Within the walls

28

Jean's pov

I watched in shock as all of the titans stopped attacking Reiner. Whatever Nyx did made them all just freeze. My eyes landed on Nyx falling from Reiner's shoulder, that bastard Bertholdt was just letting her fall. A titan stood open mouthed beneath her.

"Nyx!" I yelled as I shot forwards, using Reiner to hook onto.

I managed to kill the titan and grab Nyx from it's mouth before she could get eaten. She might have been a titan, she might have betrayed us, but she was still my best friend. She made sure Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie didn't kill me and that had to count for something.

I looked her over quickly. Not a scratch on her. She looked so innocent and sweet dressed in a skirt, shirt and cardigan. Her hair flowing in the wind and her blank expression made her look like some kind of angel.

"Everyone Retreat!" Commander Erwin yelled.

That man had just lost his arm and he was still going, there was no way he was human. Either way I got back on my horse, keeping Nyx pulled to my chest so she didn't fall.

"Jean, what have you got there?" Armin asked as we rode.

"Nyx, they dropped her, she would have died if I didn't do anything." I replied.

"Is she okay?" Armin asked.

"She's not scratched up or anything but she's out cold." I replied.

"I'm sure we'll be able to get her help back in wall Rose." Armin said.

Just then a titan went flying over our heads. The damn badtard just threw it at us.

"He's tossing titans now?! That son of a bitch has gone berserk!" I said.

We couldn't continue with our retreat because of the tossed titans. We did our best to keep ourselves alive but-

"Jean!" Armin yelled.

I turned slightly as a titan hit the ground and knocked me off my horse. Bits of the ground hitting against both me and Nyx before the world faded into nothing.

Time skip

Nyx's pov

I woke up to the sound of dripping water. It was cold and the sound echoed. The bed I was laying on was as hard as stone and I could feel it shake as I shifted.

I sat up and looked around, I was in a jail cell. It was dark, definitely underground.

"Someone tell the commander she's awake." A male voice said.

"Right away." Another responded.

I remained quiet, I'd be dealing with Erwin. There was no point in lying anymore so I guess that meant it was time to tell him what he wanted to know.

I got up from my bed and stretched, taking a few steps just to make sure I still had the function. I only had to wait five minutes before Erwin, Hanji, Levi, Eren, Armin and Mikasa arrived.

"Nyx." Eren spat.

"Eren." I said simply.

"How did you manage to fool me, it was obvious from the start." Erwin muttered to himself as he looked ne up and down.

"Don't worry yourself about it commander, even I couldn't tell what was real." I said.

"What does that mean?" Mikasa asked.

"It means I don't know what or who Nyx is anymore. Is she the childish joyful kid from training? Or the one that cries all the time from Trost? I don't really know. Is Nyx the one that rambles when she's scared or nervous or is that someone else? Bertholdt used to yell at me for talking but was I Nyx then or someone else entirely. I really don't know who or what I am anymore. My sense of self has blurred over the past few years." I said.

"I used to look up to you, I admired how you could always keep smiling. Now I just don't know." Armin said.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be that person for you. I'm really not worth a second thought. I'm just a disposable tool that's reaching the end. A pawn on a chess board that's about to be sacrificed. In the end I'm nothing." I said. "Enough about my pitiful existence, I'm sure you have questions for me."

"And you're willing to answer them?" Levi asked.

"I'm already caught with no chance of escape. My true colours are on full display. I have no reason to hide or lie anymore. If I have the answer I'll provide it." I said.

Hanji let out a noise of excitement as she pressed herself against the bars. She was having a field day with this.

"I have to know! What type of Titan are you?!" Hanji asked in excitement.

"It's name is the command Titan, it has many abilities but is lacking in the fighting department. It's normally paired with the armoured titan for the sake of protection. I'm the smallest recorded command Titan but height wise it can go from 16 to 12 meters tall depending. Its only unique physical trait is the tentacle like tube that comes from just under the chest and wraps around at the hips." I explained.

"Oh you have to show me!" Hanji exclaimed.

"What are titans and where do they come from?" Erwin asked.

"That was the type of question I expected. Unfortunately I don't I have all of the answers, it's above my pay grade as a squad captain. What I do know is that titans were at some point ordinary people like you. They get transformed by some kind of substance, I've seen it in both liquid and gas form, either way once it enters their body that's it for them. Whatever is left of their consciousness or body resides in their neck, that's why they can only be killed by destroying the nape." I explained.

"So I was right. How do you undo it?" Hanji asked.

"You can't. Once it's done it's done. The only way to stop their suffering is to kill them. It unfortunate, no-one deserves to become a mindless human consuming beast but it happens." I said.

"Why are you here? What was the goal?" Hanji asked.

"Personally or collectively?" I asked.

"Both." Erwin said.

"Collectively we were sent for Eren and Yimir. We were sent to get back the power of the titans that was stolen from us. Personally, there's a lot to go through, long story short I'm here for my own benefit." I said.