A/N: Can you spot the references?
BTW, OCs. OCs everywhere.
Chapter 20
Within the Walls, Reiner's day had just begun. The blond allowed the soldiers around him to cuff his hands and lead him out of his cell to where the team assigned to guard him was. Bertholdt would be staying in the prison until after Reiner's new mission was fulfilled. He felt as though he had turned over a new leaf, felt as though he was given a chance to repent for the horrors he caused all those years ago. Despite the shackles, he felt free. In the depths of his mind, he felt Eren's presence, fiery and warm. He could no longer sense the Titan Lord creeping deep within the recesses of his mind. Instead of eyes always scrutinizing him, he felt the comforting presence of a savior. Bertholdt could feel it too, ever since Reiner had been pulled into Eren's dream world.
Reiner felt a smile tug at the corners of his lips. He could understand Annie's hope now.
As his guards led him outside, Reiner raised his gaze to meet his new team. His eyebrows raised when he saw who it was; Jean, Sasha, Connie and their new squad leader, Mike, along with five horses. Each of them wore the three dimensional gear. They did not glare at him as though he was a monster, despite him expecting them to. Instead, Sasha welcomed his presence with a warm smile. Connie nodded at him. Jean called out to him, "Hey."
"So you've been assigned to kill me," Reiner attempted a joke.
The three other 104th soldiers suddenly had dark looks on their faces.
The blond frowned. These people didn't want to kill him, he realized. They wanted to believe that he would do the right thing for humanity, wanted him to be their big brother again. Ever since Annie made her appearance as the Female Titan and the new Special Operations Team had left, Reiner found a home in the rest of the 104th soldiers that he didn't want to admit existed.
With him, the three present had created a powerful bond over eight years of rigorous work and training. They were supposed to be family. And he had broken such a sacred bond by turning his back on humanity, by exercising the will of the Titan Lord within the Walls. Reiner dipped his head in shame. He remembered the drinking contests with Jean. He remembered teasing Sasha for her eating habits, juggling a steamed potato back and forth right in front of her face. He remembered joking with Connie while they cleaned the cannons. How could he have continued to hurt these people, his surrogate siblings, despite the love and camaraderie they had given him?
Breathing out, Reiner looked back up at his friends. "I know it doesn't change anything, but I'm sorry for everything. From now on, I'll do right by you and humanity. Even if it kills me."
Jean was the first to react. The ash-brown haired man stepped up Reiner, smacking down on his shoulder with a firm grasp. They met each other's gaze. Never had the brunette shown such intensity in his face.
"I get it," the man finally said.
Reiner frowned with confusion.
Closing his eyes, a disturbed look twisted Jean's face. The brunette bowed his head as he continued, "I get what it is to be afraid. Hell…before Marco died…I was more than happy to let you and everyone else rush off to their deaths in the Scouting Legion, saving only myself in the process. In the end, no action is just as bad as opposing action, really. I would have been just as evil as the Titans if I hadn't changed my mind. But I get it. I understand being afraid to die, I understand feeling that survival of the fittest is the only way to win in this world."
"Hey," the blond attempted to sound comforting, but suddenly remembered his words when they faced off against the Titan Lord in Annie's Titan form.
"I can't let any more of my friends die without honor. I don't want to watch a funeral pyre light up, and have a charred piece of bone land in my hand. I don't want to wonder whose bone it was. I want to remember them, remember how they died, and remember how they felt. This is the job I chose, and although being a hero is far from the point, I know that must do all I can to save my comrades!"
Swallowing, Reiner murmured, "Jean, I'll do all I can to save our comrades from now on, too. I promise."
From the sides, Connie and Sasha approached. Never had they expressed such serious, grave looks that he could remember. Nonetheless, Sasha went right up to him with a hug. The blond leaned his head down against hers, clenching his jaw. Beside Jean, Connie told him, "I can't forgive you for killing thousands of people, Reiner… But I can't hate you either. As long as you keep your promise, we'll be okay. Maybe we can even put back together a good friendship."
The blond felt tears well up in the corners of his eyes. He didn't expect these people, who had lost everything because of him, to have accepted him. The first thing he felt was a ground-breaking relief. It crashed down on him, sweeping off all the dread and despair that had been piling up over the years. He couldn't hold back his emotions anymore. Shame, relief and hope escaped him in the form of hot tears on his cheeks.
Can you hear me? Reiner called out in his thoughts as he wiped his tears from his face. He felt Eren's presence burn hotter in his mind in response. Thank you, Eren. You saved me.
On their way to a village to the east, close to the Wall, the group met with Commander Irwin. The six rode with Mike and Irwin in the front, conversing quietly as they made their way to the first Shifter's location. Jean rode on Reiner's left while Sasha rode to the right, with Connie taking up the rear position. Reiner attempted to recall the details of the Shifter they'd be meeting, a woman by the name of Anat El. She was a dark-skinned woman who acted as Reiner's and Bertholdt's mentor while they trained in their Shifted forms. She was one of the best fighters of all the Shifters, her form being made for rigorous battle. When shifted, Anat became the Shell Titan. Her Titan form had feminine features – though not to the degree that Annie's Titan had. Instead, the Shell Titan had hard, dark ridged skin that protected her spine and the ability to crystallize her arms into blades. Her Titan was fast despite the heavy armor upon her back, but not flexible. Her Titan was about twelve meters tall, with long black hair. Reiner remembered with a shiver the ferocity with which Anat could fight.
Taking a breath, Reiner looked forward. Not all the Shifters had powers like himself, Anat and Annie. Some simply became Titans. But even still, those Shifters were ferocious in battle. He wanted to find the most powerful Shifters before exposing the others, though, for a few reasons. One, the more powerful Shifters held huge influence over the other Shifters. If one of their leaders were to join Eren's side, perhaps more would be inclined to do so as well. Second, if Reiner could defeat the more powerful Shifters if things went sour, humanity would be that much safer. And the weaker Shifters might still join Eren's side, if they saw one of his warriors had defeated one of their own.
Anat was an older woman, though she hardly looked it. Probably in her late forties by now. But she had acted as a mother to Reiner and Bertholdt in their time of need, despite not being their true mother. Reiner was hoping he could call upon those maternal feelings to quell any violence. He didn't know how well that would work, as Anat was a fierce woman.
Before long, the small village of Mesop appeared along the side of the Wall. It was a small village initially created as a base for Stationary Troops. While the base still existed, civilians who had family in the military would live there as well. Here, there were many illegal relationships between soldiers and even families created between two soldiers. There were outlying farms surrounding the stone and brick village, meant to support only the village itself most likely. Mesop was one of the least concerning bases to the military, and so the soldiers had learned to get by without very much support from the Capital. Anat was one of the soldiers, a First Lieutenant of the Stationary Guard the last he heard. One of the people Dot Pixis really trusted.
Annie had trusted him, too.
Reiner felt a stab of regret as he remembered the fight that had rage between him and the woman. He remembered swatting Armin off of his face without stopping to realize who he was. Reiner remembered looking at the Female Titan's horrified face and feeling that he had won somehow, without realized he'd nearly killed Armin. Only when that murderous look crossed her face had he realized what he had done. When she leapt at him, he didn't want to fight her anymore.
I killed Armin, he told himself in his mind over and over. It was all he could do to keep dodging her until eventually she had caught him. He remembered thinking, "Do it," as Annie lined up for a killing blow to the nape. And that's when he felt Eren's influence strike through the both of them at the same time. Reiner remembered not being able to move or control his own body, stuck in darkness while only knowing that he was still conscious somehow. He had expected Eren to take control of Annie's body to exact revenge for his friend's death instead, but that never happened.
And then the darkness had evaporated, revealing Eren's dream world to him.
"Are you listening?"
Reiner snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Commander Irwin. "Yes, sir!"
Irwin's sharp gaze seemed to penetrate him, threatening him. This was a man who could kill him without a second thought if it meant protecting humanity. The Commander said, "We'll be meeting with Anat El in her private quarters, if she isn't there we will wait for her. We don't want any of the Stationary troops near the room for their safety. Reiner, if she becomes violent, it is your job to stop her. Understand?"
"Yes, sir!"
"We're putting our lives on the line," Connie said from behind, voice dark. "Remember your promise."
I will, Reiner vowed in his mind.
They slowed to a trot as the grass and dirty turned to brick. Some of the soldiers they passed stopped to salute Commander Irwin, proud that such a renowned soldier was in their midst. Reiner closed his eyes as he steeled himself. Today, if he did something wrong, some of these people could die. People would be injured. Homes would be lost.
He had to get this right.
He didn't deserve forgiveness. He didn't deserve Eren's protection or promise. And yet, the brunette had given it.
Atone, Reiner told himself. That was his mission now. Atone for my sins.
They reached the building that held Anat El's private quarters not too long after. Reiner threw his leg over his horse and slid off, is hands cuffed still. He glanced up at the Commander as he approached, surprised when the man undid his shackles.
"Sir?"
"We need you to fight if it comes to that," the Commander told him. He slid the shackles in his pocket. "And if this goes well, we won't put them on again."
Reiner nodded. "Thank you, sir."
The six walked into the building smoothly, each attempting to look as non-threatening as possible.
"Alright, here's the plan I came up with," Armin said, as the members of the Special Operations team gathered around him. They had just woken from their longer-than-planned rest, ready and eager to fulfill their mission. They'd lost some of the night, but they'd be able to make it by daybreak. Either way, they would have to fight in Shiganshina. The blond waited for everyone to become silent before continuing, "Depending on what's in the basement and how many Titans there are, I think we need to bring the cart with us. Annie, you'll use your screams and lure them away from the cart as we pull through. Eren, we need you to defend the cart in case some Abnormals decide to come for us instead. We'll need two people with Annie. And then…we'll need at least two people by the cart. I'll stay by the cart, but I can't protect it by myself."
"I'll stay too," Mikasa offered.
"No," Levi said, shaking his head. "Your skills might be better put towards protecting Annie."
The dark-haired woman's face went grim with concern, but she did not object.
Hanji put her hands on her hips. "I'll stay, then. Armin and I with Eren, Mikasa and Levi with Annie."
Eren glanced towards Mikasa, his hand reaching out to touch her wrist when he recognized the shadows over her face. Lowering his voice, he whispered, "Nothing will happen to us. We'll be okay, Mikasa."
She nodded, her gaze flicking over to look at Annie. The blond had the exact same expression on her face as Mikasa did. Hearing what the brunette said, Annie nodded her head in reluctant agreement.
"You'll have a few hours yet to say your goodbyes," Hanji interrupted, queuing Armin.
The medic blinked out of his thoughts. "So it's settled. Okay. We'll take two horses and the cart. One of us will drive it – that'll be me. Hanji, you'll need to run along the roof tops to protect us when Eren's busy or stand in the cart if you want to be closer." Turning, Armin pulled a map of Shiganshina out of his belt and flattened it on the ground. He used his knees to keep the paper from rolling back up again, and tapped the map where the gate to Shiganshina was depicted. "This is where we'll be starting our journey. Obviously. Annie, Mikasa and Levi will go out in front of us. You'll need to run through the center of the city, screaming, Annie. Run straight down the main road and lead all those Titans outside Shiganshina. Kill only the ones that get too close. When you're outside, run towards the west side of the Wall. Eren's house is towards the west. You'll need to shift back to human form and climb the Wall unless you think you can safely climb in your Titan form."
Annie nodded at the plan. "Sounds simple enough."
"Our first priority is not the basement," Armin said to the now curious-eyed soldiers.
Hanji was the first to understand. "You're killing two birds with one stone."
The medic smiled at that. "Exactly. We'll follow in after Annie and you two are out of sight. We'll head straight towards your house, Eren. We'll leave the cart there and then head towards the gates as well. If we can find some sizeable boulder on the way, we'll use that to plug the Wall. If not, Eren, we'll need you to create a crystal barrier with your Titan body."
"Wait," Mikasa interrupted, eyes flying wide open. "Wait! We don't even know if that can be done! We know he can make body armor, but not full out Spartan shields with his body!"
Eren wondered if it was the best plan, too. It seemed hopeful.
"If we can't do it, then Mikasa, it's your's and Levi's job to extract whatever it is in your old basement," Armin responded softly. "We'll throw up a red smoke signal signifying a mission failure and you'll work on that, okay? We should be able to find out fairly quickly if we'll be able to do it, but there's no guarantee that we'll be back immediately."
Or at all.
Eren wasn't particularly fond of the plan that Armin had devised, but he couldn't argue that plugging the hole seemed an attractive idea. If that were the case, they would only have to kill the Titans remaining within the Walls, rather than having to worry about hoards more. This mission could give back humanity so much more territory. They opted to bring only two horses to draw the cart, and left the rest just outside of the gates.
"Are you ready?" Mikasa asked as she approached him.
The brunette looked into his lover's stormy grey eyes. He stepped up to her and pulled her into a close hug, his lips falling upon hers in a strong kiss. He wasn't one to show his concern, but Eren couldn't help himself. She melted in his arms. Her hands came up to clasp about his neck, her fingers lightly playing with the tips of his hair as she leaned into him. Her lips were soft, the gentle sigh she released beckoning.
She was the one to pull away, breathless.
When he gave her a confused look, she told him, "There'll be plenty of time for this after the mission."
Eren nodded, but didn't let her go. Instead he held her tighter and rested his head on hers. She nuzzled his neck, lifting herself up onto tip toes so she wasn't hanging off of him. When her fingers lightly brushed through his hair, he breathed a sigh. His tension left him at the urging of her soothing touch. He wanted to kiss her again and again, to keep her away from the Titans, but he knew that was impossible now.
His heart leapt at the feeling of her lips pressing softly against his jawline. Mikasa lingered there for a moment, her warm breath tickling his skin. When she pulled away, he made a grunt of disapproval that made her smile at him.
"Good luck," she told him before turning on her heel.
"Wait." Eren reached out and snatched the woman's wrist, earning a light gasp when he yanked her back to him. He slid an arm around her waist to steady her before pressing his lips against hers once again.
This time, she completely let down her guard to him. His fingers brushed her bangs from her face, lightly sliding through her silky smooth locks. Her hands came up on either side of him, fingers curling into his shirt as she pulled him closer. Obliging, the brunette pressed close to his lover. Their lips moved in a passionate dance, neither one nor the other seeking dominance. Eren lost himself in her, allowing the world to melt away so it was just them.
"Mikasa," he sighed as they reached a natural stopping point. They pulled away, but their foreheads leant against each other's. She hummed in response, her eyes closed peacefully. Smiling, he tilted his face to kiss her brow before whispering, "I love you."
When he stepped away, her stormy grey eyes met his emeralds. Her fingers lightly feathered over his cheek before she answered, "I love you too, Eren."
"Have you two couples reached the end of your temporary goodbyes?" Hanji asked, impatient but also teasing. She stood at the corner of the cart, on the rails, bent slightly for balance. When she spoke, Eren glanced to the side and realized that Armin and Annie were doing the exact same thing they'd been doing.
He grinned sheepishly before his hands dropped to his sides. "Good luck, Mikasa."
"You too," she responded with a heartwarming smile.
Eren watched her turn, ever so gracefully, about on her toes. She strode away from him and past the cart, to where Levi was watching the gate. Her pace was quick and fluid, her scarf swishing in the air behind her.
Beside him, green lightning crackled down from the sky. Annie took the form of her Titan in the blink of an eye, pulling into the nape of the Female Titan's neck as the body's muscles formed around her. There was a half a second's pause before awareness entered the Female Titan's silvery blue eyes, which turned to look down at Eren.
Take care of him, she ordered, referring to Armin. And don't let either of you do something stupidly reckless!
Eren nodded. Yes, ma'am!
The Female Titan snorted in response but looked otherwise pleased. She turned to the shattered gate and started towards it, stepping over the significantly smaller humans at her feet carefully. Mikasa and Levi both hitched a ride on her, climbing up to her shoulders as she left. When they were out of sight, Eren's hand raised up to his mouth.
He bit down hard.
Anat El knew they would come before they had entered her private quarters. The woman looked up with calm, gleaming maroon eyes, her legs crossed as she met the shocked gazes of the people who burst into her room. She wore her military uniform sans the jacket, wearing a deep red blouse as her own personal touch. The emblem to the Stationary division was embroidered on both of her shoulders and on her back. She looked exotic and cool, regarding the soldiers that surrounded her as they rudely intruded upon her room. Granted, they had knocked. The woman felt no urge to answer them. Resting her chin upon her hand lazily, she watched through thick eye lashes as Reiner stepped up to her. Her dark, ruby lips pulled up in a small smile, revealing pearly white teeth.
"Long time, Reiner," she greeted softly. "You've gotten tall."
Reiner flushed at that, looking away. "Anat… We've come to-"
"To convert me to this young Eren Jaeger's cause," she finished, rising smoothly to a standing position. "Yes, the Titan Lord told me all about this, Reiner. What makes you think I'll turn my back on decades of servitude? For a young boy's hopeful dream?"
"It's not just a dream," Reiner defended quickly. "It's real. Think about it. Why is the Titan Lord so afraid of Eren? Why can't he just kill him and be done with it?"
Anat El glanced from Reiner to the other young ones before her. She knew she was intimidating the younger soldiers. She did it on purpose. Anat El had no problem with humans, though she did enjoy when she made people uncomfortable. She strode up to Reiner, her height bringing her nearly nose to nose with him. With a tiny grin, she extended her mind to Reiner's and made him dread enough to shake.
"What makes you think the Titan Lord isn't just bored and looking for entertainment?"
The blond trembled and swallowed audibly. "I don't… think…"
An eerie glow in Reiner's eyes made shivers go through her spine. A green flame spread out from his pupils, turning his irises into a passionate emerald. Anat El's eyebrow rose when his quivering stopped. Strength flowed through his features. He stood straighter, his shoulders pushed back. He looked her in the eyes fiercely. The dark-skinned Shifter's eyes widened when she felt her mental influence shatter. She felt hot claws in her mind shatter her hold upon the blond, and climb up into her mind. She didn't wince, but the warning was clear in her mind.
You will not harm him, a man's voice growled in her mind. It was not the voice of the Titan Lord.
It was Eren Jaeger.
Anat El took a step back, gasping when the painful hold on her was released. Her eyes widening, she looked down at the ground. She had been willing to listen to Reiner's pleas, out of her maternal love for the boy. She had been willing to accept his words and, if he could not convince her, to allow him to escape with her life.
Eren's presence in her mind meant that Annie and Reiner had strong basis in what they were saying. And she could feel, at that moment, the Titan Lord strike back at Eren through her mind. She felt the Lord hissing with annoyance, Kill Reiner. He's useless now.
Reiner tensed, his fists clenching.
Something that Anat El was always good at was being able to resist the Titan Lord. She tore her mind out from the Titan Lord's grasp, a temporary fix. She blinked the white from her eyes. For the most part, her small rebellions against the Titan Lord were meant only to get a rise from him. But she had found with practice, she could shake his influence almost painlessly.
"He's here," Reiner warned the others. "The Titan Lord is here."
"I have helped the Titan Lord for many years, Reiner," Anat El said as she straightened once more. "Many years…" Her eyes flicked towards Commander Irwin when she noticed his piercing stare on her. His eyes sent a thrill through her. Eyes that said he would kill her for the greater good. "The Lord's influence gets stronger and stronger the more you believe in his terror, did you know that? But I had started hoping long ago for another possible way out of this terrible war."
Slowly, Anat El lowered her hand to her lower stomach. She pressed her fingers to the tiny, hardened bulge of her stomach. Gazes became shocked as the implication of such a tender movement settled in. The woman raised her head as she told them, "I have been waiting for something to come along that would tell me there was another way, Reiner Braun. I expected to be the Lord's pawn for as long as I existed, as those were the only dreams he would allow me to have. You do not need to make a case for Eren, or prepare to fight me. I will not let Titan Lord ruin my child's life before it is even born."
The tension left the room at that declaration. Reiner looked relieved beyond compare, while the other children smiled warmly at her. Commander Irwin stepped up to her and reached a hand out to her, his eyes turning from piercing to…warm? She took his hand with a small smile.
"Welcome to the Scouting Legion, Anat," Irwin greeted firmly. "We need you to come with us on our journey today, if that's okay. You can bring the father, if it makes you feel comfortable."
At that, Anat El felt both grateful and slightly hurt. "The father is dead. He slipped off the side of the Wall."
Though the father of her child had been close to her, she was not a man she had fallen in love with. The two had an agreement, a relationship that benefited the both while never really meaning a thing to either of them. She had been sad to lose him; he had become a good friend and confidant to her. But, as a soldier, she was used to death. She didn't allow it to affect her performance as a First Lieutenant of the Stationary Guard.
"Oh." Irwin looked truly regretful. "I'm…so sorry."
She dipped her head. "Thank you."
Over three years of training, Annie, Levi and Mikasa hadn't paired up very often. But when they did, the results were catastrophic. Annie started shrieking when they'd gotten a kilometer or so into the town. As Mikasa looked around, she noticed the heads of Titans turning to look in their direction. She wondered if they would find the ever-grinning Titan that had killed her second family. The woman tightened her jaw as she scanned her lost home. Everywhere laid broke buildings, Titan puke, the body parts of lost souls, the memories of one of the best years of her lives. She felt anger. She felt pain.
It burned through her soul and weighed heavy in her gut, plummeting. Closing her eyes, the woman attempted to steel herself. But the feeling only continued. She hated the Titan Lord. She loathed his selfish desire to rip apart the world.
"Mikasa."
Levi's voice ripped her back into the present. She blinked and realized that five Titans were running after them. Looking at Levi, she realized that he had come to stand beside her because of her suddenly distraction. He looked concerned, in a fatherly way. It warmed her.
Mikasa had a family again.
The Titan Lord would not take away her third family.
She was weak when her parents died. She was weaker still when Eren's family, her surrogate family, had been taken away from her. She would no longer be weak. Mikasa would not mock the memories and emotions she had towards her past families by not being strong. She would honor them during every second of every day, getting stronger so that she could protect herself and new families. The woman had learned.
And hopefully, her families would look upon her proudly.
"I'm okay," Mikasa promised. She slammed her handles into her sheaths, ripping out two long razor blades. She saw one Titan begin to double jump as it tested its strength, trying to give itself more momentum to launch into Annie's ankle. But the woman would have none of this. Using the Female Titan as an anchor, Mikasa launched off of her shoulder as the Titan leapt, and her blades sliced through its neck with deathly accuracy. Steam exploded from the wound as she continued her arch back up to Annie's opposite shoulder, where she landed smoothly.
She glanced towards Levi, who had a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
Annie began to run slightly faster. She shrieked out once more, bringing the two soldiers back once more to the battle field. Levi drew out his blades and turned to face the front. With curiosity, Mikasa noticed how his face fell in dread.
"Oh no," Levi breathed.
"GRRRAH!"
Turning, Mikasa looked over her shoulder. There was a fifteen meter class Titan charging at them from about a kilometer away. The Female Titan lowered to the ground as she amped up her pace, her arms thrusting and cutting the air in front of her so they moved ever faster. The enemy Titan was humongous, broader than the Rogue Titan by far. It was nearly as broad as the Armored Titan, now that Mikasa thought about it. It had an odd, bulging face and a mouthful of deadly canines.
Aw hell, Mikasa cursed as she braced for a rough impact.
Just as they neared, the Female Titan braced herself with crystal heels, taking a wide stance. Her left fist rose up suddenly, far too quickly for a Titan, and she swung around in a wild haymaker. Throwing all her weight into the punch, Annie crystallized her fist just before it landed square on the Titan's cheekbone. The Titan's head snapped back so hard its neck could be heard cracking. There was a concussion that rippled up her arm from her fist. The sheer force behind the punch rocked through the Female Titan's body and nearly knocked the two soldiers off of their feet entirely. By some miracle, they managed to hold on.
Annie's blow threw the Titan backwards and it collapsed into a building, flat on its back. She leaped over its legs, looking over her shoulder to make sure that the other Titans were still following her. They were. Wide eyed, Mikasa stared at the horde of Titans rushing after them.
"Go faster, Annie!" Levi shouted as one of them started to gain on them again. Just as it got close enough, the man dived for its neck. Expertly, he spun and sliced the back of the Titan's neck before volleying back up onto Annie's shoulder. He met her gaze, and they made a silent agreement. He would protect her back while she would protect Annie's front.
They weren't even half way through Shiganshina yet. Looking forward, Mikasa's jaw tightened in response to the distance they hadn't yet covered. Of course they were going at their fastest without losing interest in them. She noticed three Titans along the road in front of them, two eleven meter classes and one five meter class. Launching off of the Female Titan's collar, Mikasa fired her hooks off into the two nearby buildings. She sling-shot herself further ahead, twisting in the air as she approached the taller Titans. As she passed overhead, the five meter class attempted to leap up and bite her out of the air. She spun, her legs pushed tight together as she was missed by only a foot. The Titan's golden eyes met hers as she passed, watching her ravenously as she flew away.
Mikasa shot her hook into the nearest eleven meter class's face, angling her body so that a shot of gas would bring her up and around the Titan's shoulder. Tightening her grasp on her blades, the woman allowed her wire to pull her back towards the Titans neck. She spun in a tight circle, cleaving the flesh from the Titan's nape ruthlessly before she fired her wire into the next Titan's temple. As she darted in for the second kill, the five meter class Titan that had attempted to eat her was thrown through the air high above her. She heard the Female Titan grunt from the effort of the kick that sent the little guy flying.
Slicing across the last Titan's neck, Mikasa threw herself up into the air just in time to land gracefully back on the Female Titan's clavicle. She landed in a crouch with her blades lowered slightly on either side of her for balance. Raising her head, Mikasa looked forward with ferocious and eerie stormy grey eyes.
"Do you happen to know any other Shifters besides the ones on this list?" Irwin questioned, handing a piece of paper with names scrawled down in Reiner's chicken scratch writing over to Anat El. The woman narrowed her eyes at the list. She knew each of the Shifters on the list; many had been Shifters in the Legion that had participated in the fall of Wall Maria by distracting the Scouts. Some died at the hands of the Scouts, not known to be Shifters at the time. She smudged the names of three of the people on the list – the ones who had died.
"On this list only five are alive," she explained to the Commander. "And yes, I do know others."
Anat paused before looking towards the five other soldiers that accompanied them. She had learned that Mike was Irwin's right hand man, but she was more concerned for the younger soldiers than for him. Noticing her face, the one named Jean seemed to pick up on her suspicion.
He turned to Commander Irwin and asked, "Sir, do we have permission to get some food before we leave again?"
"Yes," Irwin said, grateful for the man's intuition.
Anat El eyed the soldiers as they walked off. Reiner looked back at her with confusion and curiosity, but went without a fight otherwise. She let out a slow breath as she looked over the names once more.
"The children shouldn't know yet," she murmured, choosing her words carefully. "I'm sure you've already had your suspicions of a few people, considering you've got our Spiked Titan now."
Commander Irwin's eyes widened. "You knew about that?"
"Of course I knew," Anat scoffed. "The Titan Lord can control and manipulate minds; you don't think he'd have told us if one of our own was capture?"
"But…you didn't do anything to retrieve him," Mike murmured. "You just let him stay there."
The woman dipped her head. "Actually, the Titan Lord wanted to have him killed. I was the one who was ordered to do so. As you can see, I've been taking my time with it."
"He can read minds, can he not?"
"Yes," Anat responded. She had a mischievous glint in her maroon eyes. "But with training and practice, even the Titan Lord can be fed false memories. To protect him, that's what I did. We didn't know it would work. In fact, we didn't think it would at all. Imagine our shock when the Titan Lord didn't send another spy into the prison to kill him or after me for treason."
Commander Irwin's lips twitched upwards at the corners. "So you were already fighting for humanity when you were with the Titan Lord?"
"No." The woman met Irwin's piercing eyes with her own. "I was fighting for myself and my family. All of the Shifters are my family, and I would abandon both the Titan Lord and humanity if it meant saving us. The Shifter you caught is safer in your prisons. He doesn't want to leave. He's afraid to. He's using you and us to save his own hide."
Irwin didn't seem altogether that bothered by that knowledge. In fact, he looked as though he'd already known that he was being used. "That's fine. Either way, he's safe."
Anat El smiled. "Thank you."
The Scout nodded.
Looking back down at the list, Anat El decided upon her words. She folded the paper and handed it back to the blond. Crossing her arms over her chest, she looked between the two Scouts in front of her. They watched her expectantly as she told them, "All in all, most of the Shifters in the Walls are a part of the military. There are some without any battle experience in their Shifter forms and are in hiding, as civilians. I'd prefer not to involve them. They'd be useless to you anyway."
The Commander didn't respond but he didn't seem to look to put out by the request.
"There are Shifters in authoritative positions near the Capital," she dropped the bomb right off the bat, preferring not to screw around any longer than needed.
"Wait, what? In the Capital?" Mike seemed surprised.
But Commander Irwin merely closed his eyes and tilted his head downward ever so slightly.
"You knew?"
"Zacklay, our Generalissimo," he suggested softly.
Anat El smiled grimly. "The Titan Lord's right hand, in the flesh."
"He's a Shifter, then."
"Not just any Shifter," the woman said with a deep sigh. "He is the second Shifter to have ever existed. He's our oldest Shifter aside from the Titan Lord himself. I think this year will be his one hundred fifty ninth birthday."
"The Shifters don't age?"
"Many Shifters don't age," Anat El said. "They'll reach adult maturity so that their bodies can handle the transformation, but otherwise time does not affect most of us. If an adult becomes a shifter, like Zacklay did, their aging will sometimes stop in that spot. Zacklay would've been fifty one when he made the leap from human to Shifter. Some do, though. It's one of those selective Shifter powers."
"Do you know the secrets behind the Shifter powers?"
The woman shrugged. "I'm under the impression that a lot of the powers are attributed to the drug that was given to change someone, as well as someone's own body and personality. Bertholdt is very tall; therefore he is the Colossal Titan. Reiner is very muscular; therefore he is the Armored Titan. Normal Shifters gain their powers based on their own attributes… But Shifters like the Titan Lord and Eren Jaeger were given something a little more powerful than us, and multiple times in their lives. I don't know the science behind it at all, but it allows them to enter other Titan's and Titan Shifter's minds."
"What are your powers?"
"Sweety, that's rude. You don't expect a woman to give away all of her secrets, do you?"
Irwin's brow knitted together. "It's something we need to know."
"You will," Anat El responded. She uncrossed her arms, allowing her hands to dangle in loose fists at her sides. She took on a no-nonsense expression. "Eventually. But first, we need to find those other Shifters."
Eren ran ahead of the cart, scanning the streets for Titans. Annie had done a good job of distracting the Titans, though some Abnormals still remained. Hanji had taken to standing in the cart as Armin led the horses on. The blond looked nervous beyond compare, having to sit on the ground driving a cart with two people to protect him. The Rogue Titan would let out a grunt when he saw a Titan, warning Armin to slow while he took care of it.
Bounding along the western most side of the Wall, Eren swooped down and scooped up a three meter class Titan. He didn't bother with killing it, preferring instead to toss it up into the air. The Titan flailed and cried out as it went sailing over the Wall.
The Rogue let out a low, rumbling chuckle as the tiny Titan flew out of view.
The Shifter wondered what was going through Mikasa's and Armin's minds as they ventured through their lost home. He felt anger, but not rage. Instead of sadness, he felt a sense of duty to himself, humanity and his mother. The Rogue Titan went down one of the large alley ways that led to his house's street. He was impressed with how many Titans had followed after Annie.
What the?
The Rogue roared with surprise when he spotted a human figure approach him. Behind him, he heard Armin yell to Hanji. The horses managed to slow down and stop before running into Eren's ankles. Looking down at the human, the Rogue's glowing emerald eyes fixed down on the human. His pupils constricted as he focused on the man. From fifteen meters in the air, Eren could make out the man's long, brunette hair tucked behind his ears. He wore a dark, dull red trench coat atop a white shirt and a…cravat?
Shock went through him when he realized who he was looking at.
Memories flashed through his mind.
"Eren, why do you want to go outside?"
"I want to see what's out there!" the boy exclaimed, stumbling over his words with excitement.
"Stay still, Eren!"
Crazed, Grisha yanked at the arm of his only son, a giant syringe in his other hand. The boy scream, kicked, cried.
"Stop it!" the doctor shouted. "You need this to fight him!"
"Use his memories to help you!"
White eyes gleamed from the man's face as the two stared at each other.
This couldn't be happening.
Before him, very much alive, was Grisha Jaeger.
It felt like ages before they reached the giant, gaping hole in the Wall. Annie had managed to conserve her energy for the run. The hole was taller than her Titan form, so she ran right through without a problem. Both the Shifter and Mikasa looked out at the world beyond Wall Maria with curiosity and longing. For them, it was the first time they'd ever taken as much as a step beyond the threshold to the outside world. Even though it was right outside, it was a different world. Instead of villages, there was wild life. Outside of Shiganshina was a large expanse of grass fields, with giant tree forests in the distance.
Mikasa remembered Armin talking so passionately about the lands beyond.
Fields of fire and ice, huge expanses of water filled with salt… Called oceans… She wanted to go there, too. She hadn't been as excited about it as Armin and Eren, not having the heart to allow herself those dreams. She would've been happy to remain in the Walls with Eren and Armin for the rest of her days. But, she would've been lying to herself if she said that recently she didn't look forward to a life beyond the Walls.
She wondered what the ocean was like.
In her mind, she pictured an endless length of white sand, constantly berated by the crashing waves of salt water. She imagined sparkling water, white capped waves as far as the eye could see. She expected to look up and see birds soar out over the water, and to feel as free as them as she watched. Mikasa allowed herself to smile at these thoughts.
"Focus!" Levi snapped at them, drawing the women out from their curious stares.
Cursing inwardly, Mikasa muttered, "Sorry."
"Just keep your eyes forward. I know it's distracting and beautiful."
Without realizing it, the Female Titan had slowed down to admire the beauty of the green plain. She turned right very quickly and bounded along the west side of the Wall. Picking up her pace, the Shifter put a dozen meters worth of distance between them. By now there was a horde of Titans, a countless amount that fell over one another in their attempts to eat them.
It would've been funny, if they weren't trying to eat them.
"When the rest of the Wall is in sight, we'll climb up," Levi told them as they began rounding the huge bend of the Wall. The Female Titan nodded her head in acknowledgement, while Mikasa let out a low grunt in response.
Annie sped up her pace once more, in attempts to put as much distance between them and the Titans as possible. Not too much time had passed before the bend of the Wall ended and they were running towards the main Wall. It was a blur in the distance, with the same purple and grey sort of hues that mountains take when looked upon from afar. Levi waited a moment to give Annie the go ahead to exit her Titan. She slowed to a stop and dropped to her knees, slumping over.
Mikasa went to her nape, ready to cut her out if need be. Steam billowed out of the back of her neck. Muscle and skin bulged as the woman within fought through the many layers and tendrils holding her in. Mikasa winced as she heard the tissues rip and tear until finally, Annie's figure was released in a puff of hot steam. There were spots where the hot flesh of the Titan burnt her face, and her eyes seemed to be glazed over with exhaustion. She didn't need any help as she extracted the rest of her body, careful to ensure that she didn't warp her equipment with her pulling in the heat.
"After this war," Annie began, glaring down at her soaked clothing. "I'm not going to transform again."
"There's nothing worse than wet clothing," Mikasa agreed. She reached a hand out to the blond Shifter, who took it gratefully as she stepped out of the pocket of flesh.
From the other shoulder, Levi's voice asked, "Are you ready to climb the Wall? We don't have much time until the Titans catch up."
Sure enough, the pounding of heavy footfalls could be heard rounding the bend after them.
Annie didn't bother answering with words. Instead, she tested her gear by letting out a small jet of gas from the device on her back. With a nod, the blond fired her hooks off as high as they'd go into the Wall. Like Mikasa and Levi had taught her, she planted her feet firm in the ground. Waiting until the tension nearly broke her hold, Annie finally allowed her gear to haul her up into the air. The two soldiers followed behind her quickly.
I killed your daddy, Eren, the Titan Lord's voice echoed in his mind. He took a step away from the man, the Rogue dropping his defensive position to one of complete helplessness. His arms dangled at his sides as the two stared into one another's eyes. The man had left them. He wasn't supposed to have come back. Eren didn't want him to come back after leaving him, Mikasa and Armin to fight alone. He remembered all the horrendous things his father put him through.
"Get off of me!" Eren shrieked as his father pulled him away from Mikasa.
The girl moved to stand and follow; her eyes wide with fright. But the doctor turned around and glared her down, ordering, "Stay put, Mikasa!"
"Don't talk to her like that!" the boy yelled, throwing a kick at his father's shin. His foot bounced off helplessly. When he saw Mikasa move to follow again, he cried out to her, "Call someone!"
She nodded and raced off.
He tried to bite his father's wrist, but the man tossed him to the ground without much effort. The man pinned him down painfully, taking the boy's arm in one hand and extracting a syringe from his coat with the other. Ripping the sleeve down from Eren's arm, the man stuck his son with the needle and injected him with whatever was in the syringe. Searing pain travelled up the boy's arm and blossomed out into his chest with agony. He shrieked, losing consciousness the moment the pain and heat overtook his entire body.
The Rogue's teeth clenched as the memories of all the times he was made his father's lab rat flashed through his mind. He remembered the last one clear as yesterday, the only one Mikasa had known about. She had called the soldiers to where they were, but when they arrived, his father was long gone. Eren would've been willing to forgive his father's actions towards him if he ever saw him again. But not this way.
Not like this.
White eyes, the Shifter told himself. He's a traitor!
In his mind, a voice murmured, I knew you'd take my message to heart, son.
"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" The Rogue swung his fist downward mercilessly at his father, crazed in his loathing. His father didn't even blink an eye as the blow sailed towards him.
Green lightning crackled down from the sky and struck Grisha just before his son could end his life with the punch.
A/N: Anat El is actually based on one of my own characters from a book I'm currently working on. I'll try not to favorite her too much…but I'm in love with her . Yup. I fall in love with my own characters.
By the way, Anat El is a double reference. Anat is a Semitic warrior-goddess. El is the father of "Ba'al", her lover. El refers to her as "daughter".