So finally we get back to the actual plot. I'm sorry for the wait.

Titan Flavoured Birthday Cake: It was partially inspired by my own nightmares. And don't worry, there shall be plenty more Cliffhangers.

NoNameAvailable Bis: The plot returns right here!

MBScavenger1498: Thanks for the feedback, I'll take it under consideration.

Zach Hanson: Thanks, I'll try my best.

Karano: I didn't actually see you review as I was posting the next chapter right about then, but I'm editing this one in. I can neither confirm nor deny any of your theories due to not wanting to spoiler anyone, but yeah, the dream was partially patterned after my own nightmares. I's be disappointed if it wasn't at least a little scary. And don't worry, Hanji will be having her fun later.

? T-Minus/Plus ?

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!

Mikasa jolted awake, her hands immediately looking for a way out as soon as she realized someone was holding her in place. It was only after she had placed the unknown person into a chokehold and pinned to the ground that she realized that the enemy was smaller than she was. And the only two of that size with any reason to be holding her (And who had reason to believe she might let them get away with it), were Eren and...

She blinked her eyes, open, looking at the blonde boy she had pinned down.

"Armin?" she questioned.

"Mpmphkkhhhh-hkh!" The boy mumbled as Mikasa was still pressing his throat, before nodding shakily.

"What's happening? Where's- Where's Eren?!" She questioned him.

In response, the boy flailed his appendages in what little leverage Mikasa had left for him, indicating her arms around her throat.

"Oh."

"He's- *Wheeze* We're-*Wheeze*," Armin tried to speak after Mikasa released him, but couldn't form complete sentences as he still gasped for air.

In the meanwhile, Mikasa looked around. The ground was smooth stone, so that meant near the Walls. They were inside some sort of... Titan Skeleton?

Well, at least that explained the heat. But how did it get here?

"Are you okay...?" A familiar voice sounded from behind her. And yet, suddenly none of it mattered.

Faster than she had ever thought possible, Mikasa spun around as tears began to well in her eyes.

"Armin? ... Mikasa?!"

It was Eren. He was standing right behind her on top of some scraps of flesh haning on the spine of the skeleton. He was dressed in his white shirt, his military jacket apparently missing, and her right sleeve was gone, but it was Eren, and he was alive and it was EREN!

"Mikasa! you're awak- Oomph!"

Eren was interrupted by Mikasa leap-tackling him into a hug, squeezing him as tightly as she dared. Eren tensed, but returned the hug.

After a few seconds Mikasa pulled away and wiped her eyes, doing her best to steel her features. Now was not the time.

"How are you alive? Armin told me you had..." She asked.

"I'm not really sure..." Eren began. "Apparently... I turned into a Titan. Somehow."

...

Mikasa really, really should have been more surprised about that.

"And apparently you did as well."

So it had all been real then.

"And... we fought each other."

...

"And before you can say anything, it wasn't your fault, you weren't in control of your- Are you even listening to me?"

...

"Mikasa? Mikasa!"

...

"MIKASA!" Eren shouted and shook her shoulder. "Now is not the time!"

"Right..." Mikasa finally responded. Eren had been the Brown-haired Titan. It was her fault, she had been in control of her actions, she just hadn't noticed the similarities. But Eren was right. "So what had happened while I was out?"

Eren turned towards Armin, who squeaked a little before explaining.

"Right... After you both disappeared," he began," I continued towards the Supply HQ along with the others. We took the building, though Connie was injured in the process. During that time, I had seen you two in your... Titan forms," He said, clearly unsure of the proper term.

"You had been fighting each other, and eventually Eren threw Mikasa into a building, after which he emerged from the Titan's neck, unconscious. Mikasa got back up, but stopped her attack when she saw Eren, and emerged from the Titan just like Eren. After that, the Military turned up, and they wanted to kill you two because they thought that you were traitors. I... held them off until Eren woke up."

Mikasa raised her eyebrows a little. She would not have expected that from the mousy blonde.

"They wanted to kill us all," Eren said, continuing the tale. "I remembered some... stuff, about where all of this probably came from, but it would take too long to explain now. The important thing is, you need to draw blood and have a goal in mind in order to turn into a Titan."

Mikasa filed that away as important information. She wasn't planning to try it any time soon, but she wouldn't take any chances. Not anymore

"They shot at us with a cannon, and I created this skeleton around us to protect us. I woke up inside it's spine and got down here, and, well, here we are."

"So what do we do now?" Mikasa asked. "The skeleton is already beginning to evaporate," she said, pointing towards the steam rising from the bines and scraps of flesh. "At this rate, we have two, maybe three minutes at most.

"The military seems to be waiting to see what exactly happens next," Eren said. "The steam is giving us cover, but not for too long. Armin, we need a plan, quick!"

"Wha-," the boy in question exclaimed. He looked panicked, clearly having been caught off-guard. "Why me?"

"You always were the strategist of us," Eren responded.

Mikasa nodded, it was true.

"But..." Armin said, sounding a bit desperate.

"No buts," Eren told him. "You managed to hold the line against three dozen trained soldiers, all by yourself. You can plan us out of this mess."

Armin was silent for a moment.

"Okay..." The blonde said, breathing deep and closing his eyes. "If we run over the Walls, we're going to die pretty fast. We have no way to control your Titan forms, we'd end up killing each other. Without them we wouldn't last a day..."

"We're running out of time," Mikasa added.

"OK, I've got it." Armin said, opening his eyes. He looked more determined, and more sure of himself, and his voice wasn't as shaky. "The only good option we have is to try to talk to the military, to try to make them see the usefulness of having two "Titan Shifters" on their side. Escaping over the Walls is unfeasible, so if we can't convince them, we should try to run as far away from the Walls as possible and try to hide in the wilderness of Wall Rose."

"I'll go talk to them." He said, his voice just a little louder and his posture just a little straighter than before. "If I don't come back, run."

"No." Mikasa interjected. "If you don't come back, we'll come and get you back, and then run away."

Eren nodded his support. "We aren't going to leave you behind, no matter what."

Armin stared at her for a second, before nodding and wordlessly handing over his 3D Maneuver Gear and blade-containers to Mikasa. She took it and fastened it around her body, before turning to Armin, who simply nodded again, and got up. He walked out from under the Titan Skeleton, and strode to meet the Soldiers waiting on the other side of the steam that was still pouring from the carcass.

Mikasa and Eren couldn't see what was going on due to the steam, but they did their best to listen in.

"HOLD IT RIGHT THERE YOU TRAITOR SCUM!" A very loud and very angry voice carried over.

"Captain Verman of the Garrison," Eren whispered. "He was the one who decided to attack us.

"Neither Eren Yaeger nor Mikasa Ackerman are enemies of humankind!"Armin shouted in response. Mikasa was surprised, he didn't sound like the Armin she knew at all. His voice held purpose and authority, far cry from the his usual quiet and unassuming demeanor. "We are willing to turn ourselves over to the service of the Military, as long as we can be assured we won't be harmed!"

"CUT THE CRAP, YOU WORTHLESS TURNCOATS! WE ALL KNOW YOU ARE JUST PLEADING FOR YOUR LIFE NOW THAT WE HAVE GOT YOU CORNERED!"

"Pleading? Why would we be pleading, if we were all spies and Titans, as you claim?" Armin shouted right back. "If we were, we would have just escaped and killed you all by now. Why do you think we haven't done that?"

"BECAUSE YOU WANT TO LURE US INTO A TRA-"

"NO YOU IDIOT!"Armin screamed right back, interrupting the Captain. Mikasa had to give him credit, few people could have managed that.

"It's because we didn't want to kill anybody! If you are so smart, then take a step back and analyze the situation around you! You said everyone saw the Titan fight! That right there already proves that the situation is far from what you claim it to be!"

Armin paused for a second, before continuing his speech.

"If Mikasa and Eren really were Titans as you say they are, why would they fight amongst themselves? Why would the Titans attack them like everyone saw them do? Why would they turn back into humans right in the middle of everyone's sight?"

Armin paused again, and let his words sink in for a moment. The steam had cleared sufficiently for Mikasa and Eren to see what was going on. Armin was standing right in the open, in front of Captain Verman and dozens of Garrison troopers.

"IT'S BECAUSE THEY AREN'T TITANS! I didn't know about it before today, they didn't know about it before today, nobody knew about it before today! We were just as surprised about it as you were! And now we're offering to work with you, to help retake Trost! And the only thing we ask for is that you won't attack us!"

Everything was silent once Armin had finished, only the hiss of steam could be heard as the last scraps of the Titan skeleton boiled away. Just for a moment, Mikasa thought that this might work.

"NO! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOUR LIES TO DELAY US ANY LONGER! PREPARE TO ATTACK AND READY THE CANNON!" Captain Verman thundered, and raised his arm to signal the second shot.

"VERY WELL THEN!"Armin shouted back, drawing his hands to his chest an back in the military salute. "IF YOU WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR KILLING LOYAL HUMANS,THEN SO BE IT! IF YOU WISH TO RISK EVERYTHING ON MERE PARANOID INTUITION, AND WASTE GOOD MEN AND FORCES THAT COULD BE USED AGAINST THE TITANS, IT'S ON YOUR SOUL WHEN IT ALL COMES APART! BUT WE WILL DIE, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING FOR THE CAUSE OF HUMANITY!"

Verman remained silent for a few agonizing heartbeats, before tensing and beginning to drop his hand.

Armin closed his eyes, and Mikasa took out a blade, holding it over her arm. She wouldn't allow it to end like this.

But before she, or anyone for that matter, could do anything, a cold, sharp and authoritative voice rang out:

"Belay that order troopers! Hold fire!"

Mikasa turned to look for the origin of the voice. It was a short, black-haired man in military uniform, but who also had a dark green cloak draped over his shoulders, with a symbol of two wings patterned in the back. He was surrounded by several other soldiers wearing similar cloaks.

The short man was holding an envelope in his hands, showing it for everyone to see

"I have direct orders from Southern District Garrison Commander Dot Pixis, and he wants these three to be left unharmed."