Mikasa Ackerman did not trust the Empire.

  Why couldn’t Eren feel the same way?

  “I can carry you,” Mikasa reminded him as they, along with the Garrison’s Elite Squad and the Imperials who joined them, jogged down the Wall around Trost to shorten the distance they’ll have to travel with ODM gear and jetpacks to the city’s giant boulder. “You don’t need to overexert yourself.”

  “Leave it alone, Mikasa,” Eren said with signature annoyance. “I’m fine.”

  You can turn into a Titan. That wasn’t fine.

  He was also still afflicted by whatever aftereffects came with the Titan transformation. The soldiers and troopers were underestimating how off-center Eren had become. He squinted his eyes because of blurry vision, not because he was tensing in anxiety for the battle ahead of them. Eren’s form when jogging was too groggy, fighting fatigue. Instead of directly shoving Mikasa’s hand off when she touched his arm, Eren moved his entire body away from her to avoid her grip.

  One of the Imperial troopers physically interjected between them. “You need to keep away when he transforms,” the trooper said, Mikasa resisting the urge to push the man off the Wall. “The spontaneous spawning of Titan material is sure to hurt anyone standing too close.”

  She probably emitted too much malevolence anyway, since Armin beside her grabbed her wrist. “Mikasa ranked at the top of our cadet division,” he said in reassurance, “out of two hundred trainees. She’s one of the most capable soldiers who can support and protect Eren.”

  An elite Garrison member grunted. “Assuming Yeager can actually control his Titan form.”

  Mina Carolina, stressed from today’s events, made a sound close to a growl uncharacteristic of her usually chipper self. “There’s nothing we can’t do now that the Empire is helping us!” Yes, the stress has really gotten to the girl for her to be so gung-ho for the foreigners whose true intentions were still uncertain.

  Squad Leader Ian Dietrich shut down the potential argument with a stern warning. “Cool it. Yeager’s sealing the gate with that boulder, and we’re going to make sure he does. There’s no two ways about it.”

  Mikasa was grouped with Eren, Armin, and Mina. Garrison soldiers Ian Dietrich, Rico Brzenska, and Mitabi Jarnach were the heads of the Elite Squad running with them. Between the Garrison and the Cadets, they outnumbered the sparse Imperials attached to their team: Field Commander Chainly, the differently armored Captain Bex, Lieutenant Sunber, and the lower-ranked Stormtrooper, Fox. The last one, carrying an ODM blade in an improvised sling, was placing himself far too close to Eren.

  The Garrison heads had originally only wanted Mikasa as the top ranked cadet to join the elites in Eren’s escort. The Imperials had pulled Armin and Mina with them as the only other able-bodied survivors of Eren’s original squad. The rest of their collective forces were distracting the Titans. They either drew them to a far corner of Trost, using the Juggernauts to misdirect them, or kept Titans occupied near the destroyed gate. Especially at the exit gate, a constant series of explosions and a column of constant smoke was caused by the Imperials already positioned on the top of the Wall there to stem the tide of Titans from entering Trost.

  “Loot, this is Bex,” said Captain Bex to a comlink embedded in a slim gauntlet over his hand. “I can see the Speardrift.” It was the name of the individual Juggernaut Mikasa could see currently driving on a bridge over the river running through Trost. “Have your Stormtroopers scatter the Titans on your trail. When we come down, we’ll eliminate any Abnormals still following before we move to the boulder.”

  Brzenska took a minute to reiterate to Eren the inevitably of casualties being incurred on this mission. They were on the clock, so Eren as a Titan was obligated to follow orders and complete the mission as quickly as possible to ensure their comrades’ sacrifices weren’t in vain. Mikasa respected the sentiment, but she was more preoccupied with staying aware of where the four Imperials were placing themselves relative to Eren. Bex, apparently an officer usually driving one of the Juggernauts, lacked a jetpack, so that left Chainly, Fox, and Sunber able to lunge for Eren and take flight with him. One shot from any of the blasters could render his ODM gear nonfunctional, and the possibility of a “stun setting” might also incapacitate Eren while keeping him alive.

  By Mikasa’s estimate, Sunber was the weakest link. Armin seemed to like him, but the Lieutenant didn’t radiate the same authority as other Imperials. He evidently didn’t command enough respect for Sheckil to not have undermined him to order troopers to draw their rifles on Mikasa and the other cadets earlier. While Sunber had some compassion for the people of the Walls, Mikasa only saw a cold exterior upheld by the likes of Sheckil, Bex, and the helmeted Stormtroopers. Compassion wasn’t a factor for them. Only fulfilling their orders was, whatever they may be.

  “Is there a way we can confirm Cadet Ackerman is unable to turn into a Titan?” Fox asked aloud. “Another friendly Titan of comparable size can support Cadet Yeager in lifting the boulder.”

  As Mikasa guessed, Sunber halted that line of thinking from his subordinate. “There’s no time to play scientist and pick and prod at people,” he said with a glare at Fox.

  “Only making sure we return to the battlefront with all cards on the table, sir.”

  Mikasa spoke for herself. “I am not a Titan,” she said definitively, her hands ready to pull out her swords if the Imperials pressed her. “I’m deadlier than any Titan you’ve ever faced.”

  Armin tugged at her again. She ignored it. To her disappointment, nothing in Fox’s body language gave away his feelings on Mikasa’s heated words. Sunber only gave an unpleasant scowl, unintimidated by the thinly veiled threat.

  Sadly, Eren spoke in the Imperials’ defense. “We’re taking back the Wall,” he grumbled, “with the Empire. We can take it all back.”

  He wasn’t thinking straight. He was hardly fit to keep fighting like this, let alone make a self-inflicted wound on himself that was supposed to somehow cause the Titan transformation to happen.

  Armin’s role as peacekeeper was overtaken by Mina, who came shoulder-to-shoulder with Mikasa. She regurgitated the same “the Empire are our allies” pitch, more emotional and vehement compared to Armin’s original vouching for them, or Commander Pyxis’ rallying speech about collaborating with the “magnanimous strangers.” In a way, Mikasa could see where Mina was coming from. Maybe the Empire saving Mina’s squad had a similar effect as Eren saving Mikasa all that time ago. If only Mina was able to read between the lines as Armin had and understood his warnings on the Empire.

  In his disoriented state, Eren must be getting lost in the dream he shared with Armin, to visit the lands beyond the Walls. If he didn’t view the Empire as his savior like Mina, the armored men were still an opportunity Eren must see to help his dream to come true. Armin and his sharp mind were able to distinguish the usefulness and the dangers offered by the Empire. Dangers like taking Eren for experiments as a dehumanized test subject, or forcing him into his Titan form as an attack dog on a leash. Mikasa had vowed to always stand by Eren and protect him, even as he dove head-first into the military with his plans to join the Scouts. Her vow still applied now, when he was recklessly jumping into this joint operation without treating the Imperials with more caution.

  “Cadet Yeager,” spoke Commander Chainly, “avoid activating your Titan form while in mid-air with your ODM gear.” The more Mikasa considered it, the more she thought Chainly’s and Fox’s voices sounded identical. Were they brothers? “Land near the boulder first.”

  Eren grit his teeth. “There’s no time for–”

  “I agree with the trooper,” Dietrich cut in. “By your own account, you were barely conscious when you were killing Titans as a Titan. I sure don’t know how the hell you’re supposed to control it, but at least take a second to get a good sense of how to use your Titan form when you do shift back into it. You can’t pick up the boulder only to let it drop because your fighting instincts make you want to fight more Titans instead of sealing the gate.”

  A moment’s hesitation stalled Eren before he said, “Yes, sir.” Mikasa took comfort in the three years of training keeping Eren compliant with the officers of their home’s military. They’ll have to rely on that discipline to keep Eren’s stubborn head from giving the Empire any chances to snatch him away when no one was looking. And Mikasa was going to be always looking. She wasn’t going to abandon him again like she had at the start of today’s battle. She’ll keep him safe, from any and all threats that present themselves.

  The Speardrift came to a stop by the Wall ahead of their party of soldiers. Fox and Bex held onto each other as the Stormtrooper moved to deliver the Captain to his vehicle. The rest of the team sprang into the air, speeding over Trost whether with ODM gas or jetpack propulsion.

  The Elite Squad was spread widely to prevent Titan stragglers from getting close to Eren. In the lead was the Juggernaut, followed by an overeager Eren. It was second-nature for Mikasa to stay near him, ready to catch Eren if he fell. It seemed Fox was assigned to do the same, mirroring Mikasa on Eren’s other side. Armin, Mina, and Sunber were behind them.

  “You two are adopted siblings, yes?”

  If Fox was shadowing Eren, then Commander Chainly was shadowing Mikasa. It was a simple matter for Chainly armed with his jetpack to keep up with her. A part of Mikasa wanted to use smartly timed bursts of gas to avoid being badgered by the Stormtrooper, but that would mean separating herself from Eren.

  “What’s it to you?” Mikasa said to Chainly.

  “It will be of interest to Lord Vader.”

  The walking statue with the gaudy cape Mikasa was surprised the giant hasn’t tripped himself on. “I’m not letting anything take Eren away from our home.” She wasn’t one for subtleties, or at least wasn’t as good at conveying them as others, so it was better for her to make her stance expressly clear. Armin might fear the Empire, but he didn’t have the same skills or drive as Mikasa to make the Imperials understand what lay ahead of them if they made the wrong move against Eren.

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  “I’ve served under Vader for a long time,” said Chainly. “If your brother proves his worth to him, then you can prove your worth as Yeager’s protector.”

  Did the Empire honestly think the people of the Walls would just submit to them? Even Eren would have a thing to say about an outright occupation from these Imperials. Where was the freedom in that?

  Eren wasn’t even paying attention to Chainly’s words. He was focused purely on maneuvering with his ODM gear. Why can’t Eren see the Imperials wanted to use them, use him?

  Sheckil had said, “Fulfilling Lord Vader’s orders supersedes everything.” Armin was clearly afraid of Vader. Mikasa had to treat every single Imperial as an extension of Darth Vader, no matter how diplomatic or civil they try to be.

  “You don’t care for me,” Chainly correctly observed. “That’s fair. You don’t know me, or the Empire. Whether you like it or not, you will know. Your world isn’t the first we have visited, and it will not be the last. Lord Vader has decided to begin our relationship as allies, so I think it a courtesy to give you some advice.”

  So there were more pockets of humanity, more communities beyond the Walls and out of the jurisdiction of the Empire? Was the Empire trying to conquer them all? Were there more people like Eren out in the world? Was that the main cause of interest from Vader? Or was there something more?

  Mikasa, Chainly, and Fox landed on a roof overlooking the small plaza holding the Trost boulder. Eren landed in front of the rock. Titans no longer pursuing it, the Juggernaut parked inside the plaza. The others spread out on the other buildings.

  “You can’t protect your brother from Lord Vader,” said Chainly. “You can only show your capability as a warrior and help Cadet Yeager survive him.”

  Mikasa narrowed her eyes at the Stormtrooper. He was confirming every bad feeling she had about him and his people? Just like that?

  “Impress Vader, help Yeager prove his worth to him, and this world can be yours.”

  “Fall in line, or you’ll kill us all,” Miaksa put it in plain terms. “That’s what you’re saying?”

  The expressionless helmet was directed at Eren, but Mikasa could feel the trooper looking at her with a sidelong stare. “It might be hard to imagine, but the Empire can turn your entire island into ash. Would your people prefer to see that power against the Walls? Or against the Titans?”

  Mikasa knew what Eren’s answer would be.

  … What was an island?

  A flash of lightning brought everyone’s eyes to Eren. Mikasa kept herself aware of the Imperials but had a hard time doing it, shocked as anyone else at actually seeing Titan bones and flesh grow out of Eren.

  She was shaken out of her shock when Eren pulled a move she hadn’t seen coming.

  He shot a punch at the Speardrift that destroyed his hand. The giant carriage fell over on its side. As steam from his shattered flesh and dust from the Juggernaut’s fall dissipated, a bloody scene was revealed from Eren’s strike.

  Mikasa didn’t even know Captain Bex. She still distrusted the Empire, but she knew any observer around the scene would see this as a completely unprovoked attack from Eren against one of the Empire’s own. An attack disabling one of the Empire’s enormous war machines, no less.

  “Hold your fire,” Chainly said to Fox, and likely on his helmet comlink. “Do not attack Yeager. Wait. Fox, ready your blade to cut Yeager out again, just in case.”

  Mikasa couldn’t trust them. She couldn’t hesitate. Not again.

  She swept her leg to trip Fox, sending him tumbling down the incline of the roof before he caught himself. In the same motion, Mikasa shot a burst of gas directly at Chainly. While he was disoriented, Mikasa let out another burst to fling her directly to Eren. Moving like this, she was faster than any of the troopers, so she should be able to cut Eren free and pull him out of his Titan’s nape with ease.

  She was forced to change tactics when Eren threw a punch at her.

  A last-minute slight change in her trajectory let the fist just miss her. Eren’s jab did slide across the side of the boulder, sending stone fragments flying. Some hit Mikasa in the face, but none hit her eyes. She stayed conscious and shot herself to another roof to get her bearings. Eren really wasn’t thinking straight now.

  Someone grabbed her, covering his arms over her torso. Mikasa acted instinctively and knocked her head backwards, hitting the chin of her attacker. She was going to stomp his feet and elbow his sides when more people crowded her.

  Mina and Armin pushed her down. Sunber was keeping Mikasa in a hold from behind.

  “They said they weren’t going to shoot Eren!” Armin shouted. “What are you doing?”

  “We can’t trust them!” Mikasa yelled back. She hesitated in how much she should resist. The combined weight of her friends and Sunber could pin her if they adjusted where they were applying pressure in their mess of limbs. She could surprise Sunber with her hidden strength which people often failed to see behind her deceptively small size, but Mikasa didn’t want to hurt Armin or Mina, or accidentally shove them off the building. “They don’t want to help us. They only want to use Eren–”

  “We need to use Eren,” said Armin, for once being too short-sighted.

  “We’re in the dark on how exactly your friend’s Titan powers work,” barked Sunber, “just as much as you are.”

  Mikasa didn’t have time for this. She lifted her feet and swiftly brought them down, pushing her entire body against Sunber’s. Mina and Armin were pulled with them as Sunber landed on his back on the other side of the roof, Mikasa’s push knocking the wind out of the Imperial.

  “Don’t hurt him!” Mina screamed.

  “Please don’t hurt her,” Armin begged Sunber.

  Mikasa forced herself to freeze when she felt the muzzle of his blaster pistol press against her back.

  “You don’t trust us,” Sunber wheezed. “I get it. At least trust you don’t know if my blaster is set on stun or not.”

  Mikasa wasn’t done yet. She can angle her ODM gear to throw off his aim, even at this distance. Her speed should be good enough so she would be only grazed by Sunber’s blaster. She already felt some blood trickling down her face from the collateral of Eren’s punch. One more injury wouldn’t stop her.

  She paused her plans when Eren, still in Titan form, let out a deafening screech.

  The raw passion and anger in that scream reminded Mikasa that, yes, Eren was a Titan. No other person she’s met had that same uncontrollable fury.

  And even with that incredible power now in Eren’s possession, Mikasa was going to do everything in her power to keep him safe.

  Eren was… dreaming.

  No, not dreaming. Dreams don’t have hits of pain like he was feeling. Physical pain, caused by Eren biting into his hand.

  He was remembering.

  Eren, behave while I’m gone, and I’ll let you in on what I’ve been doing in the cellar.

  His dad, Grisha Yeager. The last words spoken by him to Eren, before Wall Maria fell. Before everything changed forever.

  Except… those weren’t dad’s last words, were they?

  Listen to me. It is vital you keep this key on you at all times.

  The key to their cellar. Dad had held it up, knowing Eren was immensely curious about the work he did on the other side of that door, before Dad left for his next appointment in the Interior. Now, Eren remembered he had seen the key again, later… from Dad…

  “I must return to the cellar.” Never forget this mantra.

  When was this? It had to be after the Wall fell, when Eren and his friends were taking shelter as refugees, but they had been in the care of Armin’s grandfather until his death. Eren’s dad had been nowhere to be found, presumed dead during the chaos of the Titan attack.

  I wish there was more time to explain all this. Time will become as precious to you as the people in your life. Eren, you must use your abilities to reclaim Wall Maria and get to the cellar. The world – Your world depends on it.

  Eren struggled to retrace every step of his memories five years ago. After… After mom… Dad had the key before he left, so these memories must be after the fall when Dad gave Eren the key. Why couldn’t Eren remember that until now?

  It will hurt. Every step of the way, you will find pain and misery. I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry, but I know what I’m doing is for the best. There is no other option.

  There were tears running down dad’s face… Eren felt something pulling at his own face, tugging at his eyes and pressing against his cheeks. He tried moving his body and found resistance. It was like strands of rope were tied around his limbs, holding him down.

  Let their memories act as your guide.

  Eren saw his father holding a syringe. Panic filled Eren, sending him on a frenzy to fight against his invisible restraints. He was able to wrench an arm free. He felt his fist strike something. His scream was half in pain and half in victory, jerking his other arm in another swing. Something sliced up his skin on this arm, but again, he was freed.

  This will also awaken your other gifts. As much as I regret not making progress on that front, you will still need to find a teacher. Your mother… God, Carla… Please, forgive me. Forgive our boy…

  Eren’s vision became clearer… The voice of his father was still there, but Eren only saw the Dark Lord with his red blade standing over him.

  One day, the truth will come out. I swear to you, Eren. You will endure. You will survive. You must brave this arduous journey if anyone else will have the chance to do the same.

  Truth – The Dark Lord had spoken undeniable truths about Eren’s life, of his need to be free of the Walls, to obliterate the Titans. In return, Eren had somehow learned truths about Vader before he had introduced himself to Commander Pyxis. Eren had known his title of lord, his name Darth Vader, and that there was a power running through his veins outside of his brilliant sword or the technologies of the Empire.

  Mikasa, Armin – everyone’s lives hinge on you controlling your power!

  As a soldier of the Walls, Eren should have been more forthcoming to his commanding officers about his… inexplicable knowledge on the Empire. His head had been too murky, coming to terms with everyone saying he was a Titan.

  And that was what Eren was now. He had shifted into a Titan. He had the power to expunge the Titans from the entire world and live free.

  The cellar will have answers. Dad’s secrets, Eren’s Titan form, his other unexplainable abilities – Eren will cure his ignorance and seize the freedom to the world that was his birthright.

  You must save Skywalker! Save him, and he will save you!

  Eren finally remembered. As a Titan, he had to save Trost, by lifting this boulder, and sealing the gate.

  He was going to kill all the Titans, and save the world.

  Eren followed his instincts and let out a bellowing roar.