The Tenth Titan

The Girl In The Crystal

"Whoa...Jean? What happened here?" Marco asked, slack jawed. Stohess was in pieces; buildings that were toppled lay everywhere, and the streets they rode through were stacked high with pieces of wood and rubble. And the freckled boy knew all to well what the reddish-brown was that seemed to coat every surface. People were working all around the approaching soldiers, ignoring them as they sorted through debris and rebuilt the fallen buildings.

Jean took his time answering." About a month ago, not long before we found you, We went out on an Expedition. We were attacked by the Female Titan, remember?"

Marco nodded silently.

"Well...we came through Stohess on the way to the Capital to make it look like we were returning Eren to the M.P.s. But we weren't. We were using him as bait to draw her out, then the two of them got in a huge fight. And this happened."

Marco looked around him with a troubled look in his brown eyes." How did this 'Female Titan' get into the Wall?"

A dark look passed over Jean's face, anger passing through his dark gold eyes." You'll see for yourself soon enough."

Marco uneasily noticed his friend's expression, and wished for the hundredth time that day for someone to enlighten him about what was going on. Sighing, he shook his head and looked ahead, towards their destination; Stohess's headquarters. What they had in store for him there, he had no idea.

"Marco Bodt! Please come to the front of the formation!" Erwin ordered, looking back over his shoulder at the freckled boy. Marco murmured a quick," see you soon," to Jean before responding to the Commander with a," Yes sir!" and weaving his way through the soldiers around him to the front. When he drew even with Hanji and Levi, the Commander turned his head to meet Marco's eyes with his steady blue gaze.

"Marco, do you know why we have brought you here today?" Erwin asked, gesturing toward the building up ahead. Marco followed his arm with his eyes and raised a hand to his nape.

"No, not really. I have a guess that it's to show me something that everyone else here already knows, sir." Marco replied honestly.

The Commander gave a brief nod, then turned his head to look at Hanji." Section Commander, please fill him in."

Hanji nodded solemnly." Yes sir. Alright, Marco. Let's see here, where should I begin.....?"

Levi tched." From the beginning, shitty glasses."

"Alright then. A month ago, not long before we found you, we had a run in with an Abnormal on an expedition. It was...a bloodbath. But, we gleamed a little information from it...."

"What kind of information?" Marco asked.

"Well...this "Abnormal" wasn't an Abnormal at all... She was a Titan Shifter," replied Hanji. The information hit Marco like a sack of stones." So that's how she got in... She was able to pass as human...like Eren and I...." The thought of it made Marco uneasy and sick to his stomach, and also....strangely betrayed. He blinked in surprise. Why would he feel betrayed? Maybe because the Colossal, the Armored, and this Female were all like him?....... Wait.....The Armored.....and the Colossal! 

Marco sat bolt upright, a chill running down his spine, everything around him turning into a blurry smear of color and muffled sound. All three of them were together, they were the ones smashing the Wall and killing hundreds of innocents.....why? Why could they do such a thing? And how were those innocents a part of an evil race....and what the hell did they call home if the Walls weren't......

"Marco! Marco! Reality to Marco! You still with me?"

The freckled boy gasped, suddenly realizing that his lungs were begging for air. He began to cough like he was choking on water. He squeezed his brown eyes shut, a splitting headache drumming in his temples as the noises of people all around him increased the pain. After a a moment, he realized that someone was shaking his shoulder. It was Hanji, and she had a worried expression on her face.