I could see the titan forest up ahead, and my throat tightened. Forests held bad memories for me, and I could feel them scratching and clawing their way to the surface as I rode on. Boy's body moved fluidly with mine, as if we were the same being, and we sped up. Nicholas was following me as best he could, adamant about having my back, which I had no choice but to accept. It kind of felt alright, but I didn't have the wherewithal to get mad at him, even if I wanted to.

No, my anger was universal at this point.

Lurching back and forth on my horse's back wasn't doing my concussion any favours, and I wished that I had at least managed to take more than a single sip of water before we moved out. It had been around eight hours since Reiner and Bertholdt had disappeared with Eren and Ymir, and we could only hope that Hange's gut feeling had been right.

They need to be there...

"DID ANYBODY ELSE SEE THAT..?! A FLASH IN THE TREES!" I heard somebody call out, and that's when I noticed it. That was definitely similar to the light that surrounded Eren when he had transformed, no doubt about it. One of them was ready for us.

As expected, there were titans infesting the area, in all shapes and sizes. It was like a wave as they raced towards us from the treeline, chomping and flailing their arms about. Many of them seemed to be abnormals. It wasn't long before I could hear the death shrieks, but I couldn't focus on them. All of my attention; what little ability I had left to concentrate, was directed to the gaps in the trees.

"(Y/N), to your ri-" Nicholas didn't have  chance to complete his sentence as I launched myself towards the dumpy little titan, having to push myself a little more than usual to slice through its nape. "...N..nevermind...G..good job..!" As always, Boy was there to catch me when I swung back down, though landing upon his back made my brain crack in two. Hearing my faint whimper, the stallion slowed his pace, but I quickly rubbed the side of his neck.
"No...I'm okay, buddy..! H'yah!"

It never ceased to amaze me, just how fast Boy was. He was a little heavier set than the specially bred horses of the walls, but that's what made it all the more wondrous. Pair that with his unusual colouring and his intelligence, and there was no denying he was as good as they came. It was only further confirmed when he caught me after my second kill.

Come on, Boy..! Find Reiner..!

I made it to the trees before the others did, easily. Even Nicholas was a good sevem hundred metres behind. Whispering my praises to the flaxen-maned horse, I launched myself into the branches, swinging through in search of the man I needed to face. Even though I only had that one goal in mind, I couldn't help but come to a jerking halt when I spotted it.

Or, rather, her.

Ymir was hanging from a tree, in her gnarled titan form, but she was dreadfully focused. She was waiting for something, and it didn't sit well with me. That being the case, as frustrating as it was for me, I decided to stay put until some of the others caught up.

"A titan, here?!" When I heard that yell, I glanced over my shoulder, just in time to see Connie rush past me and come to a stop beside the titaness.
"Wait! It's Ymir! She's one of the ones they took, but she's in her titan form!" He explained loudly, turning to the creature. "Ymir, why are you by yourself?! Where's Eren?! What about Reiner and Bertholdt?!"

Ymir didn't even spare him a flicker of her beady little eyes. They were darting around, but barely skimming over each one of our faces. It wasn't right, and I could hear Armin mumbling about it somewhere close by.

It's Ymir...so if she's looking for somebody...then that could only mean...

"Thank goodness! You're safe!" It hit me when Krista swung onto the scene, but it was too late to do anything about it. With one jump, and the parting of hulking jaws, the petit blonde had disappeared, and Ymir was making a break for it. I started moving after her before anyone even really registered what was going on, knowing that if she had decided to snatch up Krista, then she'd be leading me straight towards the men themselves.

Rei...Bertl...

"It's not like I ever assumed she was on our side!" Jean barked, and I completely understood what he meant. That girl had only ever laid her loyalty down for one person besides herself, and that person was now likely clinging onto the titan's tongue.
"She's clearly hostile! She's trying to help Reiner and Bertholdt! She lured us in!" Armin cried, always on the ball, though it wouldn't take a genius to understand the situation this time.

The trees began to thin out, and I was hot on her tail, refusing to accept the urge to throw up as I swung at an ungodly speed. As the light streamed through, almost blinding, I managed to catch sight of something past Ymir. A certain someone, standing tall upon a branch, arm raised at the ready.

Please...

"REI..REINER..! JUST WAIT..!" I could see his hesitation. The way his butterscotch eyes widened every so slightly, and the way his arm twitched.
"TH..THE OFFER STILL STANDS, (Y/N)..!" It wasn't enough. My vision dappled as that burst of light blew from his body, and just as the white spots began to clear, I saw Ymir and Bertholdt; along with that damned Jaeger, climb upon the armored titan's back as he began to run.

No..! No, I need to understand this..! Reiner, why are you doing this..?!

"Shit..!" Nicholas almost overswung from the edge of the forest, with nothing to grapple to, just like I was doing. "(Y/N), be careful, for God's sake!" I didn't care about anything else at this point. Even so, I knew what would be waiting for me between the air and the ground, but it still didn't prepare me for the pain that exploded in my head when I landed upon Boy's back.

Fuck...I've gotta reach them..!

"You're too fucking reckless, dammit!" Jean was already a few lengths behind me, as was Nicholas and a fair few of the others.
"You're determined as hell..! It's a kind of freaky moral booster, but I'll take it..!" Connie snuffed out Jean's concerns, but I wasn't focusing on them. Not at all. I was focused on armour.

"...by any means possible!" A great distance back, Erwin's orders seemed to flow through the platoons of soldiers, but it shook me to the core. No matter how hard I tried to force myself to be okay with it, I wouldn't be able to let them kill any of them. Not even Ymir, who I never even liked much to begin with.
"I promise...to kill them..."

Over my dead body, Mikasa..!

"Your mission is to retrieve Jaeger! Do not initiate combat with Rei...With the armored, colossal, or...whatever Ymir calls herself..!" I barked, whipping my head around so fast I thought I lost a good chunk of my brain out the side of my throbbing head. Mikasa was almost snarling at me, but even with a scarf the colour of blood streaming out behind her, she didn't intimidate me one bit.

"Whatever it takes! I'll kill them all..!" She hissed back, and I had never wanted to punch someone so bad in years.
"As an acting captain...therefore your superior officer, Ackerman..I order you to avoid combat..! Am I fucking clear on that, you psychotic bitch..?!"

I'm losing it...my voice is all over the place...my head is, too...Pot calling the kettle black...

She never responded, but everyone else's faces told me that they were freaked out by my aggression. Surprisingly, Jean managed to catch up, galloping close to my left flank.
"We've gotta follow the Commander on this one, (Y/N)! Whatever you're thinking, just back off'a it!" He wasn't even hiding the panic in his voice, which wasn't that uncommon, but it was peculiar this time.

"Funny..! Because this time...I'm actually following one of his orders, for once..!" I could feel it. There was a crazed stretch to my features when I looked at him, and I knew it shook him to the core. I really had had the senses knocked right out of me.

As long as it means I can stop Rei from getting killed...then I'll be happy to be Erwin's dog, just this once..!

"Nicho! Take three and fall back to assist straggling Garrison soldiers!" I felt so wrong when I barked those orders, especially to my own brother, with years of experience.
"A..are you sure you don't need me, (Y/N)..?!" He sounded a little hurt, but at the same time, willing to follow my command.

"Positive! You haven't got the notches we do when it comes to shit like this! Go keep as many of your old comrades safe as you can..! Now, Nicho!" I turned and gave him a nod, showing him it wasn't anything personal. I had to get a grip and do this right.

Bringing out my inner Levi...Disgusting...

"R..right..! Stay safe!" With that, Nicholas turned his horse, calling for a few other soldiers in the cluster to follow his lead. Now that I had cleared out the stragglers, my only task was to get to Reiner. We were so close. The gravel being kicked up behind his feet was flying past us, and all I had to do was get close enough to anchor to him.

I knew it couldn't have been avoided, but it made my blood boil all the same when Mikasa shot past me, slashing into Ymir's eye.
"YOU BITCH..!" I snapped, praying I was within range as I activated my odm.
"You're insane! Why the fuck are you so insane?!" Jean bellowed out, but I was gone. Up and up, I barely managed to find my footing as I landed, just after Mikasa was knocked back by Ymir. The smaller titan moved to swipe at me too, but a voice called out in a panic.

"Stop! Not her!" It was Bertholdt, and I tracked the voice to Reiner's titanous hand, which was cupped over the higher area of his chest. His fingers parted slightly, and I came face to face with the lanky ravonet, and a distressed Jaeger, who was strapped and gagged against his back.
"Wh..what the fuck is this, Bertholdt?!" Compared to only moments before, my voice was weak and pathetic, but I knew by the way he cowered down that my glare was making up for it.

"I..I can't tell you..! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, alright?! Th..this isn't personal..!" He stammered back, and I knew it was hopeless trying to get it out of him. My attention; only for a moment, returned to Eren, who was staring at me with those wide, piercing eyes.

I could just take him...but...Sorry, Erwin...

Ignoring the others, who had begun to follow Mikasa's lead, I shot an anchor into that familiar blond hair, using it to swing up and land right against Reiner's armored nose. Glowing gold reacted to my appearance, and I felt my heart burn when I looked into them.
"R..Rei...Please don't do this..!" I placed my hand against his metal-like skin, pressing hard, just in case he could feel it. Of course, there was no response, but I could almost see the hurt in his golden glow. I wished that I could see his true face in that moment, but this was going to have to do.

Just...give me anything...Something..!

"W..was everything a lie, Reiner..?! Were you actually the one who killed Wilbur..?! M..Mar..c..c...Was all of this really your doing?!" My voice was breaking with every syllable, and the thundering in my chest was way too fast and heavy to be anything but a bad sign, but it only worsened when Reiner responded. He nodded his head.

No...I...

Smashing my fist down against his skin, I could feel pain shooting up from the point of impact, but I didn't once even pause.
"I..I refuse! N..noted and denied..! I refuse to b..believe that you're the e..enemy..!" It was amazing that my tears hadn't started to fill, despite the way the stung behind my eyes. That was all I was going to be able to get from Reiner in this form, but it wasn't enough. "P..please, Rei...G..give it up...I..I won't let them kill you...Please...I-" Those dulled dandelion eyes closed as I felt something grasp my hood, prying me off of Reiner's face and moving me out to dangle in the air by his side.

YMIR..! LET GO OF ME..! I'M NOT FINISHED YET..!

She did release me, but so that I as only metres above Boy, who had stayed as close as possible during my first attempt. My body was already so far past its limits that I almost slid right off, but I managed to curl my arms around his strong neck, dragging myself back into place.

The soldiers looked like insects, swarming around them in a flurry of whirring and buzzing. Even catching it out of the corner of my eye made me feel dizzier.

"DO YOU THINK...THAT ANYONE WANTS TO KILL PEOPLE..?!" My heart stopped when I heard Bertholdt wail, and I steered Boy up to their side, listening as closely as I could. "What kind of person would do this for fun?! Who would want to do this?! After what we did, of course you despise us...and want to kill us! W..we can never take any of it back..!"

Bertholdt...

"W..we just couldn't come to terms with our sins..! Pretending...to be soldiers...made it a little bit easier..!" His voice was shattered before it even left his throat, and I could feel that first tear break free from its dam. "It's not all lies, Connie! Jean! It's true that we deceived you, but it wasn't all lies! We really did think of you as friends...Reiner...even found someone he cared for more than that..!"

I can't...stand to hear this...I...can't...

"ALL OF YOU, GET AWAY FROM THERE..!" I barely heard Hannes when he shrieked over to us, but the message still reached me. "ERWIN, WHAT THE FUCK?! HE HAS TITANS WITH HIM, AND HE'S COMING THIS WAY..!"

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***I still love my humanity-destroying sons***