__
A FEW HOURS BEFORE
"Hmm," Section Commander Hange is conflicted with the papers before them. The words don't necessarily confirm any of the suspicions they had. After the 'capture' of the Female Titan, Hange requested documentation of any other cadets in the 104th Training Corps that could possibly have connections with Annie Leonhart. Three came back to them.
"Section Commander? Something wrong?" Eren asks.
"Uh– Huh?" Hange didn't notice the vocalization of their thoughts, "Oh, uh well I was finally able to get my hands on the background report I requested for Annie Leonhart." Their eyes finally lifted from the documents. The Scouts who assisted with Annie's capture were now resting and evaluating the situation.
"Annie?"
"Yeah. Took longer than I was hoping for. The paper trail is a bit of a catastrophe at the moment. Bureaucracy, huh?" The interest of the three friends was peaked, "Anyway, according to this, there were three other cadets in the 104th who hailed from the same region. I have their names."
Hange glances back down for a moment, "One Reiner Braun, Bertholdt Hoover, and Juliet Diekman."
Sasha, who had delivered a message from Commander Erwin a few moments ago, gasps. The mouths of Eren, Mikasa, and Armin all dropped. Armin is a little more contradicted hearing Juliet's name.
"Not much survives in the way of records, and thanks to the chaos five years ago, what we have on them is mostly unreliable. However, we do know that during the long-range scouting formation, two of their units were given false intel. They were among those intentionally misled into thinking Eren was in the right wing," Hange lays out their thinking process.
"Wait just a minute, that's the section Annie attacked," Armin says, sweat falling from his face.
"What? What does that mean?" Sasha asks confused about the connection with the information given.
"Well, it's entirely possible they told Annie where they thought Eren was," he replies.
"Huh? Why would they do that?" Sasha asks again.
"Where are you going with this, Armin?" Eren asks, suddenly angry at these loose accusations, "You can't just accuse–"
"I totally agree," Hange interrupts, "Coincidence doesn't establish relationship. Bearing that in mind, I'm curious to know how the four of them interacted while training. What can you tell me?"
"I knew Bertholdt and Reiner were from the same region as Annie and Juliet, but I never saw them act friendly with the latter," Armin adds.
"Same with me," Eren says, "You'd never catch 'em shooting the breeze. And when they did talk with each other it was pretty curt. Plus, it's not like Annie was very social to begin with. Juliet on the other hand, went wherever the wind would take her but she never seemed to like Reiner all that much."
"Yeah, at meals she'd always go to whoever called her. Most of the time it was me 'cause she'd always share her meals," Sasha recalls the moments spent with her, "Annie though, she always seemed to prefer eating by herself. I dunno. Ah! I think I've got something that struck me as weird at the time. I uh– heard she liked sweets!" Her hand raised as if she had something important to relay.
"I've got nothing. Except maybe that–" Mikasa starts but is interrupted by Eren.
"Guys. What are we doing? These are our comrades we're talking about. Yeah, sure. Bertholdt never has a lot to say. But Reiner's like everyone's big brother, y'know? And Juliet– You know her for goodness sake–" His gaze shifts to his blonde friend next to him, "You really think they're capable of lying to us?"
"Eren does have a point. Think about it. Reiner and Juliet fought the Female Titan with everything they had. Reiner almost got himself squeezed to a bloody pulp in the process. If it wasn't for her he would've..." A sudden thought pops into Armin's head, making him gasp.
"What's the matter?" Eren asks.
"He was burst free of her grip at the last minute. Afterward, though, Annie changed her course. In fact, she ran straight toward where you were. I–I mentioned that you might be rear of the center rank, but there's no way she could've heard me. She wasn't in earshot at the time," Armin lets his thoughts be presented out loud.
"You've gotta be kidding," Eren adds.
"Do you recall if he seemed unusually interested in Eren's location?" Hange asks.
Armin recalls the exact moment Reiner asked for his location, "I only brought his position up in the first place because Reiner asked me where I thought Eren might be. Something else. Once he was broken free, the Female Titan stood there staring at her palm, possibly transfixed by something he'd carved onto it with his blades. Maybe Reiner..."
"What I don't understand is," Hange looks over to Armin, "You told us that Juliet was a childhood friend of yours, Armin."
"Yeah. We became friends when we were relatively young, I uh–" Armin scratches the back of his neck, "I guess I don't know all that much about her. She's pretty sheltered about her past. She was previously from the Shiganshina District, She and her dad, but one day they left without a trace behind them."
"Huh. Interesting," Hange looks back down at their paper, "Leon Diekman, correct?"
"Yes. That's correct."
"The only trace of him we have is that his body was found in the same region. He was a life lost that day," Hange reads, "And even so, she knew about our skepticism with the Female Titan, yet no other Titan was present. Guess this one's a bit trickier. "
"But–" Armin starts up again, "She's not that kind of person. I mean– she'd jump into danger if one of us were in trouble!" His voice quivers as he tries to nervously prove her innocence.
"Let's not make it personal, Armin," Mikasa says, shutting him up. Armin couldn't bear to meet anyone's gaze as embarrassment flooded his cheeks, a rosy hue spreading across his features like wildfire. His blonde bangs work as a shield to cover his face.
As tension thickened, silence fell upon the room like a heavy shroud, stifling even the faintest whisper and leaving hearts pounding in anxious anticipation. Eren breaks the tension, "What is wrong with you people? They've been with us from the beginning! You don't just–"
"Enough!" Hange shuts Eren up, "All of you. Listen up. If we cross paths with the three in question, don't give them any indication of what we've discussed. And under no circumstances are you to broach the topic of Annie Leonhart in their company. Before we can ascertain whether they were co-conspirators, we must find, lure, and contain them underground. That's the plan. Are we clear?"
"Yes, clear."
"What about Juliet?" Eren speaks up, "Don't you think she'll think it's weird we just stop communicating with her? Hell, we could be putting her in danger by associating her wit–"
"If she brings it up, don't engage in further conversation," Hange asserts, "We can't let her know until we know for a fact she isn't involved."
–
Present
Juliet sits on the rugged wood and grips the rough rope being pulled up against the wall. Her feet slowly lifted off the ground. While suspended in mid-air, the loose strands at the end of her ponytail tousle in the gentle breeze. Once she reaches the top, Mikasa is waiting with her hand out, ready to grab the other.
Juliet grabs her arm, helping herself up, "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," Mikasa observes Juliet's every move, the nagging suspicion gnawing at the edge of her mind. She was calculating all of Juliet's actions, wondering if her words were laced with a hidden agenda that she hadn't deciphered yet.
Juliet felt the scrutinizing gaze on her. She couldn't help but sense the weight of Mikasa's stare lingering, and it wasn't a fun one to have. There was tension in the way she watched her, a silent accusation echoing in Mikasa's mind. Though Juliet tried to dismiss the uncertainty with a casual smile, the confused feeling remained through her. What's her deal?
Juliet picks up that familiar gaze that Mikasa gave her previously, being given to the pair standing a few feet away from them, Reiner and Bertholdt. Juliet's attention gets taken away by Connie being lifted. She sees him struggling to get up and hurries her way to him. She reaches her arm out to help him.
"I needed that. Thanks," He grabs it gratefully.
"Are you injured?" Mikasa, who was waiting for more cadets, asks.
"Nah, I'm okay, but Reiner's wounded. And Ymirs' sure seen better days," Juliet looks over at Ymir's body. Her leg's missing, but she'll heal with the Titan's power.
"Who would've ever pegged her for a Titan?" Sasha says behind them, "Are they–?"
"Sasha," Mikasa gets up quickly, cutting her off.
Juliet left a bit confused about why Mikasa would interrupt her so suddenly.
"We all on the same page? We'll decide what to do with Ymir later," Section Commander Hange walks toward the group, "Oh, Connie. Chin up. I'll order a squad to investigate your village. For now, stay focused. I want our energy on the task at hand. Clear?" They lay a hand on his shoulder.
"Crystal."
"It's troubling. You would expect this area to be teeming with Titans," Hange looks below the wall, seeing an acquainted face, "Is that the Garrison advance squad? Tell me they've located the breach."
Sooner or later, Hannes made it up the wall, using his ODM gear. All the Scouts start forming around, waiting for his news, "Wall's perfectly fine."
"What?"
"Spent all night trying to find out where they're getting in. But between Trost and Krolva District, there's nothing. No hole anywhere," He lifts himself on the ledge.
"That's impossible!"
"We ran into a search party from Krolva and retraced our steps. Not a single Titan on the way here either," he continues.
"But we know for a fact that there are Titans on this side of Wall Rose," Armin adds, shocked at the news they were hearing.
"Oh, come on. How much have you had to drink, seriously?" Eren accuses.
"Why you little!" Hannes argues, "Wait hold on a second– What the hell are you kids even doing here?" No one seems to want to answer that question.
Hange moves the topic away, "If there's no breach then I guess we have to change tactics. We head back to Trost immediately."
Before heading out, Hange turns to Juliet, "I know you have to report to Captain Levi, but that will have to wait." Juliet nods her head.
"Though, don't let that stop you from reporting to me! Tell me what can you say about Ymir's Titan?" Hange finds a new excitement, though treading carefully.
"Of course, Section Commander!" Juliet says following their lead, walking right beside them, and Moblit who is always stuck to the Commander, "Her Titan's pretty small, about five meters. It seems to move a lot faster than regular Titans. The nails were particularly sharp, making it easy for Ymir to climb the tower."
"Sharp nails, huh?" Hange replies, head lent up clearly in their thoughts, "What if there's a species of Titan we haven't seen yet that knows how to dig?" Hange makes sure to watch Juliet's reaction, watching any moving signs.
"Ugh. That would definitely make their entry point hard to find," Moblit answers.
"Wouldn't there be massive holes in the ground then?" Juliet asks.
"I guess, you're right," Hange settles, "We can hypothesize later. Our main concern is Ymir."
"Titans being a close second, even with the horses," Moblit adds.
Juliet hears the feet of her peers behind her, assuming that Berthold and Reiner are there too. She doesn't turn to confirm, careful not to cause suspicion. Especially not with all the hard stares she's been feeling on her. First from Mikasa, now from Hange.
"You guys! Get a move on, we're heading out!" She hears Armin's voice behind her. That prompts her to turn back. She sees a trail behind her, everyone stops in groups. Bertholdt, Reiner, and Eren are at the very end. Her eyebrows furrow together in confusion. She waits for Armin and Sasha to catch up to her before turning back around and following their pace.
"Sasha," Juliet speaks up, "How'd you even make it back? Where'd your unit end up going?"
"Uhm!" Sasha panics at the sudden question, "I got sent back pretty quickly. Someone had to report to Commander Erwin." Juliet picks up on her uneasiness.
Hange stops before them causing the crowd behind to come to a halt. It feels like everyone else understands a situation that Juliet isn't a part of. Sasha turns her body ever so slightly, prompting Juliet to do the same. Eren, Bertholdt, and Reiner were still in the same position as before.
"What's going on?" Juliet asks quietly, not wanting to interrupt the sudden silence. None of the two Scouts near her offer her any explanation.
She watches Reiner take off the wrapping around his arm, letting steam surround it as he heals it. Her eyes widen as she watches Reiner uncover his identity. She hears his loud voice relay the word Warrior.
Dammit. He wants to do this now?
She sees Sasha and Armin start to run back toward Eren. Her shoulder gets shoved by Moblit as he runs past her, following the two before them. She's too starstruck to move. She doesn't know what to do. What can she do?
When Reiner gets closer to Eren, Mikasa moves fast—raising her blade and slicing her way through Reiner's arm which is trying to defend himself.
At that moment, Juliet knew she had to step in, involuntarily, she had to act. She slowly and hesitantly steps backward trying to come up with a plan. She suddenly remembers Ymir's underbalanced body.
Mikasa switches up, moving to take a stab at Bertholdt. Juliet watches both of her comrades fall, Berthold's neck bleeding out. "Eren! Get out of here!" Mikasa's voice yells out. She places her foot against Bertholdt's chest, blade held up high ready to land another cut.
In a swift and determined motion, Reiner lunges forward, his body propelled by a surge of adrenaline as she tackles Mikasa off the wall, removing her from Bertholdt. There was no hesitation in Reiner's movements, no room for doubt when the blade came straight for his partner. Mikasa latches her gear on the side of the wall, catching herself from falling any further.
"Bertholdt! Juliet!" Reiner yells at the two. Juliet looks back seeing a few pairs of eyes on her, Armin being one but she couldn't seem to care at a time like this. She had finally noticed they'd figured it out, that's what all the intense stares were about.
"Eren! Run away!" Armin yells, turning and running straight toward his friend. His bright eyes widened with fear.
"She's heading toward Ymir!" Moblit looks back at the younger girl running straight for the holder of the Jaws Titan. Juliet's eyes furrowed in determination not caring who was looking at her. The moment she's hovering over Ymir's body, she notices the extra ODM gear left near her.
A sudden burst of light blinds her. It illuminates the scenery below. The crackling sound of thunder echoes in her ears, reverberating through the air with an intense shiver running down her spine. She doesn't have much time to brace herself before she feels the heavy air soaring through her clothes and hair, caused by the formation of the Colossal Titan— well half of it.
Reiner now revealed as the Armored Titan, grabs Eren before latching a hand on the wall and sliding down with him in an attempt to flee.
Juliet struggles to pick up the ODM gear with the gust of steam flowing threw her, but hears the sound of another coming straight at her. A blade was hurdling at her at an alarming speed, and Juliet's eyes widened in terror. Mikasa had come to attack her, landing a deep cut against her cheek that was now leaking blood heavily. The sudden force left Juliet to fall on her back.
Mikasa can see the fear in her shaken eyes, but it doesn't stop her from lifting her blade once again, this time aiming right for her throat. With a swift motion, Juliet thrusts her hands forward in hopes of halting the blade.
The Colossal takes his giant muscle-exposed hand hovering over the group of Scouts. Juliet notices the sudden shadow, this is her chance to get away. "Mikasa!" Armin yells a warning to his friend, the steam from the Colossal rushes through his blonde locks. Mikasa looks up and quickly hurdles off the wall, catching herself on the side with her gear.
Juliet takes the time to grab the extra gear before her body is lifted by the burning muscled hand. The Colossal pulls his other arm back, as fast as it can go, and swings at the Scouts in front of him, "Move! Everyone!"
"It's got Ymir!" The newly-revealed, Historia yells out. The large arm grabs Ymir's body and throws the two into his mouth.
"She's not the only one!"
"How could they...?" Armin says watching it all play out. The remaining Scouts held onto the wall, astonished by the Titan shifters in front of them.
"Soldiers!" Hange yells out, "Prepare to attack! The Colossal Titan doesn't walk away from this! It's a threat to all mankind! Swarm and terminate!"
The Scouts move fast, attaching themselves to the Colossal and getting close enough to attack. The Colossal throws a slow punch, the Scouts reacting a lot faster than he could. None of them expected the scorching steam that soon rushed out of him.
Hange gasps as soon as they land, "He's vanishing!"
"I don't know. Something's different here," Armin evaluates, "The last time he disappeared, it was more or less instantaneous. He's maintaining his form to emit heat. I think he's protecting himself." To prove his point, he tries to clip his gear to the Colossal but it doesn't latch on but instead comes back to him. "As long as he generates steam our rigs are useless! Wha– What do we do?"
"Now? Nothing. Except wait," Hange says, "Squads three and four take position behind the target. Rashad has command. Squad two, stay put. Lauda had command. How long he can act like a blast furnace remains to be seen. But he'll come out of there eventually. When he does, we'll rush the big bastard. Listen up. I want you to forget about taking them alive. Destroy them. No second thoughts."
Armin chokes up. His eyes widened as the thoughts of possibly killing raced through his mind. Despite his efforts to shake off the fear of butchering either of his fellow cadets, especially Juliet, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that clung to his chest.
"You're with me. Right, squad one, look alive! We've got a date with the Armored Titan!" Hange jumps off the wall heading towards Reiner's Titan.
On the other hand, Eren reacted fast to being taken, biting his hand hard and shifting into his Titan. His screams are always so loud. Before the two of them even hit the ground, Eren's Titan throws a punch straight to the Armored's face but it doesn't do as much damage as he'd hoped to. The collision of them finally hitting the ground hurting the Armored more.
The moment the Armored got up, he threw a hard punch directly toward Eren's face, throwing his Titan back miles. As Eren remains motionless, the Armored makes his way toward him with a leisurely walk.
Mikasa tries to sneakily attack his nape, but her blades break as soon as they touch the Titan's thick armor. She gives up on attacking and lands far enough from the scene to not be involved.
Eren finally gets up and screeches loudly with a new burst of confidence only for the Armored's fist to collide with his face once again throwing his body back into the ground. Eren stands himself back up not giving up. This time instead of throwing a punch, he grapes onto the Armored's chest and throws him to the ground. Once Reiner finds an opening to flip Eren over, the Attack Titan moves faster, wrapping his legs around his arm and locking him in place.
Eren moves the two in a new position, this time with Reiner's arm being shut between his legs and pulling hard until it rips off completely.
While Reiner takes his time recovering, Armin lands near Mikasa and Eren. "Eren! Can you hear me? Run away! You've got to get closer to the wall! They're trying to abduct you! We can't let them do that! Trust me. Escape is our best option!" Armin screams at the tall Titan near him.
"Both of you fall back now!" Mikasa and Armin head closer to the wall, settling for watching from afar. Eren listens, making his way to the wall and placing his arm on it.
"Looks like he's in control again," Mikasa says looking at Eren's Titan.
"Yeah, but Reiner's not just gonna let him go," Armin adds, "Escape's impossible."
However, Hange came up with their own plan. They make their way toward Eren's Titan to reveal the objective of how to stop Reiner, telling him to aim for his legs.
The Armored drops the hardened material near his legs to pick up speed and tackle Eren toward the wall. Eren pushes him off, not being able to take any further attacks but Reiner keeps going, tackling Eren into the ground once again. However, Eren seems to have the upper hand, locking him into place, slowly but surely breaking his hardened material.
While everyone was too focused on Eren and Reiner's fight, Juliet peered out of Bertholdt's mouth with the ODM gear she found now on her body. Her rig latches onto the wall below her, zipping onto the wall. As soon as she lands, her feet take her as fast as she can right above the Armored Titan. She can see the back of the heads of the Scouts, none of them paying attention to what's happening behind them.
"Watch out!" It was too late, Juliet had already leaped off the wall. Armin's eyes dilate as he locks eyes with her, something about her gaze was different this time. She doesn't hesitate to take her hand to her mouth and leave a harsh bite. Soon, the Armin saw that bright lightning once again, this time the Fighting Titan taking form right in front of him.
Its sleek body is constructed with accents of crystalized material spread to numerous parts of its body, like its fists and its shins. Armin's mouth was wide open at the scene, he's only seen the Fighting Titan from afar. Seeing its form this close was a lot more terrifying, especially with its teeth sharp and showing similar to Eren's Titan. Armin notices a hint of Juliet's features in the Titan, the pitch-black hair and the darker eyes.
Juliet's Titan falls straight down, its crystalized fists aiming directly toward Eren's face. As soon as they make contact, Eren's face has a giant hole in it and his arms loosen up on Reiner. The Armored lifts itself, this time weaker and more shaken up.
Mikasa doesn't take another second to make her way over, planning to attack the less-protected Titan, "Mikasa, Don't engage!" Hange yells out but knowing it's not going to change her actions. Armin only watches in fear. He knows Mikasa is strong, but three Titans fighting down there. He's determined to follow her though.
The Fighting Titan attempts to flip over Eren's body to make his nape more accessible but is soon met with a headbutt from him. She finds herself being knocked backward. Reiner reacts fast, jumping on top of Eren and holding his arms down.
As soon as the Fighting Titan recovers, she evaluates the situation and moves swiftly. She grabs Eren's head into a headlock, attempting to rip it off and hope for the best for the body held inside.
"Mikasa," Armin grabs her attention, "Between the arms. Cut between the arms!" Both of their attention turns to the anatomy of the Fighting Titan. The crystallized material ends right before her bicep starts.
Mikasa goes for it, the two Titans are obviously caught up in their own goals. She attaches her rig to the Fighting's arm and zips through the two Titans, slicing directly at Juliet's arms. They soon loosen their grip on Eren's face, allowing him to crash their heads together once again.
The Fighting falls back, her arms too weak to catch herself.
Eren shoves Reiner off with his legs, pushing it further due to its now low stamina. Reiner was getting tired and his armor was breaking. Eren's Titan picks his foot up ready to stomp on the Fighting, whose body was laid on the floor but she acts faster, pulling up her shins to block the attack. Though, Eren doesn't stop trying, stomping non-stop.
The Armored comes once again, colliding his fist into Eren's back, throwing him far. Reiner moves quickly, running toward Eren.
Juliet takes a second to heal her Titan from the cuts it previously had before getting up, ready to assist in the fight but Mikasa doesn't let that happen. The sound of ODM gear coming closer causes the Fighting to pull her hand up to her nape, the crystalized material on her knuckles facing outward. Mikasa's blade breaks as soon as it makes contact, "Dammit!"
Mikasa doesn't give up though, attaching to the wall to grab momentum just to attack the back of her legs, just like she did with Reiner. This time she doesn't give her time to heal, going quickly back to make the cut deeper. The Fighting starts losing its balance but doesn't let the injuries stop it from trying to get away from the Ackerman girl. The Fighting soon falls to her knees, the depth of the cuts in her body not letting her heal fast enough.
To the side of them, it seemed like Reiner was losing to Eren, the last of his armor breaking piece by piece. Reiner pushes both of them right below the final parts of the Colossal before screaming.
"Mikasa, fall back! Everyone be on guard! He's calling for backup!" Hange sets instructions after hearing his scream. Mikasa follows orders, heading back but still staying closer to Eren, landing in a nearby tree. Armin, on the other hand, couldn't keep his eyes off the Fighting. Especially not when the nape of the Titan starts to move.
After hearing his roar, Juliet pulls herself out of her Titan. The muscle still stuck to her arms and torso but her head peaking out. Her hair flows back from the steam coming out of the Titan's body. Five red markings come out under each eye, trailing down to her cheeks. Two smaller and fainter ones trail from the ends of her mouth to her ears. Her weary eyes look back at Reiner, trying to read the situation.
"How interesting. She could easily come out by choice," Hange assesses Juliet and her Titan.
Juliet notices the Colossal start to move, aiming to fall right on top of the two Titans below.
"Above you! Look out!"
The Colossal's body falls straight down, mouth opened ready to grab the two below him.
In a deafening roar, the explosion of the Colossal landing ripped through the air with devastating force, sending shockwaves reverberating through the surroundings. The sheer power of the explosion lifted anyone nearby off their feet and hurled them backward with violent momentum. Juliet grips her Titan tighter, letting the muscles surrounding her body do most of the work of keeping her upright. The acrid warmth of smoke filled everyone's lungs with each labored breath.
The sound of the Armored roaring once again is heard, even though the Titan cannot be seen anymore, covered by the smoke now. Reiner latches his mouth to Eren's nape and grabs his body before running off, heading toward his fellow partner to pick her up. Berthold quickly grabs Ymir's still motionless body from the Colossal's mouth before using his ODM gear to latch onto Reiner before he leaves.
As soon as he comes into range, Juliet finally detaches herself from her Titan body, breaking the hard muscle off. She latches onto Reiner's shoulder before jumping and letting the ODM gear bring her to his shoulder.
"Give me a heads-up next time?" Juliet asks laced with an attitude. She was beyond pissed at the situation she was put into.
"I didn't know he was doing it either," Bertholdt sighs.
Juliet bangs at the Armored's ear a few times, "You've got some explaining to do. Dragging us into a fight like that. What the hell were you thinking? What about Annie, huh?" The Armored only lets out a huff, acknowledging her but not being able to respond.
Bertholdt eyes widen realizing they've left their fourth all alone within the walls, with the Scouts going after her too.
After a whirlwind day filled with chaos, Juliet finally allowed herself a moment of peace. With a weary sigh, she sank into the Titans' shoulder, feeling the stiff tension of his armor below her but she didn't mind at all. Closing her eyes, she tries to calm herself now that the moment is over.
Her thoughts connected around the image of those sea-colored eyes looking at her with terror. She opens her eyes in a hurry, not wanting to think about him right now. The walls start fading in the distance as Reiner moves them further and further away. With each strong march, they step closer to their home, to Marley.
–
March. 2024