Chapter Text
The months slip through his fingers, and before he knows it, the Cadets graduate, all 218 lined up in front of their superiors. He watches as the top ten are called to stand in the distance, his name unsaid, another thing that has remained the same, despite his extra effort.
He can’t help but sigh in defeat as the ceremony commences, knowing that his time was running out before Trost, that there would no longer be any stalling or hoping—his cards had been dealt and the sand in his hourglass was dwindling.
The blond observes his friends from a distance, Mikasa and Eren standing up front with the rest of the top ten. They had once again received top marks, and he couldn’t help but feel proud despite his own disappointment, finding himself gazing upon his friends wistfully.
He’s caught by Eren, who glances back before straightening up to attention, just narrowly missing Shadis’s stern glare.
Armin is also surprised that Historia had made it into tenth place once more. He was certain that knowing the future would have changed something, but apparently, he was wrong.
He zones out for the rest of the ceremony, the same speech he heard years before going through one ear and out the other. By the time the last of the speakers was done, he was nearly dozing on his feet, only being shaken from his daze when Marco nudged him on the side, his expression concerned.
“Did you not sleep well last night?” Marco questions, his brows furrowed and his voice gentle, not wanting to draw attention to the blond. Armin shakes off his sleepiness, hiding a yawn behind his fist.
“I did, but the speeches went on forever and were pretty boring. I guess I just couldn’t fight it off anymore,” he replies, his face drawn in faux embarrassment.
Marco laughs it off, throwing an arm around his shoulder. “If you say so. Now let’s go eat. I want to actually have a few bites before I have to get in between Jean and Eren.”
Armin can already imagine them arguing over something stupid once more, gaining someone’s ire, and getting kicked out of the dining hall again. He chuckles to himself.
“Now that sounds like a good idea.” He huffs another quick laugh before following the freckled boy, pushing through the crowd. Although the walk is brief, it feels like it drags on, the evening humid and the gravel road uneven. He can’t wait until he can rinse off the day’s sweat and finally get a reprieve from the oppressive heat.
When they do finally arrive, they’re met with silence, and Armin is immediately struck with worry.
That’s odd , he thinks to himself. However, he is unable to ponder the matter further before the quiet, stagnant air is interrupted by a single voice, one that he knows like the back of his hand.
Eren. I completely forgot.
He looks at Marco apologetically, the other boy shrugging, before rushing off to find his friend. He pushes through the crowd, searching for his troublesome friend, before finally seeing a mop of brown hair making its way to a door on the right. He picks up his speed, narrowly tripping over several random feet before calling Eren's name, but his voice is ignored, lost in the cacophony that had once more spread through the room.
He gives up on trying to be heard and instead keeps his eyes locked on the brunet, not letting him out of his sight. He eyes Mikasa, opting to catch up to her, the raven-haired girl slowing down a bit to match his pace. The two of them share a look, a moment of understanding passing between them, before continuing in their chase.
When they make it outside, they turn onto the street after Eren, just barely catching up. They find him sitting on cobbled steps, his face covered by his hands, breathing raggedly, and Armin’s heart breaks at his oldest friend’s sorrow.
The blond walks forward, his steps quiet, before finally settling down next to the brunet. He lays a comforting hand on his shoulder, and Eren leans into his touch, slightly relaxing but still tense.
Mikasa sits down on his other side, her eyes holding a muted sadness at Eren’s pain. They stay like that for a moment, stewing in their grief before Armin finally moves to speak.
“I heard some of what you were saying, and it sure was something. You said what people needed to hear,” he tries, vaguely remembering this moment from his past life. He said the speech had something to do with me last time, right?
He awaits Eren’s reply as the brunet mulls over his words before finally answering. “It was mostly based on what you used to say, so I can’t take too much of the credit.” Eren looks down dejected, avoiding his gaze. They sit in prolonged silence, and Armin can’t help but think that he’s meant to break it somehow.
Wait, wasn’t this when I declared I’d join the Scouts? Up until now, Eren hadn’t taken me seriously, but played along. I need to say something… he mulls before his gaze becomes determined.
“Well, I’m joining the Scouts with you; you can’t stop me,” Armin declares, his voice steady in the silence. Eren and Mikasa gasp, their eyes widening at his statement.
The brunet rounds on him, his expression fierce. “Now you’re just being stupid. Come on, you’re not a fighter, your life is with books,” Eren argues desperately, his tone panicked. The words sting even if he has heard them before. Especially because he had heard them before. Even now, when he had worked so hard to improve, Eren still viewed him as weak.
However, he brushes it off, hoping it doesn’t show on his face, and instead trudges on. “I’m through with letting other people fight for me, and that means you too,” he fights back, unyielding in his rebuttal.
Eren looks back, stunned. He is not given even a single moment’s reprieve before Mikasa gives her own two cents.
“Guess it's the Scouts for me too, then,” the girl says, adding to Eren’s mounting horror.
The brunet looks at her, his eyes wild and desperate. “Oh come on, you were top of the class, you’d be wasting your shot,” he argues, but his pleas are swiftly ignored, Mikasa’s next words kicking him while he’s already down.
“Understand this, Eren–where you go, I go,” the boy’s eyes widen. “I made a promise to your mom before she died. I’m not letting you die. I’ve got your back—whether you like it or not, so just deal with it.” Eren once again is left speechless at her words, looking away, appearing somewhat defeated.
“Well, Mom’s not here,” he finally says, his voice sullen, but Armin knows it’s from a place of sorrow and worry. The brunet can’t fathom losing more of his family, and yet they keep pushing him, refusing to abandon him in his suicidal quest, and putting themselves in danger.
In this world, they have no other option.
Armin watches as Mikasa tenses, not letting Eren’s remark slide and opting to put the final nail in the coffin, saying, “A lot of people I used to care about aren’t here either.”
Eren’s breath hitches at her words, guilt flashing across his face.
They fall into silence, all three contemplating what to say next, but even after several moments pass, they’re still left speechless. Armin knows the conversation is finished and instead chooses to observe his friends as they continue to try to find the right words, looking at the dark night sky that is slashed through by the visage of the towering wall.
There’s no backing out now. I’m joining the Scouts again , he thinks as he stares out across the great beyond, a star streaking across his vision.
***
The day the Battle of Trost dawns, Armin throws up.
He barely makes it to the outhouse before he’s losing whatever was still undigested from last night’s dinner, a mixture of more water than any actual solids.
His stomach empties once, then twice, before he’s left dry-heaving into the toilet bowl, gagging behind his fist. His frame shakes as he kneels upon the dirty floor, the nervous jitters becoming a permanent fixture of his morning. His breaths are ragged, bordering on full-blown panic; however, he can’t allow himself to fall into weakness.
He forces a deep breath, then another, harsh gulps of air that are interrupted every so often by a hitch. The minutes steadily slip from his fingers as he waits for his breathing to return to being even remotely close to normal. He gives up trying to make himself fully calm—he knows it’s a useless endeavor under these conditions.
When Armin feels settled enough, he pushes himself off the grimy floor, shuddering at the texture before making his way to the sink. He washes his hands quickly, the cold water causing him to jolt at the sensation before he becomes accustomed to the biting chill. He splashes some water in his face, hoping it will aid him in regaining his wits. It doesn’t.
He takes a deep breath before pushing away from the counter, unsteady on his feet but forcing his way forward regardless through the door. As he walks out into the muggy air, he locks eyes with Historia and Ymir, both donning a grave expression similar to his own. They nod at each other in grim understanding, no words needing to be exchanged. They had planned for this day. Their signals are set, contingencies in place; now it's only a matter of execution. Once the Colossal breaks down Wall Rose, hell will rain down once more.
He walks to his position, eyes roaming over the day’s victims—Marco, Franz, Sandra, Nac, Mylius, Mina, Thomas…
He locks eyes with Marco, the raven-haired boy, raising an eyebrow at his severe look. “Is there something you need, Armin?” the other asks.
“Please stay on guard today. I saw something suspicious the other day. If something strange happens, or you see or hear something odd, hide as fast as you can. Not everyone here can be trusted. Just please promise me that,” Armin begs, his expression serious.
Marco’s expression twists into a frown. “You’re worrying me, Armin. I’ll stay careful, but please explain to me what happened to make you think that later. Your hunches are usually right, so I believe you, but I am curious,” he responds.
The blond lets out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that. I’ll tell you everything later. Also, know that you can count on me, Ymir, or Krista.”
They share a nod of understanding before Marco gives a timid smile. “Of course, Armin,” the freckled boy replies before going to look for Jean. Armin exhales, moving to find his own position. He can’t do much more now; it’s all up to his friends to fight for their own survival—he’s got bigger fish to fry.
As he heads to his position, he prays for their safety, hoping that their actions will be able to change a fate that seems set in stone. That this day will be marked with fewer casualties.
On his way, he spots Eren weaving through the busy street, causing him to freeze in place. “Eren!” he calls, his voice barely carrying over the noise of the crowd. The other boy looks over in his direction before smiling and walking over.
“Hey Armin, isn’t it so exciting? We actually get to do something today.” The blond nods along, trying to match the other’s excitement, but failing miserably. Fortunately, the brunet doesn’t notice, too distracted with his own thoughts. “I’m going to be up on the Wall. It will be the first time that I’ll see past Wall Rose since the Wall Maria fell.” His smile becomes more muted, his brows furrowed, before he shakes off his souring mood.
Armin grabs his hand, giving it a firm grasp before speaking. “I wish you good luck up there and stay safe. Find me if you need anything.” He looks up at the brunet, hoping the other can feel comforted by his words.
Eren’s face flushes before looking away. “Yeah, me too. Also, it’s not too late for you to join the Garrison, y’know. It’d be safer.”
Armin’s face sours.
“Eren, shut up. I made up my mind. There’s no changing it. Now go up to the Wall before I sic Mikasa on you.” He shoos him away, Eren running off for a moment before pausing and giving a wave goodbye. Armin hastily returns it, already falling into the nervous daze that has plagued him all morning.
He continues to his post, each step cutting away at his nerves, desperately wondering when he will hear the ear-shattering boom of Wall Rose being breached.
When he arrives, he gets his orders and moves into position, doing his tasks and every so often finding himself pacing in place, idling the hour away by running through every possible problem and its hypothetical solution.
It nearly drives him insane, his anticipation brought to the very brim, war-torn memories flashing through his mind—
Boom.
Then suddenly his wait is over.
He sees a brilliant light dawn over the Wall, and his ears are assaulted with the sound of a great explosion.
It has begun.
His knees momentarily give out before he catches himself on a nearby wall. He sees the Colossal Titan peeking over Wall Rose and hopes Eren will be as safe as he can be in his present situation.
He watches as the giant beast swats at something and knows it’s his reckless friend picking another fight, cutting it close against an apex predator, yet still not backing down. With each movement of its arm, Armin’s heart drops to his stomach, and he can barely contain a whimper.
Then, before he knows it, it’s gone in a great burst of steam, vanishing in mere seconds.
He can’t even begin to imagine how frustrated Eren is at the moment, having his sweet revenge torn from his grasp. Armin has seen the state that Eren devolved to when something was taken from him and how desperately he will fight to get it back.
It’s not pleasant.
He’s torn away from his observation by the sound of his commanding officer issuing an order to commence the operation against the Colossal Titan, and he forces himself into motion.
You can’t hesitate. Get a move on, Armin. Lives are at stake.
He makes his way to the ODM gas tanks, his hands slightly trembling but mostly steady, the only thing keeping him going being the knowledge that humanity had survived this day, that the two people he cared for the most had lived.
He fiddles with the tanks as he waits for his friends to arrive, but he doesn’t have to wait long. They are there within the quarter hour, faces grave and Eren simmering with a righteous fury.
“I saw it, Armin. The Colossal. It appeared out of nowhere and disappeared like five years ago,” the brunet grits through his teeth, his eyes manic.
“I know, I saw it too,” he says, not daring to look away from the task at hand. “And it will be like last time unless we find a way to block off the hole. That huge boulder should do the job, but we have no way to lift it.” He recites his lines, hoping the information is sufficiently planted in Eren’s brain. Even if it isn’t, I’ll find a way to get to him later. I’ve done it before.
Eren grabs his shoulder to steady his trembling hands. He hadn’t even noticed he was once again shaking. “We’re going to find a way; we just have to keep fighting and make one. I won’t let it be a repeat of five years ago, Armin. I will die before I let that happen,” Eren says.
Armin grips his hand. “ No dying. Under any circumstances. I’ll be furious with you if you do,” he says, his voice unwavering despite the trembling in his shoulders. “Either of you.” He looks at Mikasa, and they both give a tense smile.
Wow, they’re already planning to break that promise. They’re lying to my face and not even doing a good job of it. How did I not notice it before?
He fixes them both with a firm look, and they look away guiltily.
Armin continues to fidget with the tanks as they walk away, trying to will away his fears.
Needless to say, he fails.
***
Soon after, they are called to receive new orders, and he can tell that things have gotten significantly worse. He watches as each of them drops whatever they’re doing and rushes to report to the Middle Guard, Armin finding his own place with his fellow Cadets. He observes the stricken faces of the Commanding Officers and remembers how this was when they found out that the Advance Guard had all been wiped out, overrun by the titan invasion, the Outer Gate fully compromised.
He spies his comrades' faces, tense but unknowing of how bad things had actually gotten. He stands beside Mikasa, waiting for the bad news to hit.
And it hits alright.
His ears are filled with the sounds of horrified gasps, but he stands unmoved, the news unsurprising due to his past knowledge. He glances towards Historia and Ymir and catches their gaze. They hadn’t reacted either, instead nodding with grim determination.
He hangs back for a moment to catch Marco, grabbing onto the other’s shoulder to gain his attention. The other looks at him in confusion.
Armin leans close to whisper, cupping his hands over his mouth. “Be careful out there. What I feared has begun. If you see something strange, hide and don’t let anyone see you. Remember what I said earlier. We can talk more later if we both survive, but if something happens to me, talk to Ymir or Historia.”
The other looks at him, distressed at his words, but stays silent, instead opting to nod his agreement.
“Good, stay safe out there, and depend only on yourself. I think I have a plan that could bring a stop to all of this. You just have to survive,” Armin assures him.
“I’ll try my best, Armin. Stay safe out there. Many people would miss you,” Marco says before heading off to hear his own assignment.
His objective completed, Armin walks to his squad, once again being placed with Eren, Nac, Mylius, Mina, and Thomas, Mikasa forced into the Rear Guard against her wishes. They move out, strapped into their ODM gear, and find a lookout on top of a rooftop.
Armin stares out upon the city, scanning for any approaching titans, when Eren’s voice cuts through his thoughts.
“Look at this way, Armin, it’s a golden opportunity. I mean, if we prove our worth as soldiers right here, we’ll rise up right through the ranks. Before long, we could be even leading our own regiment. We could bypass rookie status altogether.” Eren’s eyes are alight with elation, and Armin can’t help but feel joy at seeing the spark in his friend’s eyes.
He decides to play along, both because he is weak to Eren’s whims and also to increase the already dwindling morale. “Sounds good, I’m with you all the way.” He matches Eren’s gaze, and the other boy smiles.
“Now, now, boys, you’re not the only ones in your class. Save some of the glory for the rest of us,” Mina interjects, a smirk on her face.
“Good luck beating us to the punch a second time, Eren. No head-starts for you this round,” Thomas continues.
“Is that a challenge?” Eren snarks.
Thomas smirks back before turning to the rest of the group. “Listen up. Whoever kills the most titans gets bragging rights,” he says.
“Heh, better not fudge your scores,” Eren teases back.
Before their exchange can continue, they’re interrupted by a higher-up. “Squadron 34, move out! The vanguard needs support,” he shouts to the cadets.
Eren turns back away from the officer and faces Armin and the others. “Right, give them hell!” he shouts the battle cry, and Armin can’t help but feel pity at how their hopes will soon be crushed when faced with the brutality of the titans. He’ll do whatever he can to make sure they survive, but he isn’t sure how much he’ll actually be able to achieve. He can only pray that they’ll all make it out of this alive.
They run over the rooftops, using the ODM gear to cross large gaps in mere seconds. As they approach the area where the titans have gotten to. Armin calls out, “Wait! Let’s not rush in without analyzing the situation first. If there’s an Abnormal, we’d be completely caught off guard.” He remembers how quickly one had decimated his squad all of those years ago, Thomas being its first victim.
The others stop in their tracks and give a nod of approval, following his lead. They regroup on a tower balcony, observing the scene before them, out of the sight of the titans.
“Holy shit! There, right there! It’s an Abnormal!” Thomas whisper-yells, shocked into a stupor. Armin’s face is set into a grimace.
“I had a feeling we’d see one, they’d make it faster into the inner city than a normal titan,” Armin explains, hoping that they accept his reasoning.
It seems to work as in the next second, Mina asks, “What should we do, Armin?” Eren lays a supporting hand on his shoulder, prompting him into action. Armin knows how strongly his friend must be holding himself back from running off recklessly, and he feels immensely grateful. He squeezes the hand on his shoulder and keeps holding on, hoping that Eren can feel his gratitude.
“I can’t guarantee that all of you will survive, but it will greatly increase our chances. Everyone, get into pairs of two and pick a house to stake out, preferably one with a balcony. You will wait until a titan passes directly in front and then move to attack before it can spot you. Your partner will be there to act as support in case you’re caught or another titan joins the fight. Does that plan sound agreeable to everyone?” He receives a chorus of agreements, and he exhales a sigh of relief, glad that they were able to hear him out.
“Armin, want to be my partner?” Eren asks.
“Yes, of course,” he replies.
One by one, they all pair up. He and Eren, Thomas and Mina, Mylius and Nac. Once they’re all partnered up, they move out, each finding a suitable vantage point to stake out the titans.
He and Eren stand on a balcony, waiting for a titan to walk by. They’re locked into a tense silence, knowing that any moment could be their last.
Using the strategy, Eren is able to annihilate one of the invading titans, but is drawn away from their position, needing to fend off another titan. Armin watches as his friend fights for his life, moving further and further away, and he can’t help but grow anxious. They’re moving too far apart, but he knows he can’t follow after—he must look out for the bearded titan.
Armin is stopped in his tracks when his eyes scan over something in the distance. There, barely a street over, stands the titan that had almost robbed him of his best friend all of those years ago. It stands hulking, its wretched grin partly covered by its lengthy beard. He is left at an impasse of whether to rewrite history and abandon his course of action through fear, or push through, allow himself to be sacrificed, and hope that Eren will save him once more. If it’s mistimed by even a moment, his life will be forfeit. Historia and Ymir left with the truth but without a leader.
The decision, however, is soon wrenched from his hands as the titan spots him—its eyes glazing over in euphoria at the prospect of prey. It advances, quick despite its large form, and he can barely maneuver away from its grasp, instinct kicking in at the last second.
You have to let it happen. Swallow down the fear and let it catch you. Eren needs that push to transform. I just need to wait it out until he gets near, he thinks as he once again just barely manages to evade the titan’s grip.
This aerial dance continues for minutes, a fight for survival in what has now become enemy territory, when finally he hears a familiar call.
“Armin! I’m coming,” Eren shouts, his voice ringing through the ruined city. It brings calm to Armin’s mind for a moment, his guard lowering. However, that proves to be a grave mistake as the bearded titan uses this opportunity to pluck him off the roof.
The fight leaves his body as it did all of these years ago. He’s handled like he’s nothing more but a rag doll—and in that moment, he is, his limbs limp and his spirit defeated. As the behemoth brings him to his maw, he catches a glance of Eren’s terrified but fierce expression.
It’s obscured, however, when the titan lets go, causing the blond to free-fall into its mouth. He hits its tongue before sliding down its throat, and the fear he feels is insurmountable.
But just as he thinks that this is it, that maybe he miscalculated, his Deus ex machina arrives. Eren appears in all of his bloodied glory, offering a saving hand from his brush with death.
Armin grasps on tight, his heart racing as Eren pulls him forward and out of the titan’s mouth. In an instant, Armin is thrown out onto the roof, landing roughly on the tiles. He barely allows himself to wince at the pain before he turns to look towards his injured friend.
His stomach turns to lead as the scene replays, play by play. Eren ever so valiantly tries to escape his fate; however, he is fighting a losing battle.
“Eren!” he calls out as he watches the other boy fight against the titan’s jaw.
“I refuse to die like this, understand?” the brunet grits out. “Armin, listen. We’re still going to the outside world.” Eren reaches out to him, his arm barely past the titan’s teeth. “The things you told me about, I have to see them…I have to.”
Armin can only look on in horror as his friend fights for his life, knowing that he’ll have to leave him here only on the whim that he’ll transform again.
“Eren! Don’t give up! Keep focused on a goal and make your way out! Don’t leave me and Mikasa!” Armin desperately pleads, hoping his friend will make it out, whether as a human or a titan. His hopes are dashed, however, when the titan’s jaw wins in the next moment, and Eren is gone; the only thing remaining is his severed arm. Even knowing the original outcome of his friend’s mighty escape, he can’t help the scream that tears its way out of his throat. Losing Eren has never not destroyed him, whether he knows he’ll come back or not. Tears soak his cheeks as he’s left there waiting, hoping that a great flash will beckon his friend’s return.
He waits, the titan now advancing on him once more, and waits even longer, each second chipping away at the hope he has held onto so fiercely in his heart. The seconds tick by like hours, and the panic builds like a great wave.
Please, please be alive. Beat the odds once more and come back. I can’t lose you, he desperately pleads, hoping some higher power will heed his cry.
The titan reached forward, and he closed his eyes, accepting his fate.
But at that moment, a brilliant flash seeps through his eyelids, and a roaring thunder clap of noise graces his ears. He’s shocked from his daze, seeing the titan before him obliterated. From its remains comes the hulking form of another titan—The Attack Titan.
Armin chokes out a gasp of relief, watching as his friend shakes off what is left of the other titan before running off to fight, lost in a murderous rampage.
The Attack Titan runs towards where their comrades are fighting their own battles, joining the fray and ripping apart the mindless beasts in seconds. The Cadets of Squadron 34 watch in awe as the foreign titan tears apart its own kind while Armin takes the opportunity to propel over to his closest comrade, Mina, and join her as she gazes upon the Attack Titan. She turns to him dazed, her attention still closely held by the fight before her.
“Are you seeing what I’m seeing? That titan is attacking its own kind; it protected me and Thomas,” she breathes out the words in disbelief, her eyes wide.
“I am, he protected me too,” Armin admits, watching her reaction. Thomas steps closer, also curious about what Armin has to say.
“What do you mean by ‘he’?” she asks, confused.
“I think the titan is Eren. He saved me when I was about to get eaten, and got eaten instead. But shortly after, there was a bright light, and that titan burst out of the other titan. It has to be him; it even has his brown hair and green eyes,” he explains, hoping to sound believable.
Thomas and Mina gasp, shock clearly visible on their faces. “But how is that even possible? People becoming titans? I don’t want to believe you, Armin, just cause of how crazy it sounds, but I can’t deny that it does look scarily like Eren,” Thomas replies, arms crossed over his chest, and the astonishment palpable in his tone.
“I agree. It does look like Eren, and it hasn’t even tried to eat us, even though it had plenty of opportunities with how fast it moves. Plus, it fights in a fighting style similar to the one we learned back in training, it can’t just be a coincidence,” Mina adds, her eyes still glued to the scene before her—Eren bashing in the head of another titan, one that had been trying to eat Mylius and Nac. After the Attack Titan deems it to be incapable of regenerating, its body looking more like a bloody pulp than a solid mass, it moves on down the street in its conquest. Armin, Mina, and Thomas move over to join the shocked Mylius and Nac, observing as the wild titan cuts through the onslaught.
“What just happened?” Mylius asks, the fight finally leaving his body, causing him to collapse to his knees on the rooftop. Nac nods along in a similar state, unsure of the miracle that had been handed to them at the last minute. He glances at them for a moment, noticing the gap next to Armin that’s usually occupied by a certain brunet, before continuing, his face grim. “Where’s Eren?”
Armin helps bring him back to his feet, pulling him up using both hands while Mina replies, “We think that that is Eren. He was eaten by a titan that was trying to eat Armin, but moments later, the titan that looked like Eren emerged from the other titan. At least that’s what we’re hoping, cause the other answer is a bit too hard to accept right now.” Her face turns sorrowful, which Armin cannot take.
“Eren is alive, he is that titan, you’ll have to trust me since it’s not something I can prove right now, but I will soon. But I won’t be able to do it if the Military Police get to him first and execute him. I’ll need all of your help. I need to get him to transform back first, and then I’ll need you guys to back me up on him not being like the other titans.”
“We’ll do what we can. You can count on us, Armin. We trust you, your plans have kept us alive so far, so we’ll treat this as just another plan,” Thomas replies, placing a reassuring hand on Armin’s shoulder. He feels grateful for the gesture.
“I’ll try to get near Eren to communicate with him. I’ll need all of you to fight off any titans that try to stop me-” he cuts himself off when he sees a couple of soldiers heading their direction–a brunette, a blonde, and a young bald boy.
There’s Ymir, Historia, and Connie, right on time.
“Ymir! Krista! Connie! Over here!” he calls out to them. Their terse expressions soften.
“Armin! I’m so glad all of you are okay!” Connie yells back. He then looks around. “Actually, I take that back. Where’s Eren?” His brows are drawn in worry, but some of the tension dissipates when he sees Armin’s relatively calm expression.
“It’s a very long story, Ymir and Krista already know, so they can explain it to you as we move, but the gist is that we’re going to be going after Eren, and he’s fighting off other titans right now.” Ymir gives him an unimpressed look, which he promptly ignores. A thought then comes to mind, and he turns to her. “Have you seen Marco's squad yet?” he asks, worry very much present in his tone.
Her expression matches his. “No, I was going to check after we made sure you all were okay, knowing what we know. You did warn him, right?” He nods. “Well, then, I hope everything turned out all right. It’s been brutal, I’ve seen so many die in mere seconds, so it’s good to see that you were able to avoid that here.” He pulls her to the side before speaking.
“We have a system here for now, but I don’t know how long it will work before one of us slips up, and we all start dying. I just hope Eren can do what he needs to before that happens. I’ve lost too many friends,” he quietly tells her. “How’s Krista, by the way?”
Ymir exhales a breath, her expression pained. “She’s alive, but I can tell how all of the carnage is weighing on her, how she wishes she could have done more with what she knew. I know the guilt will stick with her,” Ymir responds as she looks into the distance. He feels a pang in his chest at her words; he wishes he could protect his friends from the pain that they were forced to endure. They were all just so young.
It wasn’t fair.
“She’ll have both of us to help her get through it, and you have me, too, Ymir. You don’t have to face all of this by yourself.” He gives her a slight smile, and she returns it, her eyes grateful.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Arlert. Now let’s get moving before the others get too curious. I can already see them itching for more action—morons, the lot of them. At least Connie has woken up to the reality of the situation; our side got it bad. We didn’t have any sudden assists from Eren,” she mutters, eying the others.
“We should. Waiting around will get us nowhere,” he tells her before walking back to the others. “Let’s head out. We need to get closer to the breach. Everyone, partner up, and I’ll join up with Connie. No one will rush ahead; that will only get us killed. I want as many of us to make it out alive as possible.”
They move to partner up once more and start to move across the rooftops, covering each other’s blind spots, making their way to the wall slowly. As they go through the city, they spot the many corpses of their comrades littering the streets along with the slowly evaporating remains of the torn-apart titans. Every so often, they’re forced to stop to allow one of them to throw up. Only Armin and Ymir are able to take in the damage, forced to numb their emotions through years of violence and bloodshed. Nothing would ever come close to the horrors he saw in his fight against Marley, the blood of thousands on his hands.
He scans the bodies for anyone familiar, and can’t help but feel relief when he doesn’t recognize anyone. As long as he doesn’t see them, he can pretend that they’re safe, that nothing has gone wrong. He can continue to lie to himself.
They come across other soldiers who pass on a new order, an order to advance, and he knows that the brass has given up on trying to save the wall. They’re just being sent in to make time for the civilians. But that is okay, they were already heading towards the wall, and he knew each of them was fodder for the cause.
Then he spots the first familiar casualty, and he’s stopped in his tracks. Connie looks over and his expression twists in grief at the sight. There on the ground, lies Franz, Hannah tirelessly trying to provide first aid that will never work. The man was long gone. He comes to the ground and walks toward her, observing as she struggles in vain.
“Hannah, he’s gone,” he says as he kneels on the ground, putting a hand on her shoulder, the boy’s blood soaking into his pants.
“No! I just need to keep going! He’s going to make it.” Her voice is desperate through her sobs, continuing in her ministrations despite Armin’s words.
“Hannah, his lower body is gone, look. You know no one can survive that.” By this point, the rest of his friends have made it to the ground and watch on in horror.
Ymir steps forward. “Connie, help me pull her away. We need to get back up to higher ground before we end up like him.” Connie looks sick at the sight but nods and moves forward to help the brunette. As they try to pull the girl away from her love, her sobs dissolve into screams of anguish. She fights their every move, refusing to be pulled away. Mina and Historia are now crying along with the other girl, while Thomas, Nac, and Mylius look away from the sad sight.
Eventually, the fight leaves Hannah, and they manage to pull her away. She slumps in their arms, and they take the opportunity to bring her back up to the rooftops. They move away from the spot where they found the doomed couple, and Armin’s fears for Marco’s safety increase.
“We can’t do anything for him; we can only hope to survive and bury him later. We must advance. Don’t look back; it will only make you feel worse. Ymir, can you look after her?” She nods. “Okay, thanks. Hannah, I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but he would want you to live.” He channels every speech he has heard Eren give. “Don’t let them get away with stealing him from you. If you give up, they win, and they will hurt more people like they hurt Franz. Channel the feeling you felt today to save more lives.
She looks up at him, her eyes hollow. “I don’t know if I can, I just want to join him.” His heart drops.
“Hannah, you can’t think like that. He loved you, he’d never want that for you.” Her cries grow.
“I know, but what am I supposed to do? It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” she gasps out. “He promised me forever, and now he’s gone.” She crumples into herself, her sobs being muffled by her knees.
“Your forever is not gone yet. One day, when you join him, you can have your forever. He will always wait for you if he has promised you forever. But that doesn’t mean you give up on the now. People need you; you made a promise to this nation, and you can’t give up. Don’t let this happen to anyone else.” At this, she finally looks up, her expression hardened. She gets up on shaky knees, and Mina helps her stand straight.
She wipes at her eyes before responding. “I’ll try, Armin, I’ll try but the moment I can, I’m letting this all go and giving up.” He feels sorrow at her words, but knows he doesn’t have the time to change her mind.
“Thank you. I know how hard this must be for you, but I hope you will find the strength to carry on.” He turns to the rest of them. “Let’s continue moving. We must take up the work of the Advanced Guard and help anyone who’s managed to survive.”
They keep moving forward, cutting down any stray titans. However, most of them have seemed to flock to one area—the supply tower. Armin knows that soon they’ll run out of gas, but he’d prefer to meet up with Jean like he did back then to make sure he is safe.
They stop for a moment to observe the tower. Mylius puts his head in his hands. “What are we going to do? Before long, we’ll run out of gas, and then we’ll be sitting ducks!” he panics, putting the rest of them on edge.
“Pull yourself together, we can’t fall to our fears right now! We’ve survived this long, so we will meet up with Jean before deciding what to do next. No one will rush in recklessly and get themselves killed,” he tries to reason, but he knows that they’re still all on edge. Even Ymir and Historia started to look worried. He motions them to continue moving, everyone having slowed down to better use their gas reserves.
Before long, he spies Jean as well as a few others. And to his great relief, Marco sits next to the other. His hopes are reignited. “Jean, Marco! We’re here! What’s the situation?” he calls.
They look back, relief clear on their faces. “We’re so glad you’re alive. We weren’t sure if anyone made it.” Marco replies, a relieved smile on his face.
“We won’t be much longer, though. The supply team has holed itself up in the tower, and we’re unable to get gas,” Jean answers defeatedly.
Connie springs forward. “We can’t give up. We have to pick off as many titans as we can and give others a fighting chance. We’re doomed either way, so might as well do something. We don’t have enough gas to run,” he argues fiercely against Jean.
“You’re using your head for once, Connie, nice going. But I'm not sure we have the numbers needed to pull this thing off. The veterans and the Vanguard Force have all been killed. How exactly do a bunch of rookies pull off a suicide mission like this? I mean, let’s assume half of our force even survives the initial assault, then what? The supply room is probably crawling with titans in the three to four-meter range. I don’t see us accomplishing much in there,” Jean mutters, his expression shuttered.
“It’s hopeless,” Connie replies, the reality of the situation dawning on him. Armin watches, knowing that there’s a solution but being unable to voice it to assuage his friend’s fears. He feels useless, only being able to wait until Eren comes in to save him once again.
But just as things feel completely dire, Sasha’s light once again shines through. “Come on, guys, we can do it. Right? Let’s go! If we all work together, we can make this happen. I know we can, alright? I’ll take the lead.” But no one gets up, and Armin can’t help but feel bad that he can’t do more for her. He lays a comforting hand on her shoulder. He then sees Reiner, Annie, and Bertolt, and he has to temper his fury at how they stand there calmly, knowing how they had thrown all of their lives into hell. The carnage he had seen today had reopened the wounds of the past, and he had to keep himself from speaking up, knowing that such reckless action would only get them all killed.
Fortunately, before he can do or say anything reckless, Mikasa shows up, her expression worried but hopeful.
“Annie, I know how bad things have gotten. It’s selfish putting personal matters in the forefront, but have you seen Eren's squad?”
“Some squads made it back, but I don’t know about Eren’s,” Annie replies.
Reiner cuts in, “Armin is over there, and I saw a few of the others scattered about. I’d ask him.”
He’s given barely a moment to think of what to say to her before she’s before him, her eyes scanning over his body for possible injury.
“Armin, are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?” she asks.
“I’m okay. I’m pretty sure that Eren is alright too, but I don’t know where he is. He moved before the rest of the squad could catch up,” he answers vaguely, knowing he can’t tell her the actual truth quite yet.
Reiner looks at him in sympathy, and he feels all the bitterness return in a monumental tidal wave.
That asshole, how dare he act worried! He’s going to make Mikasa panic and do something reckless to find Eren.
“He’s probably on his way back. We had gotten the order to come back here, so he's probably lagging behind.” Her eyes dim, but there’s still a glimmer of hope.
“I just hope you’re right, Armin. I need you to wait here. Marco, if we eliminate or bypass the titans of HQ, we can refuel our gear, allowing us to get back over the wall? Is that assessment correct?” Mikasa asks as she walks away from him, her gait steady and her eyes determined.
“Well, uh, yeah, I guess so, sure. But there’s just too many of them out there, even with you on point–”
“I can do it.” She pulls out her blades.
“...what?” he breathes out in disbelief.
“I’m strong, real strong. None of you come close, you hear me?” She raises her right blade. “I am a warrior! Know this, I have the power to slay all of the titans that block our path, even if I have to do it alone. As far as I’m concerned, I am surrounded by a bunch of unskilled, cowardly worms! You disappoint me. You can just sit here and twiddle your thumbs and watch how it’s done.”
“Wait, Mikasa, are you out of your mind?! That’s crazy!” a female soldier yells.
“You can’t be serious! Trying to take them out by yourself?” Another soldier cuts in.
“There’s no way you can hope to beat them,” a third joins in.
“If I can’t beat them, then I die. But if I win, I live. And the only way to win is to fight!” She jumps off the side of the building before anyone can even hope to stop her.
“Mikasa! Wait! Stop!” Armin calls to deaf ears.
“You know, I was expecting something more motivational,” Jean interrupts the stunned silence. “Your way with words was kind of a letdown. I blame everything about this on you, Eren.” The boy seems to steel himself before raising his blade. “Hey, don’t just stand there! We weren’t taught to let our comrades fight alone. Unless you are a coward, in which case, stay out of my way.”
Armin, Ymir, and Historia look at Jean with pride, knowing that this will be a big turning point in his joining the Scouts, while Marco watches on in awe at the change in the other.
“Never expected that from him,” Reiner says before he, Bertolt, and Annie move to head out themselves.
One by one, they all move to get off the roof, but before Marco can leave, Armin grabs him by his shoulder. “Let’s go together with Jean, Ymir, and Krista. We can help each other out if something goes wrong.”
The other boy nods, and they’re off, speeding towards the supply tower on a suicide mission. They follow after Mikasa as she cuts down each titan with expert skill, not a single slash or maneuver wasted.
But before long, her gas runs out. She drops down like a dead weight, and Armin can’t help but wince as she hits the roof. He quickly follows after her, Connie trailing close behind, while Jean and the others keep moving to HQ.
Armin had barely managed to get to the place where she had fallen when he spotted a titan advancing.
“Mikasa! Neither of us is going to die here today. I have just enough gas for us to get away, but you need to get up and hold onto me. We must stall for time, you’re not allowed to give up when I haven’t yet!” he yells at her, but she makes no move to get up. It’s up to him until Eren arrives
He’s not comfortable with those chances.
The titan reaches her first, and his heart stops— No, no no, this can’t be happening —before Mikasa leaps away at the last second. His heart is caught in his throat as she continues her deadly dance with the titan, each time leaping away at the last moment, a demented game of cat and mouse. Connie watches with him in horror from his safe spot on the roof.
Armin stands frozen in fear, knowing he can’t do anything to help her. If he rushes in, it will only serve as a distraction, and Mikasa will have to worry about his safety as well.
The sick feeling in his chest only grows as, from behind him, he feels the thud of another titan approaching. Step after step, it looms closer until it’s right on top of him. He can’t do anything; he’s immobilized from terror, locked into an impossible position on the ground. How could he have been so stupid? What will Ymir and Historia do now?
He awaits the inevitable grasp of the titan, the feeling of the ground slipping away from his feet, but it never arrives. The titan steps over him, completely ignoring him, and that’s when he sees it—it was no ordinary titan, but Eren Jaeger, the Attack and Founding Titan, and his childhood best friend.
The relief is insurmountable. He crumbles to his knees, watching as Eren hits the other titan head-on. It flies backwards from the force of the hit, but Eren isn’t done yet. He begins to brutalize the other titan, stomping down on its neck until it’s reduced to a pulp.
Armin takes the opportunity to grab Mikasa and bring her back up to safety on the rooftop, where Connie is standing. They watch as the fallen titan disintegrates—Connie and Mikasa with shock and awe, while Armin with pride. Once Eren deems the titan no longer a threat, he goes after another, giving it a solid hit that knocks its head clean off.
When that proves insufficient to finish it off, he stomps down on its neck like he had done to the other titan, finally completing the job.
Connie breaks their awed silence. “Come on, guys, it’s time to split.” He pulls on their arms to spring them back into action, but Armin stops him.
“Wait, no, that titan won’t go after us. It will only go after other titans. You’ll have to trust me,” Armin says.
“The hell?! Armin, have you lost your mind?! That titan only sees us as its next snack!” Connie replies, voice tinged with hysteria.
“No, he’s right. That titan completely ignored me in favor of attacking the other titan. And it’s versed in hand-to-hand combat, something I haven’t seen from any other titan. It also feels kind of familiar in a way like I know it won’t hurt me,” Mikasa interrupts. Armin smiles at her explanation.
“It won’t, I’ll explain later,” Armin answers her.
“Oh yes, let’s just trust that the huge titan won’t eat us later just because it didn’t eat us now. That makes me feel so much better. I say just chalk it up as an Abnormal and get out of here.” Connie tries to pull both of them away again, but they shake him off once more, standing firm in their position.
“We can’t. Mikasa’s tanks are empty,” Armin stops him. Mikasa looks away guiltily. Connie looks at them both, completely stricken.
“Huh?! What are we gonna do?! We can’t clear HQ without your help!” Connie looks at her in horror.
“That’s why she’s going to take mine.” Armin moves to take his gas canisters from his ODM gear and moves to replace them with Mikasa’s.
“Armin!” she yells, moving away from him.
He moves closer, not letting her get away. “This is our only choice. It’ll be a complete waste if I keep them. But use this gas more sparingly; everyone’s lives are riding on you.” He exchanges the gas canisters, brushing Mikasa away when she tries to stop him. Connie watches the exchange with sadness.
He takes one of the blades. “I even restocked your blades. Just leave me one in case the worst happens. I’d rather not die by being eaten alive.” She reaches for the blade and then proceeds to toss it away, and he has to stop himself from giving her a harsh look. She really hasn’t changed, has she? He wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.
“Armin,” she grabs his hand, “I will not leave you behind.”
Armin plays along. “But you can’t jump and carry me on your back with titans all around, it’s not possible.
He is swiftly ignored, with Connie grabbing his hand and running, Mikasa a few steps ahead.
“Come on, let’s move,” the other boy says, and the blond gains a greater appreciation for him. Connie had always been loyal and steadfast towards the people he cared about; this hasn’t changed in this life or the last.
Armin lets them drag him along the rooftop a bit before finally starting the next phase of his plan.
“Wait! I have an idea.” He shakes off Connie’s hand.
Connie turns back. “What is it then?”
“Only you two are capable of pulling this off, so it’s really your choice. This may sound crazy, but I think he might be useful,” Armin says, studying their expressions. They both look at him, shocked, if not a bit anxious.
“You mean the titan?” Connie asks, doubt clear in his voice.
Armin continues, “He only attacks his own kind. He seems to have no interest in us. What if we can somehow steer him to HQ and let him loose on the other titans? Look, we know he’s taken at least one out already. We can use him as a weapon.”
Connie does not look comforted by this in any way. Instead, he looks at Armin like he’s lost his mind. Joke’s on him, though; that train left the station long ago. Green eyes flash in his mind.
“You’ve got to be kidding, how the hell are we supposed to steer that thing?!” Connie asks.
“Something tells me that he’s fighting on instinct. I’m almost sure if you take down the pair he’s tangling with now, he’ll go look for others. That would lead him straight to HQ. We’re not steering him so much as luring. I think it’ll work, I really do-”
Connie cuts him off. “Think?! You’re asking us to risk our necks on a stupid gut feeling.” The other boy is now down in hysterics, and Armin almost feels bad.
“If I’m right about this, we can put down the siege on headquarters in one fell swoop,” Armin argues back, and it seems to begin to finally get through to Connie.
“I think we should try it out,” Mikasa interrupts their exchange, and Connie looks at her aghast.
“Seriously?!” the bald boy yells.
“It’s better to gamble on Armin’s plan than wait to be slaughtered. If we have a shot, why not take it?” Armin looks at her in gratitude.
“So let me get this straight; we’re gonna recruit a titan?” Connie eyes her desperately, hoping she’d see reason. He did not have such luck.
“Yes, exactly,” she answers, dashing all of Connie’s hopes that they wouldn’t go with the somewhat insane plan.
The bald-headed boy clearly gives up seeking reason and seems to finally accept their plan. “We’ll look like morons if we screw this up,” he answers Mikasa.
“Yeah, but if we don’t, look at how many lives we stand to save,” Armin replies.
“If there’s a will, there’s a way,” Mikasa adds. She and Armin run off towards the Attack Titan, Connie scrambling to catch up behind them.
“This is still nuts, but what the hell…” he mutters to himself as he follows his two insane friends.
***
Mikasa cuts a path through the titans while Armin and Connie propel through behind her, Armin in the bald boy’s arms. Before they know it, they arrive at where the Attack Titan is grappling with another titan. They begin their plan to lure him to HQ, Mikasa slaying titans to lead him, as Armin and Connie keep up close behind her. They make it back just as more titans swarm to it.
When the Attack Titan gets near the headquarters, its attention is automatically drawn to the titans, and it begins its onslaught, pummeling two titans from the get-go. Armin, Connie, and Mikasa crash through a window to get into HQ, where they encounter Jean, who looks at them as if they came back from the dead.
But considering the day’s events, that does seem pretty close to the truth.
Jean is left a stuttering mess as they brush themselves off, checking for any injury from the fractured glass—luckily, there’s none.
“I can’t believe we actually made it. We were running on fumes, but we made it,” Connie says excitedly, looking back at Armin.
“Am I dreaming?” Jean finally seems to find his words as he stares at them in shock.
Connie ignores him in favor of harshly patting Armin on the back. “You’re a certified genius. From now on as far as I’m concerned, your word is law.” Connie finishes his attack on Armin’s poor shoulder blades and turns to Jean. “Check it out, we found an Abnormal that has a bone to pick with its own kind. And the best part? He couldn’t care less about us,” he says to the gathering crowd while pointing to the Attack Titan. “That’s right, you heard me, this big beautiful S.O.B. is our ticket out of here.”
“You mean like fighting fire with fire,” says a soldier from the supply team. Jean does not seem to go along with the idea as easily.
“Listen to yourself! A titan’s not gonna help us. You’re out of your mind if you think this can work,” Jean argues before being interrupted by Mikasa.
“It is working. For whatever reason, he’s rampaging against them. Stand back and let him do it. Trust me, you’ll see.” They all look outside to watch as the Attack Titan takes out another foe. “Either way, what choice do we have? Right now, that thing is our best chance at survival.”
As the Attack Titan continues to pummel the other titans, they take the opportunity to plan on how to refuel and refresh themselves with the titan threat in the lower levels. Armin lets Marco take the lead in calming down their fellow comrades while he takes the opportunity to look around for members of Squad 34, noticing that not everyone is there, and neither is Hannah.
He walks up to Thomas, Mina, and Mylius, face grim. “I’m guessing Nac and Hannah didn’t make it?” he asks.
Thomas replies, “Hannah sacrificed herself to save another soldier, but I think she also just gave up. She was teetering on the edge after Franz. Nac tried to save her, but it only got him killed as well. I stopped Mina and Mylius from interfering. I didn’t want to lose anyone else.”
Armin can’t help but feel sympathy for what the other is going through. “That was wise, even though the decision must have felt crushing. I’m glad that at least you three were able to make it back alive,” he pauses before continuing in a quieter tone, “Also, thanks for keeping quiet about the Eren thing. It must seem surreal right now, but trust me, I have a plan. If too many people know right now, it could make things spiral out of control.”
Mina steps forward. “Of course, Armin. We’re only alive right now because of your quick thinking, so I can’t really argue with your logic. Even if I don’t understand it. Plus, your other plan got us to HQ and that seemed pretty insane as well, but it all worked out in the end.” Thomas and Mylius nod in agreement, and his worries are somewhat assuaged.
From the corner of his eye, he sees Ymir and Historia approach, and he is glad to see that they have survived Trost this time around again. “I’m glad to see that you two made it,” he says to them, and he earnestly means it.
“Trust me, I’m glad too, but it was no walk in the park,” Ymir replies. Historia nods.
“You were right about everything, Armin. I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” Historia adds, and he waves her off.
“Don’t worry about it. If I were in your position, I would have doubted myself too,” he says, and she smiles.
“Thanks, I hope you know that you can now count on me completely. Ymir too, but she won’t admit that so easily,” she nudges the brunette, and the other scoffs.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Blondie,” Ymir answers, but gives an affirming nod to Armin.
After taking a moment of reprieve, they enact the plan to take out the titans in the headquarters, Armin laying out each step and assigning roles as they happened in his past life. Sasha and Connie miss again when slaying their titans, but Annie and Mikasa come to their rescue.
Once they make sure all of the titans have been slain, they move to refuel and restock their gear, everyone’s hopes newly restored. As they move to leave, Mikasa stalls behind to look at something, and Armin freezes when he sees what has stopped her. There, below them, the Attack Titan was being cannibalized by the other titans.
How could I have forgotten? How stupid of me!
“We need to help that titan, Mikasa,” Armin pleads, without a second thought. She glances at him for a moment before training her gaze on the Attack Titan once more.
“That’s what I was thinking too, it could be the key to help humanity,” she replies, and he can barely exhale a sigh of relief before his mood crashes down once more from a familiar grating voice.
“I agree, it’s much too valuable to lose,” Reiner cuts in, and Armin’s blood boils, but he manages to keep his cool. Letting his true emotions show now wouldn’t help anything.
While the blond was battling his own thoughts, he didn’t notice Jean’s sheer displeasure with this development, the other boy looking aghast at the topic of conversation. “Are you out of your mind? You wanna stay?” Jean asks, his expression panicked.
Annie responds before Armin is able to. “Think about it. Having an Abnormal ally would be an incredible advantage, right? A cannon has nothing on a titan that likes to rip apart his own kind.”
This does not seem to appease Jean, and he replies with some snarky answer, but the exact words are lost to Armin’s ears as he spies another titan approaching, the Abnormal that had eaten Thomas in his original life coming to join the fray.
Shoot, I thought someone had slayed it by now since I didn’t see it around.
He looks toward Eren, trying to see if the sight of the Abnormal would be enough to reinvigorate him. However, this time, Eren doesn’t get a second wind of pure vengeance to power him through the titans’ onslaught; instead, he just continues to struggle against the horde as Armin can only watch on in horror.
That’s when the damning truth hits him—the Abnormal hadn’t eaten Thomas this time around; to Eren, this was just any regular titan.
This is really bad. I have to do something , he frantically thinks to himself as he observes the scene, trying to find any way that he could get them out of this situation.
And then it hits him.
An insane idea comes to mind, something that is driven by sheer lunacy, one that would have made Commander Erwin proud.
Before anyone can move to stop him, he runs towards the edge of the roof and propels towards the Abnormal, passing in front of the Attack Titan’s line of sight, with only the prayer that Eren would see him and somehow realize that it was him in his mind.
And just as the Attack Titan freezes, its eyes zeroing in on the blond blur, the Abnormal’s eyes light up with glee, catching sight of its next target.
It changes its course immediately, reaching towards him, and Armin is barely able to veer off at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the titan’s grip, his heart in his throat. As it moves to strike at him once more, the city is shaken with a resounding roar before titans are flung into the surrounding buildings. The Attack Titan charges at the Abnormal, taking a grip of its neck with its jaw before using it to pummel the titans still left standing. In mere seconds, it clears the street before once more clenching down on the Abnormal’s nape, ensuring his kill, finally letting go when it goes limp, and giving out another roar.
The blond takes that as his cue to advance, knowing that in a moment, the Attack Titan would collapse, and he’ll be given the opportunity to retrieve Eren.
And it happens just as he remembered. The Attack Titan stumbles before finally collapsing to the ground, and he makes his move. He gets to its nape just as Eren starts to emerge, ignoring the hot steam as he goes to his friend.
He moves to pull the brunet from the sinewy strands of his titan form, holding him as his unconscious form collapses into his arms, and he almost lets loose a cry. He’s barely able to rearrange Eren more comfortably before Mikasa is there, tears streaming down her face.
She settles down next to Armin and moves to hold the brunet, her head against his heart, pure wonder present in her gaze before it solidifies into something else, her eyes focused on Armin’s face.
“You knew, how did you know?” she whispers, her voice cracking.
He looks away from her searching gaze. “I had a feeling, that’s all.” The answer doesn’t seem to satisfy her, but she does not persist, instead focusing on the boy in her arms.
She continues to cry, devolving into uncontrolled sobs, and Armin lets go of Eren to hold onto her, his heart breaking at her display.
They were all so young . It wasn’t fair for them to be put into such an awful situation at this age, to be soldiers in someone else’s war.
He wishes he could take away Mikasa’s burden and allow her to live freely from the stains of her past, but he knows he’s too late. The best he can do is to make sure that this future will have a happier ending, one where she is not forced to kill the one she loves.
He’s going to accomplish that ending.
Even if it kills him.
***
Unfortunately, they had to deal with the Garrison once more, Captain Woerman proving to be a coward and a problem.
Soon after they had retrieved Eren, they had found themselves in a standoff with the frightened soldiers, with Mikasa escalating the situation once more by threatening bloodshed. Eren was able to protect them like he did last time with his weakened form, but it was still cutting it far too close for Armin’s liking.
It was definitely no less stressful than it had been originally, every moment cutting years off the blond’s lifespan.
Eren and Mikasa argue before the brunet finally asks Armin if he would be able to negotiate with the military. Knowing the outcome, he readily agrees with the plan and advances toward the Garrison.
He goes through the motions, trying to repeat the speech he had once given as closely as possible, stalling for time until Commander Pixis arrives. He watches as the soldiers slowly lower their guard, and he knows that he has convinced them; however, he anticipates the moment when Captain Woerman, that absolute mongrel, orders the rest to attack them once more.
And he is not wrong. In the next instant, the man calls for their heads once more, and Armin’s heart rate spikes, despite the fact that he knows Pixis will soon interfere.
Armin only continues with his speech, fierce in his rebuttal against the cowardly man, buying additional time.
And his gamble pays off. He sees Commander Pixis advancing, moving to stop Captain Woerman, and he knows that it will be all downhill from here. The day was going according to plan.
Soon after, Commander Pixis takes them up on Wall Rose to discuss the situation, a test to see their worth, and they pass with flying colors, Eren earnest in his desire to grant humanity freedom.
Armin takes this opportunity to let the man know of his plan, of how Eren could block the wall with the boulder, and they are given their own squad to complete the mission as the commander speaks to the rest of the troops to give them their own orders.
However, this is also when Armin’s worries come back with a vengeance. He knows that Eren will be able to block off the wall, especially with the Scouts arriving in time to save them all. But he also knows that sometime during that period, Marco’s life will be stolen away by the traitors in their midst.
He can only hope that the boy will take his advice and save his own life; the outcome is out of Armin’s hands now.
He focuses on the mission before him as he stands beside Eren. He needs to focus on the present—Eren will go berserk when he transforms, that’s a fact. His only job right now is to get there when it does and stop him at all costs, ensuring the mission’s success.
***
Jean watches as the last of the titans in his area are slain, and he feels momentary relief after a day filled to the brim with death-defying maneuvers, lost comrades, and insane revelations. At this point, he would give anything for even a minute’s rest, a moment where he wasn’t on high alert, awaiting a ruthless enemy to tear him limb from limb.
It’s also at this moment that he finally looks around and notices that a certain presence has been missing.
Huh, that’s odd. He was right behind me not too long ago. Maybe he slowed down to deal with another titan.
He continues his search for his freckled friend around the rooftops. Concern turns to worry, which then shifts to panic.
“He was right here, where did he go…” he mutters to himself, a lead weight settling in his stomach. “Marco!” he calls out, receiving no reply.
“Shit,” he heads back the way he came from, looking down upon the ground, praying that he won’t find his friend among the remains.
He observes the corpses from afar, and when he ascertains that most of them look unintelligible from the sky, he comes down to the ground, looking to see if anyone seems familiar.
He scans body after body, and not one bears the face of his missing friend. For a second, he is faced with the worst thought. What if there is nothing left? What if Marco had been eaten whole, and there was nothing even to reclaim? (A/N haha no we only do things by half here)
He puts a lid on such thoughts, squeezing his eyes tight to will away the image. No, he can’t give up. He has to be here somewhere. He wouldn’t die to some titan. He was better than that, he had saved Jean after all when he was in his own pickle.
He keeps picking through corpses, pausing to lose whatever he had left of his breakfast at this point, which wasn’t much. Whatever came up was mostly liquid, if even that.
His dread steadily built, with the minutes dragging on in what felt like hours, time coming to a complete halt.
Please be alive, please be alive, please be alive. Don’t let me lose another friend today.
He keeps on in his desperation, each unfamiliar face both a stab to the chest and a shot of relief. He calls out again, “Marco! Answer me if you can hear me. It’s Jean!”
Silence.
He slumps to the ground defeated. It’s been well over half an hour and nothing. Not a single word, not a trace of his friend. And in his dark moment, his fears win; he was a fool to believe that this world was anything more than hell.
He allows himself this short moment of weakness, a few stifled sobs escaping him, before he pushes himself back up to head back to where he had seen his other comrades. He just hopes that they’re still alive; he can’t bear to think otherwise.
He walks over crumbled rooftops, only using his ODM gear to cover the wide gaps between houses. He had less gas than he was comfortable with, and he wasn’t going to use it carelessly. He knew better now.
His trek back is quiet, the corpses lying silent in the street, and the only noises he can hear are his footsteps on the fragile roof tiles, his panting breaths, and his pounding heartbeats that reverberate in his ears.
Until something else breaks through the stillness. A gasp, and then a groan come from behind a shattered window.
He locks in on the sound immediately and can’t help the flutter of hope in his chest. He propels down to the windowsill, avoiding the jagged glass before stepping onto the second floor of a simple home. Inside, he’s greeted with the sight of shattered glass and blood, his foot sliding for a second in the crimson puddle before he finds his balance. His eyes follow the trail of blood that leads away from the window and into the dark corner of the room that looks like a study. There, he sees someone slumped over. They sit curled in on themselves, the portion of their face that he can see, mutilated by a thick gash and slick with blood.
He steps forward, wary, before calling out, “Hello, I’m Jean from the 104th. What are your injuries? How can I help?” He takes another step forward, this time more certain as the other makes no sudden movements.
“…Jean?” His heart soars and plummets in a single instant. He knew that voice; he had heard that voice every day these past three years. Sought comfort in that voice, argued with that voice, and now it was nothing more than a soft rasp in a wrecked room.
“Marco?” he replies, not able to believe the sight ahead of him. The other nods, and Jean rushes forward, dropping to his knees and holding the other’s mangled face in his hands.
“Shit, what happened to you? Wait, don’t answer, let me wrap your wounds with something first.” He pushes himself up on unsteady legs before looking for the bedroom, knowing he can turn the sheets into makeshift gauze. He finds it in less than a minute, stealing the bedspread and offering a silent apology to the owners, hoping they won’t mind his theft too much.
He comes back into the room and begins to rip the bedsheets into even bands of fabric. Once he determines that he’s made enough, he begins the process of treating the other’s wounds, quick but careful, not wanting to bring his friend additional pain. First, he picks out any shards of glass still stuck in Marco’s skin. Then, he rinses the wound with the water and alcohol he had found in the kitchen during his search around the house. Finally, he wraps each wound tightly, putting extra care on those on his face.
He stares at Marco’s damaged eye as he does so, feeling guilt at failing his friend. If he had been there, if he had paid closer attention, could his friend not have lost half his sight?
Marco seems to catch onto his thoughts since he grabs Jean’s hand and smiles through his pain, hoping to bring the other comfort. It does, but it also increases his guilt tenfold. Jean should be the one comforting him, not the other way around.
Once he’s done with his ministrations, Marco grabs his hand once more before clearing his throat and beginning to speak.
“You asked me what happened earlier, and I’ll tell you what I can. I saw something that I shouldn’t have, and I’m not going to tell you what it is either.” Jean looks at him, surprise clear on his face. Marco continues despite the other’s reaction. “It’ll only put you in danger. But when I did, I hid like Armin told me, only coming out after the people I needed to hide from were gone. But little did I know, there was a titan that was waiting out there, and I stupidly got right in its path. I barely escaped, or more like I was really lucky. One of the times that the titan swatted at me, it sent me through that window and out of its reach. Someone killed it a bit later, but they didn’t hear me call out amongst all the fighting. I thought I was a goner…” he dissolves into silent tears, the makeshift gauze over his eye running red. Before he even knows what he’s doing, Jean pulls him into an embrace, patting him gently on the back before finally responding.
“Marco, you’re safe now. I found you. The worst of it is already over. I didn’t encounter a single titan on the way here. After this, you won’t ever have to see one again. You can join the Military Police and say goodbye to this nightmare,” he assured the other. Marco’s face screws up at the words, a bitter smile coming to his lips.
“Jean, I can’t. I’m joining the Scouts. Today solidified that choice more than ever. Seeing what I saw. There’s something bigger going on, and I want to help stop it.” His voice is filled with determination despite his exhaustion.
Jean can’t help but give a crazed laugh, holding onto his friend tighter as he replies, “You’re crazy, you know that?” Marco gives him a harsh look, but Jean waves him off before continuing. “And I’m even crazier for this, but I’m going to join your suicidal lot in the Scouts.” Marco’s jaw drops open, but Jean doesn’t let it hinder him in his speech. “Today changed everything for me. It’s absolutely insane, but I can’t return to a cushy life and stick my head in the sand. Things are getting worse; there’s no ignoring it. I want to do something about it.”
At his words, Marco gives a beaming smile, his eyes warm with affection. “I’m glad. Now let’s rest here for a bit…Jean, don’t look so panicked. I’m not dying. I just really don’t want to cross half the city right now in my condition.” The two friends settle against the wall, enjoying their shared moment of peace.
They stay huddled like this for a while, Jean glancing over every so often to check on Marco, and Marco waving him off weakly with muttered imfine’s and stopworrying’s . Eventually, Jean has enough of sitting around and gets up to look out the window, hearing a noise outside.
When he looks out onto the street, he spots Connie, whose worried expression melts away at his face with a smile rising in its stead.
“There you are, you bastard! I thought a titan picked you off,” Connie teasingly calls up to Jean.
“Are you kidding? I don’t have a death wish! They wouldn’t take me out that easily!” he calls back, a smirk present on his face, which falls away when he looks back at his injured friend.
“Hey, can you come up here? Marco was injured, and we’ll need an extra hand to bring him back to the others. I’m guessing everything has been resolved?” he asks the other.
Connie propels up the window ledge before climbing over and into the room. “Yeah, Eren was able to seal off the wall. What a crazy day,” he pauses, glancing at the other boy in the room, “Hey Marco, how are you doing? You look pretty rough.”
Damn Connie, kick a man when he’s down, why don’t you? Jean gives him a dirty look.
Marco gives a tired laugh before replying, “I’ve definitely felt better. I won’t be winning any beauty pageants anytime soon. Lost my eye, which really sucks, but glad to be alive.”
Connie gives a laugh at that. “I don’t know, girls love a rugged guy with a few scars, you might give both of us a run for our money.”
Jean feels a sour pit form in his stomach at the words, but he has no idea why. He instead opts to ignore it and says, “Enough with the chit chat, let’s get Marco back, and then we can continue this conversation. Come on, Connie, help me pick him up. If what you say is true, then we can probably walk back without any problems, but I’d still like to be prepared for the worst.”
“Sounds good,” he says, walking to one side of the freckled boy just as Jean walks to the other. “Up you go, Marco.” He heaves the other up with Jean. The three of them stumble out of the room and walk down the stairs before heading out the front door and into the street.
As they walk, they try to ignore the carnage around them, not wanting to lose their resolve before reaching headquarters. But it’s incredibly difficult. The afternoon sun had been baking the bodies with its rays, and the smell had begun to pilfer its way completely through the air.
It gets so bad that at one point, Jean pulls out some of the additional gauze he had made and offers it to Connie and Marco to wrap around their noses and mouths. They gladly take it and offer him looks of gratitude before wrapping their faces just as he had done.
After this, the walk is a bit more bearable, and he can’t help but be grateful to his past self.
They slowly but surely make their way back to the headquarters, running into a couple of soldiers on the way who give them a slight smile, which they readily return, each of them glad to be still alive. They also happen to run into Sasha, who joins them on their trek, giving worried glances and friendly smiles, and Jean is grateful for her upbeat attitude, feeling more relaxed and able to finally ponder the day he had.
“Hey Connie, you were with Armin for most of this, right? Did he ever tell you how he was so certain that Eren was that titan?” he asks, his expression perplexed.
“Frankly, I have no idea, but it looked like Armin knew everything that was going on, no matter how much the situation changed. He was the one who introduced the idea in the first place, and he also argued with the Garrison not to execute Eren on the spot. He even knew that Eren’s powers could be used to block off the wall; didn’t even take him a second to come up with that plan. I had never seen anything like that before. It was crazy, right, Sasha?” Connie asks the other.
“Yeah, I couldn’t believe it either. What was even stranger was how calm Ymir and Krista were about the whole thing, too. It was like they knew it was going to happen. I think Ymir caught onto me staring, though, ‘cause she gave me a nasty glare,” she adds her own input on the situation.
Jean ponders her comment before giving his own opinion on the matter, something that had been bothering him throughout the day. “Those three have gotten strangely close over the last two years, haven’t they? It was like an overnight switch. Before that, Ymir had no respect for Armin, but now they get along so well. I can’t help but wonder what happened,” he says, and Marco looks at him, expression deep in thought.
“Now that you say something, I can’t help but see it too. I remember when they cornered us back during that one time to get me to join the Scouts. And Armin gave me multiple warnings today, and he, Krista, and Ymir kept checking in on me. He wasn’t even that panicked when we all thought that Eren was dead. Something just doesn’t add up. I’ll talk to him since I think he trusts me to keep a sound mind about all of this. If I learn anything, I’ll tell the three of you what I can,” Marco replies.
They all give a nod of gratitude before continuing to walk down the street, each deep in thought about the meaning of Armin, Historia, and Ymir’s actions.
Marco looked especially worried, which caused Jean to give him a concerned glance, but he was waved off. He chooses to worry silently instead, knowing his friend saw something but is unwilling to confide in him for his own safety. He will respect Marco’s silence for now, but he’s in for one hell of a surprise if he thinks that he can keep it to himself forever.