Chapter Thirty-Six

The Retaking of Wall Maria Begins

A/N: Keep going strong. No matter how hard things get, there's always a way out. The light will always penetrate the dark.

Disclaimer: Attack on Titan does not belong to me; I only own Emalina and other OCs. The new story picture does not belong to me; I hold no Copyright and found the image through Google Images.

~ oOo ~

EMALINA

We had set off for Shiganshina. Before I knew it, we had left Wall Rose behind and could only view the unknown. Not long into our journey, the sun had set, leaving behind nothing but darkness, utter blackness that stretched farther than my lamp could see. All Scouts had removed themselves from their saddles and walked the rest of the way to Shiganshina. With our new light source - respectfully taken from the Reiss cave - we could maneuver our way across the open plains without worrying about running into a titan that was ready and willing to eat us. And yet, just because the titans were most likely stationary for the night did not replace the minimal fear I felt about the prospect of running face-first to a human-eating catastrophe.

Throughout the night, Jean stayed by my side, and I by his. Connie was to his right, and Sasha was to my left. We had each other's backs and would not let any of our friends fall. Most Scouts were toward the front of the pack while we lagged. Even though he was about fifteen feet in front of me, Levi instructed me to keep an eye on Eren, who would always remain by Armin and Mikasa's sides. I knew very well that Eren could care for himself, especially now that he had more control of his titan, like me. But…

…there was still a part of Levi that thought Eren wasn't in control as much as he thought, which is why he wanted me to keep an eye on him.

"Ahh! Woah!"

My head suddenly turned to see Eren had almost fallen over. He was holding his steed's reigns tightly as I quickly made my way over, slowly running my hand down the horse's neck. The creature almost instantly calmed down, neighing into the night as it counted on the ground. "It's ok baby, you're all right."

Beside me, Eren sighed. "Thanks, Emalina."

Staring at him, I asked, "What happened? You were fine just a moment ago."

"I, uh…" He shook his head. "I almost dropped my flashlight, and my horse tripped on something."

"Oh geez…" I shook my head. Jean appeared by my side as I glanced at him. "Make sure you hold tightly to that thing. Even though horses have great eyesight, they can misstep now and then. With our limited resources, we wouldn't want something to happen even to one of our steeds. Is everything else alright?"

"Yeah, we're fine. I'm just…" He exhaled, sharing a look with Armin beside him. "Nervous, I guess you could say."

Well, I couldn't fault my friend for that. Jean knew of all the worries I'd shared with him over the last several days. I had my own worries, as did Jean, Connie, and Saha. I couldn't even imagine what Eren was thinking or feeling. I'd think he was worried for different reasons. Aside from filling in the hole in Wall Maria, there was enough pressure on his shoulders, specifically about what lay hidden in his old basement.

Placing my arm on Eren's shoulder, I pulled him slightly closer until only he could hear what I was about to say. "Hey," I withheld from saying his name directly. "No one can take away the valid nervousness you feel. Hell, we all feel it, but that does not take away from what you feel. Just know that we will all do what we can to protect you if we are to run into anyone in Shiganshina." Squeezing his arm, I added. "Just don't forget: you have me as a titan ally. If you do whatever you can as a titan, just remember that I will, too."

Chuckling softly, Eren gave me a smile - despite being extremely small, it was still there. "You are…a good friend to have, Emalina."

"Tch," Jean appeared beside us with a playful scowl. "You're just now realizing that?"

Rolling his eyes, Eren stepped back as my arm fell from his. "I've known that for a good while, Jean."

"Doesn't sound like it to me."

"Ha, just goes to show how much you know."

"I know more than you, you little - "

"Oh, geez, let it go, you two." Rolling my eyes, I tried hiding a smile, but the minimal spat between them was enough to lift my spirits, even if it was small.

"Emalina's right." Armin stepped forward, the light from his lantern casting an eerie shadow across his face. "You need to remember that you're not alone in this. You have all of us here. We will do everything possible to ensure you have the support you need."

He glanced between his two friends before landing back on me. Even in the darkness of the night, I could still decipher the pinkness of his cheeks. "I mean, well…"

Connie appeared beside us. "They're right, Eren, just take it easy. You should rest as much as you can before we get there."

Turning to him, Jean sharply said, "Don't use his name, stupid! Ugh, you have to assume that there's an enemy right around every corner."

"Oh, yeah…sorry!"

"Just…think about our words for a little longer, ok? We still have some time before we make it to Shiganshina."

"You mean…" Connie huffed beside me. "We're still not there?"

"No, not quite." Further up ahead, I could hear Levi and Erwin having a similar conversation. "Erwin thinks we just need to make it past this mountain, and then we'll be right there."

We continued pressing forward, maintaining our direction with the lights before us. "We better make it soon," I could hear Mikasa say. "I think dawn is fast approaching."

"Damn, dawn already, huh? At this rate, I think…" Jean suddenly stopped talking. As he stopped, his hand shot forward so that all of us could halt our movements. "Titan to the left!" He suddenly shouted.

We all cast our eyes to the side. Stepping forward, I raised my hand, shining the brightness of my lantern so everyone could see what Jean had noticed. It was just as Jean stated. Seated right there against the small cliff was a titan on the smaller side. Even though its eyes were open, it acted as if it was asleep, not even moving its head as we slowly stepped forward.

I turned to those who gathered behind me and said, "It's ok. He's dozing away."

Levi and Hange appeared beside me to study this titan. Our scientist said, "This little one doesn't seem to be one of the newer types that can move around at night…" I watched her as she sadly grinned. "Too bad, we'll leave him be."

I gently nudged her shoulder. "Alright, we know you're sad about that." My friend's only reaction was to grin wickedly. We all walked away then, but even I could hear Hange's sigh of relief. Even though we knew titans weren't active at night, we had been on edge since we ran into them at Utgard Castle. Beside me, Eren suddenly stopped as he glanced backward at the tiny titan.

"We…didn't even notice it until we were so close…"

I could hear Hange reply, "Exactly. Normally, I would advise against midnight strolls through the forest…but this darkness is probably what's protecting us." She spared a glance at me. "When Connie, Historia, and Emalina encountered a moving titan at night, the moon was out. And moonlight is just reflected sunlight. While it's only a hypothesis that these new titans use that small amount of sun energy to move…it looks like it was right to wait for a new moon."

"You and your hypothesis', Hange, I swear…I'm surprised you haven't gotten yourself killed yet." Beside me, I could hear Levi lowly chuckle at my statement.

"I'm just that good, Ema, you know that." She laughed as well, her voice dipping low as she added, "I hope we can capture one someday."

Leaving Hange to her thoughts about capturing titans, I turned to Levi. "What do you think?" I asked quietly.

He turned, staring at me carefully. "About what?"

"About what Hange just said. Do you think there are actual titans that can move around? Like the ones I ran into? Or do you think that was just a fluke?"

"I…I don't know, shorty." Staring off into the distance, I followed my brother's trail of sight, watching through his eyes all the Scout members before us, their lanterns lighting the way for me to watch all of them. "Whether or not those titans exist, you were there. You know what you saw, and I believe you. Whether they exist or if that time was a fluke doesn't matter." Wrapping an arm over my shoulder, he pulled me in close. "Regardless, you and I will defeat them like we have always done."

"Heh, you have killed just a little more than me; I hope you know that."

"Doesn't make you any less of a soldier, Ema." Stopping, he allowed the rest of the Scouts to pass us. Jean, Connie, and Sasha shot us a glance as they passed, though they let us be. "This…might be the last time we have a moment to ourselves before everything goes to shit."

Raising an eyebrow, I faced my brother. "I already told you, Levi. If we face Reiner or Bertholdt, I'm ready to take their lives."

He shook his head. "No, I'm not worried about that. Just…promise me one thing. Promise me this one thing after everything I and Erwin have asked you to do."

"And…what would that be?" I had a feeling I knew what he would say, but still. I needed to hear it.

Hands grasping my shoulders, he peered slightly downward, placing our heads together. "Make sure you stay alive, Emalina. We've talked about this before, I know, but still…I've lost…" His voice went quiet. "I've lost so many people in my life. I don't want to think about the possibility that I could lose the last surviving member of my family. So please, Emalina…whatever you do, ensure you live to see this next day."

"Yes," my voice was instant, the conviction not surprising me. "We may be blood-related as cousins, but you will always be my big brother. I will not die this day. There is too much at stake if my life were to end this easily."

Despite the situation, a beautiful smile graced his face. "Good. As long as you're not stupid enough to get killed easily."

"Do you…" I stepped back and crossed my arms. "Do you honestly expect I'll die that easily?"

My brother's instantaneous response was to say, "My hope is that you won't, but I've had other soldiers say they wouldn't die either."

Cupping his cheeks, I squeezed the man. "I won't die as long as you keep the same promise."

He smiled again, so beautifully. "Deal." Glancing behind me, he added, "Guess we better head off. Erwin's having everyone gather upon the horses."

Tilting my head backward, I could see what Levi was talking about. Nodding, we left our private area and joined the rest of the Scouts. We had just broken free from the forest, and I could barely make out Wall Maria across the horizon. It sure had been some time since I'd last seen this sight. Glancing over at Eren, I saw his saddened look, the same as Armin and Mikasa. I had my demons that still haunted me from that day, but just as they would never understand what I witnessed, I would never be able to experience what they saw, either.

Gathering our steeds together, we rode off toward the crumbling outskirts of Shiganshina. The buildings were in different stages of decay. The bridges had crumbled, weeds were growing all across the town, and the scenery was just haunted. Haunted from the death this district last witnessed. As we rode closer, the sun slowly rose, the orange and yellow glow brightened the district, and I was suddenly reminded of Uma. I loved watching the sun rise from across the furthest mountains, illuminating the wonder that was my hometown. Seeing all this before me just made me homesick.

"The sun is starting to rise!" I could hear Erwin scream toward his soldiers the further we rode through the decaying city. "Be careful of any hiding titans!"

Those around me glanced around, their cautious stares constantly moving to keep everyone safe. Just because we had made it to Shiganshina in one piece did not mean we were safe. If anything, it left us wide open for any attack, whether from a random titan or from Reiner and Bertholdt.

"Begin the operation!" Erwin screamed from the front. My head snapped forward because I knew what he would say next. Glancing at my comrades around me, we all nodded and grasped our handhelds tightly. "ALL TROOPS SWITCH TO VERTICAL MANEUVERING!"

Just as we were about to make our way through the hole in the gate, all Scouts switched from horseback to using their ODM. Climbing the wall, our horses continued to race on. I patted Freyja's neck one last time and jumped onto her saddle before making my way up the wall with everyone else. And just as my foot landed upon the top of Wall Maria, the sun stretched across the horizon.

It's a memory I will never forget.

The vast expanse of the Shiganshina District lay at my feet. The entire district reminded me of Trost and the other districts I have visited. They all had the same layout, but there was something different about Shiganshina. It was haunting, yes, but mostly it was eerie. Just knowing the amount of death that took place five years ago was enough for my spine to curl. A shiver shot through my body just thinking back to the day the titans rampaged my village.

"Don't stop!" I could hear Levi cry behind me. Turning, I noticed he was speaking to Eren, who was frozen. "Get to the outer gate!" When he didn't move, I tightly grasped his elbow and pulled. I understood why he was frozen. If this had been Uma, I would've frozen in place, too.

Sasha ran beside me as we made our way to the opposite gate, Connie and Jean right on our heels. I kept my eyes and ears open, expecting and waiting for any sign of the titans. It's just…there weren't any. There were no signs of the titans anywhere. We hadn't encountered anything other than the one we found sleeping in the forest. My eyes narrowed; I thought that was strange. This was the only entry from outside the walls into our world. Why weren't there any titans? Where could they have gone?

My legs finally stopped; we had arrived at the opposite gate. Glancing at my friends, they all shook their heads, having not found a single titan in the area. The hairs on my arms stood up. My spine curled again, and I had to force myself from shaking. Rubbing the back of my neck, I tried calming my nerves, but something in the depths of my gut screamed.

Something's not right.

Levi and the others have to know that something's going to happen. Stepping toward my brother and Hange, I expressed my concerns. "Hey, what do you think's going on?"

"I don't know," Levi stated, eyes on me.

"But…There isn't a single titan in the area…!" I watched as Hange glanced around, her hand grasping the flare cannon. Slowly circling, I felt that if I stood motionless, one would appear behind me.

"That's not the half of it. We haven't even seen one yet."

"That's the strange part," I offered; they turned their heads toward me. I wasn't sure what to say other than, "Something's not right. Something's definitely not right."

"What's going on in that head of yours, Emalina?" Hange asked questionably.

Facing her, I pulled my hood more tightly over my head. "…we're in the enemy's territory now. Whatever they may have done, they've done so to benefit them and screw us."

She eyed me curiously. Sighing, she said, "…we have to press on." She raised her hand and ignited the canon, signifying others across the wall to do the same. "The operation will continue as planned."

Watching the sky, I noticed how the slight win grasped the gas of the flares and carried them off into the distance. Making my way back to my friends, Connie asked, "So…the operation's still a go?"

I nodded. "We've scouted the area and done what we can. Now, we have to push through and finish what we started."

Sasha softly cried out. "My stomach hurts."

"Nerves?" Jean asked.

She nodded. "Something's just…"

"…not right?" I finished her sentence, and she immediately nodded in agreement.

After a moment of silence, she then added, "...we're going to lose a lot of people today, aren't we?"

Connie stepped back; Jean stared into the distance; I grasped my best friend's shoulder and squeezed. "We may, we may not. But…I, for sure as hell, will not go down without a fight. What about you?"

She placed her hand above mine. "I'll do everything in my power to fight!" I was amazed by the conviction in her voice.

"We've got each other's backs, right?" Connie asked as he glanced around at his friends.

"Backs, fronts, it doesn't matter. I won't let you three die on me. You got that?" Jean stepped forward and cocked his head. We all nodded, eyes narrowed as we agreed. Twirling around swiftly, I was caught off guard by the sound of an ODM exhaust, only to find that Eren had lifted himself into the air. He was preparing himself to take care of the hole in the wall, and as I watched him, I knew this would work, but I still wished on an invisible star that all would be ok by the end of the day.

The explosion was louder than I expected.

We all watched the familiar yellow titan glow from Eren's transformation. I stepped to the wall's edge to stare down. It was amazing to see Eren's hardened masterpiece instantly. Mikasa had flown down and, just as quickly, pulled Eren up the wall. Hange followed our stance and stared downward, her voice frantic. "Any enemies?!"

The response from those around her was instant. "Nope!"

"None over here!"

She took a deep breath, then asked, "What about the wall?"

Glancing down again, the dust had fully subsided, and we could see that the entire hole had been plugged. Nothing remained from the hole that Reiner had created five years ago.

I inhaled deeply and muttered, "Now comes the challenging part."

"But…isn't the hole being plugged a good thing?"

I shook my head. "I think that's what they wanted to happen. Now that it's done, it's only a matter of time before they show themselves."

Jean stared at me weirdly. "You're thinking of something. What is it?"

"They're planners," I said quickly. "To infiltrate the military the way they had, they must've been able to concoct a plan with minimal resources. You can bet they've considered the wall being plugged, or at least us returning here. They knew about Eren's basement. They probably assumed we'd finally stop by and reclaim whatever was in there." Starring off once more, I sighed. In a low voice, I added, "I'm probably overthinking. But…I'd rather stay proactive than assume nothing will happen."

A whistle soon entered my ears. Seeing Levi call me over, I jogged to his position. Quickly, he stated, "Take the others and head back to the inner gate, now."

"Understood." Stepping back, I relayed the message, and after making sure our faces were covered, we raced back to where we started. By the time we returned to the wall, we had reached the end of the conversation between Erwin and Armin.

Tilting his head toward me, Erwin asked, "Emalina. What's the status?"

"You saw the flares. Eren successfully closed the hole, but Levi ordered us to head back."

He nodded. "Good. Now, I have further commands for you."

I blinked. "Me?"

"You and Armin will command however many men you need and search for the enemy."

"Will command…? Wait, hold up. What's going on?" Armin stepped forward and quickly shared what we discovered. My eyes rolled at the information. Go figure the enemy would be one step ahead of us. Slapping my forehead, I mumbled, "You have got to be fucking kidding me…"

Armin's shoulders tensed. "I wish I wasn't."

I took a deep breath and said, "Ok, what are we supposed to do?"

Then, several different Scouts stepped forward. "We searched every nook and cranny along the wall!"

"Armin, Emalina, what're your orders?"

Rolling my shoulders, I turned toward my blonde friend. I could see the frantic look on his face, so I grabbed his arms and had him face me. "Armin? Armin!" His eyes snapped open. "Take a long, deep breath. You discovered something important. Now, what should we do? How're we going to find Reiner and Bertholdt?"

Swallowing, Armin nodded. "I'm going to need your help."

"Anything you need, I'm here."

Turning to the other Scouts, he shouted, "Split into two groups to search the buildings around the inner gate, both inside and outside. And the entire district. If you find anything, report by acoustic shell." They immediately ran off in different directions, two specific groups as Armin requested. Glancing around, I could see why Armin said to check the surrounding buildings near the inner gate.

But, something wasn't making sense.

Where would they have gone to? If what Armin said is correct, then there are three individuals we need to worry about, not just two. They were waiting for us if they had been camping atop the wall. Atop the wall, they could see for miles and easily see our carriage of horses in the early light. But still…

Cupping my chin, I stood there thinking as all others around me were set in motion.

Where would they have gone? I…don't think they would have set themselves in the buildings outside the wall. Glancing past the wall, I changed my direction to look inside the district. It would make more sense to be inside the district so they could also have a better viewpoint of us inside it.

Ok, so inside the district. But still, where would that be? Groaning, my head started to hurt.

Why would they choose a random building if they chose to wait inside the district? It didn't make sense. They would need a specific building with the best perspective of the entire city. Holding my head, I began pacing back and forth, watching Armin drop to the ground below to scavenge like the others. Kicking a loose stone, I watched it fall over the ledge.

Think, think, think! If there are three of them, then we can safely assume that two of them are titans, and that would be Reiner and Bertholdt. If they are titans, what can they do that humans cannot? I sighed heavily. A lot of things, for starters. Reiner's body cannot be harmed except for a few weak spots, and Bertholdt is probably indestructible due to its size. Annie could run and force titans to do what she wanted. But…

It was then I kicked another stone.

Titans have powers that can manipulate what surrounds them. I thought back long and hard. Annie's hardened fingers broke through the stone of all the walls with enough strength to carry her body.

My eyes widened.

"They're not in the buildings," I whispered. "Because they're in the walls."

I ignited my acoustic shell before I realized what I was doing. I could hear the Commander behind me question what I was doing, but Armin was at my side before I could breathe. He raced up the wall and was at my side as I blinked.

"Emalina? What's going on?!"

"I know where they are!" I whispered harshly. Frantically searching around me, I tried to understand where they could hide. If they were in the walls, they would have to be on this side, right? This was the side where their campsite was, after all. The other Scouts had gathered by this point, followed by my friends. "I just - you have to trust me! Reiner and Bertholdt are in the walls!"

"The walls?!"

"Emalina, are you crazy?!"

Armin shushed them, leaning forward to hear what I had to say. "Hold up. What're you getting at?"

I then explained what I had been thinking. "It just…doesn't make sense for Reiner and Bertholdt to hide in the buildings. It wouldn't be advantageous unless they had a decent viewpoint of the entire district. Besides, they've had to have known that we would trek here at some point; they were well aware of Eren's basement. If they were to watch us from inside the buildings, they would lose sight of us fairly quickly, no?" He nodded in understanding. "The only other logical place would be inside the walls where they could view the entire district."

He crossed his arms, lost in thought, but must've reached the same conclusion because his eyes widened. "I think you're onto something."

"You can't be serious!" We turned to the other men. "How do you know any of this is true?!"

Armin looked at me as I silently pleaded. I didn't know I was right; he must've known it, too. "Call it a hunch," he eventually said.

"A hunch?! Do you understand what we're doing at this very moment?!"

"Emalina! We don't have time to be playing around. This is serious!"

"No, she's right!" Everyone turned to Armin. "They've always used their titan powers in the most improbable ways to gain an advantage over us! Assuming they'd hide in the buildings is too obvious, and they must've known that, too!"

"But - !"

"If we let ourselves be constrained by regular common sense…we'll never be able to gain the upper hand on them!"

A small explosion erupted behind us, and we all turned to see Erwin with his arm raised. The Commander shared a passing look between me and Armin. "There are times to be rigid and times to be flexible. Following the principles you've learned as soldiers, you give everything you have to the mission. However," he looked across all his soldiers. "Observe the chain of command. We are here to win. Do not fear what Armin and Emalina have to say. I trust their judgment fully."

Though they were still tense, the other Scouts seemed to relax as they calmly turned toward us, waiting for our orders.

"We will continue to stay in two groups," Armin commented as he glanced across the apprehensive soldiers.

"We need to scan every inch of the wall on this side of the inner gate. Do not leave a single section unturned. If they are here, we will find them!" The soldiers were still timid as they stared at me. I could understand why. They probably thought the initial plan was the way to go. But my gut was screaming this was the plan we needed to keep. When no one moved, I snapped my fingers. "Don't stop! You need to keep moving! As Erwin said, the plan is still in motion, and the new plan is to search the walls. Now get to it!"

A quick chuckle was behind me as Erwin firmly stated, "You heard her."

The soldiers suddenly saluted. "Sir!"

"Armin," I called out to my friend, who turned as the last Scout left to find a placement along the edge. "I'll be right there!" He nodded curtly as I turned to my friends behind me.

Connie seemed bewildered with his wide eyes. "You really think they're in the walls?!"

"I could be wrong, but it makes the most sense. Now, I need you three to relay what we're doing to Hange and Levi. Go, quickly!" They left, a small trail of dust swirling behind them as they used their ODM to zoom off into the distance. I prepared my handhelds, ready to latch the wiring to the wall as Erwin stepped forward, his only hand grasping my shoulder.

"Emalina, before you go, a quick word."

My head tilted. "Is this really the time, Erwin?"

"Now is the only time." My eyebrow raised, silently studying the man I truly respected. He took a deep breath. "Do everything you can to save your comrades. Armin is brilliant, but you are too. Use that genius mind of yours when he cannot. Do you understand me?"

"I…I think I do, sir."

"Good, now go." He stepped back even when I was about to say something else. Biting my tongue, I was against it. Instead, I latched my wires to the wall and slowly stepped off the edge.

Something in my gut screamed that I should've said what I wanted to. But…the mission was to come first. My conversation with the Commander could wait until we had won.

Like all other Scouts lining the wall, I lowered myself along the edge and used my swords to tap against the stone. If Reiner and Bertholdt were hiding inside the wall, their placement would be hollow, which would cause a different noise to occur when struck. My swords tapped and tapped away, but nothing was happening. The other Scouts were probably three-quarters of the way down the wall by the time I made it halfway; I wanted to be thorough in my search.

It had been at least ten minutes into our search. The click-clack of my comrade's swords echoed into my ears. I vaguely wondered if my assumption was correct. Were Reiner and Bertholdt even in the walls? If so, would they be on this side in this specific section? What if they were across the district and we missed them? There were so many variables we could miss.

But despite my thoughts, I took a deep breath. Worrying was not going to get me anywhere. Quickly glancing backward, my eyes sought the outer gate, wondering whether my friends had relayed the message to Levi and Hange. I assumed they had made it safely; from what we could tell, there was no immediate danger so far.

My body suddenly jerked when an acoustic shot was fired. Glancing to my right, about thirty feet from my position, the soldier placed his cannon away and raised his sword high.

"HERE! THERE'S A HOLLOW SPOT HERE!"

I gulped. It was now or never. What were we to find? Who would we find? Was it Reiner and Bertholdt or this mysterious third individual? My mouth fell open to speak when a section of the wall slowly pushed forward. A dark, rugged shadow appeared. But what caught my eye was the bloody blade sticking straight into my comrade's gut.

"REINER!"

I found myself screaming. Reiner's head fell past the stone blocking his face, tilting in my direction as if in slow motion. Our eyes locked onto each other, and it seemed as if time suddenly froze. Neither of us moved. The air felt icy; it prickled my skin with uncontrollable fear. My limbs refused to work. Only my fingers tightened on my blades. I knew I needed to kill him. I knew what it was I needed to do.

It was in that millisecond that Reiner's eyes widened. Was it because he recognized it was me who had called his name? Was he remembering our last interaction like I was? Did he remember the way I lay on that tree limb, bleeding because Bertholdt had bitten my leg off? Was he remembering his confession that he loved me? Because I remembered. At that moment, I saw everything. All the interactions we had. The way he helped when I was being bullied, his kind words, his warm hugs, the way he held me when Jean wasn't there and I needed a shoulder to cry on. It was painful to be reminded of what could have been. Reiner had been my best friend; I trusted him with my life.

But still, as I glanced upon the face I considered family, I could only recall the soldier I once knew.

I was snapped back to attention when my comrade fell to the ground, dead.

Hearing the crash of my comrade's gear into the earth, I shocked myself awake. Gritting my teeth, I stepped forward, ready to burst my gas in Reiner's direction to eliminate him, when a burst of black clouded my vision.

With a speed I had never witnessed before, Levi had stepped forward. Within the fraction of a second after having fallen from the ledge up above, Levi had jammed his blade into Reiner's neck, using gravity to force the two men toward the ground. My mouth fell. There was a pain in the corner of my eye, and I only ground my teeth further to ignore the sadness creeping from within. It was then I found myself gasping. Just as he had stabbed Reiner's neck, Levi used his other blade and stabbed him right through the heart.

My heart fell inside my chest.

I fucking knew what needed to be done, and yet, seeing my brother blunge a blade into Reiner's body left my insides hurting. Watching the scene before me was painful, and for some unknown reason, I wanted nothing more than to save Reiner.

But then I recalled everything he and Bertholdt had done.

They were the reasons my family was dead, that I would never see my parents again. They were the reason for this madness that had befallen our world. They were the reason for the endless deaths over the last five years. And for that, they would pay. Even if I were to strip my humanity away bit by bit, I would do what was necessary to end their pathetic lives.

My footing stepped forward to aid Levi. But as I was about to leap in their direction, my brother's face tightened as he removed himself from Reiner's vicinity. Falling beside Armin and me, Levi huffed, distressed about something I could not place my finger on.

"Captain?!" Armin called out.

"Levi! What's going on?!" My hand rested on his shoulder as he quickly shared a glance at me.

"Tch, dammit!" Levi hissed. "Is that another one of his titan powers?! I was so close…"

My narrowed eyes moved between Reiner on the ground and my brother. "What on earth are you talking about? Isn't he dead?"

"No," Levi said immediately. "That bastard's still alive."

"But…" I kept my eyes on Reiner's unmoving body. "…but how?" My eyes bulged at the sight before me. Reiner's body began convulsing, moving against the ground as the familiar yellow light engulfed the surrounding area. It was a sight I had seen several times from Eren's transformations and my own.

Beside me, I heard Levi utter, "…I couldn't end his life."

The thundering boom of Reiner's transformation was deafening, but within several seconds, it was gone. Clouds of smoke filtered our vision, and I had to swat the air to see several inches from my face. It took a moment or two for the dust to clear, and when it did, I could see Reiner's titan lying on the ground. He was motionless, but the horror was there nonetheless.

Another voice echoed in my ear; I could hear Commander Erwin at the top of the wall. It was stressed, but his voice was still as calm as ever. "Check all around us! Capture any other enemies and - !" He was never given a chance to finish his sentence.

Another explosion erupted from beyond the wall. At the sound of the second thundering sound, I quickly maneuvered myself up the wall, fearing the worst. It was then I fell to my knees as I watched the spectacle before me.

It wasn't just one explosion. Several dozen yellow transformations materialized about two miles away from the wall. And right in the fucking center lay the same monster I saw at Utgard Castle. The hairy bastard was right there, mocking our existence as other titans of varying heights surrounded it. I wasn't expecting the beast of a titan to reach down and grasp a large boulder in its hands. Squinting my eyes, I watched as the creature stepped backward, almost as if it was going to throw the damn thing and -

Oh no.

The boulder was instantly thrown from its hand and headed straight toward us. My voice soon echoed across the wall as I screamed, "INCOMING! TAKE COVER!"

I wasn't worried about those on top of the wall. No. I feared for my comrades who lay at the base, inside the gate, and before entering the district. But it was also then that I thought of Freyja; my body trembled at the thought of my horse being hurt. Swallowing, I pushed the idea out of my mind for now. It made me sick to do so, but I had to save the many over the few.

I fell to a knee, awaiting the impact. Armin, Levi, and the others followed suit as there was nothing we could do but watch as the boulder's trajectory was thrown toward the gate. The impact caused the entire wall to shake, the boulder breaking into thick, smaller sections. Once the rumbling stopped, I ran to the edge, glancing over the side to find the gate entirely blocked, just like the boulder in Trost. Nothing would get in, and nothing would get out.

"A miss…?" one of the Scouts commented, as everyone on this side of the wall watched the spectacle below.

"No," Erwin muttered gravely. "It has good aim. It blocked our entrance, meaning…"

I gasped, my eyes still focused on the beast of a titan. "…our horses can't get through, meaning, we also can't get out."

"Exactly." Erwin stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder as he squeezed. "Emalina's right. Take away our horses, and they then surround us. They're planning to wipe us out here by cutting off our escape route." Kneeling beside me, he gently asked, "Emalina, are you alright?"

I shook my head, pointing at the horror ahead of us. "That's…that's the titan from Utgard castle, sir. That's the titan that started the madness!"

Understanding dawned across his face as he connected the dots. "I see. Is there anything else you can tell us about it?"

I shook my head. "Summoning these titans only confirms that he was the reason for all of them that night. He didn't show any specific abilities, so…there's nothing else I can add. But what I do know is that if we don't do anything, we face certain death."

"I understand." Standing, Erwin offered me his only hand as he helped me to my feet. Levi walked over and grasped my arm, holding it tightly. Turning to face his Scouts, Erwin urgently said, "We're both getting the battle we've been hoping for. Let's put an end to this here. Humanity…or these damned titans. Only one of us will survive…and the other will die."

~ oOo ~

REINER

I could not tell how long we had been waiting.

Pieck had returned to Zeke, Bertholdt, and I with enough time to spare before the Scouts had arrived upon Shiganshina. We had tossed our camp materials off the wall, knowing they would never find what we had left behind. Zeke assumed his hiding spot in the buildings outside the district, Bertholdt hid in one of the barrels upon Pieck's back, and I hid away in the wall. I was overly confident that my location would not be discovered and would have ample opportunity to eradicate the Scouts and capture Eren.

This entire plan was concocted with the notion that we would return home in a few days, maybe less than that. I had nothing else planned except surviving, beating the Scouts, capturing Eren, and going home. Nothing else mattered to me other than what was at stake, except for one variable.

Emalina.

She would be with the Scouts, that much was certain. There would be no way in hell she would remain at home when the rest of her comrades were off risking their lives to save "humanity". No. She would travel to Shiganshina with everyone else to recapture the district. From what I could tell, their original plan was to locate Eren's basement and discover its secrets. It mattered not to me what those secrets could be; I didn't give a damn. What did matter to me was Emalina.

Slamming my hand against the inside of my hidden cave, I bit my lip. Emalina had plagued my thoughts these last few months. Bertholdt and I had almost made it out of Wall Maria, and she would have made it with us if we hadn't discovered Eren was the coordinate. Not only that, but Bertholdt decided to continue with the original plan and turn Emalina into one of us. Just thinking of the memory alone caused my blood to boil.

The original plan we were to follow was to find someone we deemed worthy of the formula. We had agreed long ago that Emalina was the perfect candidate and that we would do anything in our power to ensure that she received the serum. But after three years of being her friends and transferring from the Cadet Corps into the Scouts, we had no idea how to give her the serum. That is, until the situation at Utgard Castle, where we met Zeke as his Beast Titan. Everything after that changed. When we escaped with our lives and had captured Eren, we also captured Emalina, knowing that opportunity was the best chance we would have to complete our fucking mission.

I sighed, refraining from banging my head against the wall.

Ever since that day, when Eren and Emalina were captured, Bertholdt and I have occasionally argued over who was in the right. Was I in the right for not wanting to give her the serum, or was Bertholdt in doing what was instructed of us? I understood the mission; I knew what was being asked of me. But not Emalina, not after everything we'd done together.

We knew she would be our victim from the moment we met her. There was…something about her that screamed she would be the perfect weapon for Marley. But, after spending more time with her and being in her presence, I just…didn't want to accept that I was being her friend to better my nation. I didn't want to think like that; I couldn't think like that. Before I knew what or when it happened, I realized I had fallen in love with her. It had happened so gradually that it wasn't until just a few weeks before we graduated that I realized she meant the world to me. But then I learned she was in love with Jean Kirschtein.

Just the thought of Jean had me biting my lip hard enough to bleed.

But there was no time to think about that.

I could hear muttering around me. Peering through the small cracks in the stone, I could barely see what was happening around me, but I could only guess what it was. A clank-tapping sound entered my ears. I pressed them against the makeshift door, only able to make out sharp taps against the stone, leading me to believe that it was metal. The only metal I could think of would be the Scout's blades. But why would they be here? What in the hell were they even doing?

The tapping suddenly intensified, and my light source was suddenly blocked. "HERE! THERE'S A HOLLOW SPOT HERE!" I heard an unknown voice from the other side. Now was my chance.

Taking hold of the small section of wall, I pushed it forward, grasping my blade as I quickly rammed the sharp tip into the soldier's stomach. I didn't need to know who it was. Whether it was a previous friend didn't matter; all the Scouts were enemies now. Except for Emalina. My head shook at the thought. I had no time to think in such a way right now. Stepping forward, I dropped the chunk of wall hiding me as I glanced around.

How the hell had they known to search the walls? We made sure to leave zero traces of us being near the walls. What had made them look? Peering upward, Armin was the first person I saw, and it all clicked. He's the mastermind behind all this.

No, something in my gut screamed. He's not the only genius in the Scouts. There's also -

"REINER!"

My back stiffened at the voice. So angelic, beyond perfect that I slowly turned in her direction, knowing exactly who it was before I saw her. Our eyes connected.

It was Emalina in all her glory.

She looked gorgeous leaning against the wall, even if she was prepared for an attack. Her lips were slightly parted, moistened most likely from her tongue, and her eyes were wide. Her beautiful long locks were thrown into her messy bun with several strands framing her face. It was initiation day all over again when her beauty suddenly enraptured me.

I had wanted to be her friend from day one, though I could never approach her. Annie, Bertholdt, and I stuck together while she immediately formed a friendship with Marco and Jean, meaning I was never given a chance to be on my own around her. But slowly, ever so slowly, she began to branch out and make friends. And I was damn lucky she grew to rely on me. I may not have always been there for her like Jean was, but she had been there for me.

I wished things had been differently. I wished we hadn't been born on different sides of the ocean. If I had been born a devil on this island, would we have been normal friends? Would we have joined the military together? Would we have even met or fallen in love? There were so many "what ifs" that I didn't know the difference between right and wrong. I was very aware of my mission to Marley, but I wanted my life with the Scouts to remain valid. My life at home had been close to hell, but here? Well…it wasn't easy. But it was something I preferred to own.

Blinking, I was granted one last view from Emalina before my mind suddenly blanked.

Levi Ackerman wasn't known as Humanities Strongest Soldier for nothing. He suddenly appeared by my side, stabbing his blade straight through my neck without batting an eye. My sight may not have seen him appear before me, but my brain knew what was happening. His attack on my neck would have been instant death, and yet, here I was, still alive; he just didn't know it yet. Growling, Levi took one last attempt on my life as he thrust his second blade right into my heart. My eyes flashed white momentarily before shooting toward his. At that moment, Levi knew he had fucked up.

Jumping backward, Levi fell toward Armin and Emalina, and I could vaguely hear him curse. My body fell to the ground, silent momentarily before convulsing with raw power. My transformation was quick and painless, just as it had always been. After my body had turned, I lay motionless on the ground for several moments, assessing the situation at hand and how I should move forward. There was now a slight change in plans, but I would act accordingly, proceeding with caution.

In all this time, I had lost sight of Emalina.

Knowing what must be done, I hastily jumped to my feet, eyeing the ginormous wall before me. Unafraid, I heightened my hardening ability to create claws on my fingers and toes, knowing I was about to embark on a huge climb. Bursting toward the wall, I struck my limbs against the stone and climbed to the fucking top. Once there, I glanced around to find that there were no Scouts, not a single one. Glancing downward, however, I could see the Scouts with the horses.

There. They're concentrated in that one spot, I thought, examining the situation. Kill those horses…and get away from here. That's all I need to do.

Swallowing, I could still feel the sword stuck inside my neck. Willing it to be removed, the titan flesh surrounding my body pulled it free, my body slowly regenerating to heal the wound. Levi may be Humanities Strongest soldier…but he's no match for our strongest warrior.

I took a deep breath, analyzing the situation and trying to devise a quick action plan. Still, that was close, I couldn't help but think. If I had waited a moment to confer to transfer my brain functions throughout my body…I would've died on the spot.

I thought back to earlier. Who thought about looking inside the walls? I knew it had been Armin, but my gut still screamed that it was Emalina. Most people would argue that the blonde was the genius of the Scouts, but that would be an insult to Emalina. She had her branch of genius beneath her beauty that most people didn't recognize. But I knew what she was capable of.

No, I brought myself back. It doesn't matter now. What does matter is that our journey is finally coming to an end.

I suddenly peered to the left. There, all by his lonesome, stood Commander Erwin. He casually glanced at me from beneath his scouting hood, patiently waiting for something. Erwin Smith, huh? No! Don't get distracted. You have to kill the horses first. There was then an explosion from behind me. Turning my head, I knew it was a titan transformation, and I immediately assumed it would be Emalina. Was she that brave to use her titan against me? Had she not understood the last time when she was first transformed? I can control her titan with my abilities.

But no! I don't want to control her. I just can't do that to Emalina.

But I have to for the sake of the mission.

Still, as I turned behind me, my eyes widened to find that it was not Emalina but Eren's Attack Titan. What the hell? Eren?! Even from my position, I could see my old comrade stare death into my titan eyes.

Why…why did you show yourself?! You should know that you're our target…what are you trying to pull?! But Eren then did something I was not expecting. He sharply turned around and began running in the opposite direction.

WHAT?!

Are you going to try to get away by climbing the wall and heading south?! Using his titan powers, he'd be able to get away on his own and back to Trost District without a horse. And in that case, there'd be no reason to stay here and fight any longer. Even if we managed to wipe out the Survey Corps, Eren learned to harden his body in just two months…we can't let someone like that back inside the walls.

I took a deep breath, slowly analyzing this turn of events.

Eren…If he manages to harness the full power of the coordinate, it'll be too late - no, wait. Something's off. If his plan were to escape, he would use his vertical maneuvering equipment to move to either the east or the west wall before transforming. Why transform inside Shiganshina District when walls surround it?

Ah, I see.

So their goal…is to change my target… My eyes landed on the Commander once more. They want to change my target from the horses to Eren.

Commander Smith had suddenly removed his hood, and I couldn't tell if he was smiling or frowning. Either way, I narrowed my eyes, knowing what must be done. "…so, you won't even give me time to think? …damn it, Commander. And I climbed all the way up here." Growling, I jumped down the side of the wall, using my sharpened fingers and toes to slow down my speed as I raced back to the ground.

I instantly broke into a run the moment my feet touched the ground. It took me no time at all to catch up to Eren. We met in the district's middle and stared before moving in circles around each other. I hissed, releasing titan steam into the air as I surveyed his movements. What would be his first move? How would I counteract against him? Eren suddenly slammed his foot into the dirt, his feet steaming as I noticed he hardened his knuckles.

So, it's a fight you want, huh? I thought, grinning from ear to ear. Then come and fucking get it.

He blinked, and I appeared before his eyes. Being the Attack Titan, Eren was extremely agile as he quickly evaded my attack, leaning backward to avoid my hit. I swung for his head and missed that as he moved his body to the right. Every strike I gave, every jab I pushed forward never landed against Eren. He had always been agile, but was it even more so now? He moved with an almost grace that left my abilities pointless. What kind of training had they done these last few months since we last fought?

Moving in for another attack, Eren evaded it easily, but then he slammed a hand against my shoulder and shoved me backward. Doing as he had done, I ground my feet into the dirt, angling my clenched fist straight toward his face, ready to crush his skull.

And my attack missed.

Eren had angled his head at just the right moment my attack missed by a hairs breath. But he left no room to breathe. The second my strike missed, he threw his fist into my cheek, his hardened knuckles ripping through my armor as my face was smacked. My large body rolled toward the ground, but I could turn at the last second and land on my feet, staring at Eren. Quick to my feet, I ran at Eren, swinging my fists left and right, guarding when I had to.

But Eren kept jabbing me with his hardened fists. Whatever blows I delivered, he returned tenfold.

I could feel the armor drop from my face. It fell to the ground in shards, gradually showing my weak flesh. Roaring into the sky, I leaped forward, ready to wrap my arms around Eren's waist. But it was as if he could foresee my movements. He rotated his body, jamming his hand upon my head.

But he couldn't force everything.

Thrown face first to the ground, I grasped Eren's ankle, swinging him into the air like he weighed nothing at all, and slammed him into the nearest building. I bounced him around continuously left and right, slamming him here and there. As he fell to the ground after the third time, I placed all the strength I could into my right fist, swinging the appendage downward toward Eren's face. Thankfully, it collided with his skull, and I could see the whites of Eren's eyes as he fell against the earth.

Huffing, I pulled myself away, analyzing the situation, knowing I had won. I stood victorious while Eren the Attack Titan lay dead or dying. The job needed to be finished. Taking hold of Eren's head in my hands, I surged the muscles in my arms, preparing to rip his head off, but I couldn't.

Eren suddenly dropped from my hands. Turning toward the outer gate, my eyes saw a giant yellow flash signifying another titan transformation.

My mouth fell open because I knew who it was.

I didn't need to be told who it was. Eren was beside me, Zeke had already transformed, Pieck was waiting with Zeke, and Bertholdt continued to lay in hiding. The only other titan within the vicinity would be Emalina Varlen.

The pounding of her feet entered my ears. I heard her before I ever saw her. A loud, echoing screech filtered the air, and I could feel the shiver down my spine. I'd heard Annie's titan cries numerous times, but it was nothing compared to the way Emalina shrieked. Her titan steam blew from the corner of the district, and I assumed she would make her way toward the center street and run right toward me.

No. That's not what she did.

My ears followed her movement as best I could. She was zigzagging her way around the district. She kept herself to the right, my ears able to follow, but I could not pinpoint her location.

"REINER!"

My head lifted at hearing my name. I knew that was Emalina's voice, but how was that possible? Zeke and Pieck were the only titans who could use speech. Even then, Zeke's speech was difficult to understand, muffled and profound, and it was hard to make out what he was saying most of the time. But not this. My name had been clear and crisp. And it was definitely Emalina's voice.

"REINER YOU BASTARD!"

My head snapped to the right but was immediately thrown to the opposite side.

Emalina suddenly materialized beside me, her fist ramming right against my temple that I almost lost my footing. How the hell she had snuck upon me, I will never understand. But here she was as I regained my balance.

Standing straight, I glanced at the woman I loved. Here in her titan form, I still thought she was beautiful. I hadn't been able to capture what Emalina's titan looked like before, so I stole a moment right here to gaze upon her form. She was relatively short for a titan, maybe a half a meter or so below Eren as her long, brown hair cascaded down her back. She had hardened armor-like sections across her frame like mine, though it did not cover her entire body. She looked almost like Annie, but the red flesh that should have been there was instead a deep blue color, both confusing and intriguing simultaneously. She had two canine teeth extending slightly past her lips as she snarled at me. She had elongated, sharp-tipped ears, and I could see she used her hardened ability just like Eren.

What training had they put her through as well? What powers had she awakened or realized she had?

She was a mix of all the titans combined into one, after all. It wouldn't surprise me if she had unique abilities we had not seen before. Only time would tell what they could be. For now, I would play it by ear. She was in the top three in hand-to-hand combat, with Eren at the top. But how would she be as a titan - ?

My body was thrown to the side.

Emalina jammed her hardened fist against the side of my head, knocking me to the ground. She had pegged me with enough force that my body rolled to the side. Slowly, I stood to my feet and studied the woman. Emalina cracked her neck and raised her fists. They weren't just hardened like Eren's. He had blocks of crystal against his knuckles. But hers? Oh, no. Blocks of crystals formed around her fists. The blueish hue glittered in the morning sunlight, causing my eyes to widen at the sight. How the hell was she capable of that? When did she learn to do so? She could not have learned all that over the last several months.

Unless she transformed several times a week.

I gritted my teeth. That's highly foolish for her to do. Every transformation takes a toll on the body, and it's different for each bearer. What was her toll? How did her titan affect her body?

As I was thinking, it was then that Emalina dashed for me. I dodged at the last second, narrowly avoiding her fist raised right for my head. The side of my head was still healing from losing the armor against Eren. If I let Emalina hit me with one of her attacks, my facial armor was done for.

She screamed again, throwing strike after strike, aiming for whatever part of me she could reach. My head, my shoulders, she even aimed for my legs, using her own to try and jab at me from behind the knees. She remembered my weakness. I never gave the woman the chance. Despite her being reasonably fast, she was still relatively slow. But, like the Emalina I knew, she never gave in. After several minutes, she continued strong, probably more potent than when we started. What made it increasingly more difficult was that voice of hers. She kept screaming my name and roaring in my ear. Maybe it was part of the serum that held Annie's titan inside, but her shriek was causing the insides of my ears to feel as if they were bleeding. Her voice was sharp and strong, crisp and painful all at once.

Aiming again for my legs, I leaped backward before instantly running toward her when my feet touched the ground. Tackling the woman to the ground, I held her hands above her head, knocking my forehead against hers. Being the Emalina I knew, she was already thinking several steps ahead. She hardened her forehead, and I saw stars when mine made contact with hers. I reeled for one second, but within that split moment, she had wrapped her legs around my waist and twirled, flipping us over until I lay on my back.

Using this as her advantage, Emalina swung her fists left and right. The impact of her strikes was so strong that chunks of her hardened crystal broke off every time it made contact with my titan skin. Then she shrieked again, but I was prepared this time.

At least, I thought I was.

The instant my head reeled, she peeled her fist backward, and instead of forming a crystallized fist, she summoned a sharpened stake. The moment it grew to the desired length, she thrust it downward, aiming straight for my neck. With my best agility, I pushed my head to the side, narrowly avoiding such an attack. What I didn't anticipate was for Emalina to perform the same attack with her opposite hand.

"REINER!" She screamed my name once more. My realization of the situation came too late as she plunged the stake straight through my neck. I counted myself lucky as I barely avoided being struck by the damn thing.

Using my knee, I rammed my appendage into her stomach, sending the woman flying forward over my head. Rolling over, I stood, grasping the crystal stuck through my neck, pulling with all my might to drag the damn thing out. It took a few tries before I could pull it out, instantly focusing my healing on my neck to prevent further damage.

As I blinked, I glanced upward to see Emalina and Eren standing before me. Both ran toward me. I could dodge Emalina's attack, only to fall victim to Eren's as he wrestled me to the ground, throwing me off into the distance and causing me to roll backward.

Fuck! I knew it. Fighting alone…I won't be able to bite Eren out of his titan. But now… My eyes found the other titan behind him. I now have Emalina to worry about as well. Still, I must do what I have to!

Crouching, I readied myself to burst forward when I stopped. Two soldiers emerged from behind the buildings and were headed right in my direction. Quickly, I could tell that they were Mikasa and Hange.

The soldiers are making a move?! I knew they'd been surrounding me, but….what could their swords do to me? Every inch of my skin is hardened. Those things can't even…scratch…? But the closer those two grew, the more I realized something was off.

What the hell was attached to their arms?

The moment they flew directly before my eyes, they pulled their arms back, straightening the pole attached to their arms, and suddenly flung them in my direction, where they landed into my eye sockets.

You have got to be kidding me!

I heard a soft click, a thunder of an explosion, and everything turned black.

~ oOo ~

EMALINA

Hastily, Armin and I used our ODM gear. Bursting quickly, we made our way to the outer gate, urgently speaking with Hange and the other Scouts stationed with her. Commander Erwin had provided Armin and me with specific instructions that we were to follow exactly as they were given. I was still reeling from the message, but I knew what must be done. It took one minute, maybe two, to reach the other side; that's how fast we pushed our gear. Upon seeing the others, we fell to the top of the wall, almost rolling into each other as we landed. The other Scouts surrounded us before we even had the chance to breathe.

"Armin? Emalina? What're you doing here? What's going on?" Hange confronted, demanding immediate answers.

I beat Armin, who was still catching his breath. "We've got a problem on our hands."

Hange's eyes widened a fraction. "What…kind of problem?"

I swallowed. "A Beast Titan problem."

"Oh shit…" She muttered, grasping her temple.

Stepping forward, Jean asked, "By 'Beast' you don't mean…?"

"I do," was my reply. Glancing at Connie, he understood without further explanation.

"Fuck. You're talking about the titan from Utgard Castle, who summoned all those titans despite it being night."

"Exactly. But, that's not the worst of it." Armin and I then spent several moments explaining the situation. Not only was the Beast Titan there, but he was surrounded by dozens upon dozens of other titans, and they were now attacking the Scouts on the outside of the wall and the horses. "…and Erwins sent Levi to take care of the titans and that he's to focus solely on eliminating the Beast Titan. We're left to fend for ourselves here."

The other Scouts groaned and shook their heads, while I, Jean, Sasha, Connie, Armin, Mikasa, Eren, Hange, and Moblit understood.

"Ok, so…" Sasha stepped forward, her arms crossed. "Levi's out of the picture. That leaves us with, what, besides the thunder spears?"

"Yes, we have the thunder spears, but there's also me and Eren." I wagged my finger between me and titan boy for emphasis. "Erwin wants us to use our powers against Reiner."

"Wait, wait, hold up. He wants you to both use your powers?" Moblit quickly asked.

Armin nodded. "As bait," he added.

Hange seemed flabbergasted. "He wants to use Eren as bait?!"

"Yes!" Armin answered just as quickly. "Those were Commander Erwin's orders!"

"But…" Jean rubbed his eyebrow, moving his gaze between Armin and myself. "I thought the initial plan was only to have Ema use her titan powers? The whole point was not to bring attention to Eren at all costs."

My face fell. Jean was right, as that was the initial plan. However, things were different now. "Unfortunately, the tables have flipped. We're to use all our power to handle the situation."

"I just…what?" Hange stammered. "I would have never thought he'd decide to use Eren as bait just to protect the horses."

It was Mikasa's turn to step forward. "That's…But what if Reiner decides to kill the horses anyway?"

Hange glanced at her but then shook her head, lost deeply in her thoughts. "No…Reiner should chase after Eren. If Reiner chooses the horses, Eren will go back around toward Trost District…and attack the Beast Titan from behind."

"That's…what I was thinking," I added, trying to finish Hange's thoughts. "Because if he does that, Eren can use Levi and the other Scouts to catch the beast in the middle. At least that's what Erwin said." I cast my glance away to Jean, studying his face. He seemed impassive, studying the moment at hand, trying to understand everything being said.

"Exactly!" Armin urgently stated.

"Hmm, even if it goes wrong, the enemy will be confused and break rank at the sight of Eren running away." She took a deep breath and added, "The question is whether or not Reiner will be able to see that far ahead."

I gritted my teeth, remembering all the analytical conversations we'd had in the past. Reiner was a muscular and bulky soldier, but he had a good set of brains under that blonde hair. He was brilliant when he wanted and needed to be. And right now, he would probably use his brains to the best of his abilities. Against us, he would need to do so. "He will," I growled. "Make no mistake about that."

Connie eyed me curiously. He and the others knew exactly how I felt about Reiner and Bertholdt, especially the blonde. Stealing a glance with Sasha, he asked, "Are you…willing to bet your life on that gamble?"

All eyes turned toward me. "…I am," I whispered.

Patting me on the shoulder, Hange nodded, her eyes softening at my statement, but they hardened just as quickly. "Ok…ok! Let's engage Reiner inside Trost District!"

"W-Wait!" Armin reached his hand forward. "There's one other thing to be careful of - !" He looked specifically at Eren for this. "The Colossus Titan is still hiding somewhere. Eren, last time, you nearly had Reiner pinned…but Bertholdt's surprise attack helped Reiner abduct you and escape. So, to prevent that…simply make sure you fight away from the wall."

"Fight away from the wall?" Eren grinned evilly. "Yeah, I can do that."

"Then it's settled." Peering down at me, Hange said, "Emalina, are you ready?"

My head slightly tilted. "Yes? Why wouldn't I be?"

She eyed me carefully. "Because…in some sense, your titan role will be crucial. You'll have to be the one to protect Eren while simultaneously fighting Reiner. Once you're a titan, you'll have to use your judgment to make the best decisions to help us win today."

Jean whistled, inching his way closer to my position. "Damn, pressure much?"

"Hey." Hange held her hands up. "I'm just stating the obvious." Scratching the back of her head, Hange went quiet. "But, Seriously, Emalina…Between the two of you, you're the only one who can be in their titan form for longer. We're counting on you out there, alright?"

My head was nodding before she finished her sentence. "I'm very aware," I uttered quietly.

I still held some apprehension about my titan. I had grown to appreciate my powers these last two months, but I still preferred to fight using the skills I obtained during training. However, I will admit - and maybe I'm a little selfish- that I think my powers are better and more aesthetically pleasing than Eren's. Regardless, I would use my abilities for the sake of saving humanity. Despite my apprehension - including some bitterness I still held about it being forced upon me - I was willing to put that aside if it meant saving humanity. Even I had to admit that I was a badass, and if I could use these powers to eliminate Reiner and Bertholdt, then all the better to use everything I had unlocked.

Whatever Hange heard from my words, she didn't say anything. Instead, she turned toward the others and instantly began giving orders about locations and the usage of the thunder spears. I could hear her speaking with Mikasa, saying that the two of them would be the ones to inject Reiner with the first dosage of the spears and that they would need to be nearby. My name was stated several times, saying that I would also be helping Eren by keeping Reiner in a specific location, but I somewhat dulled their conversation from my mind.

"Emalina?" My head snapped upward. Jean had cupped my cheek, pulling my attention toward him. "Stay focused, please."

"I'm fine," I said with a smile, though it instantly fell.

"Hey, we'll get through this." He dropped our foreheads together. "This is why we have practiced and planned nonstop these last two months."

"But did we even anticipate how it has already turned out? I mean, everything has - " I forced myself to stop. Taking a moment to collect myself, I quickly stood on my tiptoes and kissed Jean. "It doesn't matter. We've got the tools to beat these assholes and that's what we'll do."

Jean would have smiled brighter if not for the situation at hand. "There's the answer I was looking for."

"Emalina!"

Peering over Jean's shoulder, I saw Hange call me over. Taking his hand, we made our way over, noticing that Eren was no longer with her.

"Here's the plan: Eren's going to travel to the inter-gate and transform as close as he can to gain Reiner's attention, and then he'll start running back this way. Once he's got Reiner hooked, he'll force him to the district's center. That's where you are to transform and aid Eren in weakening Reiner." Sharing a look behind her, Hange added., "Mikasa and I will also make our way into the district, specifically placing ourselves across from one another. Your goal is to force Reiner to our positions. Once we have him there…"

"Ah." I snapped my fingers. "The two of you will blow out his eyes with the thunder spears."

"Precisely," She wickedly grinned.

"Who will be the people who go in from behind?"

She pointed at seven soldiers, three of whom were Jean, Connie, and Sasha. They all grinned in my direction, feeling confident they were about to take the Armored Titan down. "These seven will head in the opposite direction and come in from Reiner's backside. When Mikasa and I have ignited the thunder spears, Jean will lead the others to release theirs into the neck, which should cause enough damage to break the hardened skin."

I hummed. "Sounds feasible."

"But, Emalina." I turned toward Hange. "How will you reach Reiner? He'll be able to spot you from here."

I waved off her worries. "Don't worry, I have a plan. And it's foolproof."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And pray, what makes it foolproof?"

"Because I'm going to trick his senses." Eyes dancing across the district, I could see Reiner atop the wall on the opposite side.

"His senses? How the hell are you gonna do that?" Connie questioned.

"Simple. He'll probably expect me to run right toward him through the center of the district," I pointed toward the old road from the gate straight to the opposite side. "But I will not transform here. I'll move over that way," I pointed to the area behind us, right where the bend in the wall started to curve. "Then I'll zigzag my way around."

"But…are we sure that'll be enough to distract Reiner?" Sasha asked, holding her chin.

I shrugged, not knowing the best way to answer. "I mean, he'll be busy fighting Eren. He may or may not expect me to show, but it'll be a two-against-one scenario when I do. Eren and I will overpower him." I hastily shook my head. "At least, that's my theory. Who knows what else they have up their sleeve."

"Whatever you plan, Emalina, do it with everything you've got," Moblit stated as he stepped forward, joining our group from speaking with the other soldiers. "You're the one with the different powers than Eren, so only you know how to weld them."

I grinned. "I plan on using them to my advantage."

Smirking, he then added, "Don't forget your steam."

My grin turned sinister. "It'll be an attack he won't see coming."

Just as the last word left my lips, the sky darkened as the sky filled with a yellowish glow. We all turned toward the district to find Eren had transformed, staring at the inner gate, most likely staring upward at Reiner. Eren ran backward toward the town's middle when he had complete control of his titan. Taking a deep breath, we all watched with bated breath. It took less than a minute for Reiner to turn away from facing the inside of Wall Maria and climb down the wall. The moment he did so, there was murmuring behind me as the other soldiers immediately set their plan into action.

I sighed heavily when I noticed that Reiner had taken the bait. Stealing a glance at Jean, Connie, and Sasha, I found them all staring at me. Not knowing exactly what to say, I went with, "Fight strong. You do not have the right to die on me out there."

Connie and Sasha nodded vigorously. Jean tried stepping forward, but the moment he did, I stepped backward. This wasn't the time for affection, at least, not in the way we preferred. We knew that this moment would come, and we would have to put the mission before our relationship. Nodding, he dropped his arms, understanding crossing his face. "You have no right to die on us either, Emalina," he countered.

Smirking, I quickly turned, not wanting my best friends to see the tears forming. Shakily inhaling, I promptly said, "Protect each other out there because I'll be there the moment you need me." And then I was off.

I hated leaving them behind, but this was my role in the mission. I was to stay in my titan form as long as necessary, to use the powers I had discovered these past two months. I was perfectly fine with needing to be a titan. What I didn't like was being away from my friends. They were victorious soldiers and were more than capable. What scared me was that this could be the last moment we spoke with each other.

After a few steps, I froze and hastily turned back, calling their names as they turned back to me. "I-I love you guys!" Turning back around, I ran off. I needed this moment to tell my friends how I felt so I knew my last words were from my heart. I could vaguely hear their responses, causing me to smile.

My feet guided me several hundred feet away from the other soldiers, where I stopped, turning my body to face the district. I could easily see Reiner and Eren as they began fighting, their blows hitting each other with a force I hoped to reciprocate. Watching from the sidelines, I waited for the opportune moment. I had no idea what that moment would be, but I'd know it when I saw it.

But quicker than I expected, that moment had approached. Eren had felled Reiner, but then the Armored Titan grasped Eren and flung him back and forth by the leg. Taking a deep breath, I knew this was it. Jumping to pump the blood through my veins, I ran toward the edge of the wall before taking a leap of faith. I never needed to bite my hand or slice my skin; I could transform at will, and this moment was no different.

Sensing the swirl of power erupt from within, I accepted all that was given to me. I could feel the welcomed stretch of flesh surround my being as my titan self formed. It took less than a few seconds, but I was fully formed when my feet smashed into the ground at the base of the wall. Standing tall, I faced the sky and screeched with all my might. I screamed for my friends, the battle, and our victory. I burst forward from my corner in the district, feet ramming into the earth as I easily dodged buildings and maneuvered my way through the town. Shrieking more, I knew it was now or never.

"REINER!"

~ oOo ~

Already working on the next chapter. I'm trying to make the Shiganshina Arc 3, maybe 4 chapters long. My husband thinks I'm crazy for making 12,000+ word chapters and that I should cut them in half. But long chapters are the best! 3

DragonGoddess629