Megatron arrived early in the morning to the military compound, noticing an open window on the second floor. Megatron scaled the brick wall surrounding the compound before balancing on top of it with ease. He eyed the second window before jumping from atop the wall and grabbing the edge of the window. Megatron pulled himself up before rolling into the facility. He dusted himself off before walking through the halls. The one downside about the holoform was that he couldn't activate it in closed spaces he couldn't see. It had to be within an open space, so sneaking into the compound was going to be quite a hassle until he could gain the trust of the Marley officials.
Speaking of trust, Megatron couldn't trust the Beast Titan. Even if he managed to somehow prove his trustworthiness to him, something about him just felt…off. He says that he wants to help Eldia, but turning his own into titans with ease is quite cruel. Just as cruel as when he raised his fellow Cybertronians from the dead. He needed insurance. A secondary plan in the event the Beast Titan did betray the island to Marley.
=====
Hanji watched the blacksmiths work on melting some of the old, rusted parts of the ship that could no longer be considered useful. However, she could only watch with irritation as the process took so painstakingly long. The metals were taking a lot longer to melt due to it being a different substance. They started this quite early in the morning, but its been quite a few hours since then and they've only managed to melt half of some of the material. Maybe she would need to ask Optimus for a faster process, but Optimus told her that this would be the best way to proceed considering the lack of technology.
Hanji blew a raspberry. Well she did trust him. She just hated how much of a pain in the ass this was going to be.
==========
"I'm not wearing this nonsense," Matthew declared as he stared at the pants and t-shirt laid out before him.
"You have to," Zeke declared, "You need to learn how to blend in with the humans so you don't get caught. This is how."
"So I lower myself to something far worse than where I'm already at?" Matthew demanded.
"Might I make a suggestion?" Yelena piped up as she picked up the bag carrying the clothes she laid out.
"Not now," Zeke told her.
"Get out," Matthew growled in a low tone.
Yelena shrugged as she took the bag and left the room.
"Why should I wear this?" Matthew demanded, "I can change the holoform clothing to anything I want."
"That's the problem: it's not real," Zeke reminded, "It's all fake. What if the fake clothing gets torn? How would you explain how it looks like it's in perfect shape? What if someone tries to steal it? You can't justify it if it comes down to it. You need to learn how to wear human clothes."
Matthew didn't reply to that as he took off the jacket of the holoform. Zeke nearly sighed with relief. At least he was complying, although he was a little confused when the jacket suddenly disappeared off of Matthew's body. That relief went away when he noticed the multitude of scars on Matthew's arms. Zeke saw Matthew decided to remove the shirt without taking it off, causing it to disappear. Zeke could only stare in horror as he saw a long, jagged, scar in the center of his chest, along with the other injuries scattered across his chest.
Matthew noticed Zeke staring, but simply picked up the shirt in response. "I suppose you aren't used to seeing scars, since your body heals any and all injuries."
"What…happened?" Zeke hesitated to ask as he gestured to the scar on his chest.
"I was careless and foolish," Matthew answered with ease, "A mistake that I can assure won't happen again."
Zeke was shaken at that. These beings; they were fallible. There was something that could kill them. But he was certain that it would take something just as powerful as them to end such a being. It was a horrifying thought.
Zeke's horrified thoughts were immediately dissipated when Matthew struggled to get the shirt over his head. The titan shifter almost busting out laughing at the sight before him, but knew he would get in trouble if he did.
==============
The blacksmiths managed to finish melting the metals down before placing it in the mold of the blade for the 3D gear.
"How long do you think this will take to cool down?" Hanji asked one of them.
"Hard to say," the blacksmith responded, "We're doing everything that we can. Hopefully we will finish by the end of the day."
Hanji nodded in response as she let the blacksmiths continue their work.
===========
"Jaeger, I have no intention of sending a fleet to Paradis," Calvi declared.
"We need the Founding Titan," Zeke tried to reason, "Now more than ever with the world advancing as it is."
"We are already dealing with this war on our doorstep," Calvi reminded, "A war you need to play an active role in. We cannot divert Marley troops and their attention elsewhere. We also need to focus our attention on our new titan experimentation."
"And what better way to learn about it from the actual source?" Zeke retorted.
"Have you forgotten what those titans have done to our own Warriors?" Calvi reminded, "If we send a fleet, they'll be decimated within seconds of reaching the shores."
"But-,"
"I've heard enough of your insubordination," Calvi cut off, "I'm letting you off with a warning. Leave now."
Zeke decided not to push his luck and saluted the Commander before leaving his office.
=============
Later
Megatron opened the door to Zeke's office, irritated after training the Warrior Cadets. He was rest to sleep on the couch, but stopped himself when he noticed the concern and stress on Zeke's face.
"I'm assuming that you've had a rather terrible day," Megatron remarked in his regular voice as he sat down.
"I can't convince Calvi to send a ship to Paradis," Zeke lamented, "It would have had all the resources you needed, but he's too focused on the war and the titan experimentation to be swayed."
"Hm," Megatron hummed in response as he pulled out the dictionary from his bag and began to read. It was both good and bad. Zeke couldn't touch the island for the time being; however, Megatron needed to gain Zeke's trust in order to discover his intentions.
"Well, if you can't send a fleet, perhaps you can send an ambassador on your behalf," Megatron mentioned off-handedly.
Zeke snapped his head to Megatron as an idea sprung into his head. Megatron raised his eyebrow in confusion as Zeke picked up the phone and began to dial a number.
===========
Eldian Restorationist Hideout
Onyankopon was snoring slightly as he was taking a nap in his chair when the phone suddenly rang. The man jolted awake at the sound while Yelena walked into the room towards the sound. She picked up the phone before placing it against her ear.
"Hello?" Yelena greeted, "Zeke, it's been a while."
There was a pause on Yelena end as Onyankopon waited for a response.
"Really?" Yelena's voice rose in surprise, "Are you sure that is a good idea?"
"Yelena, I need someone to make contact and I cannot convince Marley to do go," Zeke explained, "I do not know if I can guarantee your safety-,"
"Whatever you need to do, I will perform without question," Yelena declared with little hesitation, "I'll get my things ready for tonight."
"Thank you," Zeke sighed with relief.
===============
Later
"Absolutely not," Magath automatically shut down.
"I will have nothing else to do," Matthew retorted.
"I don't care. I don't trust you to not run off," Magath retorted.
Zeke could only watch as the two of them bickered. In order for this plan of theirs to work, Magath had to be convinced that Matthew would be allowed to leave military grounds. Magath wasn't having it, and if this didn't work, there was going to be more and more complications.
"Sir, if I may," Zeke finally spoke up, "Matthew won't have anything else to do. The compound will be empty, and Matthew is not assigned to anything else. Unless you give him more work, I doubt there'd be anything else. You said so yourself: you don't trust him."
"You sound like you have a proposal," Magath noted.
"I can have one of my subordinates chaperone him," Zeke recommended, "She's very loyal and efficient with her work. If Matthew were to step out of line, she would have no issue capturing or killing him."
"I'm right here," Matthew hissed.
Magath thought it over before standing up from his desk. "Know that I don't trust you, Matthew. If anything happens, it will be on you, Zeke."
Zeke grew nervous while Matthew rolled his eyes.
====================
That Night
"Yelena, are you sure that this is safe?" Onyankopon asked his superior as they waited in a large, empty field for the Flying Titan.
"Our end goal is to ensure Zeke's plan comes into fruition and we save the world," Yelena reminded, "We must make contact with the island in order to do so."
"But there's a difference between going as a group and going by yourself with the titan that tore out the heart of the Armored Titan," Onyankopon reminded, "He could crush you without a thought."
"Then Paradis will experience an attack of their own," Yelena proclaimed, "Zeke would never let the Flying Titan get away with harming me. Besides, the island is desperate for allies."
"You better be right," Onyankopon said before looking down at the large bag at her feet, "And that?"
"A sign of goodwill," Yelena answered.
Before Onyankopon could respond, the two heard a loud, high-pitched noise. They looked up to see a large, flying machine coming straight towards them. Onyankopon took a fearful step back as the machine transformed into the Flying Titan. It landed on the ground with a loud 'thud' before standing up to full height. The Flying Titan's red, piercing gaze shifted to Onyankopon, and the man felt his body begin to tremble. The gaze shifted towards Yelena, and its face contorted to one of irritation.
"If you so much as think of trying anything, I will drop you in this world's ocean," the Flying Titan warned in an ominous tone.
"I understand," Yelena nodded with a calm expression as she picked up the bag of items at her foot.
The Flying Titan kneeled down and offered his clawed hand to the woman.
"Onyankopon, you're in charge." Yelena waved 'goodbye' as she climbed into the Flying Titan's hand. Onyankopon jolted as the Flying Titan transformed into the flying machine it was just a few moments ago, before taking off towards the island.
===========
Wall Sina, Outside the Castle
Hanji stared in awe at the blade the blacksmiths had crafted, making a mental note to raise their pay. She picked up the blade from the table and spun it around in her hand. She swung a few times before pointing the blade directly at Levi sitting at the table, unfazed by the blade in his face. Hanji swung the blade down, making a clean cut through the edge of the wooden table. Hanji picked up the wooden piece she just sliced off and admired the clean cut.
"The blacksmiths are definitely getting a pay raise," Hanji smiled.
"You should be more careful in handling such a weapon," Optimus advised as he stood in his bipedal mode. Meanwhile, there were a few Military Policemen walking around with their rifles on their backs.
"Oh please, like I haven't handled a deadly weapon before," Hanji shrugged off.
The three heard a familiar engine noise and looked up to see Megatron coming back and landing on the ground in front of them, appearing to be holding something in his hand.
"What is wrong?" Optimus immediately asked.
Megatron didn't respond as he placed a Marleyan woman on the ground. She climbed out of the servo carefully, pulling a large bag along with her.
"Hello," she greeted with a wave.
Optimus pulled out his blaster while Hanji aimed the blade in her hand at her. Levi quickly grabbed the other blade on the table and got into a fighting stance. The Military Policemen nearby quickly noticed the situation and ran over and aimed their rifles at the woman.
"Buckethead, who the fuck is this?" Hanji demanded.
"This is Yelena: one of the Beast Titan's followers," Megatron explained, "He wanted to send a representative on his behalf to start the alliance, since he's unable to come himself."
"And what the hell makes you think we're just going to willingly talk to you?" Levi demanded.
"I brought gifts," Yelena answered as she pushed the bag over to Hanji with her foot. Hanji eyed Yelena with suspicion as she used the blade to slowly push open the bag. She was stunned to see a bag of weapons and tools that she had never seen before. They were quite appealing.
"Alright, she can stay," Hanji proclaimed as she raised a hand to everyone there. The Policemen lowered their rifles while Optimus transformed his hand back into his servo.
"I expect not to be disturbed until I am to return her to Marley," Megatron told Optimus before transforming and flying off. Before Optimus could ask anything more, he suddenly heard the familiar click of the comm link.
"Do not trust that woman," Megatron advised, "Under any circumstances."
Optimus didn't reply to that as Levi picked up the bag of weapons with ease.
"Does anyone have any tea?" Yelena asked.
Megatron knew that this was a bad idea, but he didn't exactly have a good relationship with the humans. He needed to have a back-up plan, just in case, but the military couldn't be relied upon due to them being in direct contact with them. What he needed was someone…outside of military restrictions. Megatron quickly turned around from his trajectory to the ship and headed towards Wall Rose.
===========
Yelena was escorted down the hall by two military men until they arrived at a door. One of them opened the door, allowing the woman to step inside. She saw Commander Hanji and Captain Levi sitting at the table with all the weapons she had brought laid out before them. Yelena could see a seat open to her right across from them, with a tea cup on the table. However, the one thing that did grab her attention was the man standing upright near the wall, wearing the same clothing pattern as the other metal titan: Optimus Prime.
"Take a seat," Levi spoke with a neutral expression.
"I wasn't aware that we would be having another guest," Yelena remarked as she walked forward.
"I can excuse myself, if my presence makes you uncomfortable," Optimus informed her.
"No need." Yelena forced herself to give a small smile as she walked towards the titan. Levi immediately stood up to react, but Yelena simply held out her hand towards the titan.
"It is a pleasure to meet you," Yelena forced herself to say.
Optimus didn't greet her back, but he did shake her hand. Yelena walked over to her seat and sat down. The woman finally took notice of how she was tinkering with the gun with ease.
"Tell me, do all of these gun compartments contain twenty bullets?" Hanji asked as she began putting the bullets back in the compartment.
"Yes," Yelena answered as Hanji loaded the gun and pulled on the hammer.
"It is definitely more efficient than what we were trying to make," Hanji muttered to herself.
Yelena didn't like this. She wasn't even surprised by what they had to offer. It had to be because of the metal titans. "Marley's soldiers are composed of 20,000 people per division. There are five division total, so around one million soldiers accounted for. Marley has a total of 21 battleships in three fleets, and as you've seen, we have more advanced weaponry compared to the sum of Paradis' own. Now, Marley has been working towards the creation of aviation weaponry."
"Aviation?" Hanji questioned in surprise, "Marley can fly? How long have they had this?"
"At least fifteen years," Yelena answered.
"What kind are they? How fast is it?" Hanji began to pester.
"Hanji," Levi warned.
"About 50 miles an hour," Yelena answered, surprised that she was asking these questions.
Hanji rubbed the back of her head. "If that's the case, why hasn't Marley attacked with that military might?"
"Quite a few reasons," Yelena began, "Marley is in the middle of a war right now with the Middle Eastern Nations, and is diverting all of its resources to that. It would be hard to attack during such a tense time. The second being the titans that linger outside of the walls. What once acted as a shield to protect Marley from the island of devils, now poses a threat to getting to the powers of the Founding Titan, and the resources the island has. There are other detailed reasons, but they all stem from one major, unpredicted factor in all of this."
Yelena's gaze shifted towards Optimus, causing the two Survey Corp members to look back at the Prime.
"What does this have to do with him?" Levi demanded.
"Well, he and Matthew have made quite the impact on Marley in such little time," Yelena proclaimed, "Beings made of metal that can change their bodies to advanced weaponry at will, said to come from beyond the stars. You killed over a hundred titans in a single day, while Matthew ripped out the heart of the Armored Titan. The defeat of the Warriors, the kidnapping of the Jaws Titan, the destruction of the port."
'Matthew?' Levi thought as he looked over at Hanji, the Commander appearing to have the same thought.
"You scare Marley," Yelena declared, "The energon, the titan experimentation, the mere existence of the two of you means that Marley is not the most invincible force out there. You could wipe out their armies without a single thought."
"I do not wish to cause war," Optimus responded to her, "If possible, I wish to make peace. I have seen the consequences of war, and the destruction it brings."
"...Lucky for you, Zeke Jaeger wants the same thing," Yelena proclaimed.
"Doesn't seem to have a problem with killing our own or turning them into titans," Levi retorted.
"He had to gain Marley's complete trust," Yelena reasoned, "Marley is the dominant superpower. They've conquered entire countries with the powers of the titans, and forced many to join their military in order to improve their might. Many of us that follow Zeke were part of those groups that lost their nation, their homes. Myself included. We all lost hope, thinking we would never be able to fight against a superpower like Marley. It wasn't until we met Zeke, until he guided us to a better path. Everyone saw him as a devil, but I saw him as something else entirely. I saw him as a god. A god that gave us hope in our darkest time."
Yelena quickly and quietly cleared her throat. "I am part of the Eldian Restorationists. We are the anti-Marley faction. Our goal is the liberation of the Eldian people."
===============
Wall Rose
Erwin was quietly reading to himself on the couch in his one story home. It was still a rather small space. His living area was directly in trajectory to the kitchen island. There was a small hallway that led to an office space on his left and a door and a bedroom to his right. The bathroom was next to his bedroom. He also had a spare closet for his storage. The living room he was situated in had a couch, two chairs, a bookshelf, and a coffee table.
Because of his status, service, and connections within the military, Erwin was given a rather nice home secluded from the busy walled cities. He preferred peace and quiet anyway. It allowed him time to think. However, there were days where his thoughts would begin to spin…and he felt like he was drowning-!
Erwin shook his head at the thought. No. He should be grateful to Hanji and Pixis for doing this for him, but he was still trying to figure out what to do now. All his life was military service, but who was he outside of that. Erwin shut the book in response to his spiraling thoughts. He wouldn't be able to focus now. He needed some water. Erwin stood up to grab some, but stopped when he heard a knock at his door.
The former Commander grew tense. There shouldn't be anyone here. Who was here late at night? Erwin took slow steps to the door, grabbing a lantern in the process to see better. He stood directly in front of his door and heard that knock once more. He took a deep breath before setting the lantern down and placing his hand on the doorknob. Whatever this was, he's dealt with worse.
Erwin carefully opened the door and froze. He looked up to see Megatron staring down at him with his arms crossed.
"May I come in?" Megatron asked. It was more of a statement than a question.
Erwin wanted to say no, but considering his situation, he wouldn't have that many options at survival. Erwin opened the door wider and moved to the side, allowing Megatron to step inside. Erwin shut the door and watched Megatron wander through his home, observing his surroundings.
"So, this is where you reside now," Megatron remarked, "Quaint,"
"How did you find me?" Erwin asked.
"The mad scientist doesn't know when to keep her mouth shut," Megatron answered as his gaze drifted through the bookshelf.
'Damn it, Hanji,' Erwin thought before speaking, "That doesn't explain why you're here. I gave up my command. I have no military influence."
Erwin noticed an irritated look in the titan's eyes before he shut them. He could see his eyebrow twitched as he tapped his foot on the floor a few times.
"I'm…here to propose an alliance," Megatron grumbled in irritation.
Erwin had to do a double take. "A-an alliance?"
Erwin saw Megatron's expression turn into a serious one, the same expression he had when he talked to him about Annie being kidnapped.
"Why do you want to do an alliance?" Erwin asked with caution.
"The Beast Titan," Megatron answered, "He wishes to align himself with Paradis in order to free the Eldian people. I don't trust him for a second considering his current track record and his continued stay with Marley, even though he hasn't told them he is of royal blood. When he and his team come to the island, and they will, I want to ensure that there is a secondary group to counteract him in the event he betrays the island. Some 'insurance', if you will."
"…so why me?" Erwin asked.
"My presence here already indicates that the mad scientist will convey information to someone that may or may not turn against them, be it intentional or not," Megatron explained, "Meanwhile, Optimus was never one for deception. I can merely warn him not to trust the Beast Titan, but in the event he is planning something, Optimus will do what it takes remove the threat quickly. That might lead to unintended consequences. When Optimus is emotional, he tends to not think clearly, and considering his relationship to his pet,…well I suppose you can understand what that would mean."
"That doesn't explain why you need me, specifically," Erwin proclaimed, "I have no military command. You blackmailed me to relinquish my position in the Survey Corps."
"I blackmailed you because I knew you weren't protecting humanity like Optimus wanted," Megatron retorted, "I told you not to use Optimus for your selfish benefit.You resigning your position was your decision."
"That doesn't change the fact that you threatened to destroy humanity because of that," Erwin reminded.
"Well if you lied to Optimus about your intentions and Optimus found out the hard way, I can assure you, I would've been the least of your problems," Megatron retorted.
"Why come to me then?" Erwin demanded, "You knew that I was lying. Why bother to come to me when I could just be lying to you instead?"
Megatron smirked as he leaned against the wall. "Hearing about your track record for one. I must admit: your methods sound just like that of a Decepticon."
Erwin felt anger and fear boiling inside of him. "I am not like you."
"While your evasive maneuvers have reduced deaths within your army compared to your predecessors, when it comes down to the major plans, such as capturing Lionheart, you'll stoop to any level to ensure victory," Megatron declared, "For example, dragging titans to attack the titan shifters and the Survey Corps on the first day I arrived, or manipulating your comrades into believing in some grand cause. Or even better, lying to the dwarf about knowing his intentions to kill you for his freedom, indirectly leading to the deaths of two other pests from the underground."
Erwin felt dread go through him as Megatron smirked triumphantly, knowing he hit a nerve. "Shut up."
"It must be so hard," Megatron began, "It must be so hard going to sleep at night, knowing every action you did led to an every bigger pile of mounting corpses. Knowing every action was practically in vein as they fought for a dream that never existed."
Erwin slammed his fist on the wall in anger. He didn't scream or yell at the former warlord. Everything he said was right; there was no point in trying to build a case for himself.
"The difference between you and a Deception; however," Megatron continued, "is your guilt. Your need to cling to your humanity, and the fact that you've regretted leading them to their deaths on a whim is what is keeping you from being a true Decepticon. Even if that whim was right in the end,"
"What do you want from me?" Erwin whispered.
"Don't you want to do the right thing for once?" Megatron asked him as he stood up, "Don't you want to protect the walls? I know that you drown in the sea of your victims and all the wrong you've done. Don't you want to do the right thing ?"
Erwin grew tense as Megatron walked towards him. He was being manipulated. He could feel himself being pulled in by the titan's words, but that feeling was slowly fading as his guilt settled in.
"I know that you do," Megatron proclaimed as he gestured to the room, "You can't live a life of peace and content, knowing there is an enemy out there that will kill everyone on this island. All of your comrades' efforts will be for naught if everyone here dies."
Erwin saw Megatron holding out his right hand towards him. "Join me to ensure the island's survival."
Erwin merely stared at the hand before looking directly at him. "What if you're wrong? What if they don't betray the island?"
"Then so be it," Megatron shrugged, "Besides, what more could you have left to lose?"
Erwin looked down at the hand and raised his own, but hesitated and pulled his back.
"Do we have a deal or not?" Megatron demanded.
Erwin debated his options once more. He then took a deep breath and shook Megatron's hand in agreement.