*Three days later*
Reiner quietly stared at the fire he and Ymir made while Ymir was whistling to herself. Ymir stopped whistling and glanced at Reiner, who still remained unresponsive to her.
"Beautiful night, isn't it?" Ymir remarked, still earning no response, "Definitely a lot more stars when you're on the walls."
"Just shut up," Reiner hissed.
"I'm just trying to make some small talk," Ymir declared.
"I don't need that shit," Reiner growled.
Ymir sighed to herself. "You want to talk about Bertholdt, or should I?"
Reiner shot up and grabbed Ymir by her shirt. "Not another word about Bertholdt!"
"Why?" Ymir questioned, "So you can continue to wallow in your self-pity?"
"I'm not going to let you talk shit about him," Reiner declared.
"I don't want to," Ymir retorted, "And you think you're the only one that upset that you're never going to be able to see someone you love again?"
"I'm supposed to be one of the strongest titans," Reiner stated, "I'm supposed to be able to protect them like Marcel. And I can't…"
Reiner let go of Ymir before slumping to the ground in sadness. Ymir merely blinked as she dusted off her shirt.
"If I wanted you, I could've left you for dead," Ymir reminded, "I could've kept the rest of my life, but I'm the only other person in this world who understands what you and Bertholdt went through."
"I…I'm sorry, Ymir," Reiner apologized, "I just-"
"Shut up," Ymir said.
"Guess you still don't want me to-"
"No, really, shut up," Ymir hissed, "Do you here that?"
Reiner didn't say anything as he began to listen to the sound of silence, followed by a horse galloping.
Wait…what?
Reiner immediately stood up as the sound got closer. He and Ymir looked towards the broken gate and saw a horse with two riders coming through into the walled town.
"The Survey Corps?" Ymir questioned.
"Doubt it," Reiner answered, "There's only one rider. They're not stupid to go into titan territory alone."
The two titan shifter saw the unknown figures jump off their horse while one of them seemed to be looking at his hand.
"Who are they?" Ymir asked.
Reiner waited as the smaller figure took off her hood, revealing it to be Annie. Reiner smiled in joy as he realized that the other figure was Bertholdt.
"Reiner, what do we-" Ymir gasped as Reiner jumped down from the top of the wall.
"Reiner!" Ymir yelled as he bit his hand. The teen covered her eyes as lighting consumed Reiner as he transformed into the armored titan. Ymir then saw in response the Female Titan appearing and roaring out in challenge.
"Reiner!" Bertholdt cried out in joy as he careened his head upward to look at Reiner.
Ymir watched from afar as the two titans climbed their way up the wall with Bertholdt in tow. Reiner and Annie extracted themselves out of their titans forms as the bodies fell of the wall for the mindless titans to devour.
"You're-you're here," Reiner breathed in disbelief.
"We barely made it out," Annie explained, "Luckily I ran into Bertholdt, and that made things a little ea-"
Annie wasn't able to finish as Reiner fell to his knees in front of the both of them.
"Reiner!" Bertholdt exclaimed in surprise, "You don't have to-"
"I'm so sorry!" Reiner shouted as he began to cry, "I…I'm so sorry. I got Marcel killed, and I promised to protect the both of you. I couldn't even do that! I thought I could be like Marcel but I not! It's all my fault!"
Bertholdt stared in sadness while Annie gave no readable expression. Ymir groaned in irritation as she stood up and walked towards them.
"Yeah, he been like this for the past three weeks," Ymir explained, "It's been a pain in the ass to deal with on my own."
Annie walked towards Reiner and kneeled down in front of him as he kept sobbing.
"Reiner, look at me," Annie ordered, "Look at me or I throw you off the wall."
Reiner sniffled as he raised his head to look at Annie.
"I am mad at you for dragging us out here to continue this mission," Annie admitted, "I can't lie about that, but I'm not mad about what happened with those titans."
"But I couldn't help," Reiner retorted.
"We weren't prepared for them," Annie explained, "We had no idea they existed and no way of knowing how to counter them. It was not your fault; you did what you could. You're still a warrior."
"Reiner, you did what you could," Bertholdt retorted as he knelt down in front of him as well, "And I'm not angry with you for what happened before. You did try to save me."
"We did what we could, but we have to go back," Annie proclaimed, "We have to warn everyone else."
"B-but, the founding titan," Reiner retorted, "That was the whole point. They'll think of us as failures."
Annie sighed. "No matter what they think of us, we don't care."
"We're happy to call you our ally," Bertholdt smiled as he hugged Reiner.
The tears fell onto Bertholdt's shoulder as Reiner wrapped his arms around Bertholdt's abdomen. Annie relented and placed her hand on Reiner's back.
Meanwhile, Ymir stared in disgust as she mockingly clapped at their reunion. "Well isn't this just a sight. A happily ever after."
"Okay, why are you here?" Annie demanded as she stood up.
"I'm the bitch that ate Marcel," Ymir answered as she put her hands on her hips, "And while you two got kidnapped by Prime and that other titan, I'm the one that went back to save Reiner's ass."
Annie walked over to Ymir and looked her dead in the eye. "I don't know if I should throw you over the wall or thank you."
"Well I'm never going to see Historia again, so throwing me off the wall might be a blessing in disguise," Ymir retorted.
"Please don't throw her over," Reiner requested as he stood up, wiping the remainder of his tears, "She came with me willingly."
Annie threw a glance at Reiner before turning her attention back on Ymir. "As long as she doesn't try anything,"
"Fair enough," Ymir accepted, "So what do you intend to do now?"
"We…," Reiner trailed off before sighing in defeat, "We have to go back home. We're outmatched and we need a way to counterattack the two titans."
Reiner then took notice to Annie's regenerated arm. "Annie, what happened to you? I thought you lost your arm against Optimus."
Annie turned her gaze towards her arm. "It's…a long story."
Three Days later
Eren slowly opened his eyes and forced himself to sit up in his bed. He noticed the sunlight spilling through the barred window and into the room. He took a deep breath and thought about forcing himself out of bed, but decided against it.
The titan shifter glanced over to see Armin sleeping on the floor by the door to the room. A book lay next to him, open with his fingers in between pages.
"Armin," Eren called out, causing his friend to jolt awake, "Armin, you don't have to stay here."
"It's fine," Armin reassured as he rubbed his eyes, "There's a library in the castle, so I can keep myself occupied."
Eren knew Armin was just worried about him. He shouldn't be; he's just making everything worse.
"Where's…where's Mikasa?" Eren quietly asked.
"She went to get you something to eat," Armin explained, "Wanted to make sure you didn't starve yourself."
"And…what else has been happening?" Eren asked.
"Nothing so far," Armin answered, "I don't know if they're making plans for Shinganshina yet."
"Oh…," Eren trailed off, "Okay,"
"Eren, maybe you should come outside for a little bit," Armin suggested.
Eren curled in on himself before lying down back in the bed again and turning on his side, away from his friend. "I don't want to."
"But Eren-"
"I don't want to go outside," Eren proclaimed, raising his voice.
Armin wanted to try again, but decided against it when he heard a knock on the door. He stood up and opened it, revealing Mikasa with a tray of food in her hands.
"I'm going to go," Armin informed her, noticing her slight fatigue before whispering, "You should get some sleep."
Mikasa didn't answer as Armin left the room. The boy sighed as he wiped a few tears from his eyes. Once again, he was powerless to help the people he cared about, and he didn't know what to do.
The worst part about this was that he lied about the plans for Shinganshina, and Megatron hasn't been seen in three days.
Optimus walked into the council room of the castle. He saw Historia sitting on the far end of the table. Erwin and Pixis were sitting on the right while Hanji and Levi were sitting on the left. Optimus decided to sit down next to Pixis, since Hanji was leaning back in her chair with a hat covering her face.
"Is she conscious?" Optimus asked, earning a groan from her.
"She still has a hangover, oddly enough," Levi explained, "Didn't think you were that bad with drinks."
"fffuuck you," Hanji drawled out as she flipped Levi off.
"Can we get back on track?" Erwin demanded.
"Fuck you too," Hanji hissed at Erwin, causing him to sigh.
"Historia, what do you wish to talk about?" Optimus asked the queen.
"Some of humanity still has some concern about me being queen," Historia explained, "Because I killed my father in human form and because Megatron isn't the friendliest."
"That's stupid," Hanji retorted.
"I think that's a pretty valid concern," Pixis retorted, "People would most likely question an illegitimate killing her father, and others might believe she would unleash Megatron and Optimus on the unsuspecting populous."
"What do you propose?" Optimus asked.
"I was thinking that you and Megatron go to Shinganshina to find a way to plug the wall," Historia explained, "If you can't do that, then at the very least you can retrieve the whatever is in the basement of Eren's house."
"I do not know if I would be able to locate Eren's home on my own," Optimus admitted, "I am not familiar with the location, and Eren may not be able to help."
"Because he's a little shit," Hanji declared.
"Hanji, what the fuck is your problem?" Levi demanded as he looked at her.
"Everything," Hanji answered.
"There's also the issue of Megatron's presence," Erwin added.
"You mean the fact that he hasn't shown his face in a while?" Levi questioned before looking at Optimus, "Do you have any idea where he is?"
Optimus sighed to himself. "No, I have tried contacting him, but he has not responded."
"It's been three days," Erwin stated, "We might have to assume the worst and say that he left."
"Do you think that might cause a political uproar?" Pixis asked, "Losing one of the most powerful titans might doom humanity,"
"If Megatron doesn't show up, then we have to work with what we got," Historia declared, "Mikasa might be the only other one who knows where Eren's home is since she lived with Eren."
"I will ask her, and if she agrees, we will go together to her home," Optimus declared.
"What about getting the key from Eren?" Pixis asked.
"I will ask Mikasa first, and if she says yes then we will discuss this with Eren," Optimus answered.
"Eren's gonna be a total bitch about it," Hanji declared.
"Hanji, I swear-"
"The meeting's over," Historia interrupted Levi, "I do not want a fight right now."
Optimus sighed to himself as everyone else walked out of the room with him following behind. Things just seemed to be getting more complicated by the day. He was going to have to talk to Mikasa about going to her home since Eren clearly wasn't in his right state of mind. And with Annie having energon in her systems, what could that mean for everyone?
"Hey," Levi called out to the titan as he walked up to him.
Optimus was brought out of his thoughts and looked down at the captain, "Is something wrong?"
Levi shrugged. "Not really. I just wanted to know if you wanted to interrogate Kenny. I can be the bad guy since you're too much of a goody two shoes."
"What is this really about?" Optimus demanded.
"You're too distracted by what's been happening," Levi answered, "Maybe getting answers out of the bastard might help."
Optimus sighed. "I suppose so."
"Then let's go," Levi said as he walked down the hall.
Kenny stared at the dark, brick ceiling of his cell while resting on the bed provided. Once again, he was trapped in prison, most likely awaiting execution after they get the information they want out of him. It didn't matter anyway. Uri was dead, he'll never be able to get the titan power, and now he's just…lost.
The former serial killer lifted his head slightly to see the door to the prison open. He groaned in irritation as he saw Levi and the metal titan walk into the room.
"I'm not in the mood, shorty," Kenny groaned.
"No one asked for your opinion," Levi retorted while Optimus noticed a hole in the brick wall.
"What did you do to the wall?" Optimus asked.
Kenny scoffed. "Not me. It's this place that's falling apart."
"Enough about the wall," Levi interrupted, "Tell us what we need to know or we fuck you up."
Mikasa was preparing another meal for Eren in the kitchen, hopefully to get his spirits up and coax him to walk around the castle. But nothing's been working, and he's been refusing to talk to her and Armin.
She picked up the tray of food and walked out of the kitchen, but stopped herself as she nearly bumped into Hanji.
"Ah, Mikasa, just the Scout," Hanji greeted with a bunch of paperwork in her hand, "I need to ask you a favor."
"A favor?" Mikasa questioned.
"Yes, you see, we're planning to send Optimus to Shinganshina since it would mean less casualties," Hanji explained, "We would send Megatron, but you might have noticed he hasn't been seen in three days. Optimus was also going to ask you but he's busy with Levi."
Mikasa nodded her head in understanding.
"Optimus is going to survey the area and see what we can do to seal the wall, but the main objective is to retrieve what's in Grisha Jaeger's basement," Hanji continued, "We were wondering if you could go with Optimus to retrieve the information, since you lived with Eren before Wall Maria fell."
"What about Eren?" Mikasa asked, "It's…it's his home. His dad gave him the key as a final request."
Hanji sighed. "I know, but you know that Eren is not stable. Especially after what happened three days ago. Many of us, including Optimus, don't believe that it's safe for him to go while he's in that mental state. I'm asking you to please find a way to get the key from Eren."
"I…," Mikasa trailed off, "I can only try."
"Thank you," Hanji smiled as she put a hand on her shoulder, "Chin up. We'll figure something out."
"Okay," Mikasa sighed as she walked away from Hanji to Eren's room. Eren was not going to give up that key without a fight.
Kenny grunted as Levi kicked him against the wall. The serial killer let Levi grab him by the shirt and force him to look him in the eye.
"What did Rod tell you? What does he know about the wall?" Levi demanded.
Kenny merely stared at him. "I don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?" Levi questioned.
"You were Rod's lieutenant," Optimus recalled.
"No, I was Uri's right hand man," Kenny corrected, "Rod was a piece of shit."
"You're one to talk," Levi retorted.
"Look the only thing I know is that the walls are full of titans," Kenny explained, "I don't know why. And as far as I'm concerned, the only one who would know the truth is the holder of the titan power that's within Eren."
"Then how come Eren does not know the truth?" Optimus asked.
Kenny rolled his eyes. "Because he's not of royal blood. It would've worked if Historia got the power, but she chose to reject it. I don't know the truth about the world, and never did Rod. The only one who does is a person of royal blood that holds the titan power."
Levi grimaced as he pushed Kenny to the floor and walked out of his cell with Optimus following behind him, making sure to lock the door.
"He is telling the truth," Optimus said in a hushed tone so Kenny wouldn't here.
"You don't know him like I do," Levi retorted as Kenny got up to lie down on the bed, "This guy slits people's throats for shits and giggles."
"I know I do not, but he would not be telling us what he knows if he had a cause that may have benefitted him," Optimus retorted, "The King of the walls is dead and his army has been dismantled. He has nothing left to gain or lose, and he sees the truth about his leader."
"You sound so sure of yourself," Levi remarked.
"Even Megatron's most loyal followers were willing to turn their backs on him," Optimus declared.
Levi sighed to himself. "Even if what Kenny said is true, we still have little to go on."
Optimus looked back at Kenny, who managed to find a good position to sleep on the bed. "Do you know how Rod was able to create a titan serum?"
Kenny shrugged. "I'm just a dog from the streets. He wouldn't tell me shit."
Optimus sighed while Levi scowled.
"Then we will leave," Optimus stated.
"Don't expect our next visit to be pleasant," Levi warned.
Optimus was about the leave the cell as Levi prepared to follow, but the captain stopped when he noticed something under Kenny's bed. Levi narrowed his eyes and realized it was an empty wine bottle.
"Hey, shitface," Levi called out, "What's under the bed?"
Kenny sat up and looked Levi dead in the eye. "What bed?"
"Don't fuck with me," Levi ordered as he walked up to the bars, "Tell me what's under the bed or I'm coming in there."
"Levi, what are you doing?" Optimus demanded.
Kenny sighed as he got up from the bed and stuck his hand under it. When he was done rummaging, he got up and pulled out the empty wine bottle.
"There, happy?" Kenny hissed as he passed the bottle through the wall and gave it to Levi. Levi took the opportunity and snatched the bottle out of Kenny's hand and shattering it. He grabbed Kenny's shirt and pulled him against the bars before aiming the shard of the wine bottle at his eye.
"Levi, stop this!" Optimus ordered.
"Where did you get this?" Levi demanded, "You don't have access to the outside, yet you got a wine bottle from the upper floors of the castle. How the fuck are you getting out of here?!"
"I haven't stepped foot out of this dungeon since you assholes threw me in here," Kenny retorted.
"Then how are you getting your hands on this?" Levi demanded.
"Ask him," Kenny answered as he gestured to Optimus.
Levi let go of Kenny as Optimus looked at the both of them in confusion.
"I have never been near the wine cabinets," Optimus retorted, "I do not even know where it is located."
"I know you haven't been giving me wine," Kenny proclaimed as he dusted himself off, "I'm talking about your friend: the swordsman or the flying titan. Whatever his weird ass name is,"
Levi grabbed Kenny's shirt again and pulled him against the metal bars. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Is it that time of the month, shorty?" Kenny smirked.
"Where is Megatron?" Optimus demanded as he walked toward Kenny.
"I don't know," Kenny answered with a shrug, "He's been coming in here during the night with a wine bottle, and in exchange, I hear him rant about his problems."
"Problems?" Optimus questioned in confusion.
"Oh yeah, your friend is a fucking mess," Kenny declared, "Honestly, I thought I was a piece of shit, but compared to him, I'm a fucking saint. He's the one that kicked that hole in the wall."
"What has he been telling you?" Optimus asked as Levi glanced to his right to see the broken brick wall.
"Can't really say," Kenny answered.
"Why?" Levi hissed.
"First off, I prefer keeping my dick where it is," Kenny explained, "Second, He rants to me and he expects me not to tell based on three reasons. One: if I do tell, he'll kill me, and no one will care if I die because I'm a serial killer. Two: I'm the only one who is as sadistic as he is and could possibly understand his situation. Three: he said this to me, and I quote 'Even if you did tell anyone, no one would believe you.'"
Optimus and Levi looked at each other in shock.
"Gotta tell ya, that guy is a total dick," Kenny remarked.
Levi let Kenny go, allowing the man to walk back to his bed and sit down.
"Is there anything that you can tell us regarding Megatron?" Optimus requested.
Kenny stretched his arms before looking at Optimus. "All I can really say is this: whatever he's going through, he's afraid to talk to you about it. The rest you have to figure out on your own."
Optimus became conflicted as he turned his back and stormed out of the cellar. Levi quickly followed at locked the main door behind them both. Kenny sighed to himself with relief as he walked back to the bed and pulled a small box from under it. He pulled it out to reveal a syringe and a vial of the titan serum filled with energon.
"This doesn't make sense," Optimus paced in the hallway while Levi leaned against the wall, "Why would Megatron come down and talk to Kenny? Why is Megatron intentionally avoiding the Survey Corps?"
"Most of them are kids and they're completely terrified of him," Levi answered, "He's not exactly the most approachable."
Optimus sighed in defeat. "Yes, I am aware. But Megatron is never like this."
"How exactly would you know that?" Levi demanded, "I'm pretty sure you haven't had a friendly conversation since you were a book worm."
"I had to fight him for years," Optimus retorted, "He values his pride and strength above all else. I don't understand what's wrong with him."
Levi sighed in irritation. He had to tell Optimus what was going on, or at least what he knew. He just couldn't mention Armin or else he might get hurt.
"Look, Megatron is staying on this planet because he wants to make amends with you," Levi explained.
Optimus stopped pacing and looked at Levi in confusion. "How do you know that?"
"I had a speculation," Levi stated, "You're the only one he has any attachment to, so he tries to be a goody two shoes and play the hero. At least until he makes his amends. Playing the hero also includes not harming any human allies. So I tested that by pretty much calling him a necrophilia whore and told him to buzz off if he was going to bitch and moan about helping us."
"Levi, why would you do that?!" Optimus exclaimed.
"To test if he was here for you," Levi answered, "He aimed the pistol at my stomach, but instead of shooting me, he laughs and says I figured out his motivation."
"Then…why is he avoiding me?" Optimus questioned.
"That's something you have to figure out," Levi shrugged, "It might be fear; it might be pride, but you're the only one who knows him best."
Optimus sighed as he leaned against the wall. "I do believe Megatron would not leave without his weapons. I will retrieve them tonight and see if I can contact him then."
"And what if he did leave?" Levi questioned.
"Then…I suppose it is goodbye," Optimus declared as he deactivated his holoform.
Levi sighed to himself as he walked down the hall. He could see that Optimus was conflicted about the situation and what was happening with Eren. He just hoped it didn't compromise him later.
Eren sat up when he heard the door open and saw Mikasa walk into the room with a tray of food in her hands.
"You don't have to keep doing this for me," Eren remarked.
"You could come outside of your room," Mikasa suggested.
"I'll…I'll think about it," Eren merely said.
Mikasa placed the tray on the counter and took a deep breath. "Eren, there's something I need to talk to you about. It's regarding home."
That got Eren's undivided attention. "Are they planning to go to Shinganshina? When are they-"
"They're not going to send the Survey Corps," Mikasa explained, "It was…just going to be me and Optimus."
Eren stared at Mikasa in shock. "But…what about me?"
"They…they don't want you to go," Mikasa answered.
"No…," Eren breathed, "No I have to go-"
"They're saying you're not in the right mindset-"
"This is my home!" Eren exclaimed.
"Eren-"
"Mikasa, no!" Eren shouted as he got up from the bed, "I need to go home! You can't just leave me here while you and Optimus go!"
"It's not safe for you," Mikasa retorted.
"It's not safe for you either!" Eren shot back.
"I can handle myself!" Mikasa exclaimed.
"Oh of course you can," Eren spat out, "I can turn into a titan!"
"And yet you tried to end your life," Mikasa reminded, "Eren, I can't let you die!"
"I'll be fine," Eren lied.
"You're not fine!" Mikasa exclaimed, "If Megatron wasn't here, I probably would've had to bury you. I am not ready for that!"
"Then stop dotting on me like I'm your son!" Eren shouted, "I already have Optimus and Megatron to remind me of how worthless I am! I don't need you to do that too! You and Armin have helped the Corps more than I ever could, and all I've been doing is getting kidnapped and getting everyone else killed! Let me try to at least do something right and get to the basement like my dad wanted!"
"This is what I'm talking about!" Mikasa declared, "You keep beating yourself up and saying that you're worthless! You're not!"
"Like you would know!" Eren retorted, "You're the picture perfect soldier, ranked top of the class, the best anyone has ever seen! You…don't need me. The only reason you're staying is because you want to honor my mom. Mom's not around anymore because I was too weak like I've always been. Stop trying to help me; I'm worth nothing."
Mikasa tried to keep her composure together, but the tears were beginning to form in her eyes. Eren stared in shock as she let the tears fall.
"Do we mean nothing to you?" Mikasa asked.
"…Mikasa, that's not what I meant," Eren retorted.
"Just eat," Mikasa hissed, "Just eat your damn food, but we will need that key, one way or another."
Before Eren could respond, Mikasa walked out of his room and slammed the door behind her. Eren became mad with himself for making Mikasa cry. He threw his dinner off the table to the floor before sitting on his bed, trying his best to not cry.
Pixis walked into the dining hall to see Levi drinking tea and reading the newspaper.
"Good evening, Levi," Pixis greeted, "Have you seen Optimus? I was hoping to finally play him in chess."
"He went out to our old hideout to get buckethead's weapons," Levi answered, "And why do you want to play him in chess?"
"I've wanted to play him in chess since he arrived on our world," Pixis explained with a smile, "His intelligence will give me a challenge compared to that old nobleman I had to fake losing to all the time."
"If you're up for a challenge, why don't you just play Erwin?" Levi asked as he took a sip of his tea.
"Well he's busy filling out a resignation forum to relinquish his position as Commander of the Survey Corps," Pixis informed.
Levi nearly spit out his tea before placing the cup on the table and standing up. "What?"
"Oh, well I assumed Erwin told you," Pixis assumed, "He will no longer be the Commander of the Survey Corps and he will give the position to Hanji. Considering he's no longer physically fit to lead, it would make sense but-"
"I need to talk to him," Levi declared as he walked out of the dining hall.
Sasha slumped down on the table and sighed in defeat before biting into a potato she had stored from the party. "Does anyone feel that our importance means nothing in the face of grand design?"
Jean stopped reading the newspaper and stared at Sasha with bewilderment. "Sasha, what the fuck?"
"I'm not wrong," Sasha declared, "We have Eren, who can turn into a 15 meter titan. Optimus Prime, the savior of his homeworld, and buckethead, who literally defied death and dispatched the Colossal Titan in a matter of seconds. Not to mention Levi, Queen Historia, Commander fucking Erwin, who gets his arm bitten off and still shouts commands."
"Alright, we get it, we're cannon fodder," Connie hissed.
"Even then, it doesn't really seem to help our situation," Jean retorted as he showed Sasha the newspaper, "People are bothered by the fact Historia killed her father. They want proof that he was evil and that her loyalties are with humanity. They're not buying the story presented, which is why they're selling the story now in the paper that Optimus is going to Shinganshina along with Mikasa. They need to find a way to prove her loyalty is with humanity. And what better way to do that then to send a powerful titan instead of sending hundreds to their deaths."
"That's true," Sasha agreed.
"Not to mention Eren tried to off himself, and Megatron, of all beings, decides to stop him," Jean added, "And Megatron hasn't been seen in three days."
"He probably got sick of us and left," Connie proclaimed, "He hated us."
"That doesn't excuse the fact that Megatron was a vital asset to humanity," Jean retorted, "Now with the Colossal Titan on the run and Annie hyped up with energon in her body."
"We're pretty much screwed without Megatron," Sasha sighed as she took another bite from her potato.
"What happened to Megatron?" a voice asked.
The three turned to see Eren by the door in his casual clothes. He looked tired, like he hadn't gotten a good night's rest, and his body screamed defeat.
"Um…," Connie trailed off, "Hey, Eren, how have you-"
"Megatron hasn't come back in three days," Sasha blatantly answered.
"Sasha!" Jean hissed.
"What?" Eren questioned in surprise.
"He left," Sasha repeated, "He hasn't come back and I personally don't believe he's coming back."
"We don't know that," Connie cut in, trying his best to change the mood.
"I…I have to go," Eren said as he ran away from the three to his room.
"Sasha what the fuck is your problem?" Jean demanded.
" I thought he knew!" Sasha retorted.
"He's been in his room for three days, how the hell would he know?!" Jean retorted.
"Why do you care?!"
"I hate him, but I'm not stupid enough to lower his self esteem!" Jean shouted.
Connie sighed as the two continued fighting. "I'm so tired,"
Eren only made it halfway down the hall before collapsing and shaking.
"It's my fault, it's my fault, it's my fault," Eren kept repeating to himself as tears came down his face.
"Eren!" Mikasa cried out with worry as she and Armin ran towards him.
"Eren, what's wrong?" Armin asked as he put a hand on his shoulder.
"It's my fault, Armin," Eren cried, "Megatron left and it's my fault,"
"Eren, no it's not," Mikasa retorted, "You don't know why he left."
"I fucked everything up!" Eren shouted, "If I just tried to pretend I was fine-"
"Eren, please," Mikasa pleaded as she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Eren," Armin closed his eyes as Mikasa helped him to his feet, "Was there…anything Megatron said to you? Anything that might give us a clue of whether or not he left?"
"He…," Eren hesitated, "He told me he was sorry."
Armin's eyes look like they were going to pop out of his head while Mikasa almost dropped Eren.
"He…really told you that?" Armin asked, earning a nod from Eren.
"Okay," Mikasa began, "Let me take you back to bed."
Eren allowed Mikasa to take him back to his room while Armin stood in a daze in the hallway. Megatron…said he was sorry?
What the fuck was going on?
Optimus transformed into his bipedal mode when he reached the location of their old hideout. He retraced his steps from the house to an uneven patch of dirt a large distance away. The Prime knelt down and began to dig with his servos before pulling out Megatron's shield and sword from the ground.
Optimus sighed as he sat down on the ground, holding Megatron's blade. He had no idea if Megatron left or if he was somewhere else on this planet. He said that he was going to stay, but now he might be gone.
He wasn't going to lie: this was bringing back unpleasant feelings.
Optimus activated his comm. link and waited as the line made a monotone was heard on his end. He almost gasped as Megatron seemed to pick up the line, but he did not respond at all.
"Megatron?" Optimus began, hoping to get a response. However, he was only met with silence.
"Are you alright?" Optimus asked before sighing, "Megatron, I do not know if you are alright, but I just wish that you would tell me. If you wish to leave, then that is fine. If you wish to stay, then that is fine. If you wish to have time to yourself, that is fine as well. All I want is for you to tell me. I do trust that you will not cause harm to another, and if you do wish to leave this world, then at least I wish to say goodbye. I do not want the last time I see you to end on a bitter note."
When Megatron didn't response, Optimus merely stood up. "I will be taking your weapons back with me to Wall Sina, if you wish to take them with you. I…just wish to say goodbye."
Optimus deactivated the comm. before picking up Megatron's shield and driving off towards Sina.
Megatron turned off his own comm. and continued to stare down at the ground, trying to focus on what's real and what's not. For the past three days he didn't know what was real and what wasn't. He couldn't differentiate for the confines of reality and weight of his own sins. His shame and guilt was eating him alive and he couldn't stand it.
The former warlord stood up and looked at the half moon. He wanted to leave, but he didn't want to leave Optimus behind; however, staying here made him feel sick and regretful. Running away just seemed like the easier option now. The option with less pain and heartache. An eternity alone in the stars would be more suitable than what he was feeling. He should at the very least try to find Optimus and get his things before he said goodbye.
Megatron transformed and flew off towards Wall Sina, leaving behind the now destroyed forest of large trees.
Erwin was writing down some of his last documents when he heard the door open. He looked up to see Levi slam the door behind him.
"Levi, it's late, and I would like to get some work done before-"
"It's not like you to want to relinquish your position to someone as stupid as Hanji," Levi interrupted.
Erwin looked up at Levi and sighed. "I assume Optimus told you."
Levi raised an eyebrow. "Optimus didn't tell me shit; Pixis did. What the hell is going on?"
"I'm stepping down as Commander of the Survey Corps so Optimus can stay here," Erwin explained, "He said he wouldn't follow my orders if I remained Commander. Once Optimus and Mikasa find the secrets of the basement, I will step down."
"So Optimus is pretty much forcing you to step down as Commander?" Levi questioned.
"He's not forcing me to do anything,"
"He said he wouldn't follow your command," Levi retorted, "That sounds like blackmail."
"It's not!...it's not blackmail," Erwin stated.
"Then why are you going to step down when he comes back?" Levi demanded.
"Because Erwin was never in it for the glory of humanity," Hanji answered as she walked into the room.
Levi glanced back at Hanji before turning to look back at Erwin. "What's she talking about?"
"I…never cared about the glory of humanity," Erwin admitted, "I was trying to prove something that my father was killed for. As a result, I led a lot of people to their deaths. It was wrong of me, but I continued doing it. Optimus was right: I should've put the lives of my fellow soldiers over myself. I'm not fit to be Commander."
Levi took a moment to process the information. "Why now? Why say anything now?"
"Because Megatron threatened me-"
"Of course he fucking did," Levi hissed.
"He said he would destroy humanity if I used Optimus for my selfish benefit," Erwin explained, "He figured it out so fast, and I wasn't going to let the populous pay for my selfish actions."
"How did Optimus react?" Levi asked.
"He snapped," Hanji answered, "And threw something... I think,"
"I have to let Hanji take over or we lose both of our trump cards and Megatron kills us all," Erwin declared.
"We survived without Optimus for a century," Levi retorted, "This is bullshit,"
"We've finally made progress," Erwin declared, "It is time that I do something right, Levi. At the very least, I don't want our comrades to die in vain anymore. Not when we finally have a chance to win this fight,"
Levi huffed in response. "That sounded pretty selfless,"
"It just feels like a repeat of what I've been saying for the past five years," Erwin retorted.
Levi careened his head back to Hanji. "Are you okay with this idea?"
"To be honest, no," Hanji admitted, "I'm a maniac, I just lost Mobilit, and I have PTSD and crippling depression that I hide behind my fascination for titans."
"Sounds like you fit the role perfectly," Levi joked.
"Ha," Hanji rolled her eyes.
"But…are you really sure about this?" Levi asked Erwin.
"The best I can do is guide Hanji, but that's it," Erwin explained, "I will no longer be the Commander. I'm sorry, Levi."
Levi didn't say anything as he straightened his back and crossed his arms. "I've had a lot of regrets in my life. You wanna know the thing I don't regret?"
"What?" Erwin asked.
"Following you, ever since you dragged me out of the underground all those years ago," Levi answered, "I never regretted my choice."
Erwin stared in surprise as he stood up from his chair. "But…why? Farlan and Isabel-"
"I know," Levi cut off, "I used to be mad about it, but I guess I'm now indifferent. Well, the pain has lessened."
"Then…why did you continue to follow me?" Erwin questioned, "You could've stayed in the underground or try to get citizenship on the surface."
"Yeah, like rotting in the underground would be good for me after what I've seen," Levi remarked, "But…I was close minded back then. I only thought of a small picture. The peace we had wouldn't have lasted, and I was focused on getting citizenship up on the surface to the point I was willing to kill the one chance humanity had at surviving."
Erwin stared in shock, but Levi continued. "The reason why I stayed was because you saw something that I was too blind to see. Maybe I still am blind to see it, but regardless of what happens, I'm willing to follow you to the ends of the Earth. Regardless of what you do or what Optimus does, I'll still be willing to help you."
Erwin was shocked by Levi's confession, trying his best to process the information. He then turned to Hanji. "What about you? You're fascinated by Optimus and Megatron."
"Let's be honest, Megatron's a jackass," Hanji declared, "I'm only bothering him for research purposes. And despite Optimus' kind and gentle nature, I still don't know him well enough to follow him. I've known your dumbass for a very long time, and we're the last of the veterans. I think we need to stick together."
Erwin felt something swell in his chest as he stared at his friends before staring down at the ground. "I don't deserve you."
"Well, you're stuck with us," Hanji declared, "Besides; we're one of the only veterans left. We need to stick together."
Erwin chuckled. "You are idiots,"
Hanji walked up to him and hugged him. "We're your idiots."
Levi watched the two before decided to speak up. "There's still something I need to know: what was it that you were really fighting for."
Erwin turned his gaze to the floor. "It was something my father told me."
Armin walked down the hall to his room with a blanket in hand. Eren told him that he would be fine for the night and told him that both he and Mikasa needed rest. He didn't want to leave Eren, but he insisted, and the two of them went their separate ways.
But it irked him. It really did irk him with what Eren told him about Megatron. Megatron told Eren…he was sorry. Eren wouldn't say anything else besides that, but was that the reason why Megatron left? Did Megatron…have a breakdown? Was he not coming back?
Armin saw a light coming from a dining hall up ahead and paid no mind to it. When he passed the door, however, he stopped in his tracks and quickly looked inside. Armin quietly gasped in shock as he saw Megatron's holoform hunched over one of the tables. He couldn't see his face, but it looked like he was trying to rest.
Armin gently pushed the door open and quietly walked towards him.
"Megatron," Armin whispered, earning no response, "Megatron are you-"
Armin jumped back and fell to the ground as Megatron shot up with a knife in hand, ready to strike. Armin covered his face in fear and closed his eyes, but opened them when he heard the clatter of the knife on the ground. Armin looked up and saw Megatron staring at him in horror.
"What are you doing here?" Megatron demanded.
"I-I'm sorry," Armin apologized, "I was going to sleep and I saw the light and-"
"Leave," Megatron ordered, "Now."
Armin watched as Megatron sat back down and rubbed his eyes, almost as if he was exhausted. His body language screamed tired, and he could've sworn he was trying to sleep earlier.
"Why…are you trying to sleep with your holoform on?" Armin asked as he grabbed his blanket and stood up.
Megatron opened an eye and glared at him. "I thought I told you to leave."
"But-"
Megatron slammed his hands on the table and stood up. "Do I have to make you leave you vile pest?!"
Armin took a step back in fear, but watched as Megatron put a hand on his head and was muttering something to himself. Megatron sat back down and covered his eyes with his hands.
"Leave me alone," Megatron said, "I just want to be left alone."
Armin felt…a little bad for the former warlord because he clearly wasn't feeling alright. He was just refusing to admit it. And after what happened recently, he felt he knew the reason why.
Armin saw the furnace used to warm up soup and water as he set the blanket on the table. He maneuvered past the tables and picked up some firewood to place in the furnace. Once he did that, he grabbed a flaming torch from the wall and lit the firewood. He placed the torch back and walked back to Megatron.
"I can't do that," Armin spoke, causing Megatron to look up at him, "No matter what you think about me, it looks like you could use some company."
"I don't need your pity," Megatron hissed as he stood up.
"I'm not doing that," Armin declared, "I'm pretty sure Optimus had days where he felt like giving in. If you don't want to talk to me, then that's fine. I'll just sit by the fire."
Armin grabbed the blanket on the table and walked back over to the fire. He sat in front of the fire and crossed his legs before setting the blanket on his lap. He didn't know if Megatron would leave him or not, but he was already here. Might as well see what would happen.
Armin felt his heart beat faster when he heard footsteps coming towards him. Armin continued to look at the fire as Megatron sat down next to him.
"The Survey Corps…have been wondering where you've been," Armin remarked.
"That's odd," Megatron stated, "I figured everyone feared me and wanted me to go, but since they've realized my importance, they want me to stay."
"…Optimus…was also trying to contact you," Armin added.
Megatron sighed. "I'm aware, and I don't wish to speak with him…and I do not wish to speak with you."
"That's fine," Armin stated, "We could just sit here."
There was silence between the two as they watched the fire dance before their eyes. Armin glanced over at Megatron and noticed the titan slouching with his arms wrapped around himself. Armin looked down at the blanket in his lap before picking it up and handing it over to him. The ex-con noticed this and raised an eyebrow.
"What are you doing?" Megatron questioned, "And what is that?"
"It's a blanket," Armin explained, "You use it for warmth. Do you…not have those on Cybertron?"
"We sleep on cold, metal, slabs called berths," Megatron explained, "And I don't need warmth. This is a fake form, a mere projection."
"But it still feels pressure and pain," Armin retorted, "And…sometimes you're holoform is cold to touch."
Armin watched Megatron examine him before looking down at the blanket, clearly skeptical about the idea. Armin decided to look away and see if that would work. The cadet almost let out a gasp in surprise as he felt a tug on the blanket, causing him to let go. Armin glanced over as the ex-con brought the blanket towards himself, clearly unsure with how to use it and just examining it.
"You…um…you wrap it around your shoulders using the ends," Armin explained as he mimicked the motion.
Megatron stared at the blanket before following Armin's guidance and wrapping the blanket around his shoulders. The ex-con looked down at the ends of the blanket before glancing back at Armin, who was back to staring at the fire. Megatron didn't say anything as he looked back at the fire once more.
Armin felt the weight of the silence once more as he began to debate what he was doing. He needed to sleep, but he had no idea what was going on with Megatron. He clearly wasn't okay, and looked like he hasn't slept in a while.
Armin slightly tensed as he heard Megatron grunt in irritation. He glanced over to see him rubbing his fingers over his eyes. That was it. He had to try and figure out what was going on.
"Megatron, are you…okay?" Armin tentatively asked.
Armin felt his heart stop as Megatron glared at him. "And why do you care?"
"You've been gone for three days," Armin answered, "And it looks like you haven't slept at all."
"I'm fine," Megatron hissed: a warning for Armin to not pry into his business.
Armin looked back at the fire once more. Megatron wasn't going to confess; he didn't know how to get him to. Optimus would be the only person that had an idea, but even then, Optimus has been confused with Megatron's behavior. There was also the fact Megatron didn't trust him, but if he didn't trust him, why did he help him before?
Armin snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Megatron mutter something. The cadet chose not to respond, and waited to see if Megatron would continue.
"The boy…how is he?" Megatron quietly asked.
"You mean Eren?" Armin questioned, "Um…I think he's doing better. Someone is usually keeping tabs on him, but…I don't know if he's telling me everything. I wish he would."
"Just make sure to keep tabs on him," Megatron ordered, "I'm not saving him again."
"You probably still hate him anyway," Armin said, "But…I do want to thank you,…for saving him. I know it was probably to get Optimus to trust you, but-"
"Shut up," Megatron hissed.
Armin flinched at his command and looked over to see Megatron's command wasn't directed towards him. The ex-con's attention was to something that wasn't there.
"Megatron?" Armin questioned as he moved his hand to touch him. Megatron glared at Armin and quickly grabbed his wrist.
"Why?" Megatron demanded.
"It hurts," Armin winced as he felt Megatron tighten his grip, "Let go."
"Answer me!" Megatron growled, "Why?! Why come and see me?! Why would you show kindness to me?! My existence brought problems for you; it nearly got your friend killed!"
Armin widened his eyes in realization, ignoring the pain in his arm. "You feel guilty."
The ex-con, startled by Armin's response, immediately let Armin go. Armin saw Megatron cover his face as he began…shaking.
"What's…happening to you?" Armin asked, earning no response, "Megatron?"
Armin gulped as he heard the ex-con chuckling. He slightly crawled backwards as Megatron stood up, the blanket falling to the ground as he stared at Armin with a crazed look in his eyes.
"Guilty?" Megatron questioned as he continued laughing, "Do have any idea who I am? I am Megatron. I've conquered worlds, I've slaughtered millions, and I've destroyed my own home. Why should I feel guilty over a human child with a life span that's less than century?"
Armin calmed his nerves and took a deep breath. "Moral compass?"
Megatron laughed even louder. "A moral compass?! What good would a moral compass do for someone like me?! I've slaughtered millions; humans around your age without a second thought! Do you really believe that I would have a moral compass?! And even when I try to put an effort to change, all I'm met with is fear, contempt, and hatred! It's a waste of effort and time, so why bother?!"
Megatron kicked the table behind him, sending it flying across the room and crashing into another table. Armin flinched at the noise before turning his attention to Megatron, who had his back turned to him.
"Why are you still here?" Megatron demanded, "You know my sins, and you know exactly what I'm capable of. So why aren't you cowering in fear?"
The cadet thought about it and decided to look back at the fire. "I am scared. I've seen exactly what you can do and I know that if you wanted to, you would destroy all of humanity without a second thought. Unlike Optimus, you're willing to become a monster in order to achieve your goal. Just hearing your name terrified me, but now…I don't hate you."
Armin tensed as he felt the former warlord's eyes on him. "Why? Is it because you know my secrets?"
"Actually, yes," Armin admitted, "There's also the fact that you have saved my life and protected humanity, even though that was for a personal gain."
"A rather selfish one as well," Megatron added.
"But you don't have any bad intentions. You want to make amends," Armin continued, "You just want to set things right with someone you still care about, and that's not as selfish as you might think. That's…actually a pretty humane thing to do."
"Don't compare me to you humans," Megatron scoffed, "And you should hate me. Who do you think was the cause of your friend's spiral in misery? I put those ideas into his head. I told him he was worthless. I am the reason he nearly put a bullet in his skull."
Armin sighed as he brought his knees to his chest. "I know. I know you put the notion in his head, but you also chose to save him. I'm grateful that you saved him. I thought he died when I saw him get eaten by a titan, and I was filled with relief when I found out he was alive. But every single time, he's always helped me, and I feel like I never could help him. And I noticed he was off at that party, but I was too stupid to say anything, thinking that he needed sleep."
Armin felt tears run down his face as he furiously wiped them away. "I'm just sick and tired of losing people I care about, and I really am happy that you saved his life. I don't care if it was for a selfish motivation; I'm just glad you gave him more time."
Armin was only met with silence, and he merely accepted it. He didn't know if Megatron left or if he was still there. He nearly gasped as he felt the blanket placed over his head. He picked it up and saw Megatron sitting down next to him once more.
"You need it more than I do," Megatron remarked.
"…Thank you," Armin said as he adjusted the blankets over his shoulder, "So…are you going to leave?"
"I…I don't know," Megatron answered.
"Well, I do hope you decide to stick around," Armin stated.
"We…shall see," Megatron merely said.
Armin turned his attention back to the fire and smiled to himself. It was a start.