The Underground

Trost Pt.8 Titan

I crack my eyes open, marveling at the ridiculous scene in front of me. Most people -- dumb people -- would have found this awesome. But it was never my goal to be inside a skeleton of a titan. Armin, shaking in fear as he whips his head around, looking for any explanation of what just happened.

"Armin." I said grabbing his forearm tightly. "Calm down."

"Eren saved us." Mikasa also reassures. Armin becomes less tense and smiles at Mikasa. I hear footsteps and crouch on my heels.

"You guys! Are you ok?" Eren's body appears beside a massive titan rib bone. The outter layers of it was now evaporating, meaning this smoky titan gas cover won't last much longer.

"Fine. But not for long if we don't come up with a plan to get out of here." I stare at Eren for an answer as a determined look possess his eyes.

He moves forward, glancing between the soldiers by the canon and the soldiers with the swords. "Honestly, after what they've seen, talking to them won't do much good." He frowned and clutched his golden key. "But, I did recall one thing. The basement. The basement in my home! My father said I'd understand everything if I went there." He stares at the key, as if expecting the answers to be engraved in it.

His eyes are shaking like mad, making me think of how tired he must be after transforming into a Titan twice already. "I became this way because of what my old man did. "If I can get into my basement," He looks up, as if searching for something. I guess he happens to find it in my eyes. "I can understand the truth about the Titans!"

I stare at him while he stares at me. He seems to want some kind of answer, but I'm not sure that he wants it from me. When I don't say anything, he gets up and slams his fist into his titan rib cage. "Dammit! If he knew, why did he hide it?! Isn't that information the last hope for human kind? Thousands of Scouting Regiment troops have died trying to find it!" His voice drops an octave and he looks half mad and half disappointed. "Where even is he?"

I can't stand his ranting anymore. I get up and squeeze his shoulder. "Eren. Can we focus on what we need to do to get out of here? Please?" He snaps out of it immediately and we move back to the others. Mikasa glares at me, like it should've been her to get him back on track.

"Yeah."Eren says strongly. We crouch together as the smoke starts to clear.

"It's clearing!" A soldier shouts.

"Attack when you see them!"

"HOLD YOUR POSITIONS!" Captain Scream orders.

Suddenly Eren's titan skull cracks off its neck, falling, and then breaking into more dust for us to be covered with.

I sighed in relief. "We need to hurry. That might not happen again."

They nod and we all turn our attention to Eren. "I'm getting out of here." Eren glares at the ground. I don't like how he says "I" instead of "we". Like he's gunna leave us behind or something.

"Where will you go?" Armin frowns. Why is everyone acting like he's going alone already?!

"Anywhere for now. After that, I'll scale the wall and head for the basement. After becoming a Titan again." He curls his not-so-obvious shaking fingers into a fist.

"You can do that?" Armin looks like crying.

"I don't know how. I just feel like I can. Like the way I can't explain how I have my arm." He flexes it. "Last time, I just reacted. All I was thinking about was stopping that shell." He starts panting. "This time i'll make it stronger. Like that fifteen meter titan that kicked ass!" His whole body shakes now as a slow trickle of blood flows from his nose.