Chapter 32: Warrior
Rain poured down steadily when the moon had set. The Survey Corps regrouped atop of Wall Rose under Hange's command. Gohan and Ymir were carefully raised up to the Wall in separated stretcher. The scouts didn't speak a word the entire sequence when they had seen the monster forms of two of their members, especially what Gohan had became.
"I'm quite confident that's what the hell Gohan had transformed into had already killed all Titans in Wall Rose." Nanaba broke the silent, she went near Levi and Hange to ask her questions. "Why the hell are we up here?"
"We're not getting neither of those two to populated areas until we know more." Answered Hange, indicate her chin at the unconscious Gohan and Ymir.
"Which one of you armed him?" Asked Levi, subtly indicated at Reiner who stood far away with an ODM Gear.
" I did. We needed everyone we had to carry the cadets away!" Answered Nanaba.
"Is there a problem with that ,Captain?" Curioused Gelgar.
"Let's get you two somewhere so I can brief you." Ordered Hange as she led them away from everyone's earshot.
"Gunther!" Levi called out to the only member of the Special Operation Squad who was not busy tending the injured.
"Yes, sir." Approached Gunther as quick as he could. When he was beside Levi, the Captain took his mouth to his ear and whispered.
"We're going to try and disarm him as subtle as we can." Levi did not need to make any hand gesture for Gunther to understand whom he mentioned of. The scout nodded and the two of them casually walked to where Reiner was.
Gunther and Captain Levi was half way to their target ,until Levi stopped which Gunther also stop. The Captain shifted his attention to the Ki he sensed, the highest power level of whom he sensed. The Monkey Boy on the stretcher was covered in a Survey Corps cloak, the boy was surrounded by some of his friends, Eren, Mikasa, Oulo, Armin, Petra, and Connie.
"But before that." Levi drew one of his sword, walked to the stretcher that Gohan was secured to and ordered. "Petra, everyone, get away from him!"
All the scouts presented atop of Wall Rose looked at the Captain when he pointed the tip of his sword at Gohan's face. He would have already buried his weapon in the Monkey Boy's head if it weren't for other scouts to push him back before he did. Eren, Mikasa ,Armin ,Connie,Petra and surprisingly, even Oulo and Gunther tackled Levi from Gohan.
"The hell you doin', Capt?" Screamed Petra as she and the others retrained Levi.
"Let me go! He's too dangerous to be left alive,you've seen what he can do!" Ordered Levi as he failed to shake of his teammates. "He can literally destroy the Walls and kill the entire humanity on his own without any Titan's help!"
"We ended that! You know too well he couldn't control himself!" Pled Eren.
"We've just cut off his tail! He won't be able to turn into that thing anymore!" Said Oulo, the man reached to his captain sword and tried to disarm him.
"We know that he's tried to kill us, but he transformed to save us from the Titans! He told us to run while he dealt with them! We didn't listen!" Dissuaded Connie , turning back to the boy he was protecting.
"It's time you listen! He's one of us,Captain! He's one of us!"Said Petra, tearfully, the captain had never given up trying to escape from his subordinates' restrain.
"Levi, stand down!" Ordered Hange, she, Nanaba and Gelgar arrived at the commotion . She walked slowly to Levi and successfully took the sword from his hand. "We should let Erwin decide what to do with Gohan Son. His fate is beyond either of our authorities!"
"Fine!" Sighed Levi as he calmed down and ceased his struggle. Hange motioned the scout to let the captain go, and reluctantly release him.
"Not to mention," Hange handed the Captain's sword, the scouts were relieved when the captain put it back to his sheath. "we've yet to know what he actually is. He's unlikely a Titan,like Ymir and Eren. But, we won't know what actually is if we kill him."
"That's why I tried to. I sensed his Ki, in that form, he's stronger than a myriad of Titans. Thought he is not as strong now, despite being unconscious, the bastard's energy is now higher than when he fought the Female Titan." The scouts who were crouch beside got nervous when Levi stood next to Gohan,but it was Mikasa who he focused on. "You can sense it too, can't you?"
"Yeah! His power level is higher than before!" Answered Mikasa, which made the scouts around Gohan gasped.
"You're joking right?" Stood up Eren. "How can he get stronger?"
"Perhaps he can answer that once he wakes up. He owes us that m-" Levi crouch down to Gohan but then was interrupted as he came up with something. "Eren, Armin, do you guys want to be helpful?"
Hange went on to the place where Ymir's stretcher was, around her were the members of her squad, Moblit,Keiji and Nifa, and a cadet name Krista or as she revealed earlier…
"Historia Reiss, right?" Asked Hange.
"Yes,ma'am. Did that just happen? Captain Levi tried to kill Gohan? Would you do the same to Ymir?" Asked the concerned Krista- Historia.
"No, don't worry about that! She showed herself to be not a threat when she came and saved us from Gohan!" Hange shook her head when she heard what she had just said. "Feel odd just to think of it much less speaking it out loud, being saved FROM the Angel of Trost. " She changed the subject by turning to her subordinates. "How's she doing?"
"Comatose but stable,ma'am." Reported Moblit "The bleeding's stopped, though steam appears to be
coming out of her wounds. Best course of action is taking her back to Trost where the poor girl can get proper medical care."
"How's the Angel of Trost doing, ma'am?" Asked Keiji.
"I didn't expect any of you to still calling him that!" Puzzled Hange, she then glanced back to Gohan.
"We know that monster wasn't him! If he was having any ill-intention to humanity, he wouldn't have bother saving that many people back in Trost!" Replied Keiji.
"That's true! Gohan only transformed when he knew we had no escape! He did tell us to run while he transformed! We should have taken that time! Ymir wouldn't be in this state if we did." Added Historia, she knelt down to Ymir. "He could have just let Nanaba and Gelgar continue to fight the Titans, but he feared that they wouldn't survive, they were low on gas, that's when he looked at the moon." Then Historia remembered something else. "He also said something before he changed!"
"Said what?" Asked Hange, noticed that her squadmates also had their attention at the information.
"This is not even my final form."Recited Historia.
"What?" The entire fourth squad asked in unison.
"Final… did he mean that he has other forms than that ape?" Pressed Hange for more answers. " Like what? His hair would change color and be twice as big than that ape or he would spread out wings and fly straight to the sky?"
"I don't know, he said all that when he was changing, it probably was just delirious, I wouldn't count on it!" Answered Historia.
Armin and Eren walked pass the conversation, they did not hear anything as they were too busy thinking what to say to Reiner as they were getting closer to him and Berthold. The rain masked their sweat as they were too afraid to ruin all their own ploys.
"I don't know if I can do it, Armin. You know how terrible a liar I am!" Eren kept his voice low enough for only Armin to hear.
"Just give him your opinion on what Levi did back there and leave the rest of the talking to me!" Whispered Armin, and when he realized that Eren and he was getting close enough to the blond soldier who was fixing the bandages on his arm, he raised his voice. "Reiner, how's that arm holding up?"
"Fuckin' Titan almost bit deeper into my bone , didn't think I'd make it if it wasn't for Gohan."Answered Reiner, then pointed at Levi. "Who he just tried to kill? What's up with that?"
"He thinks Gohan's much more of a threat than the Titans. As much as I don't believe it, he has his own point. He and Mikasa sensed Gohan's energy in that monster form." Eren looked back to where Levi was standing, who had became calmer than ealier. "Do you know that's Gohan's Ki was stronger than the Female Titan in his human form? So he does have his reason to fear."
"Seriously?" Shocked Reiner.
"He comes to his senses now, nonetheless, Gohan's still a crucial member to the Survey Corps." Replied Eren.
"Shit, I know Gohan was alway extraordinary,but damn! You know ,the Titan that bit me, Gohan lunged at the blasted thing while he was injured and battered it with his bare hands, I mean hand." Remarked Reiner ,crossing his arm together to tell them the incident before the Oozaru. "And he hadn't turned yet."
"He killed a Titan with his fist?" Asked Armin.
"Yup. Well he can sense ernergy so... that Titan was just a 3-meter... and we know he can turn..."Reiner sat down infrustration,covered his face with the unbandaged hand. "Before all that ,thought, when the fucker just bitten down to my arm, All I could thinkwas 'this is it, this is how I go.' ,pathetic."
"You're only human. You're not Mr Perfect like Gohan. What else you s'posed to think at time like that?" Retorted Eren, looking at Armin as if he worried that he said something wrong.
"Don't you get it? This was my second time!" Retorted Reiner , the man then called up for Armin. "Armin! Remember?"
"Huh?" Puzzled Armin.
"Go on! Tell him how Annie nearly crushed me like an insect!" Armin and Eren controlled themselves at the demand, they masked their reaction to the name 'Annie' because as far as they knew, the identity of the Female Titan was not disclosed to the recruits under Mike's care.
"Yeah."
"That's twice I've nearly died are the chances I'll survive a third time? I can't be lucky forever and Gohan can't watch over everyone at the same time." Armin and Eren looked at eachother and nodded at the orrpotunity as Reiner whined. "This is what it really means. What it is to be spirit breaks and the body follows." Reiner then calmed himself. "Eh. No good whining about it now. 'Least not till we can plug up the wall."
"About that, Hange just briefs us." Armin seized the orpoturnity and set the plan in motion. "The Section Commander doesn't us to go search for the breach until Gohan is awaken. We're gonna need him."
"After all that?" This time was Berthold who asked. He reminded them on the Great Ape incident.
"Yeah, well, Levi kinda calm down now. Nonetheless, Gohan is Levi's rival. He was able to prevent many casualties to the Survey Corps back in the expedition so for the time being we still need him." Continued Armin, his face turned to where Hange and Levi were standing, to add creditability to his story and to conceal his facial expressions. "Both Levi and Mikasa still sense some Titans' Ki near the Wall, probably that's where the breach is. We don't want any casualty so we have to risk it."
"Jean , Sasha and Squad Leader Ilse are now searching the nearby villaige to find Gohan some clothes." Eren spoke the truth, before continue with a lie. "We won't want him to fight any titan naked."
"But you gonna need to give him an ODM Gear if you want him to fight." Retorted Berthold, he walked pass Eren and Armin and took a look at the scouts on the Wall. "Clothes alone wouldn't work."
"Please tell me you brought spare ODMs!" Exclaimed Reiner, looking straight into Armin.
"Those you see is all we have!" Replied Eren. Reiner and Berthold frowned when they heard him
"Most of Gohan's wounds are heal. So, he'll be full health when he wakes up." Added Armin as the four of them stared straight at the stretcher. "Unlike Eren, he seems unable to regenerate lost limbs. His fingers show no sign of growing back, as well as his tail."
"Thank the gods."Reiner exclaimed.
"As we're having no spare ODM, it's best to take it from the soldiers who can no longer fight." Armin shifted his eyes to Reiner. "I can assume that you can only barely use yours." Armin then pointed at Reiner's injured arm.
"Nanaba gave me Henning's gears so I can run. Not very confident on fighting so…. Yeah, Gohan probably can use it." Reiner reached down to the straps and started to remove his ODM Gear.
"Yeah,yours would be useful." Armin subtly nodded at Eren as they both waited for Reiner to remove his gears.
Reiner used his good arm to unstrap himself, well the bandaged one took part in it with minimum effort. Berthold, Armin and Eren patiently waited for him in about 1 minute until he finished and handed Eren the ODM Gears.
"Here!" Eren reluctantly take the ODMs in his arms.
"We'll get you guys somewhere safe 'fore we go!" Eren and Armin walked away from Reiner with Henning's ODM. "We'll get some time-off after this. We are far from home as longer than we should."
"Home?" Reiner stared at a puddle beside him.
"He has actually a good size!" Said Oulo to Gunther.
"Not too big, not too small! Enough for Petra to handle and enjoy!" Replied Gunther put his hands to his hip, looking down at Gohan and his attendees.
"It's regular size! I wonder if it retains in that size in that Giant Ape form? Did you happen to notice it?" Asked Oulo, Petra and Captain Levi were all puzzled at the conversation.
"We're too busied running away from him, who would bother looking?!" Answered Gunther ,not giving any hint what they were talking about. "But if I have to guess, it did, like a dog's or a cat's."
"Okay, what the hell are you two talking about?" Petra had to stand up and ask. "Gohan's size when he turned into that thing?"
"His penis!" Petra flinched and blushed while the Captain Levi facepalmed when they heard the answer.
"You guys are incorrigible!" Screamed Petra.
"We're incorrigible? You're the one who rode him!" Retorted Oulo as he pointed at Gohan.
"A'ight! Ima go check on Ymir." Connie stood up and trailed away as he did not want to get involved with the conversation.
"It was consensual!" Petra was seconds away from attacking her comrades.
"Right! How old is he anyway? Seventeen?" Replied Gunther. "And he couldn't rejected you being injured while you fucked him!"
Levi had to intervene when he held Petra back from lunging herself at Gunther and Oulo. He sat her down to Gohan just before he turned his sharp, firm eyes to Oulo and Gunther.
"Can we change the subject? Petra is not the only one found the current one uneasy!" That was not a request, it was an order.
"Yes,Captain." Captain's Levi male subordinates nodded in compliance.
It was awkward silence among the Special Operation Squad, the one who was not them, Mikasa was mildly stunned at the founding of Gohan's relationship with a veteran. The oriental looked at Levi for confirmation which he tiredly nodded. The awkwardness did not last for long as Armin and Eren walked to them.
"Captain, we did it!" Eren handed Levi an ODM Gear.
"It was smoother than we expected!" Commented Armin ,who knelt down to check on Gohan.
Levi glanced at Reiner's ODM Gear as he received it. He threw it at Gunther to catch and proceed to go to Hange direction.
"It was too overt!" Said Hange when Levi was right behind her, implying on the disarming of Reiner.
"The method or the decision?" Asked Levi, he knew too well that Armin and Eren could not be more covert disarming Reiner.
"The decision. We're all supposed to act natural!" Answered Hange, making sure Connie and Historia were too preoccupied to overhear them.
"Good luck acting nature over last night!" Retorted Levi. "And you didn't advice against it!"
"Nor did I approve it!" Hange turned her face to his. "Are you arming Son?"
Levi gestured Hange to follow him. He moved to the edge of the Wall where the rest of the team couldn't hear either of them.
"What'd you think? Do you trust him enough to arm him?" Continued Levi.
"Well, we know so far that he can't transform without his tail, and the moon." Answered Hange as she sat down at the edge. "There's no doubt he's hiding an unfathomed amount of information from us. But you know where his allegiance lies when he took a Titan's foot for Petra Ral."
"But should we trust him to fight with us before he tells us everything he's withholding ?" Grunted Levi, it was obvious to Hange that Levi had lost his faith in his most valuable comrade.
"We'll get there when we get there!" Hange patted on his shoulder and return to Ymir's stretcher. "Connie Springer ,right?"
"Yes ma'am!" Connie stood up and saluted her, he managed to do it right this time.
"Gelgar told me of what happened to your hometown! I'll sent a team to check it out!" Said Hange in a reassuring voice.
"Many thanks, ma'am!" Connie replied.
The scouts heard horses' clopping below them. They saw Sasha, Jean and Ilse were coming, and there were not alone. Riding along them was the Garrison's Advance Squad led by Hannes.
Ilse, Jean and Sasha ejected themselves on top of the Wall and reunited with the rest with the Survey Corps containment team. Jean was holding a pile of folded clothes, assumably for Gohan.
"I'm not too sure if these are his size." Jean gave the clothes to Petra.
"These will do fine." Said Petra before she returned to Gohan.
Hannes ordered his squadmates to wait below while he shot couples of lines as he scaled the Wall, when he had reached the top, Levi and Eren offered them their hands to pull him up.
"Bloody Wall's still fine!" Said Hannes once he set his foot on the top
"Come again?" Demanded Levi.
"I've spent all night finding where they're getting in." Continued Hannes ,he was as confused as the scouts he was speaking to. " Between Trost and Krolva District, there's nothing. No hole anywhere."
"That's impossible!" Exclaimed Hange.
"I am as clueless as you are. See, we ran into a search party from Krolva and retraced our steps." Hannes was not joking, so he couldn't make any comment on the looks on the Scouts' faces. "Not a single Titan on the way here either."
"You encountered none? We almost got killed by hundreds of Titans in Utgard!" rebutted Gelgar.
"He must have been drinking again!" Commented Eren.
"Why you little!" Angered Hannes just before he realized Eren, Armin and Mikasa were here. "Hold on, wait a second. What the hell are you kids even doing here?"
"We're here for him!" Eren motioned to the comatose Gohan .
Hannes rushed near Gohan's stretcher and knelt beside him, he was naked ,covered only by a Survey Corps cloak that acted as a blanket. Hannes could spot that the Monkey Boy was missing two fingers.
"What happened to him?" Asked Hannes.
"He saved us!" Answered Gelgar.
"Does it have anything with the roar we heard?" Curious Hannes,probing for more answers.
"You've heard it,too?" Asked Eren.
"Everyone in Trost heard it! The ones in Krolva are no exception either." Answered Hannes. Everyone around kept quiet. People looked at eachother to see if they should tell him about Gohan's true form.
"If there is no breach, then I guess we have to change tactics." Hange changed the subject when she ordered . "We head back to Trost immediately."
"Get Gohan ready!" Ordered Levi as the Special Operation Squad and the Survey Corps got in motion to prepare on their embark.
Followed by the Fourth Squad , the cadet and Squad Ilse , The Survey Corp returned to Gohan stretcher. Petra and Oulo started to attach the stretcher to a pulley system which was made shifted from their ODM Gears. Gunther swung down to the ground so he could catch Gohan when he would decent later.
"You'd be smart to keep your guards up. We'll go on ahead of you." Hannes exchanged few words to Eren, Armin and Mikasa before he departed to the ground.
"That's so weird. No hole? Then how did the Titans get inside of Rose?" Said Oulo as he and Petra started to lower Gohan's stretcher to the surface.
"Fuck if I know! Everything happens outside of our handbook all of the sudden!" Replied Petra, matching her movement with Oulo to keep the stretcher steady.
"We don't have to worry 'bout the Titans anymore! Every last one of them in Rose has already been killed by Gohan! Not that I can sense anymore of them here." Informed Levi, in order to assure them that there were no more danger inside Wall Rose. But then he changed his opinion when he turned around. "But perhaps we should still get our eyes opened and our blades readied."
Right behind Hange,her assistant , Armin and Mikasa were Eren, Berthord and Reiner. Instead of readying themselves themselves to leave, Eren and Reiner were apparently having a conversation that only them could hear.
" I'm the Armored Titan. He's the Colossal." Eren flinched at the words that came out of Reiner's mouth.
"What are you talking about? Why are you telling him? Reiner, no!" Berthold pulled the sleeves of Reiner's shirt. "Stop!"
"We were on a mission. Our goal was to ensure mankind's extinction." Whatever the plan Reiner had in mind, Berthold efforts were not going to stop him. "But now, there's no need for that. Eren, if you want the walls to remain standing, it's simple. Just come with Bertholdt and me. Do you understand?"
"Understand? What the hell is there to understand?" Asked Eren.
"Listen to me. I need you to do exactly as I say. Look, I know this is sudden, but we have to go."
The commotion got the Scouts' attention soon enough. They turned to Reiner and Berthold and tensed up their faces. Some even grabbed hold on their sword hilt. Mikasa was the first one to knew what was going on and she kept her eyes at the conversation.
"Captain, what's going on?" Petra asked when she noticed Reiner and Eren conversing.
"Keep on getting him down! He'll be most vulnerable when shit gets real." Ordered Levi, lowering his voice only for Oulo and Petra to hear. He avoided looking at Reiner and Berthold's direction and pull out his sword half-way from its sheath.
Eren did not noticed how long had the rain had stop nor exactly what the right thing to say to this. He did not genuinely believe yesterday briefing in regard of Berthold and Reiner's true identities. But after what he had saw of Gohan , he could no longer doubt it. What he also did not expect, that Reiner would confess the truth out of the blue like he was doing right now.
"You're just tired. That's it, right?" Eren said the things he could come out with and try to defuse the situation. "Help me out here, Betholdt. Your nerves are shot. You don't know what you're saying."
"Uh. Yeah. It's the battle fatigue talking! It's okay. You're okay." Bertholdt nervously added.
"If you really were the Armored Titan,what's the endgame here?We wouldn't be having this conversation in the first place." Continued Eren. " What'd you expect me to do? Say yes?Let myself be kidnaped just 'cause you asked nicely?"
"Right. Not thinking straight, am I?" Gasped Reiner, he deadpanned to the abyss as he dissuaded himself. "Barely know what I'm saying here. Must've gone off the deep end."
"Let's just get to Trost,shall we?" Sighed Eren as he walked away.
Abruptly, a wind so strong passed by that it knocked off a flagpole from the battlement. At this moment, Eren, Reiner and Berthold came to realise how quiet the scouts had been. The other Scouts stopped to look back at the others. Levi successfully concealed his nervousness while he was feeling Gohan slowly being lower down from the Wall. Mikasa kept a hand on her blade, ready to strike at every moment.
"That's the problem. I've been here too long for my own good." It was unknown of what had changed his mind ,the falling of the flagpole , or that he was realized that everyone knew all along. "Three years of this madness, surrounded by were kids. What'd we know about anything? Why did there have to be people like this? Why? Why did I let myself devolve into such a half-assed piece of shit? It's too late now. Damned if I know what's right anymore!"
"Who cares? Who cares? It is what it is. No choice but to face what I've done." Reiner stood up ,tears in his eyes. He then tore off his bandage and revealed his regenerating wound. "As a warrior!No road left but the one that leads to the end!"
"Reiner! We're doing this right here , right now?" Gasped Berthold .
"Yes! Right here, right now!" Reiner walked straight to Eren. "We settle this once and for all!"
From behind Eren, Mikasa emerged . She slashed her blades straight at Reiner's arms, piercing a fragment into his left forearm and severed his righthand. She moved on to Berthold and sliced his throat, causing him to hold on to his neck as he fell.
"Eren, get away!" Ordered Mikasa as she was about to thrust her sword into the gargling Berthold. Reiner shoved her away from the Wall before she could land the finishing blow. She shot a grapple to the Wall and stared up to the Wall.
"Get him down , now!" Ordered Levi to the Special Operation Squad before he rushed to Reiner and Berthold.
"Eren , just run away!" Armin and the Scouts sprinted at Eren.
Eren could only watch helplessly as energy begun to surround his two former comrades. Bursts of energy exploded atop the Wall, blowing back everyone and all equipments. Smoke and dust were everywhere along with the lightning bolts when the Armored and Colossal Titans revealed themselves.
Oulo lost his hold on Gohan's stretcher when his grapple was loosened from it. The stretched tilted and caused a weight change that made Petra fell off the wall.
"Petra!" Oulo reached out to her just in time to catch her leg and struggled to pull her up while trying to hold still on the wall as the gale-force wind blasting at him.
The stretched carrying the unconscious Ymir flew with the wind and was caught by the Colossal Titan in the ensuing chaos. Krista, or rather Historia was among the few who noticed this.
"YMIR!" Cried Historia as she saw the Colossal Titans clutched its hand to the stretcher. "NO!"
When Eren returned to his right mind, he realized that he was in the Armored Titan's palm. The creature that was Reiner slid itself down the Wall Rose, descending to the Titans Territory. With all tears in his eyes ,Eren recalled to the days of their training together. And once he accepted the true nature of his two friends , Eren sunk his teeth in to his own hands.
"YOU DAMN TRAITORS!" The Attack Titan escaped from the Armored Titan as it was forming in the air, and landed a punch in its face.
Dangling from the Wall with wire attached to it, Mikasa was able to sense both Reiner and Eren down below, both in their Titan's form. And that was she could do at the time for the dust and debris had shaded her vision for she could tell what happens beneath her.
'What's wrong with me?Why didn't I cut their heads of?' She scolded herself as she recalled of what had happened earlier. 'That was the perfect chance. And I had to miss it? Why?' She shook her head as what was on her mind right now that she would have any other chance like that to save Eren.
On the Wall, the Colossal Titan, only having its upper body , ached his arm back and swung it at the Scouts before him.
"Move! Everyone!" Ordered Hange and every scouts in the area of operation scattered from the Wall before the attack landed. Except for one.
Three of the Colossal Titan's fingers dropped to the ground before the hand hit a Scouts. The other Scouts who just fled looked back to the Wall to see Captain Levi standing beside another Scout.
"Go! You won't be so lucky next time!" Ordered Levi which the scout from Ilse squad complied and joined the other.
"Yes, sir!"
"With the Monkey Boy out of commission." He walked toward The Colossal Titan that attached its waist to the Wall. "I'm going to fill the part!"
The Colossal Titan open it gigantic mouth and threw Ymir in it and snapped it shut. It looked down upon Levi and once again swung its arm at him. Levi nimbly dodged the attack and shot a cable at the creature's stomach and worked his way to its torso. He sliced his way to the Colossal Titan's flesh as he ascended toward its neck. The monster threw its other hand at Levi but was disturbed by the other Scouts who hovered at its head's level.
"Swarm and terminate!" Levi could hear Hange from where he stood.
The Titan shifted target and lunged its arm at the scouts ,which Hange and her teammates narrowly evaded. It then threw another punch at another section of troops from another side, which those scouts also barely dodged.
"That's my window." Levi shot himself up to right side of it chin and relentlessly slashed his blades onto the joint connecting the upper jaw with the lower.
The Scouts maneuvered behind the Colossal Titan across its arms, which the Titan failed to counter react with its slow movement.
"He's wide open! Slice the nape!" Ordered Hange.
The Scouts followed Hange's ordered and lined up for a strike at the Titan's nape. The Survey Corps charged in their full might at the creature's weakpoint.
When they almost at the weakpoint, the Colossal realized this. It released massive continuous burst of steam around him. The air was so hot that it manage to burn the scouts attacking it.
"God damned it!" The hot air forced Levi to retreat from his objective.
"Fall back!" Ordered Hange.
The scouts landed on the Wall with multiple WIAs in their ranks . Levi spitefully grunted at his failed attempt and looked at the Colossal Titan that currently emitting a continuous cloud of steam from its body.
"He's vanishing!" Exclaimed Hange.
"I don't know. Something's different here. The last time he disappeared, it was more or less instantaneous. He's maintaining his form to emit heat." Replied Armin , having a close observation at the Titan. "I think he's protecting himself." He shot a grapple at the Titan, but the grapple was knock back from the heat. "As long as he generates steam our rigs are useless!"
"Great, now even with someone who could tolerate that heat. We can't get to him!" Remarked Levi, he turned to Hange. "Any bright idea?"
"We wait!" She answered. Then turned to her squads. "Ilse you take your team behind the Targets."
"On it!" Ilse led her squad to embark.
"Lashad ,Lauda, you and team three and four stay here and wait!" She continued.
"I'll be back to my squad!" Levi walked away. "We'll secure the Monkey Boy and get back for the brat."
Oulo mustered all his strength to keep Petra and Gohan from falling, but he aware that he could not hold for long.
"Petra, you gain weight!"
"Don't you dare let go." Spat Petra.
"Gohan's holding you down." Hollered Oulo.
"I'm not cutting him loose!" Retorted Petra, looking down the stretcher below her.
"LOWER HIM DOWN! I CAN STILL CATCH HIM!" Called Gunther from the ground.
"If you drop me, I'll make sure you won't be the one who bites you tongue off!" Said Petra to Oulo before she extended her cable, gradually bringing Gohan down.
Gohan stretcher was lowered down faster than before that worried Petra. The stretcher almost hit the ground with Gohan head slammed first ,but Gunther was able to catch him before it did and unhooked the grapple. With the extra weight gone, Oulo successfully pull Petra up to the wall and panted.
Petra and Oulo heard footstep coming near them and saw their Captain beside them. The Captain stared down to the edge and saw that Gunther was with Gohan on the ground level.
"You're broken?" He glanced at Petra and Oulo.
"We're good sir." Oulo and Petra got up on their feet.
"Hey! HAS HE SHOWN ANY SIGN OF WAKING UP YET!" Levi asked Gunther.
"NO,SIR. HE'S STILL DOZING!" Gunther's voice echoed back.
"Great! Now the Armored and Colossal Titan's natural predator is still knock out cold!" Levi exclaim,he asked Petra and Oulo another time. "Your ODMs functional?"
"Yes,sir!"
"Yes,sir!"
"Let's move! We still have the Armored Titan to take care of!" Ordered Levi, directed them to their destination.
"Sir, what about the Colossal?" Questioned Petra, checking up on her gears.
"We deal with that later!" Answered Levi as he took point. "GUNTHER! YOU STAY!"
At the base of the Wall, Reiner delivered a devastating blow to Eren's Titan,a firm punch to the face, sending him falling a great distance away. Knocking off the trees as the Attack Titan fell flat to the nearby forestation.
'Reiner. You lying piece of shit.' Eren lamented on the memories he had with Reiner during the training. 'Going off on what it means to be a soldier. Always talking about honor. Played us all for fools, huh?'
Eren clutched his remaining hand to a fist, the other one was destroyed when he had thrown a punch at Reiner's armored head. 'Combat training must've been a joke to you. How much were you holding back?And here I took you to be real stand-up guy.'
Behind the Armored Titan, Mikasa propelled to its nape and swung her blades with her full might. She then retreated when her blades shattered.
"That did nothing!" She flashbacked to the fight prior between Reiner and Eren. 'He barely flinched
when Eren hit him. And my blades don't even make a dent.'
Mikasa changed her blades and rappelled toward Reiner Achilles' tendon. She stuck the tendon as hard as she could and received the same result, her blades broke into pieces.
'He's not like Annie. He's cladded head to toe!' She hovered above Reiner with her ODM and called out to Eren. "EREEEN!"
Eren's hand regrew as he revived , he stood up and let out a roar of rage and disgust. He charged at the Armored Titan and threw a punch at its face. The punch was shown to futile as Reiner did not seem to be affected by it, and returned with a punch of greater force and sent Eren's Titan away again.
Armin , Hange and her squad arrived at the scene to see that Eren had recovered and ready to charge Reiner again.
"No! Back down! You can't win in a fistfight! Make a break for the wall!" Armin called out to his friend. "Eren, please! Don't be rash!"
'Joke's on you! Gohan's not my only teacher!' Eren lunged at Reiner, feigning a punch.
"Oh,no!" Exclaimed Armin.
"He's blinded by rage!" Exclaimed Hange.
Eren dove beneath the Armored Titan's arm and grappled him, then wrestled the Armored Titan. Eren maintained a lock on Reiner as they both fell to the ground and shocked the surrounding scouts.
"Where the hell did that came from?" Asked a scout.
"Wait, that. . . Holly crap!" Realised Armin. "That's Annie's move!"
'I've no idea what you murdering hypocrites were trying to accomplish. But you know what? Your master plan still has a wide room for errors.' Eren threw a punch to the Armored Titan and missed. The Armored Titan managed to wrestle Eren down, but then Eren locked its head between his legs and pulled the Titan's arm as hard as he could. ' Wanna eradicate humanity. Maybe next time don't teach me how to kick your ass!'
As the armour on his arm started to crack when Eren squeezed on it, Reiner struggled to stand up on his feet. Eren countered this by shifting his legs to Reiner's other arm and pinned him down. Eren grabbed the arm and twisted it, then by all his might he let out a roar and managed to rip of one of Reiner's arms.
"Eren!Can you hear me? Run away!" Armin and Mikasa were only a few feet from him. "You've got to get closer to the wall! They're trying to abduct you!We can't let them do that!" Armin pointed his sword to the Wall. "Trust me. Escape is our best option!"
"You say that, but Armin, come on." Rebutted Mikasa, pointing at Reiner. "They're not just gonna let us leave."
"Both of you fall back! Now!" A soldier landed behind them.
Armin and Mikasa reluctantly followed orders and followed the soldier to the Wall. As of Eren, he maintained his stance for a couple seconds before turning his heels and ran to the Wall. As the scouts get to the Wall and hung themselves there, Eren was already with them.
"Good call,Eren!" Praised a soldier.
"Look like he's in control again!" Commented Mikasa.
"Yeah, but Reiner's not just gonna let him go." Armin looked at the incoming Armored Titan. "You're right! There's no way we escaping this!"
"Then fight!" The Scouts looked up to see that Levi, Petra and Oulo were hanging above them. "Use our techniques against them." Captain Levi averted his eyes to Mikasa. "Especially yours."
"What technique? I don't think sensing energies can help us now!" Retorted Mikasa.
"Is your memory that terrible? Your Solar Flare!" Mikasa facepalmed as she heard Levi's replies.
"Should've used that earlier!" Frowned Mikasa.
"That is why you're always number two." Levi glided to Eren and landed on his shoulder. "Listen brat, I don't know how you knocked off his arm. But, I'm gonna need you do it again. His leg, this time. Gohan's not waking up yet, but his tricks are going to be handy even without him around. We got your back this time."
Eren looked at the Captain and nodded.
"Yeah, I know you understand me!" Levi reeled back to the Wall.
Suddenly, the Armored Titan shed the hardened skin at the back of its legs, gaining enough mobility to charge Eren head-on. It took up speed that gotten the scouts and Eren off-guard.
"Now!" Ordered Levi.
Mikasa darted her fingers to her forehead, but before she could chant, the Armored Titan was already close enough to Eren and was able to knocked him over.
"Solar Flare!"A gleaming ,eye-burning light appeal and slid itself to Reiner's Titan's eyes.
Blinded by the light, Reiner loosened his grips on Eren. Taking the opportunity , Eren threw Reiner aside and started to lock his arms around Reiner. But Reiner was able to kick Eren off and they were in a stalemate.
"It's just a matter of time before the Solar Flare worn off!" Said Mikasa as the scouts circled around the combatants. "And it only messes with his eyes!"
"Did the Monkey Boy teach you any more efficient tricks?" Asked Levi.
"The only thing that can piece that skin is the Kamehameha! And Gohan didn't teach anyone that!" Retorted Mikasa.
"The Kame-what?" Puzzled Oulo.
"Needn't! Back in the old days, armoured knights still had to left chinks in their armours so they could move. The armpit, the groin, and behind the knees." Informed Hange.
The Armoured Titan shook his head and charged Eren,tackling him to the ground.
"Shit! Guys, I think the Solar Flare's worn off!" Yelled Petra.
"On your go!" Said Levi to Mikasa.
Mikasa descended on to the Armoured Titan's left knee and sliced a clean cut through it, following her was Levi who did the same to the right knee. They both landed themselves on a tree and witnessed Eren tightened his threshold on Reiner's neck.
Eren's threshold was so strong that an armor plate in Reiner's nape shattered. Knowing he had no other option, he let out a roar.
"Ha,ha the fucker's broken!" Cheered Oulo. "Both body and mind! Literally and figuratively!"
" He's calling for backup!" Warned Hange, the soldiers got on high alerts.
"No see no Titan coming." Reported Petra.
The scouts at the base of the Wall were to preoccupied with cheering and jeering as they forgot the situation above them. Except for two of them.
"No titan's coming but…" Commented Levi until he sensed it.
"Watch out!" So did Mikasa.
The Colossal Titan toppled from the Wall and fell down near where Reiner and Eren were. As it crashed a ferocious burst of steam exploded , sending another gale-force wind around it and pushed all the scouts below away from the Titans.
"What the hell's happening up there?" At the other side of Wall Rose, Gunther heard it all he fidgetily walking back and forth to decide whether or not should he joined the fight.
"Gunther? Gunther, is that you?" Gunther ran to the stretcher to see that Gohan had opened his eyes.
Next Chapter: Benefit of the Doubt