People always blindly trust their luck.
Though, strictly speaking, Rein wasn't exactly "people" anymore.
The Survey Corps lived up to their rep as the toughest outfit. Two waves—about five Titans—got sliced up like amateurs, clean and smooth in one go.
But Titans are Titans. The squad paid with two lives to take them down.
Five Titan buddies' sacrifices bought Rein his breathing room.
His hundred-meter sprint stretched into a kilometer slog.
"How's this damn forest so long? Still no end?" He eyed the thick trees ahead, grumbling inside.
Then, something clicked—familiar vibes up ahead.
Wait a sec—
"Isn't this my home turf?"
After all that twisting, he'd circled back to his own nest.
He double-checked his surroundings—no mistake.
"Heh…" A nasty idea crept up. "Don't blame me for playing dirty!"
Near his straw nest, at least ten Titans hung out, packed tight!
That kind of crew could save his skin—and maybe even turn the tables!
Rein's mouth twisted into a smirk. He locked onto his death trap and bolted full throttle.
Behind him, the Survey Corps' resolve started to waver.
"Captain, we're low on gas. Keep chasing?"
"Aren't we too deep? We've never scouted this far."
But the captain wouldn't budge. "That Titan's a game-changer for wall Titan research. Miss it now, and we might never get another shot. Push harder—aim for high branches, don't give it an opening."
"Yes, sir!!!"
The captain rallied them, and the squad pressed on.
This weird-acting Titan pulled them in like a goldmine.
Titans were brainless—pure instinct, eating machines. Even the quick Abnormal ones were just dumb brutes with fast legs.
But this one? Different. Very different.
Like spotting a pig in a pen one day, pouring slop into its own mouth.
That's called—the dawn of smarts.
A world-shaking event.
Catch it, study it inside the walls, and everything they knew about Titans would flip.
Rein, running for his life, had no clue he was that big a deal. Too weak still, all he could think was run.
This path he knew cold—dodged it plenty. His nimble frame weaved left and right, and soon he hit straw-nest territory.
Three or four Titans turned, eyeing him puzzled.
"Bros! I'm back!"
Eighty-two days in, this was his happiest homecoming yet! His drained body screeched to a halt. No more running.
Not just that—he spun around, facing the Wings of Freedom head-on.
What the Survey Corps' twenty-man squad saw next was the most chilling sight in years.
One Titan smirked coldly at them, three or four others lined up in front.
A taunting grin.
The charging Wings of Freedom slammed the brakes—too late. Human scent hit the mindless Titans' noses.
"Scatter!"
The captain shouted. Green blurs split apart as the four Titans lumbered forward.
"Team Two, engage! Team One, flank!"
"Got it!"
The squad split—half clashed with the Titans upfront, the rest swung wide, still aiming for Rein.
"Lunatics! You're begging to die!" Rein spat curses, but all that came out was garbled beast roars.
Seeing they wouldn't quit, he wagged a finger and backed off more.
"Captain, am I seeing things?"
"It's taunting us!"
"Watch for tricks!" the captain barked. "Stay twenty meters off the ground!"
"Yes, sir!"
The green swarm zipped forward, closing in on Rein.
Barely a hundred meters in, the freedom-chasing Wings of Freedom froze mid-flight.
Everyone stopped dead.
They'd kicked a hornet's nest.
It wasn't just three or four Titans anymore—it was a dozen, clustered tight.
Death's vibe seeped into their pores.
"Ahh!!!"
A gut-wrenching scream ripped through from behind—perfectly timed.
A cry of despair, the kind squeezed from the throat's depths only at death's door.
Someone back there was down! Terror hung heavy, a black cloud smothering the cold forest.
"Fall back!" The captain finally saw reason, ditching the dream.
The signal guy fired off his gun.
Orange smoke snaked upward.
Pop!
Full retreat kicked in.
A minute ago, they were Titan hunters. Now, the tables flipped—they were the hunted.
That's the crushing weight of Titans.
Rein watched the green streaks scatter like spooked birds, vanishing from sight.
His great escape was over.
His pounding heart finally settled.
The moment it did, his legs gave out, and he flopped to the ground.
"Huff, huff, huff…"
No clue if Titans had hearts, but his chest thumped like crazy.
Safe at last, he dragged his 10-meter frame back near his straw nest.
The long-haired Titan who always spaced out was gone. The dog-like Abnormal too—probably off chasing the Survey Corps.
Things had been chaos—too blurry to track.
He didn't care anymore. Right now, he just wanted to crash in his straw pile and rest.
"Sigh…" he thought. "Plan's toast again."
Two days of high-stakes action proved this task was no joke.
In his head, that mission still hovered, blinking.
"Next time, different gate?" he mused. "Gotta prep more—another run like this, and luck might not hold."
Eyes shut, resting, Rein's mind replayed the day. Any wall weaknesses left? Plan tweaks?
It spun and spun—then, snap! He jolted upright, leaping off the ground.
"Damn it! I blew it big!"
He groaned, kicking himself hard.
What'd the Survey Corps say when they came for him?
Take it alive!
If Rein had just surrendered, he'd be tied up and hauled inside the walls by now.
Inside the walls—Wall Maria, right?
Task done! Hell! He'd missed a gimme!