But...
They didn't come any closer. Almost like they were scared of me. I scanned the scouts for Erwin but my eyes met those of Levi instead. He narrowed them at me his hands on his swords ready to strike.
I wasn't going to wait for him to. I blasted upwards the hooks of the gear grappling into the wall around 15 feet up.
"MEN! TAKE AIM!!" The MP's leader called out as they all took their positions and aimed their rifles towards me.
"Thats brave...how do you know I'm not a Titan shifter? Hm?" I taunted.
"Because if you were you would have told me." I recognised his voice before I saw him. Erwin walked through the crowd of scouts to the front.
"Y/n. It doesn't have to end like this. You know how well trained the MP's are. If they shoot they won't miss." Erwin reminded me.
"I think you under estimate me." I pulled the trigger again shooting myself up another 15 feet. I could feel the gas dwindling. There's no way I'd make it.
"AT THE READY!" One of the MP's squad Leaders called out.
"HOLD!" The man from before called out. He must have been their Commander because they all froze and looked to him for instruction. The scouts moved forward adjusting their ODM gear ready to come up after me.
" Think about this y/n. Think about what we've been though together!" Erwin called out. The scouts began to move up the wall towards me slowly and cautiously. They really were scared of me. I guess it was a good thing I was unpredictable.
Erwin moved with them too. His metal prostetic using the ODM gear with ease. I shook my head. He was still lying.
"Stay away from me!" I yelled out to them my knuckles turning white from gripping the handles of the blades. I looked down at their faces. I saw Connie and Sasha, Jean and Marco, Krista and Ymir, Mikasa and Armin and even Eren. They looked betrayed but why did they look at me this way. If it wasn't for Erwin handing me in then they would never have known about this side of me. But then again, maybe I should have just been honest from the start.
Levi's hand twitched at his side itching to slice me down.
A sudden scratching sound and puffs of smoke caused everyone to turn their heads as three bodies came hurtling towards the wall and zoomed to the top.
"Y/n! LET'S GO! COME ON!" Reiner yelled out as he, Annie and Bertholdt flew by and landed a top the wall.
I pulled myself up some more thinking about how much gas I might have left.
"I don't know if I can..." I said to myself.
"Don't be ridiculous. Come on! Remember what you promised us as kids!" He called out again. "If you die here then it's over for us!"
I nodded blasting off again. I was around 10 feet from the top but even still the scouts were still sticking close. They looked at each other confused by the three new recruits appearance but Levi didn't seem surprised.
"So the other traitors finally reveal themselves." He scoffed. Marco's face turned pale and I thought about how he had knocked on Erwin's door claiming it was urgent.
Perhaps I had saved their skin without even realising.
"Come on y/n! You've got this!" Bertholdt called out in support. I nodded climbing up a bit further using sheer strength and willpower.
"Y/n! Please! I love you! I really do!" Erwin called out he was closer to me that the rest but still stayed back.
"You're a liar!" I yelled tears pricking my eyes. "You're just using me!"
"Remember what we were taught y/n! Use hurt as strength! Take those tears and turn them into power!" Annie called out. She'd never spoken to me with such passion before I was almost touched.
I gritted my teeth blasting upwards using the last of my gas hoping to reach the top. Reiner caught my hand and pulled me up and the three of them jumped off the other side down to where Zeke was lurking.
"See. Everything I told you was true y/n. I warned you how dangerous falling in love was but you just didn't listen did you?!" Zeke seemed angry
I was still being pulled in two directions. I didn't want to accept what Zeke was saying but at the same time, he was right. He had warned me but I'd ignored it and now i was in a whole mess.
"You've made mistakes but it's okay. You can fix all this." Zeke called out again. "Just come home. We just want you safe."
I glanced back and forth unsure what to do. Maybe I could trust Erwin after all. I wasn't dead yet and he seemed at least a little concerned for me. I wanted a chance to explain myself to the cadets and make things right here but that also applied to Marley. I needed to help them avoid war. There's no way we'd win one in the state it was in currently and without the information I could provide them, that's why they sent me there to begin with.
The MP commander from before called out.
"Come down now y/n. We're arresting you for charges including espionage and treason!"
"Nile! Hold on! Please." Erwin insisted.
"Y/n. I'm done with this. Let's go. Now." Zeke yelled through gritted teeth. "What is this? Some sort of attention seeking? Didn't you get enough when you were a child? It's ridiculous and it won't go down well with McGath. If you don't come down I'll come and get you myself and you know what that means don't you. Think about your so-called "friends" Surely you don't want them hurt do you?"
I began to walk towards the outside edge of the wall picking up the rope that had been left for me. I looked closer seeing numerous bound Eldians scattered around the area.
Zeke really had a solid plan it seemed. Almost like he knew this was coming.
"Don't listen to him." Erwin was almost to the top having moved ahead of the others. "He's feeding you lies y/n. I don't know who he is but it seems like he's manipulating you"
"Oh and you didn't?" I scoffed. "Please you know nothing."
"I have never manipulated you y/n. Or lied to you. It's not in my nature to decieve " He seemed genuine. But I doubt I would be able to tell.
I dropped to my knees my head in my hands. I didnt want to make this choice. I had to choose the lesser of two evils and I was sure whichever I chose I'd regret one way or another.
"He's doing it again! How long have you known me? And how long have you known him? Who's side are you on?" Zeke pleaded. "He thinks just because you gave in to his whims that he can control you. Don't let him! He's trying to make you confused but you must know that coming home is the right thing to do in the end so come on. I'm sure your parents would love to see you."
"Why does it matter what I choose? If I die then you can just replace me right?" I stood up leaning over the wall to tell at Zeke. He was just making this harder.
"You might think you're unimportant but trust me. We need you're information and expertise in order to survive. Don't be so down on yourself. I understand that it seems like a hard choice but it's simple really." Zeke talked to me like a child. He could never understand how hard this was for me.
"Do you want to live your life for someone else? Or for yourself?" Erwin asked still hanging off the wall by his gear. "It sounded to me like you enjoyed having a simple life rather than one where you have to live in fear or being caught constantly. Am I wrong?"
I shook my head to myself. He wasnt wrong but I also couldn't abandon my duty to my home country and to my family there.
"Take a deep breath and let's sort this out. Two days maximum I promise you on everything I have." Erwin seemed desperate.
"I'm going to count to five! Before I come up there myself." Zeke was impatient this I knew. And he didn't usually bluff.
"Y/n. I know you feel it to. The connection we have." He mounted the wall standing up. I turned back towards Erwin backing up closer to the edge of the wall.
"ONE! THIS IS ABOUT MORE THAN YOUR OWN SELFISH NEEDS!" Zeke began to yell
"I've never met anyone like you before. You make me feel alive!" Erwin interjected trying to get my focus on him instead of Zeke's counting.
"TWO! JUMP YOU MOTHER FUCKER! I'M SERIOUS!"
"I can give you the life you deserve. A happy and carefree one but one that still have the thrill of adventure."
"THREE! YOU'RE NO MORE TO THEM THAN A FLITHY MONSTER!"
"I could never think of you like that. You mean the world to me."
"FOUR! YOU WANT MY OPINION? IF I WERE YOU I WOULD HAVE KILLED HIM BY NOW!"
"I know you'd never want to hurt me. You looked after me. Better than anyone ever has."
"DONT MAKE ME SAY FIVE!" I was out of time yet again.
"Come on y/n!" They both said almost in synch. Both desperate for me to pick their side.
"DID YOU HEAR ME?! NO? FIVE!" Zeke let out a mighty roar and multiple lightning strikes flew from the sky and hit the bound Eldians turning them into Titan's immediately. That was my first warning.
I looked into Erwin's eyes as they glistened and he stared back into mine. I glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Levi emerging and in a flash he was flying at me his swords swinging. I stumbled backwards to avoid him as his blade caught me and I lost my footing causing me to tumble backwards off the wall.
I fell for what felt like forever blood spattering from my shoulder as I fell before being scooped from the air by Reiner and Bertholdt and swiftly carried to Zeke who had already transformed and he began to walk away from the scene with the four of us on his shoulder. I didn't even dare look back.
The scouts had no choice but to let us go. There were far too many Titan's for them to take out in order to reach us.
I looked down at my blood soaked shirt. In the end, Levi had made the choice for me. And I wasn't even sure it had been the right one. Everything was moving too fast and I began to feel light headed. Reiner and Bertholdt held me up but I slowly felt myself slip away and I passed out.