𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗥𝗜𝗦𝗘𝗦 𝗧𝗢 𝗦𝗨𝗡𝗦𝗘𝗧𝗦 | 𝙀. 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙂𝙀𝙍

𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐲-𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞

After scaling up the walls after rescuing the others from a hoard of titans, I threw myself on the ground in exhaustion, placing an arm over my eyes from the harsh whiteness of the cloudy sky. My relief of duties was cut short when I heard the sound of struggling coming from the side of the wall.

My eyes narrow when I recognize Reiner's blonde buzz cut peeking over the side. Hanji's words echoed in my mind: "keep an eye out on Reiner and Bertholdt- they could be working with Annie".

I reluctantly go over towards Reiner's struggling form and offer a hand for him to take.

"Thanks, Y/n," Reiner says. I just give him a wide grin, hiding the suspicions that were racing through my mind.

"No problem," I say with a pat on his arm once he's steadied on top of the wall. "Nasty bite, huh?" I say referring to his injury. Part of his arms was wrapped in a white cloth, tied tightly around his skin in a makeshift sling.

"Yeah," he mutters out, slightly mad. "The titan nearly ripped the whole thing clean. Pathetic! This would've been the second time I could've died as a soldier," Reiner stays glaring at his arm.

I just hum awkwardly in response. "Yeah, well that's what comes with the job. We could die at any given moment, especially when we least expect it."

I feel Eren's and Armin's presence beside me as they walk up to Reiner, Bertholdt, and me. I give them both a tense smile, which only Armin mirrors back as Eren silently stares at Reiner's sitting form.

Reiner starts to talk again. "Who's to say I might not even survive the third time, or the fourth, or the fifth. This is what it really means, what it means to be a soldier. Your spirit breaks, and your body follows." My eyes switch from Reiner and to Bertholdt. The tall brunette was looking at his friend with concern, but no for his arm injury.

I clear my throat. "Well, yeah, no shit. We just have to suck it up, Reiner."

"Yeah, no good whining about it now- at least not until we can plug up the wall," Reiner huffs out while removing his hand from above his eyes.

"There's the spirit!" I say with a slap to his shoulder. "The two of you have been driven far from your hometown enough as it is," I say, trying to sound as natural as I could.

"That's true," Eren says with a glance towards us in reply to my statement. "This is it, this is where we draw the line."

"Truer words have never been spoken!" Bertholdt exclaims with his arms thrown up. "Home! Let's go home! We've been here long enough," he says to Reiner. Well, this certainly isn't suspicious.

"Your right," Reiner says from the ground. "We don't have much further to go before it's done."

"What are you guys talking about?" Eren asks while looking at Bertholdt who was kneeling in front of a dazed Reiner.

I shoot Armin a concerned glance from my place beside the two friends and nod towards their direction as if asking him if I could intervene. The blondie gave a nod of confirmation.

I make my personality uplifting and positive as I kneel beside Reiner and Bertholdt. "Yeah, before what's done?" I ask, feigning confusion and interest.

Both of the males next to me tense up, and whatever lie they were forming in their heads and were about to tell me was cut short with a call from Hanji.

It was Hannes.

Once we all huddled into a circle, surrounding where Hannes was coming up the wall, I reach down and hold out my hand. He takes it and I easily pull him up with a short grunt.