Power to Strive III

Descent

Disclaimer: I do not own Attack on Titan or this story.

Previously: Historia and the others wonder where she is. Hange copies the Thunder Spear illustration. Petra and Mikasa volunteer to try out the prototype. Erwin wonders if they see him differently knowing his reasons are based on personal goals.

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The Rogue Titan carried a massive boulder on his shoulders, a thick wave of steam rising from his body.

"Defend him! Even if it costs us our lives…we must let Eren reach the gate! Do not let the Titans get near him!"

"Isn't this from the first season when Eren saved Trost?"

"Did the TV break?"

"Let's just wait and see where it goes."

Three Garrison soldiers rushed forward, avoiding a swipe from a small Pure Titan.

"They're going to plug the hole with that?" Bertolt observed, standing with Reiner on a roof, watching thick plumes of black smoke rise from several houses.

"This must be from their point of view." Erwin wondered if it would offer any new useful insight.

"It's insane… Eren might end up getting eaten. And if that happens, we still won't know a thing."

"Yeah… If it comes to it," Reiner said. "I'll have to do something with my Titan somehow."

"But if their plan works, it'll plug the hole we finally opened," Bertolt pointed out.

"It doesn't matter. We've been searching for a clue these past five years and we finally found it.

Five years, Petra thought curiously. She wondered why the Royal Government never bothered rooting out the infiltrators. Knowing that the Colossal Titan and Armored Titans were human, they had to at least suspect the two might have snuck inside with the refugees. Or maybe they had and they were just going about it very subtly. Being obvious in their pursuit would have alarmed the public and made it obvious there was a civilization and a whole world outside the Walls. That they had been lying to the populace for a century about being the last of humanity.

"Hey…you guys?" Marco called softly from behind, startling the two and making them freeze.

"Guess we're going to watch the entire thing this time," Ymir remarked. The past couple of times they were only shown bits and pieces. Now it would all come together.

"What…were you just talking about?" Marco asked. Slowly, the two turned to face the confused boy. "What did you mean by 'my Titan,' Reiner? What's this about 'The hole we opened,' Bertolt?"

Jean couldn't help himself and cried out, "For fuck's sake, Marco, shut up!"

"It's too late," Levi said, though he could understand the sentiment.

Connie groaned, clutching his head. "Why couldn't he have just played dumb, like he never heard anything? Or snuck away?"

Ymir sighed. "Why did he have to repeat exactly what they said and make it blatantly obvious they were compromised?"