Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 27: Warriors
All the dust kicked up from the falling tower starts to clear up as the rookie Scouts recover from the fall. Had it not been for Ymir's Jaw Titan cushioning their fall, they could've suffered far more severe injuries than a few bruises. Some of them could've either died, gotten crushed by debris, or landed in the mouths of the Titans.
Lazarus was among the first to get up, brushing off any specs of dirt stuck to his uniform and readjusting his hat to make sure it was still fastened to his head. He looks over his Cloud Zero gear and blades, making sure they weren't damaged in the fall, which to his gratifying relief it wasn't.
Michael was using his body to shield Sasha from a big piece of the tower that shattered upon making contact with his back. Sasha was shocked at first, fearing he'd gotten hurt, but was left speechless when she noticed the crystal spikes sticking out of his back moments before they crumbled to dust.
"Are you alright, Sasha?"
"Ye- Yeah… Thanks for the save." She thanked him blissfully.
The others soon get up off their feet and dust off their clothes before checking in on each other, making sure nobody got hurt. Ymir was still in Titan form and also used her body as a shield for Christa and Connie.
As for the Titans. Most of them ended up getting crushed to death by the falling tower. But they weren't in the clear yet, as a couple of them started to emerge from the rubble unscathed.
The Jaw Titan rushes into action and uses its acrobatic skills to swing itself around the Titan's neck until it was on its back and sinking its powerful jaws into the nape, ripping it to shreds.
But more Titans began to emerge from the rubble and surround her. One of them grabs Ymir by her hair and performs an overhead slam right into a corner piece of the tower. That strike to the frontal lobe left her Titan form completely immobilised, leaving her at the mercy of the many Pure Titans bursting out of the rubble like zombies rising from their graves to feast on human brains.
"That's not good," Connie muttered under his breath. What else could he say in that situation?
"She needs help! Michael, have you regained enough energy to transform again?" Reiner asked.
Michael shook his head in response. This was probably the third or fourth time someone's asked him that question, and the answer was still the same. He's only recovered enough energy to use his abilities outside of Titan form, but that alone wouldn't be enough to take on that many Titans without turning.
"Then I guess it's up to me to finish the job." Lazarus stepped up, drawing his blades.
"Are you sure? What about your head wound?" Bertolt asked concerned for his friend's safety.
"I'll be fine. The bandages Michael made are holding up surprisingly well. I can handle a couple of Titans."
"I thought you were angry with Ymir." Michael reminded him with a single quirked-up eyebrow.
"Oh, I am. But that doesn't mean I should stand around and watch her die. We owe her one for saving our asses. And I'll make sure to even the score with her. Michael, do you think you can form a crystal dome around yourself and the others, keep any of them off of you?"
"Heh, no problem, Captain." He teased whilst giving him a thumbs up.
Lazarus snickered at that response. He thought for sure that Michael would've forgotten about that by now, but no such luck.
Without a moment to lose, Lazarus blasts off on his Cloud Zero and started hacking away at the Titans closing in around Ymir. Everyone gathers around Michael as he places both his hands on the ground, allowing his Titan energy to flow outwards in all directions. Huge walls of crystal begin to form a circle around them and converge at the top, forming an impenetrable dome.
The Titans that were gunning for them attempted to smash the dome and get at the people inside, but the crystal was too strong for them to break through.
"Whoa! So cool!" Sasha and Connie said at the same time, fascinated by the gleaming beauty of the crystal walls.
Christa traces her hand across it, surprised by its perfectly smooth surface. There wasn't so much as a single crack or bump found anywhere. The beams of the rising sun created a glistening effect on it, lighting it up enough to make it look more transparent, giving off the appearance of being behind a glass dome instead of a crystal one.
"Christa?" Michael addressed her. "You still worried about Ymir? Don't worry, Lazarus will protect her, regardless of how he feels."
"It's not that." She corrected him without looking away from the crystal wall. "It's these crystals… I can't explain it. But I feel like I've seen them before."
"That's because we all have." Connie butted in. "We all saw the Crystal Titan and what Michael can do with it back in the forest of giant trees."
"That's not what I meant… I mean before then. Before I joined the Cadet Corps. At first, when I saw the Crystal Titan I thought it was my mind playing tricks on me. But this strange nostalgic feeling kept coming back every time I look at it."
Michael didn't know how to respond to that. A nostalgic feeling? How could she have seen crystals like his before he even awakened his Titan powers? The more he thought about it, the more he started to think back to the shadowy figures that plagued his mind whenever he became the Crystal Titan. He'd been so focused on everything that has been happening up to this point that he never took the time to question it.
No matter how much he tried, he couldn't come up with a decent theory that could logically explain it. Everything about the Titans remained a mystery to him and the rest of humanity. Every time a question is answered, two more pop up in its place. It was some time ago when he learned about the possibility of some people having the power to transform into Titans, and each one had its unique theme to it. The Crystal Titan was a master at hardening and construction. The Colossal Titan was really big and powerful. The Winged Titan has wings that allow it to fly. Hell, he would've called it the Dragon Titan had he learned of its ability to breathe fire earlier.
But as far as he knew, only he has premonitions of ghosts within his mind. Eren never mentioned seeing any figures in his mind whenever he transformed. So what was it about him that made his Titan stand out?
"If Christa has seen my crystals before, does that mean other people have too? And the old man. How does he know so much about my power? Could it be that he, and the other figures I saw, are spirits of past Crystal Titan users?" He thought to himself. It would make sense as to why the old man was very knowledgeable about the Crystal Titan. Maybe he used to possess it himself before passing it on to him. But if that were true. When did Michael receive this power?
"The next time I transform, I'm gonna have a few words with him. He might be the reason I can't remember my past. Maybe having amnesia is the cost of inheriting this power?"
He was soon snapped back into reality at the sounds of the others cheering for Lazarus who was finishing off the last of the Titans outside. But it was soon revealed that he wasn't alone.
A squad from the Scout Regiment, led by Hange, had arrived on the scene. Eren, Mikasa and the rest of the Scouts all worked alongside Lazarus to finish off the remaining Titans.
"Nice! My first ODM kill!" Eren praised himself. The whole time Eren had joined the military he'd been using his Titan powers to dispose of Titans. This was the first time he'd taken one of them out with the ODM gear he worked so hard to master in the Cadet Corps.
Soon all the Titans were completely eradicated. Once it was clear, Michael takes down the crystal dome. Christa quickly rushes over to Ymir's Jaw Titan, which was now evaporating away due to the injuries she'd received during the battle.
Lazarus, Michael and the others meet up with Hange's squad and fill them in on the events leading up to Utgard Castle. As expected of the others, they were all shocked at the reveal of Ymir being a Titan Shifter too. Some took it less lightly than others. But some also took it the same way Lazarus did, though for completely different reasons.
Christa hadn't left her side this whole time. Once Ymir was able to open her eyes and look up at the young girl she loves. Christa decided to fulfil the promise she made to her when they were stranded on the snowy mountain. She leaned in close and whispered something in her ear.
"Just as promised. My real name is Historia… Historia Reiss".
The main force of the Scout Regiment was successful in the attack against the Titans. Each one of them fell hard before their blades.
After the battle at Utgard Castle had ended, the Scouts escort the rescued party back to the entrance of the Trost District. But with the outer gate blocked by the large boulder, Eren carried with the Attack Titan, their only way back inside was with the aid of a couple of manually operated lifts, carrying them, their horses and the carts up the wall.
One of the lifts was gently heaving the now unconscious Ymir up to safety. Her injuries were almost certainly fatal. She was missing her right arm and leg. On top of that, her internal organs were horrifically scrambled. If not for her healing abilities she would've been dead. Though it would take a lot of time for her body to heal completely at the pace it was going.
Eren was still distraught about this reveal. After discovering his own Titan powers, and then later Michaels, he thought for sure nothing else could surprise him. But Ymir being like him was something he couldn't have predicted even if he tried.
"How do you feel about this, Eren?" Michael asked as he stood beside him, watching the Scouts gently lift Ymir's medical transporter.
"I… don't know, Michael. I don't know what to think about her now that I know she's like us."
"Yeah, I hear ya. But to be honest. I don't think she's in league with the Winged Titan or evil in any way. If she were she would've just saved herself and let us die, keeping her secret hidden from the Survey Corps. But I saw the way she protected us from those Titans without hesitation. That action alone was enough to convince me that she was still on our side. Hopefully, when she's recovered we can ask her directly."
Eren was about to voice his new thoughts on the subject, only to get distracted by Lazarus who just reached the top of the wall. Reiner came after.
"Here, grab my hand."
He then extends his hand to Reiner, helping him climb up since his arms are still injured. After helping him up, Reiner repeats the process with Bertolt, helping up the last of the rookies.
Once all three of them were together, they all look over at Ymir as her body was being loaded into the cart. Christa was attempting to convince Hange that Ymir was not a threat to any of them despite hiding her powers.
"Now we know Ymir was the one who killed Marcel and stole the Jaw Titan. You know what this means, don't you?" Lazarus mentally addresses his fellow Warriors.
"Yeah. We have to bring her back to Marley, along with Eren and Michael." Bertolt answered first. "What's the plan?"
"We can't afford to wait around any longer. The fact that Zeke's here shows that Marley's grown impatient. We have to wait for the perfect opportunity to get the three of them when they're alone, knock them out if we have to. And escape before anyone notices."
"I can't!"
Lazarus and Bertolt focus their attention on Reiner. He appears to be struggling with his mental health. Lazarus feared that he might be switching back and forth between his Warrior and Soldier personalities again.
"Reiner?" He addressed him out loud this time.
"I… don't think I can keep this up anymore!"
"What do you mean?" Lazarus asked concerned for his friend.
"All of it! The lying! The waiting! All of it! I can't wait anymore. We have to end this now!"
"Calm yourself, Reiner! We need to keep our cool or else we-
"Hey guys, you feeling alright?" Michael noticed that Reiner was getting visibly upset by something. And as his comrade, he felt he needed to make sure he was ok.
"Not by a long shot. That Titan almost gnawed my arm off." He answered. Despite his emotional state, he was focused enough to hide his true feelings. His barely escaping death was what made him realise that any more time spent on this island could mean the lesser their chances of making it back home alive.
"I'm so pathetic. All I could think was, this is how I go."
"Well, what else were you supposed to think at a time like that? You're only human." Eren added.
'Don't you get it?! This was my second time!" He then addresses Armin who'd just climbed up the wall with the aid of Eren as they talked. "Remember Armin? About that one time Annie nearly crushed me like an insect. That's twice I've almost died now. What're the chances I'll survive a third time? Is this what it means to be a soldier? Your spirit breaks, and the body follows?"
The others around him – mostly Lazarus – had some understanding of what he was going through. Every soldier thinks like that at some point. No matter how tough they were, everyone eventually reaches their breaking point.
"I see… Welp, no good whining about it now. At least not until I plug up the wall with these." Michael uttered as he forms a small crystal in his hand.
"You think you can do it?" Lazarus asked curiously.
"It's been my dad, and Hange's plan ever since my Titan's discovery. That dome I put up was a test to see if I can perfectly replicate the structure of the walls. And since no Titans were able to leave so much as a scratch, I'd say I succeeded."
Eren and Armin look over at Michael with a look of surprise. This was the first they'd heard of this plan. Before when they were listening to Hange's hypothesis about Titan hardening being made from the same materials as the walls themselves, Armin theorised if Eren's Titan was capable of hardening like Annie's.
Though that was always going to be a backup plan in case something happens to Michael. If the Crystal Titan were somehow destroyed, it would lead to some devastating consequences for the Scouts if what Michael told them about it was true. The fact that it was the source of all hardening made keeping it safe their top priority.
"The three of you have been driven enough away from your hometown as it is. Maybe this is where you should draw the line." Michael jokingly suggested though he failed to see the possibility of the Warriors taking his advice seriously.
"Truer words were never spoken." Bertolt joyfully blurted. "Home! Let's go! We've been here long enough. Compared to everything else we've had to go through, this is easy."
"You're right. We don't have much further to go until it's done." Reiner lightened up.
Lazarus was dumbfounded by the sudden change in his friends' attitude. He can understand Reiner having enough of this act. But he never expected Bertolt to be just as anxious as he was. He was clueless about what he should do now. It was as if his whole team was falling apart. First Annie's captured and now Reiner and Bertolt were losing it. What next?
"Whoa, whoa. I was messing with you. Don't forget you guys are Scouts now. You can't just call it quits and go home when the going gets tough." He leans over to Armin and whispers to him. "I asked Dad, and he said it was against the rules."
"Michael's right." Lazarus intervened, trying to snap his friends out of whatever trance they'd put themselves in. "We've still got a job to do. We've come too far to give up now."
"Well said, Laz, we've come this far so what's a little more?" Michael complimented him.
Fortunately for the Warriors, everyone's focus was drawn away from them and stirred towards the Garrison Advance Squad led by Hannes. They'd finally returned after many days worth of riding. Their task was to locate the hole in the wall the Titans were getting in from. Since things weren't looking well for the Scouts right now, they could do with some good news.
But by the time Hannes and his men reached the top of the wall to deliver his report. They were all shocked to learn that the wall was completely fine. They've scoured the whole of Wall Rose from Trost to Krolva District and confirmed there was no hole to be found.
They also hadn't encountered any Titans in the lands between the two districts either. This left everyone in the party utterly confused. Eren assumed Hannes might be drunk and missed it. But Hange knew there had to be more to it than that.
Like flipping through the pages of a book, her mind was cycling through the many possibilities that could help unravel this mystery. Ranging from the possibility of a new species of Titan that can dig under the walls, though that theory was quickly debunked as the search parties would've spotted a giant Titan-sized hole in the ground. Another theory was the Winged Titan carrying Pure Titans over the wall and dropped them in. Though that too sounded far-fetched as everyone in the 104th suspected of being the Winged Titan were under watch 24/7.
The wind started to pick up in the atmosphere, causing the various flags strewn about the wall to flicker at a much faster rate. Worried a storm might be on the way, Hange and Hanes's groups decided to discuss this further in the safety of their HQ.
"Winds picking up. We should probably get going." Michael suggested.
As they walked along, he and Eren were suddenly called over by Reiner who wanted to have a private discussion with them.
"Eren. Michael. Do you guys got a moment? We need to talk."
"Ok, but can't it wait till we're safe and sound on the ground? I don't trust this wind not blowing me off it." Michael joked lightly.
"Please, it's very important."
Noticing the seriousness in Reiner's expression, they eventually decided to hang back and listen to what he had to say. Lazarus and Bertolt were standing beside him. Mikasa, now noticing Eren had stopped following her and Armin, stopped in her tracks and glances back at the group, eavesdropping on their conversation.
"Five years ago, we compromised Wall Maria and launched an attack on humanity."
Michael and Eren were not expecting him to start the conversation off like that. For an instant, it felt like their brains had just switched off after failing to understand what he just said.
"Huh? What do you mean by that?" Eren asked still dumbfounded by that statement.
"I'm the Armoured Titan. Bertolt's the Colossal. And Lazarus is the Winged." He openly admitted without a shred of hesitation or consequence of his actions.
Both Lazarus and Bertolt's eyes shot wide open in pure terror. Did they hear right? Did Reiner seriously just give away their true identities like it was nothing? Has he lost it? What kind of idiotic thoughts was running through his mind to make him blow their cover like that?
"Wha- I- I'm sorry. What are you talking about?" Michael questioned. Though he heard him admit it, he was still having a hard time processing it.
"What the hell are you doing, Reiner?!" Lazarus grabs him by his only functioning arm, furious with his careless act. An act that may cost them their lives as well as the success of the mission.
Reiner ignores his leader's outburst and pulls his arm free of his grasp. He'd already gone this far with his questionable decision. There was no turning back now.
"We were on a mission. Our goal was to ensure mankind's extinction within the walls. But now, there's no need for that… Eren, Michael. If you want the walls to remain standing, then the answer's simple. Just come with us. Nobody else has to get hurt. You understand?"
"Understand? What the hell is there to understand?"Eren responded in denial.
"Just listen to me. I need you two to do exactly as I say."
"Reiner stop!" Michael raised his voice so suddenly, cutting him off bluntly. "If this is your idea of a joke, it's not funny! You are not the Armoured Titan, and Lazarus sure as hell ain't the Winged Titan. I'd know if he were!"
Lazarus nervously looks away from Michael in response to that remark. Out of context, Michael could be seen as a blind fool refusing to believe what he'd just heard. But the truth of it was. Michael was always good at reading people. And he was always good at hiding his true intentions from others. This was not another ability he possessed. It was a skill taught to him by his late mentor.
"I know this is sudden, and I'm sorry for bringing this up out of nowhere. But you need to come with us now." Reiner insisted.
"Right now? Where would you even take us?"
"I can't tell you. Not yet anyway. Just think of it as our hometown." He leans in closer to Eren and Michael. "So, what's it gonna be? Not a bad deal, right? The chance to avoid a major crisis?"
'I… I don't know." That was all Eren dared to muster at this point.
In the distance, Armin and Sasha wave their arms about, getting their attention. Letting them know that if they don't move now the squad will leave without them.
Mikasa was just standing a few feet away from them. The expression on her face had shifted from her usual emotionless gaze to a look of shock, anger and realisation. The rumours of Lazarus, Reiner and Bertolt being Titans were true.
At the beginning of the 104th Cadet Corps, she's always had a deep unease about Lazarus. And that unease only grew when he demonstrated his ODM skills, his craftsmanship when he rebuilt it in a new style, and how he easily managed to overstep her in training and claim the top spot that should've been hers. She was also suspicious of the fact that – mostly - everyone in their corp saw him as a strong, confident and caring leader for them to look up to and inspire hope. No person, no matter how great, can earn that many people's trust in such a short amount of time. Had he been manipulating them like puppets on strings all this time?
A couple of days ago, around the time Lazarus was spending time with Annie who was still trapped in her crystal prison. A secret meeting was taking place within the Scout's headquarters. Among those who were summoned were Michael, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Jean, Sasha, Levi, Hange, and a few others. The meeting was called to order by Erwin.
In the beginning, the purpose of this meeting was to plan out the possibility of Annie escaping. But that was only a cover story behind the true meaning of the meeting. It involved looking into the background of Annie Leonhart and trying and determine the identities of the three remaining Titans.
Hange was looking over the acquired documents with Erwin. Michael and the others notice the look of shock in their facial expressions which started to get him worried. Whatever those documents held it cannot be good news if it got Erwin of all people spooked.
"Dad, is everything ok?"
Erwin clears his throat and turns his attention to the group. What he was about to tell them, he knew wouldn't get good responses. He'll be expecting a lot of them - mostly Michael - to be in denial.
"I've called you all here because I wanted to share with you the vital intel I had Hange gather for me. I gotta be honest. You're not gonna like all that we have to say."
"What do you mean?" Eren asked.
Erwin glances over at Hange. Hange nods in response and takes this as her cue to go over what she'd found.
"As you can see, I was finally able to get my hands on the background report I requested for Annie Leonhart. It took longer than I was hoping for. The paper trails are a bit of a catastrophe at the moment. Anyway, according to this, there were three other cadets in the 104th who hailed from the same region. I have their names here. Reiner Braun. Bertolt Hoover…
Hange froze at the last name. For some unknown reason, she couldn't find the will to state the final name. Maybe it was because she'd grown close to this person ever since she met him, and she couldn't accept the fact that he might be a traitor.
Erwin gently places his hand on her shoulder, encouraging her to continue despite her feelings. Swallowing her nerves, she finally finds the strength to finish her report.
"…And Lazarus Averbach."
Almost everyone in the room gasped in disbelief. Out of all of them, the trusted members of the 104th were the most shocked. Most of all Michael. Even Levi was somewhat affected by this discovery. Though there was not enough proof to confirm it to be true. For the Scout's sake, he hopes it is not.
When they first met, Levi was impressed by his advanced ODM skills during the wrap-up of the Battle of Trost. His skills were almost equal to his own. Seeing him effortlessly carve up the Titans like that. It was as if he was looking at his younger self cutting them up, long before he was recruited into the Scouts by Erwin.
Before anyone could object to her hypothesis, Hange continued her report.
"Not much survives in the way of records. And thanks to the chaos five years ago what we have on them is unreliable. However, we do know that during the long-ranged scouting formation, their unit was given false information. They were among those intentionally misled into thinking Eren was in the right wing."
"Mmhmm. It was also reported that the bottom corner of the right wing was annihilated. All except for Lazarus who somehow managed to survive. It was also around that time the Winged Titan appeared again." Erwin added.
"What are you implying, Dad?"
"It was clear to me that the Female Titan was following orders provided by the Winged. But the only way she would've thought Eren was in the right wing is because someone who had that false intel told her." He pointed out sternly.
"The commander has a point," Armin spoke up, drawing all attention to him. "It's possible that they could've told Annie where they thought Eren was. Lazarus might've transformed and acted as a compass for Annie to follow."
"Where are you going with this, Armin?! You can't just go around accusing-" Eren pressured him.
"I totally agree." Hange interrupted. "It's no coincidence that the Winged Titan would show up straight after Lazarus's squad was wiped out. Keeping that in mind, I'm curious to know how the four interacted while training. What can you tell me?"
"Well, I know Reiner, Lazarus and Bertolt were from the same region as Annie. But apart from Lazarus, I've never seen her act friendly towards them." Armin started.
"Yeah." Sasha continued. "During mealtime, she always seemed to eat by herself. Although she and Lazarus were a thing, she never really showed it to anyone. I assumed it was because of all the things we've been through. Or she was too shy to admit it."
"Sasha, not you too!" Michael blurted out in a disappointing tone.
"Seriously! What is wrong with you people?! These are our comrades we're talking about. How could you all suspect them? Sure, Bertolt doesn't have much to say, but Reiner has always been a big brother to everyone. And Lazarus… He's been nothing but a beacon of hope ever since we joined the Cadet Corps. When some of us were broken from the intense training, he would always build us back up. If we were ever in danger, he'd put his life on the line to protect us. Even when we planned to capture Annie, the one person he cherishes above anyone else, he chose US! Yeah, he was broken up by this. But that's how anyone would feel when they've lost a loved one!"
"Michael-
"No! I'm not done! Think of all the things he's done for us over the years! Armin, you and he came up with the plan to eliminate the Titans in the supply depot. He saved Franz when he was on the brink of death! He stood up for Eren and me when the military saw us as a threat because of our Titans. Hange, he protected you from Annie when she broke free of your trap. He proved his loyalty by helping me stop her, even if it meant he'd never see her again! Do I have to go on or are you done accusing him of being a traitor?!"
Erwin attempted to speak up again, but Michael continued to cut him off. The way Michael kept going on in complete denial started to worry him and the others around him.
"Dad… You said you trusted me to know who my friends are. And I know for a fact that Lazarus is a true friend to me. I never would've told him my story if I hadn't. You said he was a fine soldier that you were proud to have in the Scouts. Do you truly think he'd capable of doing the things the Winged Titan did?"
The room fell silent as Michael was slowly getting his breath back. His extremely long and practically loud rant took a lot of energy out of him. The rest of the group all look at each other, wondering if maybe Hange was wrong after all.
Erwin closes his eyes and lets out a deep sigh. He then walks around the table to stand face-to-face with his son. He intensely stares into his eyes hidden behind his goggles. Michael could feel a shiver running up his spine. Even after all these years of being apart, he was still affected by his father's disciplining glare.
"Michael, I thought I told you. A soldier should always seek out an enemy, even if they're among our own kind. We're not saying Lazarus and the others are immediately guilty, we only suspect them of treason. It's true, I did say Lazarus was a fine soldier. I'll even go so far as to say he earned my respect… But that's what makes him a potential threat all the more dangerous. If he is guilty, then we'll have handed the enemy all of our vital intel on a silver platter." He pauses for a moment for Michael to clear his mind and listen to reason.
"I also taught you to never grow too close to those who'll be fighting alongside you as a Scout. Friendships can be dangerous in our line of work. Should anyone you call a friend suddenly be ripped away from you, it clouds your judgment and forces your emotions to grow unstable. The thing about friends that I learned from my father… is that they have the easiest access to stab you in the back once their usefulness has expired."
Those final words shot right through Michael's heart as if he were stabbed by the very same metaphorical knife Erwin was talking about. But he still refused to believe that the same guy he connected with for five years was the very enemy he'd sworn to destroy.
Armin didn't help matters either. Though he was afraid at first at how Michael would respond, Erwin ordered him to speak his mind. Armin mentions how Reiner managed to break free from the Female Titans' grip. And straight afterwards, Annie changed her course, as well as the Winged Titan. Armin did mention Eren being in the centre rank but there was no way either of them could've heard him due to the distance. But Reiner was right next to him. He then implied that Reiner must've carved Eren's true location on her palm, relaying the correct information to her and the Winged Titan.
He then went back even further to the day they found Marco's body. He reminded Michael how it was he who discovered that he was stabbed through the heart by an ODM blade. At first, they assumed it was Annie, but further analysis of Marco's corpse, provided by Hange's group, showed that the blade was too thin and the wound was slightly curved. And Lazarus was the only one who had a unique style of blade for his ODM gear that matched the description.
"Going back to Annie." Hange continued. "When she was captured by my squad, Lazarus was there too. It looked like he was trying to reason with her. And literally, two seconds later, she managed to break free from the trap like it was nothing. I always thought it was strange how she was too weak to even move the net we dropped on her, only to suddenly have the strength to move it immediately. This might sound far-fetched. But I think Lazarus may've had something to do with that. Like he suddenly gave her enough energy to escape and take on both Michael and Eren with no problem, despite her loss to him in their last fight."
"Stop!" Eren blurted out so suddenly. "I agree with Michael. There's no way Lazarus killed Marco or helped Annie escape. The guys have been with us since the beginning. You don't just-
"Shut up!" This time it was Levi who decided to cut in, to everyone's surprise. "If I hear another word about how great a guy that tall, white-haired bastard is, I'm gonna give you both a major ass beating!"
"Listen up. If we cross paths with them, don't give them any indication of what we've discussed." Erwin instructed sternly. "And under no circumstances are you to broach the topic of Annie Leonhart in their company. Before we can ascertain whether they were co-conspirators. We must find, lure, and contain them underground. If Lazarus truly is the Winged Titan, as well as their leader. I want to know what his intentions are, as well as whoever they might be working for. That's the plan, are we clear?"
"Yes sir!" Everyone salutes in perfect unison.
Now, standing there atop the wall, Michael was having a mental struggle with everything he'd just heard from Reiner. He just didn't know what to make of it. The way he worded it sounded like he was telling the truth, and he would know as Erwin had taught him how to develop an instinctual lie detector.
But even though his mind and instincts were telling him it was true, his heart was telling him not to believe it. He grew terrified over the thought of losing some of his closest friends over the years. That his most trusted friend is the very Titan he swore to kill with his own hands.
Eren also refused to believe it. Lazarus and Reiner had always been there for him when he needed help getting through training. He owed them so much.
"You're just tired. That's it, right?" He stated, pretending he hadn't heard a single word of what he'd just said. He then desperately turns to Bertolt and Lazarus to confirm it. "Help me out here, guys. You're nerves are shot. You don't know what you're saying."
"Uh, ye-yeah. It's the battle fatigue talking." Bertolt instantly agreed in a terrible attempt at proving his innocence.
"With everything that's happened recently, I don't blame him for losing it a little," Lazarus added, sounding a lot more convincing than Bertolt. "You need a long rest, buddy."
"Exactly." Michael butted in, acting as if he hadn't heard anything either. "Besides, if you guys were who you say you are, then what's the endgame here? We wouldn't even be having this conversation in the first place. I mean, what did you expect would happen? Did you think we'd agree to let you kidnap us just because you asked politely? And as well, what guarantee do we have that everyone here would be safe? This makes nobloody sense!"
Lazarus and Reiner were both slack-jawed and scared of Michael's response. So much for doing things peacefully. As of now, they've dug themselves into a deep hole with no way out. A hole too narrow for even Lazarus to fly out of, figuratively speaking.
Lazarus was visibly upset by Michael's words. It wasn't so much the words themselves that upset him, but rather the way they were said. Ever since he regained all of his lost memories of him upon making physical contact with the Crystal Titan, he'd been carefully thinking of a way to help remind him of the friend he grew up with in Marley. But now it would seem the Michael he once knew is doomed to never return.
"Right. I'm not thinking straight, am I? Barely know what I'm saying here. I must've gone off the deep end." Reiner finally spoke up. His face looks like it is on the verge of having a stroke.
"C'mon, let's go." Eren motions in the direction of the others.
The winds continued to grow as Michael and Eren were walking away to rejoin the others. It grew so strong that one of the wooden flag poles snaps off and tumbles down the wall, making a loud clanging sound against the solid structure. A sound that caused everyone to suddenly freeze in place and look back at the Warriors.
Lazarus was down on his knees and head held down. Tears were building up under his eyelids. For the first time in a long time, he felt truly powerless as to what he should do. Up until this point he always had a plan up his sleeve. Always had a next move to make. But it looks like all those years of hiding his regrets, doubts and straight-up traitorous thoughts had finally exploded in a huge emotionless breakdown.
Reiner also wasn't faring well with his psyche. He could figuratively feel his soul be violently ripped in two.
The wind soon died down and everything fell silent. Everyone was dead quiet as tension was rapidly building up in the air. The clouds begin to part the skies, allowing the sun's rays to shine down upon them.
The rest of the squad all stare cautiously at the three Warriors, constantly wondering if they'll break character and act now or continue to hide it. Mikasa had her right hand on her blade resting in her holster, trembling nonchalantly as her grip on the handle tightened.
"That's the problem." Reiner quietly muttered under his breath, but still within earshot of Eren and Michael. "I've been here too long for my good. Three years of this madness, surrounded by idiots. We were kids. What did 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?!"
Michael started to feel a little uncomfortable with what was going on right there in front of him. The whole time he'd known Reiner and Lazarus, he'd never seen them break down like that. The only time he saw Lazarus at his lowest was when Annie got sealed away. But what could be lower than that?
Bertolt just stood there worried for both his allies. It was strange to him that he was the only one who wasn't having a mental breakdown right now. Maybe it was due to the others constantly putting on an act and pretending to be their comrades while he just stayed quiet. Whatever the reason, if they didn't pull themselves together now, he'd be forced to take matters into his own hands for once.
"Lazarus?" He weakly addressed his questionable friend.
"Why are you like this?" He quietly uttered. He slowly raises his head to look a worried Michael in the eyes. Tears began to rapidly drip down his cheeks and fall to the wall surface as he spoke.
"What the hell have these devils done to you?!"
"What?" Michael unconsciously said out loud without thinking.
"It took me seven years to finally free myself of these cursed visions. But now that I'm free, I now realise that you're still trapped! And I'm powerless to help you! Every time I look at you. Hear you talk. See you fight. I don't see the Michael I grew up with. All I see is a brainwashed slave with no memory of who he really is!" His tone of voice slowly changes from sadness to anger, as well as his facial expression.
"I wanted to believe the people here were evil. I wanted to so badly! Because it would've made my actions a little justifiable. It would've been easier for me to forgive myself. But no! The world decided to punish me by making me look like a monster that came in and ruined their lives!"
He then stands up almost immediately. Wiping away his tears, he takes one last look at all the people around him before following through with what happens next. In his heart he will always see them as his friends and good people, and not the evil devils he was tricked into believing by the Marleyans. From this point onwards, everyone will see him for what he truly is. A research experiment gone wrong.
Despite those painful thoughts, he wasn't going to give up. He still had a promise to keep to Michael, even if he cannot remember it. He also made a promise to his friends that he would not let any more of them die after Marcel. That they would accomplish their mission and put an end to this cursed cycle of hatred and fear.
"Oh Lucia, I wish you were here. I require your guidance now more than ever. This burden is too much for a kid like me to bear alone."
Eren and Michael were in shock by the confusing and troublesome words coming out of the mouth of those they thought was their most trusted friend. With a more determined look on his face, Lazarus decided to take his hat off and let it rest on his back, held up by the sting under his chin. He then starts to unwrap the bandages covering his head that Michael had created for him. Reiner, motivated by his leader's actions, chooses to do the same and unveil his injured arm.
"It's too late now. I don't even know what's right and what's wrong anymore. But who cares?! It is what it is. I have no choice but to face what I've done."
He tosses the unravelled bandages over the edge of the wall. Steam starts erupting out of his head, allowing his curved, crystallised horns to start growing back. Everyone was at a complete loss for words as they see the horns fully manifest atop his head in full view. Reiner's arm also starts to heal, the steam cauterising the bite mark until it faded away completely, restoring his arm as if it hadn't been injured at all.
"As a Warrior, I will fulfil my duties to the bitter end!"
As Michael and Eren watched this revelation unfold, the two of them could feel their whole world come tumbling down within their minds. Seeing Reiner's arm heal, and the Winged Titan's horns emerge from Lazarus's head, it was the final stab to the heart that destroyed their vision of seeing them as trusted allies they could put all their faith in. It was so painful, that neither of them could find the strength to move. They even started having difficulty breathing as they could feel a sharp pain in their chests. The kind of feeling of a lover having their heart broken. This moment truly broke them.
"Lazarus! Reiner! Right now? Here? We're doing this?" Bertolt questioned, shocked by the suddenness of it all.
"Yes. Right here, right now! We settle this once and for all!" Lazarus proclaimed as he and Reiner rapidly approach Eren and Michael, ready to grab them.
Suddenly, Mikasa leaps over the stoked duo and attacks her former comrades turned traitors. Reiner didn't have time to react and ended up getting slashed across his arm and shoulder, blood splattering everywhere, staining the top of the wall.
Lazarus however does manage to react and draws his katana blades, blocking her incoming strike just as fast as she was. But Mikasa kicks the arm holding the blade to the side, leaving Lazarus wide open for her to stab him in the torso. Before Lazarus could swing his longer blade at her, she detaches her blade from her hilt and dashes past him, while leaving her blade embedded in his torso.
She then uses her other blade to slice Bertolt's throat, forcing him down onto to ground and clutching it tightly in the hope of stopping the bleeding. But Mikasa wasn't done with him yet. Holding him down with her right leg, she raises the blade above his head, preparing to finish the traitor off.
"Eren, get outta here!" She screamed at him, but he and Michael were still too scared to listen.
Lazarus quickly comes to Bertolt's defence by kicking Mikasa at her side and knocking her off the wall. Though she was able to catch herself by firing an anchor into the side of it. Lazarus anticipated this and used the blade he effortlessly pulled out of his stomach to cut the cable, forcing Mikasa to fire her other anchor further down, away from Eren's reach.
"Bertolt!" Reiner rushes over to his friend's side, helping him back up on his knees.
"No this- This can't be happening," Michael murmured to himself. "This is all a nightmare. Just a-
He cuts himself off upon the major shock of seeing arcs of electricity sparking all around the three Warriors. Reiner was standing behind Bertolt, shielding him from any more attacks, while Lazarus was in front of him, staring intensely at the quivering Michael and Eren.
Armin, Hange and the others all run over to their location as fast as they could. But they were doomed to never reach them in time.
"EREN! MICHAEL! RUN AWAY!" Armin shouted desperately.
But it was too late. One by one the Warriors began their Titan transformation. Though Michael was still in a state of shock, he could swear for but an instant, the facial features of the Winged, Colossal and Armoured Titans flashes briefly over their faces. The final proof that showed him that his friends are the three Titans that created the very hell they're all living in.
"I'm sorry," Lazarus told them moments before the three bolts of lightning struck their bodies.
The combined shockwaves of all three Titan transformations were so powerful that everyone and everything atop the walls were blown away like they were stuck in a hurricane. All the while the three gigantic lightning strikes continue to dance around viciously, lighting up the whole wall like the sun itself had descended upon them.
The skeletal structures of the Titans soon began to take form, with Bertolt's only forming at half the size he usually is. Since they were standing on the wall, only the top section of the Colossal Titan was formed with its lower ribcage connecting to the sides of the wall, keeping it stable.
The Winged Titan's spine splits into two long boney like claws. The skin and muscle quickly grew around them, forming them into wings. Its body then grows an extra layer of hardened skin that covered its entire body before its head, hair, horns and face were formed. The armoured plates then appear over its body, completing the transformation.
Michael instinctively uses his hardening powers to shield himself and Eren from the bursts of steam. Above the slightly taller-than-the-average human wall of crystal stands the Colossal Titan. The Armoured and Winged Titans soon rise and make their stand. Altogether, the three powerhouses unleash a terrifying, ear-piercing roar that shook the two of them, and the very wall itself. It was so intense that it ended up shattering the crystal barricade like how an opera singer would shatter a mirror with her voice.
Without the barricade protecting them, Eren and Michael were blasted off the side of the wall by the powerful bursts of steam. But they were grabbed at the last second by the two fifteen-meter Titans. With Eren resting in the grasp of Reiner and Michael in Lazarus's.
Michael looked up in terror at the Winged Titan. He'd only properly seen it once during his brief encounter with it in the forest of giant trees. Never could he have imagined he'd be trapped in its hardened clenched claws, staring intently into its glowing crimson eyes. Eyes he now recognised as Lazarus's. Its armoured face mask looked like a demon with six horns atop its head and razor-sharp teeth.
"No…! NOOOOOO!" He screamed in despair.
Lazarus looks up at the Colossal Titan who was looking down at him, awaiting his next orders.
"Grab Ymir!" The Winged Titan roared.
The Colossal Titan locked its eyes on the still unconscious Ymir and reaches for her, his long arms stretching over Armin and the others. It was a close call, but Bertolt was able to secure the host of the Jaw Titan and hold her out of reach of the Scouts.
The Armoured Titan then began his next move and slid down the walls, making a quick getaway with Eren. The Winged Titan looks up at the sky and stretches its huge, dragon-like wings outwards. Bending his knees, the Winged Titan uses all its leg strength to leap off of the wall and get clear enough to get airborne. The intense flapping of its gargantuan wings causes huge gusts of winds strong enough to send all the Scouts flying backwards again after having just recovered from it the first time.
Michael screams as he feels the intense G-force of being pulled higher into the air by the living, fire-breathing behemoth. His goggles began fogging up as Lazarus kept climbing, ensuring they were well out of reach of the Scouts. The sky was his domain. Nothing can beat him there.
Michael's eyes filled with tears as he could no longer handle the pain of this devastating betrayal. His mind started to wander back to the first time he met Lazarus and the cliffside he brought him and Eren too with the beautiful overlook of the land.
"My dream is to make the world a better place for all kinds of people. The only way to do that is to kill the Titans and rid this world of their tyranny. I want to become a hero to the world so that my parents can finally rest in peace."
He turns to Michael and greets him with a caring smile. "I'm not just fighting for me, but for my mentor, Lucia. And I will not rest until I complete the path she set me down on."
Various images of Michael and Lazarus hanging out together, sometimes with Reiner, Bertolt, Annie, and Eren, play out in his mind. Unaware of the fact that his self-consciousness was tormenting him by playing the best moments of his life as a soldier to him, only to discover it was all a lie. The final image shows him and Lazarus sitting together in their barracks with Reiner, Bertolt, Eren and Armin. First, it zoomed in on Bertolt, then Reiner, and finally Lazarus. All of them were smiling at him. Smiles that were once filled with joy and hope, are now replaced with deception and manipulation.
"Bertolt… Reiner… Lazarus…"
As the Winged Titan was getting higher and higher off of the ground, Michael finally manages to snap out of his brief trip down the contaminated memory lane and return to his senses.
Whatever shock and pain he felt towards the Warriors was then replaced by anger. For years he treated Lazarus like a brother, only to be repaid for his tolerance with treachery on an unimaginable scale. Enraged, Michael bites down on his hand, triggering his Titan transformation.
The Winged Titan notices this and was forced to toss him in the air. Whilst in mid-air, the Crystal Titan's body quickly forms around Michael, as if his rage was speeding up the process.
"I'll kill you… You… YOU DAMN TRAITORS!"
Immediately upon forming, the Crystal Titan unleashes a vengeful, anger-induced roar. Using the momentum of his fall, he puts all of his weight, as well as more crystal armour, into his right fist and plummets straight for Lazarus. Ready to end his demonic existence forever.
To Be Continued