Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 70: Deceiver
Trapped on the world's most dangerous island, Falco and Gabi fought with all their talents to escape captivity and venture out into territory that was unknown to them.
Gabi faked having a seizure to get the guard to open their cell. Then when he was in range, smashes his head with a brick in a pillowcase. Falco thought she had gone too far, but Gabi reminded him that the guard was one of the many soldiers brandishing the Yeagerist symbol on their back. All who served Eren cannot be reasoned with nor be allowed to let their guard down against, that's what she believed.
After escaping the two kids ran for the forest before anyone noticed they were missing. Neither of them had a plan as of yet other than to try and find where the Warriors were being kept and try to break them out. Falco couldn't see how two little kids like them could pull off a prison break without any weapons or a plan. But Gabi refused to stay hidden. Michael chose her to be the next Crystal Titan, which was a higher honour than inheriting the Armoured. Sitting there and waiting to get killed would go against everything she'd learned from him.
They kept on running all through the night creating as much distance between them and the prison they were locked in as possible. The only time they stopped was when they reached a nearby riverbank for a drink. It was clear they were exhausted. Not even a splash of cold water to the face was enough to keep them awake. Falco had removed his armband to avoid drawing attention to themselves, though Gabi still had hers on.
"We ran all through the night, so we must've made it pretty far," Falco muttered as he kept an eye on his surroundings whilst Gabi drank the water she held in her hands. "You better take off your armband. Someone might notice."
"I don't care if they do. Civilians here don't know what it means anyway."
"Yeah, but a soldier might recognise it. Take it off just to be safe."
"Why would a soldier be wandering around out here in the middle of nowhere?" Gabi asked in a deadpanned manner, wiping the few drops off her face.
"The wrong person will see it eventually. You don't need it here. And who knows if we'll make it back to Marley."
"I don't plan to make it back to Marley." She glances over her shoulder, addressing him. "Not without Michael, Annie, and Bertolt… I also wanna get some answers from Zeke on why he betrayed us. Why he betrayed Marley."
"I know what you're feeling, but going back for them will only get us captured or killed by the enemy. After what you did to that guard, they'll probably shoot us on sight." Falco attempted to reason with her, though it looked like she didn't care.
"If it was Lazarus who had been captured, wouldn't you try to save him?" She answered with her own question.
"No." He shook his head. "He wouldn't want me putting myself in danger for him. He can survive anything."
"Exactly! But they can't! You heard what that devil Yeagerist said. They plan to feed Michael to that Ackerman girl and steal his power. The power he entrusted to me!" A look of anger appears on her face. "I won't let them kill Michael or the others!"
Falco lets loose a long sigh as he takes a few steps closer towards the girl he admires. Her devotion to Michael was as strong as his bond with Lazarus. If he had the power to save them, he'd use it. But as of right now, Gabi refuses to acknowledge how little they could impact the current outcome of the situation.
"Look, Gabi, we will find a way to help the others. But the only way we can help is by finding a way to delay their executions long enough for Colt, Lazarus, Reiner, and the others to come to liberate us."
"You really think they'll come for us?" She asked doubtfully.
"Knowing my brother, he'll probably be on his knees, begging the Warriors to launch an incursion and rescue their captured comrades as well as us. For now, I think we should keep out of sight and work on a plan. Blend in with the inhabitants. But to do that, you need to take off your armband."
Gabi blankly gazes down at her armband as Falco's words enter her left ear. There was once a time when she'd viewed it as proof that she was one of the good Eldians and without it, she was no different from the island devils. But Michael's teachings have given her a whole new perspective on life. Why should she let some piece of cloth define who she is? The people she cares about all view her as more than what Marley claims. That should be good enough for her.
Nodding in understanding, Gabi removes her armband and places it in her coat pocket. Falco was a little surprised she did that. He pictured her refusing and even fighting him to get it back should he try to snatch it away. She has changed from the girl she was brought up to be.
"I will always be a Warrior Candidate. But I am Michael's successor and friend first. I will do whatever it takes to get him back."
Falco smiles and places his hand around her shoulders. "And we will. We just have to figure out where they're being kept as well as how to get there undetected."
"What are you doing here?"
The two candidates were suddenly startled by a new voice to their right. Partially hidden behind a tree was another little girl around their age. The same girl Sasha once saved from a small Titan that wandered into her village.
"It's so early in the morning. Where did the two of you even come from?" She asked, not at all wondering who they were.
Put on the spot, the candidates had to think up an excuse for their being here whilst not revealing their true identities or where they really come from. Falco figured he should be the one to answer since he was the one with the clear head out of the two of them. But to his surprise, it was Gabi who spoke first.
"I- I don't wanna say. We hated our home, so much that we decided to run from it… So, we can't go back."
She held her nerve as she began feeling for a large rock behind her. Her first instinct was to grab it and smash her head in with it, something Marley taught her when in a situation identical to this. Only to immediately stop once she remembered what Michael and Erwin told her about assessing the situation first before taking drastic action.
On closer inspection, she could tell that this girl was no threat to them. It was something in her eyes that gave it away. Her people reading skills aren't as efficient as Michael or Erwin's, but she trusted it enough to let go of the rock and return her hand to its original position in front of her. Falco sighed in relief, fearing he was gonna see a repeat of what happened with the guard.
"I see." The girl replied calmly. "You must be hungry. I live nearby so follow me and we can get you some breakfast."
Gabi and Falco gaze at each other. They can't believe how easily this girl trusted them enough to bring them to her home. Two strangers who may've been a threat to her. Gabi even came close to ending her moments ago.
As much as Gabi wanted to locate Michael and break him out as soon as possible, neither of them had the means to do so at this time. For now, they'll have to play along and accept this girl's invitation.
The girl introduces herself as Kaya and leads the candidates to her home. She brings them to a peaceful farmhouse. It was sat atop a nice, wide plot of land for the horses to run around in.
Gabi's first instinct was to steal some horses and try to sneak into Wall Sina, but Falco was against it. Whoever these people were, they were kind enough to welcome a bunch of strangers into their home and offer them food.
It turns out the ones running this farm were Sasha's parents. And they were not the only kids here. After their village fell, the Braus family decided to take in children who'd lost their families when the Titans wandered into their village, turning their home into an orphanage.
Kaya leads them inside where they meet Mister Braus. His wife had just finished serving dinner to the other kids when they noticed the new occupants standing in their doorway.
"Good morning to ya'll. I hear your runaways. Mind if I ask your names?" He addressed them in what sounded like a southern Marleyan accent according to Gabi.
Like he said, Falco decided to do all the talking for both of them fearing what Gabi may say or do. While her beliefs of Eldians have changed, she's too focused on getting Michael and the others back to play nice to any potential followers of Eren.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Ben, sir. And this is my sister, Mia. I can't say why we ran away but if you let us stay here for just a few days we'll do anything around here that needs doing, sir. We'll work hard, I promise." Falco grabs the back of Gabi's head, forcing her to bow alongside him. "So please take us in!"
"I don't wanna see young'uns like you bowin' your heads. All are welcome at the Braus stables." Mister Braus approaches the candidates and gently places his hand atop Falco's shoulder. "You can stay as many days as you need. Tables plenty big, so sit and get yourselves some breakfast."
Gabi couldn't believe her ears. Michael and Erwin were right. The people on this island aren't at all what the Marleyans said they were. Although some of these people are devils as they claimed them to be, most of them are good. She never doubted Erwin's teachings, but the part of her that had been brought up by the military had a hard time forgetting the lessons she'd learnt.
Until now, the only introduction she had of the island inhabitants were the soldiers who followed Eren during the Liberio Raid. These were the first truly good Eldians on Paradis she'd encountered. Now her mind was conflicted. Part of her wants to be relieved, but another part wishes she wasn't learning this now. While she and Falco are sitting at a table eating, Michael, Annie, and Bertolt are starving in their cells or being fed to Titans right now. All she wanted was to save them.
Her mind was so flooded with worry over their fate, that when Misses Braus gently pats her head, she violently pushes her arm away. She immediately regretted doing so and apologised.
"I- I'm so sorry! You startled me."
"It's alright, dear. You poor young'uns must've been through so much. I should've respected your space."
"We have." Falco interrupted. "She's just a little on edge, that's all." He quickly gathers a spoonful of stew and puts it in his mouth. "Mmm, this is delicious." He complimented their cooking, hoping to take the edge off of what just occurred.
Everyone sat in awkward silence and ate their breakfast. Gabi's eyes wandered around the cabin, getting an eyeful of the décor. It was very homely here. The atmosphere has a nice calming feel to it as well. It felt like a real home. As nice as it was, it only made Gabi miss her actual home in Liberio. One she hopes is still in one piece with her parents alive and well.
As they carried on eating, the rising sun's rays started seeping in through the open window, lighting up the dining area. Gabi blinked and turned away from the beam that was shining in her left eye… Which was odd, Gabi thought. The sun was coming in through the window to her right, yet she was getting hit from the left.
Curious why that was, she turned to her left and spotted the cause. The sun's beams were shining down on some kind of glass figurine of a horse. The reflective surface caused the light to bounce off and redirect itself into her eyes. She squints her eyes to get a better look at the figurine. Her eyes then widened with surprise when she discovered that it wasn't made of glass, but crystal.
She suddenly rose from her chair, causing everyone to stop what they were doing and look at her.
"Ga- Mia, what's wrong?" Falco asked, almost accidentally blowing their cover.
Gabi doesn't respond and walks around the table and over to the mantle where the crystal horse sits. She picks it up and examines it all over. This was definitely Titan crystal. And not just from any Titan, but Michael's. Over the years she'd gotten to know Michael and his Titan, and she noticed the crystals his Titan produces are purer compared to the other shifters. It had a glimmer to it while the others looked more fragile.
"…Where did you get this?" She asked without taking her eyes off the sculpture.
"Oh, that's mine," Kaya spoke up as she decided to join her. "It was a gift from one of the soldiers Sasha's friends with. It was just a chunk of crystal before, but then he used his powers to turn it into a horse. He saved me and her from a Titan that wandered into our village. I think his name was…"
"Michael!" Gabi accidentally blurted out loud, finishing her sentence.
"Oh? You know him?" She curiously asked.
Gabi froze, fearing she may've given too much away and it's only a matter of time until the truth comes out.
"Of course she does." One of the orphan girls spoke up before any suspicion could occur. "Everyone knows who the Crystal Titan is. He was all over the newspapers. Hard not to have heard of him."
Gabi and Falco discreetly sighed with relief. Mister Braus then approached the mantle and slowly took the crystal horse out of Gabi's hands to examine it himself.
"I had the privilege of meeting this Michael once. Sasha seemed to have taken a liking to him… He seemed like he was lost."
"Lost? What do you mean?" Gabi asked curiously.
"When we met it was as if I were speaking to a man who had been wandering in a forest so long that he'd forgotten how to live as a person. He said he lost his memories of who he used to be. Didn't have any family other than the man who raised him. I reckon Sasha saw him the same way and chose to guide him on the path out of the forest."
Mister Braus places the statue back in its usual spot where the dust couldn't reach. Gabi looked up at it with interest. The way he was talking about him right now, it was like she was hearing a whole different take on Michael's story on this island when he was raised as a Paradian.
Sasha had been mentioned once or twice by him, though Michael never went into detail regarding his relationship with her. From what she was hearing, she was more than just another soldier in his division. She must've been a close friend.
"Who cares about him?" One of the oldest boys muttered to himself within earshot of the table. "He only pretended to be our friend. He was one of the enemy all this time! He betrayed us!"
The kid next to him shushed at him, trying to get him to stop, but it was too late. The awkward silence returned as everyone at the table thought back to when the news of the Crystal Titan defecting to the enemy side was made public. As expected, most people were hurt while others saw it coming since they didn't trust him to begin with.
A while later everyone finishes their breakfast and helps clear the table. Once that was done, everyone pitched in to do their assigned chores. The horses needed to be fed and watered, their stables mucked out, and hay needed to be swept up.
Gabi and Falco were on barn duty, sweeping up any hay that made it out of the stables. As she was sweeping, a mischievous horse started biting down on her head, prompting her to scream with terror. She tries to get away, only to slip and fall face-first in the mud. The bucket she was holding flew out of her hands and bounced off the walls and ceiling until it landed right on her head.
"GABIIIIIIII!" Falco dramatically cried as he reached out to her, acting as if she'd just died a horrible, tragic death.
The young Braun girl just lay there in utter defeat, wondering why this was happening to her. What did she do to deserve this? A lot of things probably, but what specifically? She thought.
After helping her up, Falco is grabbed by the shirt by the humiliated Gabi who pulls him in closer.
"It's really important that Michael never finds out about this, got it?!" She addressed him in a threatening tone.
"Why are you trying so hard to please Michael? He's not going to think any less of you because of this?"
"That's not what I meant! If he finds out, he'll never let me live it down and tease me about it for weeks on end." She corrected him.
"Really? That's what you're worried about? You and Michael have a strange relationship. You act more like brother and sister than mentor and student." Falco stated.
"Oh yeah? Well, what about you, Mister Lazarus fanboy?! At least we have banter. When's the last time you and he hung out as friends?"
"All the time!" Falco quickly defended himself.
"Him teaching life lessons or training you to be a better soldier doesn't count."
"Well… a few times we hung out as just friends. Like the first time I met him outside his mentor's old shop. And after I surpassed you in training a few days ago. I've learned to see him as a regular person instead of just the Winged Titan."
"And how long did it take to reach that point, huh?" Gabi teased.
Kaya soon walks in, wondering what all the commotion is about and notices Gabi's predicament. She decided now was the time to give their guests a tour of the whole farm, with permission from Mister Braus. Once it was given, she guided them through the forest. The Zeta Unit candidates had no idea where she was leading them. Gabi couldn't help but feel like she may be leading them into some kind of trap while Falco thought she was being melodramatic.
"You guys are on the run because you're from Marley, aren't you?" Kaya asked seemingly out of nowhere.
Gabi and Falco immediately stopped in their tracks and wore a look of shock on their faces. Kaya stopped and looked back at them, wondering if she should've worded that better instead of coming out and saying it.
"How- how did you know?!" Falco hesitantly asked.
"Do you really have to ask? You were yelling about going back." She pointed out.
"Wait, so then you knew from the start?! This is seriously embarrassing!" Falco started grabbing the sides of his head in a panic.
Kaya simply nodded in response. She then turns to Gabi "I also know that you know more about Michael than you've led on. I saw the way you were staring at the crystal he gave me. Who is he to you?"
Gabi paused, unsure of how to answer that question. To her, Michael was a lot of things. Her mentor. A friend. She'd even so go far as to call him the older brother she never knew she needed. Reiner once filled that spot, but he was in a bad place ever since they returned from Paradis. He was a completely different person. It's thanks to Michael she finally understood why.
"…He's a friend. More of a mentor actually." She finally mustered the courage to answer whilst looking down at the ground.
The kids soon carried on through the forest, following Kaya. On the way, Gabi shared with her everything she'd learned since meeting Michael. Telling her about the person she used to be before he came along. A blindly loyal soldier who believed everyone on this island was nothing but devils that deserved to be purged. It came as a bit of a shock to Kaya, but she is glad to know she's not that girl anymore.
It was also nice to hear that Michael no longer was a wandering man as Mister Braus called him, and he'd finally regained his missing past. Everyone sees him as a traitor now, but Kaya refuses to believe that. She thought back on the day she met him as they were coming out of the forest and standing in front of them was her and Sasha's old village, or what's left of it.
It has changed drastically over the last four years. Vegetation started taking over, covering up the roads and growing out of the houses. Within her mind, she kept comparing it to how it looked in its heyday. What once was a thriving hunter's village full of life, is now an empty ruined echo of what it once was.
She pointed the candidates over to the right where the road leading into town was. They walked down it until Kaya came to a stop at the foot of a slope. Gabi and Falco were confused about why this specific spot was important to her.
"This was where Sasha defended me from the Titan that wandered into the village. Where Michael came and rescued us. And where I got that crystal from… He told me to keep it as a reminder to keep moving forward and hope for a brighter future. To be strong for my mother, whom I'd lost that day… Those words have stuck with me to this day. That's why I don't believe Michael is an enemy. No enemy would say such inspiring things and just… not mean it."
Gabi and Falco turn to each other, surprised at how despite turning his back on the island, there were still so many who thought highly of him.
Kaya eventually had enough of soaking in the nostalgia and continued leading them towards the village, remembering the reason she brought them out here in the first place.
On closer inspection, the kids noticed some of the forest inhabitants had moved into the empty houses, making it their own now that the people left.
"This village used to be my home. Four years ago, a Titan showed up here, the same one I was saved from. It was only a small one, but everyone still ran when they saw it. Everyone except my mother who couldn't. There was nothing I could do, so I just sat…"
She guides them through the empty streets until they finally manage to locate her old house. The inside was just as overgrown and rundown as it looked on the outside. The axe Sasha once used to try and chop the Titan was still embedded in the ceiling. Its handle was covered in cobwebs.
Kaya points them in the direction of the spot she sat in when she watched her mother get eaten alive by the Titan.
"… Right at this spot. I sat still and listened to the sound of that Titan eating my mother. She was alive the entire time it was happening, but after a while, she was mostly silent. I think she lost her voice from all the screaming." She glances back at the two candidates. "We've been told that outside the walls the majority of people think we're a race of devils. But I don't understand how people we've never met can hate us so much. So please, help me. Explain it. What have we ever done to them? What did my mother do to make these people hate her?"
She asked them so calmly that it came off as eerie to them. Kaya must be very good at hiding her emotions. She was so calm the day her mother died, and she's calm now. It didn't make sense to them. After Eren's attack on Liberio, Gabi was full of pure hatred and rage. She wanted Eren to pay for what he's done and still feels that way even now. The only reason she wasn't acting on it was because of her stronger desire to rescue the captured Warriors.
Falco thought it best he answered her, only for Gabi to step forward and answer as calmly as she could.
"It's because… for thousands of years, your people slaughtered people all over the world." She answered calmly instead of a rage-induced yell Falco would normally expect from her. "Eldians once used the power of the Titans to crush the world beneath their heel for millennia. Wiped out other people's cultures. Forced their women to bear their children. And took more innocent lives than you can possibly imagine."
"But my mother spent her whole life here on this island. We couldn't have had anything to do with all that. How could they hate us today for something our ancestors did years ago? It's not fair!"
"… No, it's not," Falco uttered.
Just when they thought nothing could affect Kaya, she started breaking down into tears and collapsed to the floor. She thought she could hold it in, but being back in her old house and what she'd just heard from them caused her to have a mental breakdown. She just couldn't comprehend it. Why did her mother have to die? It must've been for something. Was there a reason or was the world just that horrible?
"… Reconnoissance force." Falco spoke quietly. Gabi and Kaya turned to him before he could continue. "The incursion years ago was part of a recon mission, to gauge Paradis' strength and prepare for a larger attack. You and your mother just happened to get caught up in it. Your mother was innocent. She didn't deserve that… I'm sorry."
The three of them sit in silence. Kaya needed some time to calm herself down. She can't help but feel a little embarrassed after what happened, but she knew she needed it. It wasn't healthy to keep her emotions all bottled up, trying not to think about the past. In a way, she was grateful to them for helping her come to terms with her tragedy.
"Thank you for telling me, Ben. I'm glad to know. But you don't have to apologise for Marley. I mean you just happened to be born there."
Deciding enough is enough, Kaya leaves her old home with Gabi and Falco close behind. She never would've imagined her showing them where she grew up would turn into embracing her past. But she was glad she did. She finally heeded Michael's words, to move forward and hope for a better future.
As they were walking away, Falco addressed her once more. "Hey, Kaya, if you were trapped in here with a Titan how did you manage to escape?"
"Sasha saved me. She saw what was happening, grabbed an axe from our yard and came in swinging."
"No way! For real?"
"Yeah. She put herself between me and the Titan and held it off so I could escape. Even without any weapons, she kept it away from me long enough for Michael to step in." She explained.
"This Sasha." Gabi intervened. "Your dad says she and Michael were close friends, right? Michael hadn't gone into full details about his life here. He only told me of his upbringing and his father. He mentioned a few people who he calls his friends, including Sasha. But you're all acting like there's more to it than that."
"That's because there is." She turns around to properly address them. "Truth is, I think they were in love."
Falco, and especially Gabi, were shocked to hear that. Michael in love? Gabi didn't see him as the type who cared about that kind of stuff. He'd always been preoccupied with training her, building the Wings of Crystal with Lazarus, and protecting people. She could never imagine him settling down with anyone, especially someone from Paradis. But given his upbringing here, she can sort of see how this could be. He was a completely different person back then compared to who he is now.
"Michael loved her?" She uttered in silence. "That's… unusual."
"I think it's nice," Kaya argued.
"Whoever she is, she must be very special," Falco responded. "What's she like, Kaya?"
"She's the kind of person who would never abandon two lost kids on the run." She looks up at the sky. They had been out for quite a long time now as the sun was starting to set in the distance. "She'd help you just like she helped me. She's strong, fearless, kind, and knows how to make others smile."
"Where is she now?" He asked, realising Sasha wasn't among the Braus family when they first arrived.
"She's somewhere in the Interior. Mister Braus was invited to go to a restaurant where a Marleyan works. If the two of you join us, then maybe that Marleyan can help you find a way back home."
"But we can't go home!" Gabi raised her voice a little. "Not without Michael and the others! We can't abandon them."
"Well, maybe the Marleyan can help you find where they are. Sasha will be at the restaurant too. Maybe she can tell you."
"Why would she? She's one of them." Gabi responded in doubt, referring to the soldiers involved in the Liberio Raid. However, she is still unaware that she's already technically met Sasha the moment she snuck aboard the airship and attempted to shoot her.
"Her loyalty is to this island, but her heart is devoted to Michael. I saw her a few days after he left. She had this sad look on her face like she'd just lost something precious to her. If you're as important to Michael as he was to her, I'm sure she'll help you." Kaya assured her, looking at the sky as she spoke to them. "…We should head home before it gets dark."
Nodding in agreement, Gabi and Falco follow behind one more time. Gabi thought more about the relationship between Michael and Sasha. She just couldn't understand why he didn't mention her before. Was it because she was among the Eldians who attacked Liberio? Or worse, a devoted follower of Eren?
She's almost too afraid to find out. If she was revealed to be a Yeagerist, then there's a high chance her rage will be unleashed again and force her to blindly strike her down. If she did that, Michael would never forgive her. She'd no longer be a worthy successor of the Crystal Titan.
For now, all she cares about is getting him back. She won't let them get eaten. She'll find a way, even if it means getting her new "friends" involved.
Elsewhere on the island, news on Eren's confinement had been leaked to the public. Entire crowds of reporters have gathered outside the gates of the military headquarters, demanding an explanation as to why the saviour of Paradis has been detained alongside the Anti-Marleyan volunteers. Shiganshina had also been evacuated, leaving its residents to wonder why. Alas, they received no comment from Hange or Premier Zachery.
The ones responsible for the leaked information were a couple of Yeagerists led by Floch, the only veteran among them. The only girl in the group looked over at Mikasa and smiled with joy. The stoic Ackerman recognised her. She was among the crowd who were desperate to escape Trost during its attack when the Reeves company blocked their only escape route with a wagon.
Her name was Luise. She was a little girl back then. Mikasa inspired her to become a soldier herself, hoping to fight alongside her idol. She was also a devoted follower of Eren and would love to see the Rumbling trample the enemies of her home.
She and Floch saw Eren as a war hero and those who died in Liberio had it coming, which didn't bode well with the Commander of the Scouts.
Hange already had enough on her plate, juggling the responsibilities of being commander whilst helping Ludwig restart the False Founder Project. Tasked with narrowing down the best candidates Paradis had to offer to become Winged Titans.
There was also the matter of deciding who should inherit the Colossal and Female Titans. Given that Annie was part of the Military Police Regiment and was left in their custody when she was trapped in her crystal, they believed they had the right to choose a successor from their regiment, claiming it was unjust that the Scouts should keep all the Titan powers for themselves. They now have three Titans in one through Eren and it's unknown if Hizuru will take the Crystal Titan back with them.
The MPs already had a successor chosen. That being Hitch. They chose her not because she was the best candidate for the job, but rather because her story is what could improve the image of the Military Police. As Annie's former roommate who was betrayed and the main person who looked after the crystal, they could easily spin this into a narrative that would gain the respect of ordinary people. Though Hange doubts Hitch would be willing to shorten her life just to make the MPs look good.
Some of the Garrison higher-ups agreed to this notion and demanded one of theirs be made the next Colossal Titan, though they hadn't decided who yet. Thankfully, Commander Pyxis, who had the final say in this matter, was against this notion. He believed the Colossal would be put to better use under the command of a Scout.
Hange was annoyed at the MPs' insistence but can understand where they're coming from. One of their own obtaining the Female Titan would drastically improve their image with the average citizen who viewed the MPs as useless and corrupt despite them being the most prestigious military branch.
Fortunately for her – not so much for Ludwig – She didn't have to focus on science for some time as it was currently impossible to proceed with the project without a host of royal blood as the genetic template.
After listening to Floch's argument of having Eren released, Hange decided to see Zeke's plan through to the end, completely unaware of what his true intentions were.
Floch and the others were ordered to be detained for the crime of leaking confidential intel, but Floch didn't care. As long as he did his part for the Eldian Empire it was a small price to pay.
As he was being escorted out, Floch thought back to yesterday when he met up with Ludwig in one of the Scout's newly built labs. The one he was in at the time was an underground facility within Shiganshina. It was built a few months after the volunteers first came to the island. Ludwig suggested that every district should have at least one lab to preserve all its research just in case another explosion was to occur when they began the False Founder Project.
Back then Ludwig was in a desperate situation. Just like the Mid-East Allied Forces, Paradis's military higher-ups were pressuring him into making them a new False Founder Serum as soon as Yelena's group acquired the spinal fluid he needed. But no amount of Titan serum or spinal fluid will produce a new, fully functional Titan body without the key component, royal blood. For the first time in his life as a scientist, he wasn't sure how to proceed.
Floch soon enters the lab and catches him in the act of examining the wall for some reason. "Doctor Oppenheimer, are you… feeling alright?"
Ludwig exhales a long breath of air before turning to face him. He was wearing a professional lab coat instead of his usual trench coat and fedora. His cane was positioned against the wall to his right.
"Ah, Floch. You bring news of Eren's release?" He asked.
"Not exactly, sir. He's still imprisoned. I have half a mind to storm into Hange's office and demand his release. The saviour of Paradis deserves better than to be treated like a criminal!" Floch vented whilst clenching his fists.
"Agreed. Though I'd advise against causing a scene. There are other means of making yourself heard. But I'll let you figure that part out on your own." Ludwig picks up his cane and taps the handle against the wall. "Out of all the new labs constructed on this island, this one has got to be my favourite. Wanna know why?"
Before Floch could answer, Ludwig continued anyway. "Because it was here that everything began for you Eldians. Where you learned you are part of something bigger than surviving against Titans. Where your final confrontation with the Warriors ended… And where you learned the truth of the world." Ludwig presses his hand against the wall and strokes its smooth, cold, metallic surface. "Hard to believe Hange decided to construct it right underneath Eren's old home, where his father's basement used to be."
"After carefully studying all of Grisha's research there was no longer a need for the basement. You know that." Floch reminded him.
"Alas, I wish I could've seen it before it was destroyed." Realising he was getting off-topic, Ludwig shakes his head, snapping him out of his thoughts. "My apologies. Here I am rambling while you had something important you wanted to tell me. One of the disadvantages of being old… Proceed, Floch."
Floch clears his throat before getting to the point of his visit. "I have some news regarding the False Founder Project." Intrigued, Ludwig closes the distance between them. "I heard the prisoners talking. Annie Leonhart is pregnant with Lazarus' baby. She is carrying a child of royal blood."
Usually, there isn't a lot that can get to Ludwig. But this discovery managed to sneak up and stab him in the back when he least expected it.
"That's… not possible! I've designed the serum to make anyone who's successfully taken it infertile to prevent forced breeding should the subject be captured. I made sure that there was no means of stealing or replicating the False Founder's properties without my expertise. Subject 14 shouldn't be able to reproduce with anyone… Are you positive you heard correctly?"
"Affirmative. I heard them with my own ears. I doubt she's lying to throw me off either. She sounded so sincere. So worried for her unborn child."
Ludwig turns around and properly analyses this information, trying to figure out how Lazarus was able to overcome his Titan's programming and copulate with the host of The Female Titan of all people.
As annoyed as he was about this little miscalculation he'd made, his look of confusion instantly switched to one of devilish intent. Never would he have predicted a mistake he made in his creation ended up being the solution he needed to revive the project. He then started chuckling to himself, causing a concerned Floch to peek over his shoulders, thinking he may be crying.
"Doctor? Are you… crying?" He hesitantly asked.
Ludwig stops himself from descending into mad scientist laughter, clearing his throat and taking a couple of calming breaths before addressing Floch again.
"Does Eren know about this?" He answered with a question of his own.
"No sir."
"Good. I'd rather tell him myself."
"Doctor, does this mean you may have a template for the False Founder Project?" He asked.
"It depends. How long has Annie been pregnant?"
"Only a month." Remembering this, Floch lowered his head in defeat, believing there was no way they could get the project underway.
"A month. Hmm, yes, this could work. I can still pull this off." He muttered under his breath.
Floch attempted to ask him what he was talking about, only to be interrupted once more by the Marleyan scientist. "When Eren breaks out, and we both know he will, tell him to meet with me as soon as possible. Tell him that all his troubles with Lazarus and the fear of Historia's role in The Rumbling are over. Do you understand?"
Floch nodded and responded with a "Yes sir" before taking his leave out the exit behind him and heading back up the flight of stairs he'd come down. He smiles as he ascends, pleased to know that the possibility of having more Winged Titans will soon become a reality.
While Hange and Pyxis are piecing together Zeke's true intentions, tension builds outside HQ where Mikasa pleads for permission to speak with Eren. Protests began popping up outside every local military base, demanding Eren be released, believing that only he could save the new Eldian Empire.
Mikasa made use of this time to try and see the Premier. But her timing couldn't have been any more off, for Premier Zachery had just been killed in an explosion that occurred within his office. She suspected the new Scout recruits were behind it, though she couldn't understand why.
That was until she noticed the protesting crowd cheer when Zachery's upper body flew out his window and landed on the ground a few inches away from the gate. Finally, their anger had reached the corrupt military. They can now devote their hearts and souls to Eren's cause. They all raise their fists in the air and continually shout out "Our hearts and souls to the cause!"
Lazarus was right. A while back he foresaw a vision of Eren's followers rising against their military and taking over the island. It was finally happening. And if things couldn't get any worse, Eren had finally decided to escape his cell using the Warhammer's abilities.
He joins up with Floch and the rest of his Yeagerist faction at the top of a nearby hill. All of them held rifles around their right shoulders and stood at attention, respectfully waiting for their one true leader.
"Quite the crowd. This everyone?" Eren callously asked.
"In addition to our comrades here, we have many who are still within the military, such as the soldiers who killed Dhalis Zachery with a bomb." Answered Floch as he handed Eren his coat. "No one can save the Eldian Empire but you, Eren Yeager."
Eren takes the coat and puts it on in probably the most dramatic way possible. "Anything else?"
"Doctor Oppenheimer has made a breakthrough in the resurrection of the False Founder Project. He wishes to discuss it with you in person."
"Where is he?"
"At the underground lab in Shiganshina."
"Go find out where they're keeping Zeke, I'll go pay Ludwig a visit alone," Eren ordered. The Yeagerists perform the military salute, dedicating their service to him and only him.
News of the Yeagerists' uprising soon spread throughout the military. What once started as a small division of Scouts led by Eren, similar to Levi's Squad, has now become an Anti-military insurgence whose only goal is to ensure that Eren meets with his brother and, in the long term, reform the military with Eren at its head. They demonstrated their resolve by assassinating Premier Zachery. The majority of the Yeagerists came from the Scouts which wasn't looking good for Hange and the others, making them responsible for their actions.
Though some of them can be easily identified by their symbol, many of them remain hidden within the three regiments. Things got so bad that many higher-ups started pointing fingers at Hange and those who knew Eren before, accusing them of being undercover Yeagerists.
The news of the Yeagerist uprising inevitably reached the imprisoned Warriors who vaguely heard it from the discomfort of their prison cells. After discovering Annie's pregnancy, Michael desperately tries to break the chains binding his wrists and ankles together. With his hands covered up, it was easier said than done.
The only part of him that was still free to harden was his face, with some extra thick crystals around his forehead. Positioning his head in between the chains on his arms, Michael starts head-butting the hell out of them. The banging sounds of the crystals impacting the metal chains caused Bertolt to wake up from his deep sleep. Sleeping was all he could do to pass the time in the damp, dark, stinking cell they were kept in.
"What are you doing?" he asked after a deep yawn.
"What's it look like? I'm breaking us outta here! You heard what they said. The Yeagerists are already trying to take over the island, just as Lazarus predicted." Michael continued hammering away at his chain as he spoke.
Annie then comes to her barred window to see what all the noise was, only to notice Michael head-butting his arms for some weird reason.
"Keep it down! The guards will hear you." She whispered loud enough for him to hear her but not too loud to make herself heard by the MPs.
Michael ignored her and kept on hammering until finally, he was able to break the chains, allowing him to spread his arms out to the side. The next order of business was to free his hands from the cuffs covering them up.
"Micheal, stop." Bertolt quietly pleaded with him. "Be reasonable. Where would we even go when we break out? We're still underground and there are MPs everywhere. Annie and I can't fight them, and you sure as hell can't take them alone."
Just as Michael manages to make a dent in his left cuff, he briefly stops to respond to Bertolt. "We won't be escaping the way we came in." He kept on hammering in between responses. "We will… get out… through my… tunnel system!"
With one final head bash, Michael manages to damage the cuff enough that his hand manages to slip out with ease. Getting rid of the rest of his restraints was a cinch from then on. Hardening his fingertips, Michael rips off the other cuff, freeing his other hand. He then slices through the chain around his ankles, freeing his legs.
He then stands up, staggering and holding his head for a few moments before gaining his bearings, shaking his head to clear it before repeating the process with Bertolt's restraints, though he didn't seem all that bothered about being free. "What about Annie?"
"Don't worry. There's no chance in hell we're leaving her behind." Michael proceeds to use his hardening to construct a pair of keys out of crystal. He takes hold of one of them, slips his arm through the bars, and attempts to insert it into the keyhole on the outside of his cell door. It took a few tries before he was able to do it.
"How do you know that's gonna work?" Bertolt asked, only to be stunned to see him succeed in unlocking and opening the door. "Ho- How did you do that?"
"I've been memorising the keys the guards had attached to his waist down to the last detail whenever he delivered our food. Why do you think I waited until now to try and escape?"
Michael gently opens the door trying not to make too much noise. Nobody was in the area now, but he could hear the MPs behind the door at the top of the stairs chatting and laughing with each other. He was lucky they didn't hear him moments ago. He soon takes hold of the other key, inserts it into Annie's lock, and opens her cell.
"Quick thinking, but how exactly do you know where the tunnels are?" She asked as Michael cut through restraints.
Before answering, Michael conjures up a crystal life-sized statue of Annie and places it in her bed and pulls up the covers, hiding it from sight. Annie rolls her eyes and scoffs at this.
"That's the oldest trick in the book, Michael. Everyone in the Military Police knows that one."
"Maybe. But it'll still buy us some time to dig our way out of this prison before they notice we're missing." Michael briefly explained before pushing her out of her cell and into theirs.
Once inside, Michael locks the door again, preventing the MPs from getting the jump on them before he can finish executing his escape plan. He places his hands against the wall and closes his eyes. Annie and Bertolt glance at each other in confusion, wondering what he was up to.
Using his Titan powers, Michael gently raps his knuckles against the wall and listens for the vibrations in the wall. He was trying to locate the closest entrance to the tunnel system using echolocation. It was the same type of strategy Armin utilised to determine Reiner's location within the walls. He kept on knocking on the wall in certain places until he managed to detect a difference in vibration. He then marks the spot with an X he scratched into the surface.
"Right here. This is where we get out."
Neither Annie nor Bertolt questioned how he planned to dig through a metal wall and instead backed up against the opposite end of the wall so they could see for themselves.
More crystals form over Michael's hands, forming two huge, spiked fists. With them, he pounds the wall with all his strength. Each blow dealt a lot of damage to the wall, but it also created a lot of noise loud enough for Annie and Bertolt to cover their ears.
The vibrations from each punch caused the structure around them to shake. It was so strong that the MPs stationed upstairs were able to feel it, forcing them to stop what they were currently doing and get off their asses.
They hear the sounds of metal getting battered coming from below. Panicked, the MPs grab their guns and quickly make their way downstairs.
"They're coming!" Bertolt warned.
He briefly stops punching the wall and turns his attention to the door. Just as he had hoped, the guard raced towards Annie's cell which he purposely left open. They quickly pull the covers back on her bed and find the crystal replica in her place. Michael then extends one of his hardened fists into a long rod that pushes the door closed behind them. The crystal then spreads outwards along it, sealing them inside.
"The prisoners are escaping! Call for back-" The guard standing at the door tried to call out to his comrades only to have his view obstructed and his voice drowned out by the rapidly expanding crystal.
With them out of the way, Michael conjures another spiked fist and continues to beat the ever-living hell out of the so-called indestructible prison wall until he hits Earth. From there, he reforms his fists into drill heads and starts stabbing at the dirt. The spearheads extended from his arm, parting the earth until he managed to hit the outside of the tunnel's surface. Titan energy passes through his hardened constructs and into the wall, forcing it to part and open up a small hole big enough for them to crawl through.
Bertolt and Annie get a proper look at his handy work, impressed with the manmade tunnel he dug out, though they wished he could've made it bigger to stand in.
"Okay, Annie, you're up first." Michael addressed her as his constructs shattered and faded into particles, freeing up his hands once again.
Annie nods and climbs into the crawlspace. Bertolt waited a few moments before going in himself, choosing not to be so close to Annie and get an up close and personal look at her ass. Lazarus would not like that.
Now it was Michael's turn to get out, but not without covering up the hole he made with crystal, trying his best to fix the wall and make it how it was before he broke through it.
The three captured Warriors eventually make it into the Crystal Titan tunnel labyrinth. Annie and Bertolt had never seen it before. They expected it to be big but not big enough for a fifteen-meter Titan to walk around in. and it was surprisingly bright. The crystal surface was glowing a bright blue.
"Whoa. So, this is what the crystal tunnels look like." Bertolt muttered to himself. "How is it so bright in here?"
"Never mind that, we still need to get away from here. Find somewhere we can lay low until the others come for us." Annie stated.
"No. First, we need to find Gabi and Falco." Michael intervened. "They're still being held somewhere on this island. It's only a matter of time until the MPs discover we're missing. Floch says they'll kill them if we escape. Therefore, we must ensure we get to them first."
"Except we don't know where they took the candidates." Annie pointed out. "They could be anywhere."
"Yeah. It's not like you can track them like Lazarus can. They're not Titans like us." Bertolt added.
Michael's eyes widen, remembering that Gabi still has traces of the Crystal Titan inside her. He can still feel its connection to it through her. He can use that to locate her and Falco, assuming they're still together which he knows they are. Falco was too fond of Gabi to let her wander alone within enemy territory.
"You got a plan?" Annie asked, noticing Michael's eyes were closed, implying he was concentrating on something… or someone.
A few minutes pass until Michael's eyes suddenly spring open. "I know where they are! They're on the move somewhere within Wall Rose's lands. They must've escaped as well."
"That still doesn't help. Wall Rose is huge and miles away from here." Bertolt reminded him.
"I'll carry you two with my Titan. Annie can't do it since she's pregnant. I know the entire layout of these tunnels from top to bottom. I can determine the fastest route and intercept where they'll end up by tracking Gabi's movements. Once we get them back, we find Oppenheimer and kill him!"
"What?!" Annie and Bertolt blurted out at the same time.
"Without him, the Yeagerists have no means of stopping us. He's the only one who knows the secret behind that bomb they dropped on the port. Without him, they won't be able to build another one. Eren will be weakened to a point."
"Except we don't know where he is either. And I doubt you have any means of tracking him. How do you expect to find him?" Annie asked.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it…" He starts taking a couple of steps back, away from the Warriors. "Until then, our main objective is to rescue the kids."
With that said, Michael bites his hand and triggers his transformation into the Crystal Titan once again. Annie and Bertolt cover their eyes, blinded by the flashing lights.
Once it was finished forming, the Crystal Titan got down on one knee and held its hands out on the floor, allowing them to climb onto his palms. He curls his hands into a bowl, keeping them safe and secure before racing down the tunnel. Using his connection to the fraction of his power within Gabi as a compass, the Crystal Titan efficiently dashes down each crossroad they come across. They have no idea what kind of trouble those candidates were getting themselves into. All they know is that they must retrieve them before Eren and his Yeagerists get to them first.
To Be Continued