness. The only light was our brief time as soldiers."
He looks over every one of them for as long as he can, while he still had the chance to remember them as he met them… His friends. Michael, Ymir and the others all look over at Lazarus slightly touched by his genuine words. Though he and the others lied they could all tell he was being entirely truthful with them, making this reunion even harder for them to bear.
"It was never a lie! Do you understand? We're not who we said we were, but it wasn't an act! We genuinely thought of you as our friends! I'm not stupid. I know we have no right to ask for forgiveness. But everything I've ever said, or done was out of love for all of you! Even if you'll never see us as friends again, you'll always be ours in our hearts."
Lazarus slowly stands up and places his right hand up against the crystal-clear wall.
"That's why I asked you not to come. I didn't want to be forced into a position where I'd have to kill any of you… My goal has always been to create a better world for all of us! A world without Titans. A world without betraying and killing your comrades. A world where all of us can live peacefully as friends… But we can't create this world without Eren. That's why we need him. One day I promise, we'll tell you the truth behind everything we've done. But for now, I must ask you one last time. If we're really comrades… Then please get away from here and save yourselves!"
Everyone was at a complete loss for words. None of them could even try to think up the best response to give to that. Lazarus's words carried so much emotional baggage that it even drove Connie and Sasha to tears, even more than before. Whatever the others thought, they wanted to believe him as much as they did Michael's reasoning for going with them.
Jean and Armin still haven't changed their views on him or his comrades, but even they can't deny how genuine he sounded in their view. Whether he was truthful or not, Mikasa didn't care. Nothing will change how she sees Lazarus and his Warriors.
"Give him back… I won't ask again." She simply stated, unmoved by his and Bertolt's speeches.
"I'm sorry. But we can't do that." Bertolt regrettably denied it, making her madder. "One of you has to do it. One of you has to stain your hands with my blood."
"Guys! Get down from there now and take cover!" Hannes warned them from the left side of the Crystal Titan. "What the hell is Erwin doing?!"
Everyone faces forwards and were shocked at what was displayed before their wide eyes. Erwin, who they all thought bailed to allow the cadets to attack them, ended up only diverging the path to lure a huge horde of Titans towards them. Had he lost it? Is he gonna risk getting a lot of them killed just to retrieve Eren? Hannes thought, bewildered by this rash action.
"Shit! Reiner can't fight while he's protecting Bertolt. Michael, you need to stop those Titans. Ymir can't hold them off on her own." Lazarus instructed him.
The Crystal Titan briefly glances over his right shoulder at Lazarus before looking back at his father.
"Dad… What were you thinking? You realise that this plan of yours puts me at risk too, right? Are you really gonna toss me aside just because I'm temporarily working with them? Is your devotion to humanity that much more important than mine? Then the dream you and I shared? Whatever happened to nothing being more important than that?!"
Whatever the reason, Michael has no choice but to defend himself and the others, reminding himself that he's only doing it for Eren and Ymir, not for them.
To Be Continued