A Treacherous Dawn (2)

Mina's POV

"Will you be okay, young Yeager?" Her voice, which was always filled with amusement and sarcasm, has been replaced with a tone I'm not used to hearing from her. She was worried. Why?  "I can already guess what you're thinking, and yes, I am worried."

"…"

But why?

Given my current situation, I don't have the luxury to reply to her statement, well, not unless I'm shameless enough to make people think that I'm starting to lose my shit. But yes, it took every fiber of my being to stop myself from asking why she was even worried about what I was currently feeling. 

Is it because of what happened in the second world? 

"Ah…" Upon realizing how I practically lost every sanity I had when I first witnessed how Eren got kidnapped by our supposed 'friend,' which almost led my superior at the time to put me in a dungeon, I guess Ymir was worried that I'd lose it again in this world. 

I'm not sure how she'll get my message, but to relieve her from that emotion, I lifted my hand and began writing on it, hoping Ymir would realize how I was trying to communicate.

I'll be fine. After hearing her sigh, I couldn't stop myself from letting out a small chuckle. Go back to your usual self. It's much more tolerable.

"You cretin." 

I am so not!

"If there's no hole in the wall, then so be it," Captain Hange's voice eventually gained my attention as she began to relay instructions on what to do next. "For now, we're falling back to Trost District!" 

Just when the other soldiers started to walk away from our previous spot, the only people who refused to move were me, Eren, Mikasa, Armin, Hannes, Sasha, and those two traitors. I made sure to stand beside Armin while eyeing the other titan shifters for any subtle movements. 

"Whatever you do, don't let your guard down." Hannes gave those three a worried glance before finally turning his back on us. "We're going back ahead of you."

And off he goes. 

"There's nothing wrong with the wall?" Eren startlingly mutters under his breath as disbelief covers his features. He must have been too shocked even to notice that Armin had also started to walk away to join the others.

"What could this mean?" Armin asked himself as I noticed how he placed his hand under his chin, contemplating what this situation could mean. While doing so, Mikasa and Sasha joined him as they all went ahead. "There's been nothing like this in five years. Why is it all happening right now?"

"Eren." I tugged at his cape, not wanting to leave him alone with the other titan shifters. 

"Yeah." With a nod of his head, he also started to walk alongside me, but not until someone called him out.

That someone specifically being the Armored Titan. "Do you have a minute? We need to talk."

I unconsciously growled while tightening my hold on Eren's cape. He noticed it and gave me a sideway glance before finally responding to Reiner's call. "What is it?"

"Five years ago, we demolished the wall and began our attack on humanity." 

"…"

Huh?

Reiner continues, disregarding my surprised look. "I'm the Armored Titan, and he's the Colossal Titan."

I knew that back in the second world, I was walking alongside Sasha and Armin, so I didn't hear their discussion. For the love of Ymir, HE FUCKING ADMITTED IT?!?!

"What are you talking about?" But before he could even continue, Eren visibly flinched as he took one step backward, pushing me back as well. I noticed his gaze glancing over my own before shifting it back to stare directly at the man who claimed to be a titan shifter. 

"Why are you telling them, Reiner?" Bertolt grabbed his friend's elbow and tugged it. I even noticed how troubled he currently is, being busted.

But instead of acknowledging that, Reiner couldn't be stopped at this point. "Our primary goal was to ensure that all of humanity was wiped out. But now… there's no need for that." 

These fucking… I tried placing myself in front of Eren out of rage but got halted by his arm. I was about to push it and be stubborn about wanting to protect him, but not until he placed his other hand on top of my own, an act of trying to calm me down. 

"Eren," Reiner took one step forward just when I pulled Eren back to maintain the distance between them. Why isn't anyone noticing all the gibberish that is happening here?! "If you agree to come with us, we won't have to destroy any more walls." Bullshit! "Understand?"

Then, something finally snapped within me. "There is nothing to understand." I know that Eren needs to get kidnapped for humanity and for him to realize what he's truly capable of. However, as his daughter… even though I already imagined this happening a thousand times, telling myself to be calm once this scenario had been reached, I guess I couldn't do it after all. I am Yeager, through and through. "You're not making any sense!"

"I'm just saying… Why don't you come with us?" Reiner once again ignored me as his focus only lies on Eren. This bastard! "I know this is sudden, but we must go now." 

The hand that was placed on top of my own, which was gripping Eren's arm this whole time, surprisingly tightened its hold. In my peripheral vision, I saw Mikasa standing a few meters away from us. She noticed my glance, nodding in acknowledgment as if she understood my thoughts. "Right now? Where will you take me?"

"I can't say that yet. But… well, it's something like our hometown." That's because it is your home! What the fuck?! "So, what will it be, Eren? It's not a bad deal, right? You can easily avert this crisis." 

And have you come back a few years later to destroy our land once and for all? Yeah, no thanks.

We all waited for Eren's response, as I expected him to become even more confused. However, upon seeing his expression changing into that of alarm and rage, something within me became hopeful. 

"Mina," Surprised by his sudden change of tone and demeanor, I hummed, signifying my presence and that my full attention was on him. "Guess you won't have to cut your hand off, huh?"

Oh… "Yeah." 

"Sorry for doubting you."

But instead of relief, I squeezed his arm in return, wanting nothing more than to shield him from this cruel and disgusting world. "Eren…"

"What are you talking about?" His voice, filled with malice and apprehension, indirectly made me shiver. As Eren and I returned our gazes to their figures, I was alarmed upon seeing his eyes connecting to my own. "You knew? How?"

Shit.

"Leave her out of this." Eren once again pushed us back, adamant about keeping his arm in front of me. Just why can't he relent and use me as a shield?! "I'm the one you want, right?" 

"…"

This idiotic father of mine!

"Reiner's just really tired!" Bertolt intervened, wanting to diffuse whatever tension was forming. But it was too late. 

Eren's response was proof of it. "I acknowledge that you are the Armored Titan, and I'll fucking kill you later, but why would you ask me to come with you in the first place?" It was his way of bringing Reiner's attention back to him, one that I wanted to pull his ear for. I'd rather be targeted than you, Eren! "What made you think that I'd nod and say, sure, let's go?" 

That speech made the titan shifter speechless as his expression openly says that he greatly fucked up. I used that time to glance at Mikasa one more time, prompting her to take one step toward us. Her eyes were dangerously deadly to look at, and for some reason, seeing them targeting Reiner fills me with great relief. 

"Oh…" Reiner lowers his head, and his lips awkwardly smile. "That's right… What the hell was I thinking? Have I gone crazy?"

"Eren," I whispered his name while tugging at his stretched-out arm. I used that moment of silence to make him notice that Mikasa was coming. 

"Aren't you supposed to allow them to kidnap Eren?" Ymir's voice almost made me jump, making me want to strangle her for communicating in this dire situation. "Why are you protecting him this much?"

Because…

I can't simply stand back and let it happen, knowing full well how it would affect him.

At the end of the day, Eren WILL get captured.

But what about his mental state?

"You're not alone in this fight, Eren," I whispered loud enough just for the two of us to hear. As I finally removed my hand from his arm, I forcefully pulled him back and used my body to shield him from those disgusting gazes. It surely took him by surprise to hear me say that random statement, but in a way, I also wanted to reply to Ymir's question. 

I'm doing this to make Eren realize that someone will stand by his side until the end.

The wind picked up its pace as it destroyed a wooden flag from the distance. It also pushed the hood from my face, letting my tied hair sway in the process. Silence overshadowed our worries as I continued to push Eren back without taking my eyes off the two traitors. 

"I see… So that's it." Reiner's back was still facing us, but it was enough to alarm both Eren and me. "I've been here for too long. It's been three long years… surrounded by nothing but idiots. We were just kids… we didn't know anything. If only I never knew that there were people like this… I… wouldn't have become… such a half-assed piece of shit!" 

It's time.

He began to unravel the cloth that was wrapped around his arm, prompting me to push Eren back even more. Eren probably wanted to stand before me instead of me to him, but there was no way I would ever let him do so. 

I'll only have limited chances to protect him, and I won't let even one escape me. 

"It's too late now," Reiner continued his pathetic speech, all the while removing his bandages. "I don't know what's right anymore! The only choice for me now… is to face the consequences of my actions…"

"And as a warrior… fulfill my duty to the bitter end!"

Blood continuously dripped from his arm, but it started healing just as steam came out of his body. 

"Reiner!" Bertolt saw it as an opportunity to interrupt, just when Eren clenched my arm so badly that marks were left. "Are we doing it?! Now?! Right here?!" 

"Yeah…" Then he suddenly walked towards us, his intent apparent on his face. "We settle this right here, right now!" 

Seeing the danger in front of us, I pushed my body even further until it touched Eren's chest as I shouted my next words. "Mikasa!" 

As fast as an Ackerman truly is, Mikasa immediately found herself in between Reiner and us, all the while using her blade to strike Reiner and Bertolt's arms. 

When Bertolt fell, she stomped hard on his chest and pointed her blade at his neck. "Eren! Run!"

But just then, I saw Reiner's body attempting to crash Mikasa aside. As an instinct, I left Eren's side and pushed Reiner away from her by crashing my body onto his. But for some unfathomable reason, Bertolt was able to push Mikasa away, sending her off the wall.

If it weren't for the ODM gear, I would have lost her this early in the scenario. 

"Mikasa!" That's when everything suddenly went sideways, making me realize how distracted I was for not seeing Reiner's fist punching me directly on my stomach.

"Mina!" I clenched my teeth just when Reiner pushed me away, making me tumble directly on a person's chest. Looking up, I noticed that Eren had run forward just to catch me. 

"I-Idiot." I involuntarily coughed blood out just when I tried pushing him away. Just like what Reiner said, it was too late. "Run!"

And in that moment, where lighting and air clashed together, Eren's supposed friends, his comrades, ones that he looked up to, changed and became humanity's nightmare, one that caused thousands of lives to perish in a single day. 

The Armored and the Colossal Titans have once again finally shown themselves.

*****