Attack On Titan: Wings Of Crystal
Chapter 81: Apologies
Later that night the collective members of the Scout Regiment, WOC, Marleyans, and Omega Unit decided to call it quits for the night and get some sleep. They've got a big day of world-saving tomorrow and everyone needs to be in peak physical condition. Thanks to Lazarus' tears, Levi is in prime fighting condition again. Erwin explained to them what just happened, telling them it was also how his arm had grown back. The 104th members were more shocked at seeing their former commander standing before them to even notice he had both his arms again.
While Levi was grateful to be recovered, he wished it hadn't been the Warrior he most resented who'd healed him. Now he'll have to say, "Thank you". The thought of that alone made his skin crawl. He also hated that getting cried on was what saved him. It was disgusting for a germaphobe like him.
Hange removes all the bandages and is shocked to see his body restored before he receives his injuries. It's as if he'd never got them at all. She advised him to continue to lay in her handmade cart and sleep it off just in case. Levi didn't need much convincing against it. He wanted to be at his A-game when the time came to face Zeke again. This time he won't hesitate to finish the job.
There had been no sign of Lazarus after he left the campsite. Michael volunteered to go out and search for him despite his father being against it. They'd all just witnessed the albino finally break and lose control of his emotions. He feared seeing Michael would cause him to crack even more now that the truth was out.
But Michael didn't care. He felt it was needed to talk things out with him and maybe reconcile their friendship. "How ironic." He thought to himself as he searched the woods. " Laz once tried to get me to listen to reason and explain why he attacked the walls, hoping to remind me of our past friendship. Now here I am hoping to do the same thing."
Michael sighs and takes a moment's rest underneath a tall tree, leaning against it. His desire to keep the Winged and Crystal Titans alive in this world hasn't faded. He's aware that everyone else is against this idea despite the logic behind why he believes it to be a necessary sacrifice for Lazarus. He does wish there was another way but there wasn't. Between Zeke and Lazarus' plans, the latter was the better option, but it came with great risk and higher chances of betrayal. Zeke's plan would guarantee the Eldian Race peace until the day they go extinct.
His ears pick up the faint sounds of a twig snapping to his left, someone is approaching. He raises his guard, hardening his fists as a precaution in case it was a Yeagerist spy or any of his "allies" coming to vent out some frustration like Jean did Lazarus moments ago.
"Ummm, Michael?" Michael sighed with relief when he saw that it was only Sasha and shook off the hardening, though now he couldn't bring himself to look at her again. Last time she asked him to she fired Thunder Spears into his eyes.
"… Oh, h-hey Sasha." He replied slowly. It was the least he could do to try and not make things awkward. Sasha closed the distance and decided to lean against the opposite side of the tree with it in between them.
Unfortunately, there was no delaying the awkwardness of their situation. Both of them had their backs to each other against the tree, trying to think of the best way to start a conversation. It was like a bad start to a first date, only much worse with all that they've experienced resting on their shoulders. Apart from their brief encounter at the restaurant, this was their first proper reunion since the Battle of Shiganshina. Both individuals wondered what the other was thinking. Are they angry? Sad? Wrecked with guilt? Unless one of them spoke up they'll never know.
"So, how did…" They both started simultaneously only to cut themselves off.
"Sorry, you go first," Sasha suggested.
"No please, you first." Micheal insisted with a tiny hint of resentment for her, remembering how she manipulated his feelings for her.
Sasha picked up on it and decided to skip the small talk and get straight to what she wanted to talk about. She needed to get this off her chest before either of them could move past it and work together in the alliance.
She sighs deeply and stares at her feet. "… I just wanted… to tell you that I'm very sorry for what happened back in Liberio. I was just following orders."
"Telling me you loved me was just you following orders?" Michael questioned her sternly, scowling at the memory.
"N-No!" Sasha quickly dismissed his claim. "I was told to do whatever it takes to help Eren get the Warhammer. I didn't want to, but Eren told me not to let our past friendship get in the way of what needed to be done… After the Battle in Shiganshina, he accused me of being a traitor to Paradis because I didn't want any part in dealing with you. The look in his eyes when he said those words terrified me… He changed so much since we'd gotten our medals from Historia."
That last statement caused Michael to lift his head and glance around the tree slightly but not enough to properly see her. "Eren touched Historia? When was this?"
"About two days after we returned to the interior, why?" She curiously asked.
Michael thinks back to the two days after The Battle of Shiganshina ended and what he was doing around that time. He quickly discovered that it was around then he and Lazarus entered The Paths to travel back in time to the days of the Alpha Warrior Unit. He remembered Lazarus mentioning feeling a strange sensation after they finished their trip to The Paths. He assumed he was having a tough time coming to terms with seeing his parents' deaths play out before his eyes. But perhaps it was something else.
" What if one of my earlier assessments was true? Eren and Lazarus may share a different kind of connection compared to the ones he's formed with me and the Warriors. The Attack Titan power Eren possesses may be linked to the fragment of it inside Lazarus. That explains how he was able to hide himself from his Titan Sense… It may also explain why Laz was only able to see certain parts of the future in his nightmares. Eren's been manipulating him!"
"Michael, are you alright?" Sasha asked concernedly.
"Yeah. What's it to you anyway? Don't know why you're suddenly concerned about my feelings when you manipulated them in Liberio." He stated coldly. "I know you said you were just "following orders" but you could've used any other means to distract me. You chose to confess your feelings at that moment to lower my guard. Now I can't help but wonder if whatever this is between us was ever real."
"It was real!" Sasha raised her voice and came out from behind the tree, no longer afraid to face the man she loved. "I meant every word I said to you in Liberio. I didn't want to tell you that way, but I didn't have a choice."
"I don't believe you." Michael bluntly answered. "I can't trust anything you say anymore. Can you blame me? If I'd done what you did, I'd expect you to feel the same… You wanna know something?" He asked rhetorically. "It wasn't what you said that hurt the most, or the Thunder Spears you fired into my eyes. It was discovering that you'd now become that kind of person. You've changed so much from the sweet-hearted idiot you used to be."
"Hey!" She briefly interrupted.
"But that's what made you the heart of the 104th Cadet Corps. The times we lived in back then depression can easily consume a person, Daz is a good example. But you brought a smile to our faces with your hilarious potato-eating habits. That's what drew me to you in the first place. My heart was hardened after Wall Maria fell until you came along and reminded me of what it means to be human. Even after my Crystal Titan was first uncovered you didn't look at me differently. I was still your friend and comrade up until…"
"Until you joined the Warriors." Sasha finished for him. "… For some time, I thought I was the reason you left. I just couldn't understand why you'd choose them over us. Over me. The simplest answer would've been you were a traitor, and you were pretending to be one of us like they did. But I couldn't accept it. I didn't want to believe you'd throw everything you built here away for nothing. You had to have a reason. I just never would have imagined it to be to keep your and Lazarus' Titans around. You say he was your childhood friend growing up in Marley, yet you want him to stay immortal for your own personal gain."
"I already told you; it was to keep Marley in line. You know what they're really like, you saw it. They won't be grateful to us for stopping The Rumbling when it was us that caused it in the first place. We needed leverage and that was the only way we could get it."
"But at what cost?" She asked him. "What good is keeping us safe when you can't get a chance to enjoy living? Knowing Lazarus will outlast every one of us. He'll live long enough to watch the whole world die. Everyone and everything he knew will be gone. Even I don't want something that horrible to happen to him. As his closest friend, you should've felt the same way… I guess you're not the Michael I loved anymore."
Coming from Sasha that hurt Michael, more than anything Eren or Ludwig could ever do to him. His Titan powers can heal all physical damage, but never emotional damage. She was right, of course, but it still hurt. But as much as he wished he could just say "No!" and give up on his plan, he couldn't bear the responsibility of throwing away everything Noah had wasted his life away for. All the suffering his ancestors underwent. It couldn't be all for nothing.
Sasha decided now was as good a time as any to walk away. She thought she was ready to forgive and forget but it wasn't that easy. Michael wasn't making it easy. Best to leave now before risking any further damage to their relationship.
"Sasha, wait!" Michael quickly grabs her arm, stopping her. "Please don't go yet… I'm sorry."
She pauses and turns around to face him once more.
"You're right. I am being selfish to Lazarus. More than anything I want to support his plan, but I can't let all the Crystal Titans who came before me spend eternity rotting in the darkness, bound in chains. I wanted to free them so badly. To end their cycle of torment. They've already suffered when they were alive, forced to listen to the voices of the past and Joseph taking over their minds if they refused to obey their Founder… It can't all be for nothing."
"I get it. Ludwig told us all about how your Crystal Titan works. I thought he was making it all up, but I know you wouldn't lie."
"Then you know why I have to do this."
"You don't have to." She denied him, pulling her arm free of his grasp. "Let's all focus on stopping The Rumbling first, then you can worry about what happens next."
"Sasha…"
"It's all I ask." She interrupted him by placing her hand over his mouth. "This plan of yours is in the future. The Rumbling is happening now! And if you're serious about stopping it as much as the rest of us you'll do this for me, okay?" She slowly removes her hand and allows him to speak.
Michael sighs and hesitantly nods instead of voicing his answer. She was right. His goal wouldn't mean anything if everyone else was dead. He doubts Eren would just erase Titans after The Rumbling ended. Surely if his goal was to do that, he would've done it by now. No, he wanted to erase Paradis' enemies first. The whole Earth.
"Good." Sasha simply responded. Now she takes her leave so that Michael can continue his search for Lazarus. Yet she stops and faces him once again. There was still one more thing she needed to get off her chest to ease her conscience.
Without thinking, she walks up to Michael, grabs the back of his head and pulls him in for a sudden kiss on the lips. This startled the WOC co-founder at first, but he inevitably accepted it and closed his eyes. Finally, after four years of this "will they/won't they" back and forth they have gotten to first base of their potential relationship. Neither one of them will know for certain if it will develop until after they've saved the world.
Sasha's heart fluttered in her chest when she felt his soft hand cup her cheek. She was having a hard time believing this was happening despite her being the one who instigated it. She thought this moment would never come with everything that's been going on between them. Should anyone see them now they'd probably say that she's stupid. But she already admitted to Connie that she is an idiot, and if this was one of her most idiotic ideas then she would accept it.
As much as they both wanted to stay close to each other, they had to break it off eventually. Michael was the first to pull away. He takes a step back away from Sasha so he can get a good look at her and see how she's responding to what they just did. From the look on her face, she was just as embarrassed as he was.
"Sasha… Why'd you do that? After everything I'd said, why kiss me?"
"To prove to you that what I said to you in Liberio was true. You said you didn't trust my words, so I followed the advice you gave Gabi and let my actions speak for me instead." She explained with a hint of boastfulness in her voice.
Michael chuckled. Now she was the one using his own words against him. She and Gabi must've had a good long chat about him when they left to go find Falco, he thought. At least they weren't fighting anymore.
"Okay, I believe you. Nobody could fake passion like that… Thank you, Sasha. I mean that."
Sasha smiled and finally took her leave. As she walked away, she voiced one last word of advice. "By the way, when you find Lazarus, you should talk to him. Sort out any remaining issues you have between you and him."
"When the hell did you become so wise?" He teased with a wry smirk.
"I learned by watching you." She glances over her left shoulder and winks at him as she disappears into the dark woods. Michael stares after her for a moment, going completely red and grinning as he walks off in the opposite direction. He highly doubted she got it from him, he too was an idiot.
As soon as she is out of sight and earshot of Michael, her face turns completely red, she winds up screaming into her elbow to muffle out the noise.
"Oh my god! I can't believe I just did that! How am I supposed to focus on the mission now?!"
Lazarus wandered farther than Michael had anticipated. He ended up leaving the forest and finding himself sitting by a lake in a big clearing. He sat down by the edge, staring at his reflection in the water. He was still wallowing in despair, but rather than waste his healing tears he used his hardening to construct tiny bottles to collect them in. Could come in handy when one of his comrades is severely injured like Levi. He wondered what his reaction would be to seeing his whole body restore itself with just a few drops of his tears. He left before he could see them take effect.
He couldn't bring himself to face any of them now. How could he after everything he'd confessed about Marco? Jean had every right to beat him to a pulp like that. The wounds he sustained from the beating had already healed but not his broken heart.
"Lazaruuus!"
He can hear Michael's voice in the distance calling out his name. He knew he'd come looking for him. Every few minutes he'd call him again, getting closer to his current location, but he wasn't in the mood to be found by his "best friend". As soon as he'd finished bottling up the last of his tears and tucked them into his trouser pockets, he walked away from the lake and attempted to hide behind a big rock at the far-right end of the lake.
He occasionally peeked out from behind the rock to see if Michael had left. He was down by the lake, staring at the sparkling clear water. He wondered if Michael recognised it. It had been years since either of them had visited the island, but neither of them could forget the spectacular view of the vast mountains they had when they joined the 104th Cadet Corps. They were standing at the very same lake they overviewed from the top of the hill miles back southwest. They'd hoped they'd get to visit it one day, but the conditions were all wrong.
Lazarus continued to hide from his friend, waiting for him to leave, but Michael wasn't going anywhere. He decided to sit down at the edge of the water and admire the view a little longer like he did moments ago, completely unaware of the albino's presence a few meters to his left.
As he turns himself away from Michael and sits back against the rock, he is startled by the sudden appearance of Armin being up close and personal. Lazarus covered his mouth to muffle his startled scream to not alert Michael to his presence. He then quickly pulls Armin down before he has a chance to get spotted.
"What are you doing here?" He whispered to the farm boy.
"I was following you. You looked like you needed some cheering up." Armin whispered back. "And not from him by the looks of things."
"I… I'm not ready to forgive him for what he told me in The Paths yet. Just as I know you and the others aren't ready to forgive me, Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie for the terrorism we started nine years ago. Hell, I don't expect we'll ever be forgiven for it."
"Maybe not. But I know you're not bad people, you just did really bad things."
"That how you feel about Eren too?" Lazarus asked him. Armin paused and looked away, unable to give him an answer. "Yeah, I didn't think so." He blatantly added.
Armin sighs and readjusts himself against the rock next to Lazarus. He too was staring out over the water, taking in the serenity of it all.
"I'm still having a tough time coming to terms with how much everything has changed in four years. Eren went from being my friend who once sacrificed himself in a Titan's mouth to save my life to becoming the destroyer of the outside world I hoped to one day visit. You went from being our biggest enemy to our greatest hope to save said world. And the world itself is our enemy." He lowers his head. "… Everything my grandfather believed was wrong."
Lazarus lightly pats his shoulder. "The real world isn't perfect, far from it. Many people believe it is better off without us Eldians. Sometimes they'd be right. But most of the time they've proven to be wrong. Still, everyone across the sea has the birthright to live their lives… I wish I'd learned that before coming here."
"You and the others were brainwashed into believing we weren't real people; we all know that now. It doesn't take back what you've done, but it makes you greater than the ones who ordered you to do it." Armin assured him.
"Why would you defend me? When Jean attacked me, you were one of the two who held him back. I was still your enemy in your recent memories. You didn't have four years of processing the truth. So why protect me?"
"Because you saved my life," Armin answered immediately.
"Not intentionally. Don't forget that it was I who put you in that predicament to begin with."
"I know, but it's still because of you that I'm sitting here now… To be honest, I'm kind of glad I didn't inherit your Titan and live those missing years." Lazarus turned to Armin with a curious look in his eyes.
"I've been trying to imagine what could've happened if I'd eaten, say Bertolt, instead of you. I feel like I would try and tell Eren not to go through with his attack on Marley. Maybe he would've considered it, though I doubt that."
"Knowing the Scout Regiment, they might've ordered you to use the Colossal Titan to destroy the port like they did with Ludwig's bomb… Looking back on it, the Colossal Titan would've been slightly less devastating." Lazarus pointed out.
"I… I don't think I could ever go through with that." Armin quivered in his words. He remembers the gigantic explosion Bertolt unleashed in the centre of Shiganshina. It was a horrific display of power. "The Colossal's power is so immense. It killed so many soldiers. I can never stomach the thought of having all that blood on my hands… How does Bertolt cope with it?"
"He can't." Lazarus simply replied. "None of us could. Annie and I were good at masking our emotions, but Bertolt, and especially Reiner, had a limit to how long they could look away. You saw it firsthand when Reiner recklessly exposed us atop Wall Rose. In that moment the personas we invented were destroyed, exposing the enemy within… No man or woman could have the mentality to do the things we did and pretend everything's fine. All the same, it's better us than you."
The duo sat in silence for a while after that. Lazarus peeked out from behind the rock and saw that Michael was no longer resting there. " He must've gone back to camp", he thought.
It was getting very late now. From what he could tell of the moon's location, he'd guess it was past midnight. The others must be asleep by now. Armin was the first to suggest that they both head back and turn in for the night. They needed to be in peak physical condition to begin the first stage of their mission to stop The Rumbling.
"Hey, Armin," Lazarus spoke up as they were about to walk out from behind the rock and back to camp. Armin stops and addresses him. "Thanks for the talk. I needed that to clear my head."
"Don't mention it. Just remember to stay focused on what has to be done tomorrow. We'll be riding out at dawn so we best hurry back."
The next morning, the members of the collective alliance were awakened by the brightness of the rising sun seeping through the cracks in the leaves and branches above them. Erwin, Hange, Magath, and Tybur were the first to wake up and begin discussing their plan to infiltrate the port, rescue the Azumabito, and secure the Flying Boat.
The others began to come around shortly after and listened in on the plan. Gabi and Falco were the last to awaken. They wouldn't be serving much of a role in this mission. Falco hadn't received any training on how to use The Jaw Titan power nor was there any time.
Michael gently shakes Gabi's back, waking her up with a warm smile and a soothing tone of voice. Jean meanwhile grabbed Reiner by the shirt and shook him until he was up.
The atmosphere seemed much calmer today compared to last night. All the emotional baggage had been lifted off the shoulders of the Warriors and their former friends in the 104th. Not all of the animosity had vanished, but at least now everyone was more focused on the mission to rescue the Azumabito.
An hour later, the alliance was on the road in two carts, each pulled by a pair of horses and carrying two groups of people. Mikasa, Erwin, and two of the WOC soldiers all rode individual horses and provided escort for the carts with the commander and one soldier up front and Mikasa and the other in the back. Hange, Armin, Magath, Tybur, Levi, Yelena, and Onyankopon were riding in the cart in front with Connie manning the reins. Sasha was controlling the second wagon due to her greater experience in horse riding, while the others sat against the walls and kept to themselves.
Pieck wasn't with them for she was carrying out the second phase of the favour Lazarus had asked of her before they arrived on the island. The other two WOCs were with her for support and to supply the heavy lifting.
On the way back she will scout out the docks and report back any findings to Erwin and Magath. The journey was mostly silent with all parties keeping to themselves. They would often avoid eye contact with one another and direct their eyes to the land around them instead. Annie was leaning against Lazarus who placed his arm around her, pulling her in close. She could tell he was still uneasy being among the others after what happened last night and felt the desire to comfort him.
Michael decides to be the first to break the silence and turns to Jean next to him. "Hey, Jean, sorry for punching you back at the restaurant. I didn't mean for you to fall down the stairs."
Jean responded with a brief sideways glance and shrugged it off. "Heh, I was lucky you didn't break anything. You Ackermans have terrifying strength."
Michael chose not to chuckle at what he perceived to be a bit of light banter. He didn't feel obligated to do so given the circumstances. The silence returned until Jean felt the need to address Falco about something that had been eating him up since Liberio.
"Hey, Falco, I'm sorry for almost trying to kill you in Liberio." He hadn't realised how much guilt he'd felt for almost murdering a child until Yelena brought it up last night. He didn't want him to grow up thinking he always had no regrets.
"It's fine. You were only doing what you were trained to do. We're all on the same side now, that's all that matters."
"Right…" Jean muttered under his breath. Next, he turns to the Warriors sitting across from him, focusing specifically on their leader. "Lazarus, you're not getting an apology."
"Yeah, well, I'm good with that." Lazarus quietly replied with his eyes fixed on the floor of the cart.
"What about the rest of us?" Annie asked, referring to Reiner, Bertolt, and herself and their involvement in the attack. She was getting sick of only Lazarus being targeted for the actions they were all responsible for. They deserved a beating as much as he did, she thought.
Jean purposely kept his mouth shut, refusing to give her an answer. But he didn't need words to let her know what he thought. The look in his eyes said plenty.
Thankfully the topic of discussion was dropped when The Cart Titan came sprinting back at full speed. It was carrying a wagon loaded with supplies on its back as well as the two remaining WOC soldiers. Magath orders Connie to stop to see what she has to say. " Something's wrong", Erwin thought. She's back much sooner than expected. The Cart's nape opens, allowing Pieck to partially come out to report what she found.
"It's the harbour. The Yeagerists beat us there. They've captured it. They must've gotten one of the trains up and running. There are tons of soldiers posted all over the port in full Anti-Titan gear."
The soldiers nod to their commander in confirmation. Erwin turns himself around and addresses his son in the second wagon. "Michael, is there an entrance to the tunnel system you can open for us? Any route that'll bring us beneath them?"
The pressure of feeling everyone's gaze on him made Michael feel uneasy. He regretfully shakes his head. "We're close to the shores, the tunnels don't stretch out that far."
"Couldn't you just dig us another tunnel?" Connie questioned.
"Not as a human or Titan. Even if I could do it, my flashy transformation would only alert them to our presence."
"Then we'll have to plan our attack from the surface," Magath stated. He then looks to Erwin for advice. "I'm assuming charging in and killing them isn't an option for you, so what would you suggest?"
"We should find a secluded place to overlook the port from a safe distance first, then come up with a plan to secure the Azumabito and the Flying Boat," Hange suggested. Erwin nods in agreement and orders his WOC soldiers to scout ahead and do just that.
The Wings of Crystal managed to find a spot much sooner than expected and led the alliance to it. They were all camping out on the slope of a rocky hill with a clear view of the port and the buildings the Yeagerists were standing atop. Hange, Magath, and Erwin were observing the area, counting how many visible Yeagerists were present. Dozens of them were strewn about the rooftops closest to the dock where the Flying Boat was kept, though there were most likely more inside with the Azumabito.
Magath recognised the ship docked on the right side of the port as one of his stolen Marleyan cruisers, most likely kept around to pursue and sink anyone who attempted to hijack the Azumabito ship. They'd have to take it out first before even thinking about leaving the island.
Also to the far left standing atop a tall cliffside was a hanger where the airship they used to pick up the Scouts after the Liberio Raid was kept. It'll pose a huge problem for them if the Yeagerists use it to pursue after them. They'll have to take that out as well before departing the island.
Whilst they were on the lookout, the others gathered their bearings and readied themselves for what was about to go down. To save the world they must stop Eren. With their doubts vanquished, only their former allies stood in their way. The Scouts may have to kill their former friends if they try to stop them. Connie, Sasha, and especially Armin were the most reluctant to do that, luckily Armin was told by Erwin to sit this one out. The Yeagerists don't know that he's alive and he wanted to keep it that way.
Pieck's Cart Titan laid still so the WOC soldiers could unload the cargo off her back and place them by Lazarus' feet. He wore an accomplished smile on his face as he opened one of them up and looked inside.
"Excellent, they're all here. Thanks again for picking them up for me, Pieck."
"It was no trouble at all." She replied with a smile.
"What's all this?" Armin asked.
"Before we arrived in Shiganshina, I had Pieck hide away some supplies in case we needed them later. I asked her to pick them up from the abandoned Scout bunker we once camped out in and bring them here." Lazarus explains as he rummages through one of the boxes. He pulls out a spare Wings of Crystal uniform and tucks them under his right arm. The final item he fishes out is his father's black stetson. He places it back atop his head where it belongs, covering up his horns.
"There're some more uniforms in here for the rest of you. They're individually labelled to your exact measurements. You can thank Commander Erwin for that." He commented as he walked away from the group to go change out of the dirty rags he stole from two dead Yeagerists.
Michael, Reiner, and Armin followed his lead and grabbed a uniform that fitted their measurements, and all went off to change as well. Armin only agreed to it because he too didn't like the baggy clothes he was wearing. He would've preferred the Scout Regiment uniform, but Hange didn't have any to spare.
The others decided against it because they were still viewed as heroes to the Eldian Empire by the Yeagerists and loyal followers. If they went down there bearing the Wings of Crystal mark they might as well put a noose around their necks.
When Lazarus and the others rejoined the group in their new, clean uniforms, he noticed that Annie and Bertolt hadn't put on theirs. He had one for both of them and in their size, so why are they holding out?
"Everything okay, guys?"
"Lazarus… We're not joining you on the mission." Annie addressed her beloved.
"What?!" Hange exclaimed out loud as she turned back to address them. "But we need The Female Titan to help clear out the Yeagerists. You can't just sit this out."
"No, she has to." Lazarus intervened. "She can't utilise The Female Titan anyway, it would put our baby at risk."
Everyone who hadn't known about Annie's pregnancy gasped in response. Magath was just as surprised as the others. He'd been informed that Lazarus was incapable of having children after receiving the serum. Then again, even a scientist as gifted as Ludwig can make a few miscalculations. Right now, he was more curious to know why this news had been kept from him.
But the more he thought on it the more he could see why they'd keep it a secret. It was because their child was of royal blood and would be brought up by Marley to be a powerful weapon like their parents. Annie and Lazarus wanted to give their child a normal upbringing. Even he can respect that.
By now everyone knows about Annie's pregnancy, but most of them assumed it wouldn't have much of an effect on her ability to turn Titan. Nobody knew what to do. This was a first for all of them. They can't just rely on The Armoured Titan for this. Michael can't utilise his Titan because they want to keep bloodshed and damage to the port to a minimum. There's a high chance his crystals could accidentally sink the Flying Boat and destroy any hope of stopping Eren.
"You're right, Annie, you shouldn't get involved. You should remain here with the others keeping watch. Reiner and I should be more than enough to distract the Yeagerists." Lazarus assured her.
"But now we're down one Titan," Hange stated. "We need all the Titan power we have to defeat Eren. There's no way for us to use The Female Titan without feeding Annie to someone."
"There is another way," Erwin spoke up. Everyone looked up at him at the top of the ridge, wondering what he meant. Lazarus, Michael, and Gabi knew what it was. The Winged Titan's ace in the hole. "Lazarus has the power to transfer the power of the Titans from one Eldian to another without killing them. I've seen him do it before."
The others all slowly directed their attention towards Lazarus who nodded in confirmation. He proceeded to explain to them how this power works exactly and how much time and investment he'd put into training himself to master it. He mentions how he first tested the ability on Reiner when he received The Armoured Titan from his successor but failed because he hesitated to give up the power. Reiner would survive and Marley was lucky it hadn't lost the Armoured forever. His second, more successful, attempt was with Gabi and Michael. He managed to transfer a piece of The Crystal Titan into her so that nobody but the young Braun would automatically receive it should Michael die.
Hange and Armin were highly intrigued by this discovery. If he wanted to, he could give pretty much any Eldian among them any of the Titans they had under their control. But it was much more complicated than that.
"…However, the volunteers involved have to put their complete trust in me for it to work. The transfer must never be rushed and both parties need to have a clear and stable mind when it starts. Even the slightest hint of hesitation from any of them would result in their death and the potential loss of one of the Ten. Reiner got lucky because his predecessor hesitated just after The Armoured entered his body. He died because I hadn't finished severing my link between him and Reiner. My Titan's flames entered his body and burned him to death from the inside." Lazarus finished explaining.
At first, the others were interested in this ability, but now they were all scared to even think about taking Annie's place as the new Female Titan.
"How long does it take to transfer the power of the Titans?" Hange asked him.
"For Michael and Gabi, it was only a few minutes, but that was only a fragment. When I did it with Reiner it took mostly an hour."
"An hour?! We don't have an hour!" Jean raised his voice slightly. "Every second we waste here, that suicidal maniac is destroying the world. We've gotta do this now!"
"Then I suggest you stand down and allow him to start." Michael butted in. "Question is, who should be the one to inherit the Female?"
The female Eldians of the alliance all look at each other. Annie hadn't decided on who she would give her Titan to either. Mikasa wasn't an option because of her Ackerman heritage. Hange was the first to volunteer but was shut down by Levi who mockingly reminded her that hand-to-hand combat wasn't her strong suit. She's more brain than brawn. This only left Sasha and Gabi. But Connie reminded her of the discussion they had a few years back when she volunteered to inherit Eren's Titan and the reasons why it would be a bad idea.
The others then slowly turn towards the only remaining candidate, Gabi Braun. It made sense, she was trained to inherit one of the Nine from a young age. But she wasn't sure if she was the right person for the role, she was already chosen to be the successor for The Crystal Titan. She can't just throw it all away and act like everything she'd learned from Michael was all for nothing.
"Whoa, whoa! You're not all thinking about making Gabi the next Female Titan, are you?"
"Men can't inherit the Female, and you just heard the others' reasons for not being the right choice," Annie replied. "There is no better option."
"She's right. Gabi is the finest candidate Marley's ever trained in years. She is the most capable of utilising the Female's full capabilities." Magath joined in, not even thinking about the other Eldian women around him as being just as capable.
"No! She's already chosen to inherit a Titan, MY Titan! Dad, tell him we're not doing this!"
Erwin closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh before voicing his thoughts on the matter. "I'm afraid he's right, son. Hange can't fight as well as Levi, Mikasa can only inherit the Crystal, and Sasha is more useful as a Scout. I know we originally planned for Gabi to succeed you, but plans change. We need every able Titan body we can muster to stop Eren. We can't afford to have Annie sit on the sidelines keeping the power bottled up." He turns to Lazarus. "Begin the transfer as soon as you can, that's an order."
"Yes sir," Lazarus responded as he moved into position. Michael was just about to get in between them and put a stop to this, but he was held back by Gabi grabbing his WOC jacket sleeve.
"Michael, it's okay. I want to do this."
"But Gabi…"
"Just shut up and listen to me!" She rudely interrupted. "You once told me that I had a choice in this. You may have intended to make me your successor, but you said I had the freedom to accept the responsibility. If you really meant that then you'll let me decide! This is my choice, understand? My choice!"
Michael stuttered and raised his hands defensively, taken aback by Gabi's telling off like a teacher scolding a misbehaving child. He did remember saying those words to Gabi. She had the freedom to decide what kind of Warrior she wanted to be, whether it be with the Crystal or Female Titans.
"I'm sorry, Gabi. I guess I let what Ludwig said get to me after all. Subconsciously I was afraid I would lose my life with my lifetime goal left unfinished like my grandfather did. I wanted to ensure the Crystal Titan was in the right hands before that time."
"The Crystal Titan had always been in good hands with you, Michael," Gabi reassured him. "You may be the only Crystal I've known, but I still think you're the best one the world has. I wanted to prove to you, and myself, that I could be a worthy successor, but a small part of me secretly didn't want to see you die before your time."
Michael smiled and tussled her hair. He stands to the side and allows Lazarus to begin the third Titan transfer process. He takes hold of Annie and Gabi's hands, and the two girls face each other. Lazarus calmly instructs them to close their eyes and open their minds so that he can begin forming the connection. Erwin orders everyone else to keep quiet and not disturb the process. A single distraction is all it takes to mess everything up and cost them The Female Titan.
Lazarus closes his eyes, and his mind's eye unveils an internal x-ray of Annie and Gabi's bodies. He can see the veins in their bodies glowing. The centre of Annie's spine shone the brightest, showing him the source of The Female Titan's power. He can also see the very faint light emanating from Gabi's spine where The Crystal Titan fragment still lingered. He slowly starts forming a connection with both of them through their hands. The three of them shudder in response to the alien sensation of the link forming. They both breathed in and out calmly, awaiting Lazarus to begin, but he froze.
Nobody wanted to ask him what was wrong, fearing it would disrupt the transfer. They kept their nerve and continued to remain still. Lazarus inevitably regained his focus and started slowly guiding The Female Titan out of Annie's nape, through her veins, and into his body. So far so good.
The others all watched with confusion and interest. Some of them had the urge to crack under the pressure of keeping quiet and let loose a sneeze or cough, but Erwin gave them an encouraging look to hold it in and any questions they may have once the ritual was over.
Hange was in awe over what was happening right before her eyes. From everyone's perspective, Annie and Gabi's bodies were flashing a golden aura. Annie's started off strong and the flashing was getting slower with each piece of her Titan leaving her body. Gabi's body was the opposite. Her aura flashing grew faster with each passing minute, implying she was receiving more and more of The Female Titan's power.
Lazarus was right about the transfer taking up to an hour to complete properly without rushing or interruptions. He was taking his time channelling the power from Annie to Gabi. They were very fortunate they hadn't been spotted and attacked by the Yeagerists yet.
Finally, the transfer was completed. Gabi shudders as she feels the last of The Female Titan's power enter her body and take refuge within her spine. Annie could feel her legs turning to jelly. She loses her balance and stumbles forward into Lazarus' arms.
"It's okay, I got you… How do you feel?"
Annie looks at her hands and feels the back of her neck. It was weird. She felt like nothing had changed but also had a sense that something was missing. And now she's feeling a little tired like she hadn't gotten a decent sleep in ages. Perhaps she was feeling the effects of not having a Titan's regeneration anymore.
"I feel… different." She weakly muttered.
"Good different or bad different?" He asked.
"Just… different. I can't explain it."
"Gabi and I felt the same way when we tried it. It'll pass eventually, though for you it may take a little longer." Michael warned her.
"What about you, Gabi? Any change?" Lazarus asked the new Female Titan user.
Gabi looks over herself and starts moving her arms and legs about, flexing the joints. Unlike Annie, she felt good. Amazing even. "Yeah. I feel like my body's gotten stronger all of a sudden. Was that how it felt for you too, Reiner?"
"…Yeah, something like that."
"Congratulations, Gabi. You are the new Female Titan. That makes you the fourth best Female Titan I've had the privilege of knowing." Lazarus complimented her with a smile. Gabi smiles back and hugs him.
After a few moments of answering any questions thrown his way about how he had the patience to perform the transfer, the alliance returned to planning out its mission. Hange never expected Floch to take action so quickly after Eren left. It just shows how loyal he was to him and the new Eldian Empire they're trying to build. If the Yeagerists destroy the Flying Boat, their plan to stop The Rumbling would be dead in the water. So why haven't they done it already, Magath wondered.
Erwin anticipated it was because he knew they were coming and wanted to stop Eren but wasn't 100% sure if they were or how many more were involved. This gave The Alliance the element of surprise. Another reason is that they don't have the knowledge to build another one from scratch if they did blow it up, which is why they are holding The Azumabito hostage inside. They're keeping it around so that they can make sure the mainlands beyond Paradis are wiped clean. They needed to play out their first move very carefully. The second they suspect something is wrong they will blow it to bits.
The Yeagerists may have the numbers, but the alliance has got five of the Nine, the ancient Crystal Titan, and the all-powerful Winged Titan on their side. And with Erwin, Hange, and Magath leading them they should have minimal difficulties.
Everyone who knows how to use ODM gear began equipping the harness. Lazarus then opens the crate labelled "Cloud Zero" and reveals his fine work in engineering to the others.
"You've made more of these things?" Connie asked in a stunned manner.
"Yep, and you lot are gonna be using them." Before Connie was about to ask why, Lazarus answered immediately. "Remember back in the Cadet Corps, you asked me if I had one for you? I only had enough time and resources to make one back then. But now we can all have one. It moves much faster and uses less gas than the old ODM gear, and the blades are longer, sharper, and more durable compared to the giant box cutters you use… Consider it a token of my regret. I know it won't take back what I-
"Lazarus…" Connie raises his hand, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Thanks."
The War Chief responded with a single nod and began fishing the gear out and handing them to their new owners one at a time. But Erwin stopped him from giving a pair to Connie and Sasha because they had another job to do.
"Not you two. As far as we know the Yeagerists still see you as allies. We need you to go down to where The Flying Boat is docked and persuade the soldiers guarding it to remove the explosives. If you show up with WOC ODM gear they'll know somethings wrong." He explained thoroughly.
"Aw, man!" Sasha complained. She already had her arms out, ready to receive the new gear, only to lower them miserably along with her head.
"Smith! Get up here now!" Willy Tybur suddenly called out. He points the commander in the direction of the sky. Something looked off about the formation of clouds in the distance out to sea.
Whilst their leader was dealing with that, the others began the most efficient way to take out the Yeagerists. As much as the members of the 104th didn't want to hear it, they would eventually have to kill them all to secure The Flying Boat. Sasha and Connie's chances of convincing them to remove the explosives are slim and they need to defeat them before they get a chance to destroy it.
"To pull this off everyone's gotta be in-sync. We need to combine our Titan power with your firepower, understood?" Michael asked his former Scout comrades.
"What about the Azumabito? The Yeagerists are still holding them hostage. We need to keep them out of the line of fire." Mikasa explained.
"She's right," Pieck added. "If the hostages are killed the rest of the plan falls apart. Right, Onyankopon?"
"Yeah, we need them alive. I should be able to pilot their boat, but first we gotta get it into flying shape. That's the problem. We need the mechanics to set up the wings otherwise none of us are gonna be flying anywhere. The wings are folded up to make it easier to tow, so they'll need them extended and secured, and even then, there's still more to do before we can get airborne. The original plan was to hanger it till we had some pilots trained, so we're skipping a lot of steps, but they'll at least need some time to service it before takeoff."
"Start to finish, how long is it gonna take to service?" Reiner asked.
"I couldn't say. It'll be up to the mechanics."
Annie could sense what the others were thinking. They still can't bring themselves to kill the Yeagerists down there. Some of them they've known for years. They're hoping there was another way of holding them off without resorting to murder, but there wasn't. She needed to make it loud and clear to them.
"I get it. But to confirm, you're asking us to protect the Azumabito technicians from the Yeagerists, long enough to get the boat ready to fly. And let me guess, you want us to hold the enemy off for this unknown length of time without killing any of them."
"… If at all possible. We've known these guys ever since we were cadets." Jean responded on the others' behalf.
"Then I'm sure you've got a plan. Think you can fill me in?" She monotonously appealed to him. "We don't even have an estimate on how long the Azumabito will need yet, so you must have some scheme to keep the Yeagerists occupied indefinitely without killing them. Can you explain it in detail?" She then turns to Armin with intense eyes. "There is a plan right, Armin? You had one for me."
Armin felt an uncomfortable shiver going through his body. His eyes drift away from Annie's gaze, unable to handle the intensity behind them. Thankfully Lazarus steps in and places his hand on her shoulder.
"Annie, calm down."
"Someone has to tell them how it needs to be, Lazarus. Without The Female Titan, I am vulnerable. If they hesitate, the Yeagerists will eventually find and kill me without a second thought. You'll lose me and our baby because they couldn't bring themselves to do what must be done."
"I know, I get it." The new War Chief then takes a step forward and tries to smooth things over with the others. "I know how you're all feeling, but Annie's right. Killing old comrades you've known for years is never easy, but those guys down there made their choice a long time ago. They chose to devote themselves to Eren and sit back and watch as he squashes the world flat. I bet they wouldn't even have a shred of guilt for all the lives taken should he succeed. Take it from someone who's had nothing but guilt eating away at me ever since I first came here… The moment they see us, they will kill us and they will kill you if you're seen with us. They won't hesitate to cut down anyone they consider a traitor to Eldia. We have to wipe them all out first, or else a survivor will destroy the boat and leave us stranded here, and my Titan won't be able to carry all of us across the sea and have enough strength to fight Eren."
"Hold on." Connie interrupted. "We can see that it's a long shot, but we're doing this to help people. So what? Are you saying we have to gun down a bunch of our friends to save the world? That's so messed up!"
"Yes, it is." The Warriors all thought. They understand better than anyone how it feels to kill people they once called their friends. Lazarus had to kill Marco because he knew too much. Annie had to kill so many Scouts just to get closer to Eren. Reiner and Bertolt were forced to kill many more Scouts as part of a final attempt to capture the Founder. Now they're all in the same boat.
"I'm sorry." The albino spoke softly, looking over each of them with sorrowful eyes. "Here I am offering you new ODM gear without even considering what you all must be feeling. This'll be a pretty ugly operation; we shouldn't expect you guys to take part in it. We don't even have the right to drop that choice on you… If it had been you in our place, you probably would've chosen differently than we did that day. You wouldn't have breached the wall. Any of you would've made a better Winged Titan than me."
Reiner suddenly recalls the last thing Eren said to him before transforming in Liberio. " Turns out that I was right. I am the same as you." Was that what he meant? He wondered.
"None of you need to join this battle. Stick with Gabi and Falco, keep Annie safe, stay at a safe distance and observe. You'll have to defend yourselves if the Yeagerists spot you, so be prepared to fight. But for now, just stay out of it."
"And let you guys kill each other while we sit back and watch?" Armin questioned.
"Would that work? Can Titans really win this without infantry backing them up?" Jean thought to himself. Lazarus can't go all out without risking the Flying Boat. Even paired up with Reiner he wondered if the two of them would be enough.
"I'm afraid we don't have the time to be hesitant," Hange interjected as she slid down the slope with Erwin, Tybur and Magath. "Look, I know they were our comrades, but I've already had to shoot four."
"And I've had to cut down an innumerable number of them when we landed in Shiganshina… I had to kill Nile and Pyxis as Titans. It wasn't easy, but it had to be done. On top of that, our window for saving humanity is shorter than we realised. Tell them, Hange." Said Erwin.
"I saw the Titans crossing the sea, leaving monstrous clouds of steam in their wake. And considering how fast they were moving; they've probably made landfall in Marley by now. The closest cities in north-eastern Marley are most likely gone. I had no idea they would be able to make it across the sea that quickly. There's no telling how many people they've killed."
As Hange was explaining how dire the situation had become, an enraged Theo Magath pushed Onyankopon out of the way and approached Yelena who'd been sitting silently on a rock all this time. She looks up at him with her usual deadpanned eyes, though they don't stay that way for long. The general places his hand over her mouth and forces her against the rocky wall, cutting off her air supply. He then positions his right foot atop her left arm and presses down hard whilst holding it in place with his free hand.
"Tell us where Eren and Ludwig are going with those Titans! Every time you make me ask you again, I'll break you a new elbow!" His boot digs even deeper into her arm, forcing a muffled scream out of the treacherous Marleyan. But rather than simply remove his hand and let her talk, he proceeded to break her arm anyway, causing Yelena to scream even louder than before. Had her mouth not been covered she would have alerted the Yeagerists.
"Magath! Stop it!" Erwin shouted.
The general eventually did and allowed her to writhe in agonising pain and terror.
"Why do you look so damn afraid? I'm not going to kill you."
She waited until the pain started fading enough for her to focus on forming words again. "...That's certainly good to hear… I've changed my mind. Now that you've caught me up in this, I don't wanna die without knowing how it all ends. If we survive and you take me with you, I might tell you where to find them. I also want to see my uncle one last time before you do whatever to him."
"Oh, you'll be seeing him again, alright… In a body bag!" Lazarus angrily muttered to himself.
Willy places his hand on the general's right shoulder. "Securing that boat is priority one, torturing her isn't gonna do us any good now."
Magath stops and takes a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He then looks over towards Gabi who was trying to scale the wall to peek out over the top. He then looks back at Willy and the other Eldians standing behind him. He said some pretty hurtful and discriminating things to them last night, blaming them for the actions of Eren Yeager. But the truth is he was starting to see that it was Marley's fault. None of this would've happened if they hadn't forced the Omega Unit to attack their island in the first place. He needed to make amends before the alliance could function properly as a united front. He started with the inhabitants of Paradis.
"Forgive me, all of you. I was… a fool. I'm sorry for my behaviour last night. We were never in the right. I deluded myself into thinking we were the good guys. I wanted to believe the evil I'd done was justified as part of some great cause. But in the end, that's just not true. I attempted to ignore the fact that Marley's soul had grown rotten as I didn't want to consider what that said about me. This war isn't your fault. You shouldn't be punished for the sins of people you never knew simply because their blood flows in your veins."
He then turns around to apologise to the remaining members of the Omega Unit. "Pieck, Annie, Reiner, Bertolt, Lazarus, you've been shouldering the burden of humanity's hatred since you were born. It's inexcusable. But still, senseless as our bloodstained history may be, we have a duty to pass it on so that generations after us can do better… You were the first to see it, Lazarus, but we didn't listen. We forced you into becoming our weapon, treating you like an experiment instead of a person. For that, I am truly sorry."
He finally turns to Erwin and Michael. "You're a good leader, Erwin Smith. A better one than I'll ever be in this mission. You raised your son, a boy who was born a Marleyan citizen, to become something better than what I forced these kids to be. We need more people like you… You were wise not to obey me, Michael… Yeager and Oppenheimer plan to erase everything, including the lessons of the past, and I call that unforgivable. As long as this want and killing continues our world will only sink deeper into hell. We have to break the cycle!"
He then surprises everyone by bowing down and closing his eyes, proving how much he meant it when he told them he was sorry, and that they didn't have to take part in the mission if it was too much for them. "But right now we're trapped in it. There's no way to avoid spilling more blood today, so please look the other way."
Everyone was stunned for words. They never would have thought they'd see the day the Marleyan general would be bowing his head to those he once called Island Devils for almost his whole life. He meant every word of what he said. And he was right, the cycle needed to end. The Warriors have already offered to carry out the hardships they can't bear. But is this really the best idea, sitting back and watching their old comrades die because they wanted no part of it?
"I'm not doing that." Armin broke the silence, gaining the general's attention. "I refuse to let someone else stain their hands in my place. What Eren is doing is beyond criminal and I want him to know I stand against him!"
"And you will, but not right now," Erwin assured him. "The Yeagerists can't know you're human again. Patience, Armin. Your time will come… What about the rest of you? Are you willing to give your hearts and souls to our cause?"
Hange, Levi, Michael, Mikasa, Sasha, Jean, and Connie all perform their island's military salute in front of him, showing their dedication to saving the world. The Warriors follow their lead and join in. Even Willy, Gabi and Falco performed it. This pleases Erwin. At last, they were all starting to accept one another and come together as a squad. The Alliance is complete.
"Then gear up! We've got a world to save!"
To Be Continued