Categories > Anime/Manga > Attack on Titan
“Come on, Eren,” Reiner growled.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s not like I was accustomed to climbing through a damn forest!” Eren sniffed.
“Well you could at least have something a little faster than an amble.”
“Whatever.”
Eren had been asked to meet with Reiner and Behrtoldt by a lake not too far from the Head Quarters of the Scouting Legion. There was a thick forest in their way, and they weren’t allowed to bring any form of sword or knife so as to not raise suspicion. Reiner was leading him to the lake, and there was no mistaking the hidden rifle under his cloak. Eren knew better than to say anything about Reiner's 'loophole,' so as to avoid getting potentially shot.
“Alright, we’re here.” Reiner said finally. Eren sighed with relief. Thorns and bushes had scraped through his shirt and blood welled up from a scratch on his shoulder.
“Shit, Behrtoldt, get that patched up!” Reiner snapped as he saw the bloody wound on Eren’s shoulder.
“It’s nothing, honest,” Eren muttered as Behrtoldt wrapped a bit of fabric around his arm.
“We don’t want you to-” Annie appeared from behind a tree and was cut off by Eren.
“How are you even… here? You were crystalized the last time I saw you…” Eren snarled through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to know. Don’t talk to me, I’m still pissed you killed all those people for no good reason!”
“Maybe we shouldn’t have invited him here,” Behrtoldt hissed to Reiner.
“And why the hell not?” Eren inquired.
“Eren, don’t get angry with us and transform, but I’m the Armored Titan, and Behrtoldt’s the Colossal Titan.” Reiner muttered.
“What?!” Eren howled. “Because of you, my mother is dead! Because of you, Armin’s grandfather is dead! Because of you, civilization has been forced out of precious territory!”
“Eren, calm down,” Reiner growled. “We asked you here to see if you’d like to join us.
“Join… you…?”
“Yes, join us.”
“Why would… why would I join you?” Eren sputtered.
“You’re one of us. You harness the same power we do- turning into a Titan at will. If you do decide to join us, we can teach you how to control your Titan ability.” Behrtoldt explained.
“Control it?”
“Like I can control mine,” Annie muttered. “I don’t just act out and kill things, or lift giant rocks, I control what I do.”
“You mean to tell me you chose... you chose to kill all those people?!”
“Eren, join us, please.”
Eren hesitated. Join the very people who killed my mother? Who murdered countless innocent… innocent? How can they be considered innocent?! Eren thought bitterly. The Scouting Legion works to help them, to get them more farmland. To bring back the land we lost! All they can do is say we’re wasting their taxes! Wasting lives! Half of them are dirty criminals, too… Eren caught himself as he began to feel himself lured into the idea. No… most of the ones she killed were in the Corps… I’d be able to control my Titan ability! Then I’d be more help to the Survey Corps!
“I’ll join you,” Eren affirmed.
Reiner grinned. “You won’t regret it,” He assured as he led the way back to the Head Quarters.
Eren shook his head at the memory as he glanced to his new comrades hiding behind the shadows. They were to fall in behind formation once thirty minutes had passed since they started the 62nd Expedition Beyond the Walls. They just had to have a rite of passage… Eren thought darkly.
“Eren, are you okay?” Mikasa asked. “You look nervous.”
“Just… er… worried that we’ll have a repeat of the Levi Squad,” Eren muttered dismissively.
“Eren, you’re still terrible at lying.” Mikasa chuckled.
“You weren’t there when they died.” Eren growled.
Mikasa nodded knowingly and faced forward.
It’s been about thirty minutes, Eren thought worriedly. I was so stupid! How could I accept to a deal like this?! A sinking feeling of dread swamped his brain as he saw the formation coming up once again on the forest. A green smoke flare erupted from in front of them, shooting off to the right, signaling them to go around. Just like Annie predicted. Shit, now what?!
“Eren,” Mikasa murmured, “you’re tense again. We’re not going into the forest, so what’s bothering you?”
“Nothing, so stop worrying about me!” Eren snapped.
“Sorry,” Mikasa turned back to face frontwards again.
Stop being so mean! Eren scolded himself. She’s only worried about your wellbeing.
”I know, I know!” Eren hissed under his breath.
Mikasa cast him a sideways glance. Eren gazed up into the forest passing to the left. Reiner said he’d signal me as we passed… where the hell is he? Eren squinted into the trees. How am I supposed to know the signal?! He never specified- His thoughts were cut off to a crashing sound. Oh no…
The Armored Titan burst from the trees and blocked the path of the rest of formation. This is it! A voice purred inside his head. Bite your thumb Eren! A smile spread across his face as horses whined and slowed to a halt. Shrieks of fear arose from the Scouting Legion from members as well as horses as trees crashed down onto the troops. Purple, black, and red smoke flares burst forth from all angles.
“Eren, what are you-” Eren cut Mikasa off as he lifted his thumb to his teeth.
“Get out of here!” he ordered.
“No!”
“It’s your funeral,” he growled as he bit down hard into his thumb.
“Eren, stop-” Levi ordered.
Crack! A bolt of lightning shot down and Eren instantaneously transformed.
A gravelly roar escaped his throat as the members of his squad shot off into all angles from the force of the explosion. Annie was right… Eren thought nervously. I… I can control myself! It worked!
Just then, Annie appeared behind Reiner in her Titan form. Okay… now I have to distract them while Behrtoldt breaches Karanes District.
Look down, you fool! Eren snapped at himself as his eyes darted to his feet.
What have I done?!
Levi, Mikasa, Jean, and Armin, everyone in the Levi Squad, had died and were lying in pools of their own blood. The explosion had killed them. No… Mikasa! Armin!
“You…” he tried to say, but all that came out was a gruff snarl.
He glowered at Reiner and Annie. How did they rope me into this? I've... I've killed Humanity's Strongest! Humanity's last chance of survival... I've murdered my friends... A grin spread across Annie’s face that seemed to say well done.
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s not like I was accustomed to climbing through a damn forest!” Eren sniffed.
“Well you could at least have something a little faster than an amble.”
“Whatever.”
Eren had been asked to meet with Reiner and Behrtoldt by a lake not too far from the Head Quarters of the Scouting Legion. There was a thick forest in their way, and they weren’t allowed to bring any form of sword or knife so as to not raise suspicion. Reiner was leading him to the lake, and there was no mistaking the hidden rifle under his cloak. Eren knew better than to say anything about Reiner's 'loophole,' so as to avoid getting potentially shot.
“Alright, we’re here.” Reiner said finally. Eren sighed with relief. Thorns and bushes had scraped through his shirt and blood welled up from a scratch on his shoulder.
“Shit, Behrtoldt, get that patched up!” Reiner snapped as he saw the bloody wound on Eren’s shoulder.
“It’s nothing, honest,” Eren muttered as Behrtoldt wrapped a bit of fabric around his arm.
“We don’t want you to-” Annie appeared from behind a tree and was cut off by Eren.
“How are you even… here? You were crystalized the last time I saw you…” Eren snarled through clenched teeth. “I don’t want to know. Don’t talk to me, I’m still pissed you killed all those people for no good reason!”
“Maybe we shouldn’t have invited him here,” Behrtoldt hissed to Reiner.
“And why the hell not?” Eren inquired.
“Eren, don’t get angry with us and transform, but I’m the Armored Titan, and Behrtoldt’s the Colossal Titan.” Reiner muttered.
“What?!” Eren howled. “Because of you, my mother is dead! Because of you, Armin’s grandfather is dead! Because of you, civilization has been forced out of precious territory!”
“Eren, calm down,” Reiner growled. “We asked you here to see if you’d like to join us.
“Join… you…?”
“Yes, join us.”
“Why would… why would I join you?” Eren sputtered.
“You’re one of us. You harness the same power we do- turning into a Titan at will. If you do decide to join us, we can teach you how to control your Titan ability.” Behrtoldt explained.
“Control it?”
“Like I can control mine,” Annie muttered. “I don’t just act out and kill things, or lift giant rocks, I control what I do.”
“You mean to tell me you chose... you chose to kill all those people?!”
“Eren, join us, please.”
Eren hesitated. Join the very people who killed my mother? Who murdered countless innocent… innocent? How can they be considered innocent?! Eren thought bitterly. The Scouting Legion works to help them, to get them more farmland. To bring back the land we lost! All they can do is say we’re wasting their taxes! Wasting lives! Half of them are dirty criminals, too… Eren caught himself as he began to feel himself lured into the idea. No… most of the ones she killed were in the Corps… I’d be able to control my Titan ability! Then I’d be more help to the Survey Corps!
“I’ll join you,” Eren affirmed.
Reiner grinned. “You won’t regret it,” He assured as he led the way back to the Head Quarters.
Eren shook his head at the memory as he glanced to his new comrades hiding behind the shadows. They were to fall in behind formation once thirty minutes had passed since they started the 62nd Expedition Beyond the Walls. They just had to have a rite of passage… Eren thought darkly.
“Eren, are you okay?” Mikasa asked. “You look nervous.”
“Just… er… worried that we’ll have a repeat of the Levi Squad,” Eren muttered dismissively.
“Eren, you’re still terrible at lying.” Mikasa chuckled.
“You weren’t there when they died.” Eren growled.
Mikasa nodded knowingly and faced forward.
It’s been about thirty minutes, Eren thought worriedly. I was so stupid! How could I accept to a deal like this?! A sinking feeling of dread swamped his brain as he saw the formation coming up once again on the forest. A green smoke flare erupted from in front of them, shooting off to the right, signaling them to go around. Just like Annie predicted. Shit, now what?!
“Eren,” Mikasa murmured, “you’re tense again. We’re not going into the forest, so what’s bothering you?”
“Nothing, so stop worrying about me!” Eren snapped.
“Sorry,” Mikasa turned back to face frontwards again.
Stop being so mean! Eren scolded himself. She’s only worried about your wellbeing.
”I know, I know!” Eren hissed under his breath.
Mikasa cast him a sideways glance. Eren gazed up into the forest passing to the left. Reiner said he’d signal me as we passed… where the hell is he? Eren squinted into the trees. How am I supposed to know the signal?! He never specified- His thoughts were cut off to a crashing sound. Oh no…
The Armored Titan burst from the trees and blocked the path of the rest of formation. This is it! A voice purred inside his head. Bite your thumb Eren! A smile spread across his face as horses whined and slowed to a halt. Shrieks of fear arose from the Scouting Legion from members as well as horses as trees crashed down onto the troops. Purple, black, and red smoke flares burst forth from all angles.
“Eren, what are you-” Eren cut Mikasa off as he lifted his thumb to his teeth.
“Get out of here!” he ordered.
“No!”
“It’s your funeral,” he growled as he bit down hard into his thumb.
“Eren, stop-” Levi ordered.
Crack! A bolt of lightning shot down and Eren instantaneously transformed.
A gravelly roar escaped his throat as the members of his squad shot off into all angles from the force of the explosion. Annie was right… Eren thought nervously. I… I can control myself! It worked!
Just then, Annie appeared behind Reiner in her Titan form. Okay… now I have to distract them while Behrtoldt breaches Karanes District.
Look down, you fool! Eren snapped at himself as his eyes darted to his feet.
What have I done?!
Levi, Mikasa, Jean, and Armin, everyone in the Levi Squad, had died and were lying in pools of their own blood. The explosion had killed them. No… Mikasa! Armin!
“You…” he tried to say, but all that came out was a gruff snarl.
He glowered at Reiner and Annie. How did they rope me into this? I've... I've killed Humanity's Strongest! Humanity's last chance of survival... I've murdered my friends... A grin spread across Annie’s face that seemed to say well done.
Sign up to rate and review this story