Chapter Text
Armin Arlet
The monster inside of Armin Arlet was quiet outside the walls.
It didn’t go away, not completely. But the boy, just over 16, found the monster manageable among the endless green and yellow fields. That demon, the one with the power to level cities and end lives, the one that disrupted life as he knew it 6 years ago, nestled into a forgotten nook in Armin’s mind, overshadowed by perhaps the one thing that manifested itself stronger in his mind.
Exploring the world outside the walls.
The regions beyond Wall Maria held a world teeming with adventure and exploration. Just over a year after the recapture of Shiganshina and subsequently Wall Maria, Commander Hanji had finally ordered the Scouting Legion to rid the island of titans once and for all. The scouts jumped at the opportunity to claim and explore so much new territory, territory that hadn’t been seen by human eye since before the fall, but no one loved it more than Armin Arlet.
The boy who had spent his childhood dreaming about seeing the ocean was living in pure bliss.
He closed his eyes, breathing in a long, satisfying breath of hot summer air. Dressed in his standard Scouting Legion uniform, he felt a bead of sweat trickle down his spine. A small sweetness on the breeze carried him away into an imaginative moment where he was just Armin. The boy explorer. He could fly, up to the clouds. He could shape them, draw a face in them, and even hold armfuls of the puffy white stuff in his bare hands.
Pure bliss.
“Hey Armin–”
Well, mostly pure bliss.
“Armin!” Connie called again from atop a nearby hill. “Stop daydreaming and come look at this.”
Armin blinked open his eyes, taking in the wilderness of weeds and wildflowers around him. A small hill rose up in front of him with Connie waving to him at the top.
He let himself smile, then urged his horse on and rode up next to Connie.
“What is it?” He asked, squinting out at the long valley stretched out before him. A burst of mountains rose up a few kilometers to his right.
“There.” Connie pointed at the range. “Off to the right. Do you see that snow covered peak and the forest?”
“Yeah.”
“Do you see that huge mountain? That one covered in trees?”
Armin nodded slowly, flicking his eyes to meet Connie’s gaze.
“It’s rather a mystery.” Connie smiled, mischief glinting in his eye.
Armin groaned to himself. Not this again. This was the third time he’d tried to convince Armin that some ruin or old landmark was actually haunted. First had been the old stone wall ‘ – rumored to have held back the colossal titan and all his horror. Err–uh not that you’re horrible Armin. You’re just a little guy like me. Even more like me since you got that haircut! But anyways, some people say you can still hear the massive footsteps stomping around at night. Boom! Boom! Boom!’
Then had been the odd clustering of trees near the outskirts of Quintus. Connie adamantly told Armin an older gentleman, crazed and alone, had ventured off outside the walls on his own. Reports stated he died near the walls, but no one was able to find the body when they looked. Instead, they just found an odd cluster of young trees, looking like they had been freshly planted.
Judging by the smirk on his lips, Armin guessed Connie was about to spin up another elaborate tale, just as questionable as the last.
“I can’t wait to hear about it.” He said halfheartedly to his friend. Connie grinned in return, no doubt readying himself to add another chapter to the long forgotten lore of Paradis Island.
As annoying as it was, Armin had to smile. After all, wasn’t this the reason Armin had requested to be assigned out with Connie? To have someone who wouldn’t get bored of Armin’s insistence to explore even though they were a day or two past their return date?
Hiding his smirk, Armin procured his sketched out map from his bag, opening it for him and Connie to see.
“What range is this?” He wondered out loud, gazing at the map. He followed their path which trailed slowly away from the walls in big sweeping arcs. Double checking that they were in the correct area, Armin noted that another day or two and they would be about finished up. That was good, since they only had supplies for three more days. He silently thanked Commander Hanji and Jean for sketching out so many copies of the regions outside the walls. Without the map it would take them far too long to get back to the walls. Armin possessed a decent sense of direction, but without this map, they would be effectively lost.
“The Scout Trap Mountains.” Connie replied matter of fact-ly.
Armin shot him a flat look, one eyebrow raised.
“Excuse me?”
“Swear to god,” Connie held up a hand, closing his eyes for emphasis. “At least, that’s what the old maps back at HQ called it. The old Scouts used to survey out here so they must have charted it.”
His eyes flicked to Armin’s, meeting his gaze with a mischievous look. “I’ve heard there’s some superstition about it.”
“Naturally.” Armin sniffed.
Connie pulled a spyglass out of his pack, squinting into it.
“Stupid name though, isn’t it?” He asked. “Scout Trap? I mean, it doesn’t leave much to the imagination. Famine Peak would be better if you asked me. That or The Devastator.”
“It’s not labeled on my map.” Armin chimed in. “But what about Death Mountain?”
“Nah,” Connie dismissed. “That’s stupid.”
Armin smiled again, putting his map away and pulling out his own spyglass. The mountains rose ahead like jagged crystals topped with streaks of stubborn snow. The forests surrounded the bases like a carpet. Tall green pines reached towards the sun shining brightly on them, their branches so thick that the spyglass couldn’t penetrate into them.
“Damn,” Connie whistled in amazement. “That’s the fourth cursed area we’ve come across in this region. You don’t think the other scouts were too afraid to venture out here, do you?”
“Considering that none of the areas have actually been cursed , I doubt it.” Armin concluded, retracting his glass. “I can’t see anything.”
“Neither can I.” Connie looked ridiculous with one eye hyper fixed on the glass and the other shut immensely tight. “And you have much better eyes than me.”
Armin chuckled. “I suppose we’ll have to check that area for titans. We can conclude for ourselves if it’s got a reason to be feared.”
“Race you there?” Connie grinned.
Armin glanced down the hill at the kilometers between them and the edge of forests ahead.
“Deal.” Armin grinned.
________________________
Armin gasped, urging his horse to go faster.
Hooves pounded. Thunderspears, sleeping gear, and bags of food jostled and clanked around. Sweat dripped down his back and face, plastering his short bangs to his forehead.
“Come on!” Connie whooped just behind him. “Go faster girl!”
Both their horses let out tremendous hoofs, panting from the exertion. The two raced forward, reckless, free, and childlike. Armin held his breath, charging forward.
Just another meter or so…
Yes!
“Ha ha!” He shouted, rearing his horse in as he crossed under a thick canopy and into the forest line. Shadows enveloped him as the summer air took on a cool tone.
Connie followed suit a moment later, panting as he and his horse came to a halt just steps from Armin.
“Good…job…” His friend heaved. “I thought I had you…until that random stump.”
Armin laughed, catching his own breath.
“We can hold a rematch tomorrow perhaps.” He turned to look in at the forest, the deep penetrating green hitting him with a sudden sense of foreboding.
They should be more careful, but neither Armin nor Connie had seen a titan in days. The extermination protocol, ordered by Commander Hanji two weeks ago, was running exceptionally. The scouts had been divided to cover various portions of the island to scour for any remaining titans. Since the scouts had claimed the port on the south side of the island, they hypothesized that whoever was sending titans in the first place would be stopped before they could infest the island again.
It was a striking thought. No more titans. Sometimes Armin couldn’t believe it would be a reality within a few weeks.
Well , a dark thought at the back of his mind surfaced, there’s still a few titans walking around in normal human bodies . He grimaced at the notion.
Connie and Armin had been assigned a chunk of the island to the northeast of Wall Maria. They were a day’s ride from the nearest district, the city of Quintus, at any given time, but Armin loved being away from civilization. He treated the extended camping and searching like a much needed vacation.
His eyes scanned the treeline, that sense of unease sliding away like ice melting in the summer. He slung his water flask up, took a huge drink, and sighed.
The sun shone overhead, blocked only by the emerald tones of the leaves above him. Crisp, sweet smells filled his nostrils as they stood at the edge of the forest. Maybe Armin would bring Eren and Mikasa back to this spot. Past scouts may have feared the area, but Armin felt alive at the prospect of discovering its secrets.
And besides that, this beat training with the Colossal any day.
Armin frowned at the thought. Maybe that was the real reason why he loved being away from everything so much. Sure the scenery was gorgeous, the landscapes seemingly endless, and the sense of adventure was practically bursting from him, but being away from strict training protocols and forced transformations? That was world changing.
Connie rummaged in his pack for a moment before pulling out a few sticks of dried jerky. He tossed one to Armin who caught it. He gave a quick thanks, thoughts distracted by the Colossal.
Training with his personal demon had been shaky at best. Armin’s first transformation on a training exercise almost six months ago had gone very poorly. He had destroyed part of the wall outside of Shiganshina, terrifying a large portion of people who came to investigate the damage afterwards. His second transformation had gone possibly worse with Captain Levi taking a brunt of injuries when Armin had lost control and needed to be cut out of the monstrosity. Nearly killing Captain Levi was enough to make Armin despise the Colossal almost as much as he had that day when Bertolt had first peeked up over the wall.
He hadn’t tried transforming again since. After all, who in their right mind would free an uncontrollable monster? Even if that monster hid under the guise of his own face.
“Look.” Connie pointed, peering into the dense foliage before them. “There’s almost a trail.”
Armin pulled his gaze away from the endless grassy landscapes back to the forest. Peering into the depths, he saw a lighter patch of dirt exposed under the canopy of leaves and branches. Rocky terrain broke up the continuity of it, but Armin looked further until it seemed to bend into the underbrush and disappear.
“It’s heading right toward Scout Trap Mountain.” Connie said in a voice full of bravado. “ What say ye great explorer Armin? Shall we take a gander and discover the secrets before us for ourselves ?”
Armin chuckled at Connie’s impression. “Who are you pretending to be?”
“A great explorer.” Connie reasoned, rolling his eyes. “Obviously.”
“Obviously.” Armin agreed. “How long do you think it would take us to ride to the base of that mountain?”
“Hmm,” Connie thought for a moment. “Maybe fifteen minutes?”
“Then let’s go!” Armin picked up his reins. His heart picked up its pace, eagerly anticipating the quest ahead of them.
The two set off on an easy trot, equipment lightly clanking. Soft dirt gave way under the hoofs of their horses as they followed the “trail” through the curve of the landscape. It bent and twisted around trees and boulders, never exposing more than the hints of resembling an actual path. At times, a bush or boulder obscured their path forward, but they deviated until they were back on course, the pointed peak of the Scout Trap Mountain showing through the trees ahead of them every now and again.
“Do you think there’s really something dangerous up there?” Connie speculated after a while. He and Armin rode single file through the overgrown brush with Armin in front. The towering trees leaned in towards them, framing the path like vines running up the side of a building.
Armin thought for a moment, glancing ahead at the looming mountain.
“I can’t think of anything besides a titan that would be much of a threat.” He responded back after a moment.
“I can…” Connie trailed off.
“What do you mean?” Armin turned, raising an eyebrow at him.
“Didn’t you ever hear stories about people who lived outside the walls?”
“Yeah,” Armin agreed with some reluctance. “But they’re just stories. No one could have survived out here realistically.”
Connie shrugged but didn’t look convinced.
“I mean think about it.” Armin continued. “They would have to be able to protect themselves from titans. Even if they could do that, and that’s a big if, they’d have to grow their own food, build their own shelter, and so many other things.”
Connie met his eyes, one eyebrow raised.
“I’m just saying. It’s a possibility.”
“A slim one.” Armin argued, turning back. “Come on.”
As they foraged deeper and deeper into the woods, they struck up a few more small conversations, but those eventually faded out. Armin knew it was only mid-day, and yet, the thick foliage above made the touch of the sun feel distant and cold. The sweat on his back dried, leaving him feeling sticky.
The odds of a titan living here shrank by the minute. The huge lumbering monsters would have a hell of a time trying to squeeze through the tight gaps and thick growing bushes. Despite that reassuring thought, Armin felt himself glancing around them more often.
But surely he was just being paranoid, right? There was nothing here. Connie’s stories were just that. Stories about fictional people who weren’t real.
Still, now that the thought was planted in his head, he couldn’t escape the feeling that somewhere, deep within the endless rows of trees and wildlife around them, someone watched them through intelligent eyes.
“Armin–” Connie suddenly spoke up, breaking the near silence around them.
Armin looked back at his friend, pausing. They were near the base of the mountain now. The ground around them began gradually sloping upwards.
“Don’t laugh,” Connie said, glancing around quickly. “But I swear I just heard something.”
Armin shot him a side glance then scanned their surroundings. “What did it sound like?”
“I don’t know…a crack or something moving over that way?” Connie pointed.
Armin didn’t like the way his heart rate spiked as he squinted into the distance. He listened hard . Distantly, maybe, he heard leaves rustling as a light breeze whistled through the trunks nearby. Was that–no. He was just imagining things.
“It’s probably nothing.” He announced, meeting Connie’s eyes. “We’re just thinking about something being out here so our brains are looking for evidence of it. There’s nothing here.”
“Maybe…” Connie trailed off. “Or maybe we should skip this area and come back with more scouts.”
Armin pondered the thought. It wasn’t a bad idea. But it might be more trouble than it was worth.
“Where is the next area in our region?” He asked, pulling out his map.
Connie trotted up, and the two of them once again examined the charted course. Armin followed the markings, noting that they had covered remarkable ground in the last few days leaving only three regions remaining. Two more far to the north of the Scout Trap Mountains and then the mountains themselves. But his stomach sank at a sudden realization.
“Damn it,” Connie cursed, realizing the same thing. “We have to go through here to get to the last zones anyways.”
“Then let’s just pass through and come back later, like you said.” Armin folded the map and tucked it in his pocket instead of his satchel for easier access. “Maybe we can convince Commander Hanji and Captain Levi to accompany us–”
SHREEEEAAAAKKKKKKK
A chilling scream cut through the stillness, carried on the breeze like a ghost from a children’s story. Armin froze, goosebumps running up his spine. The scream, distant yet piercing, ended a moment later leaving an eerie silence in its wake. It seemed to come from the very heart of the mountain peak before them.
Connie met his eyes.
“Was–was that an animal?” He whispered, eyes wide with terror.
“If it was,” Armin whispered hesitantly. “It’s not one I’ve ever heard before.”
The two listened, frozen in place for a moment as the silence descended on them heavier and heavier.
“I think we should go.” Connie spoke quietly at last. “No one comes to this region anyways. We can just say we ran out of supplies and come back later.”
Armin nodded. “Okay, let’s get out of here.”
He kicked at his horse and spurred him on with his reins. Within a moment, both Connie and Armin were blurs of motion, racing back the way they came with Connie now leading the two of them.
Armin glanced back the way they’d come, feeling a chill run up his spine. What had caused that scream? Had he imagined it? But no. Connie had heard it too. Something nagged at his mind, begging him to stop and hide.
Nothing but deep greens and dark shadows met his gaze. He shook his head. This wasn’t real. Nothing was behind them. He wasn’t nine years old. He was a monster–or no–he was a soldier. He could fight his way out of this forest if necessary. There was nothing in that deep darkness, waiting to reach out and grab at his exposed back.
“Get over it.” He muttered to himself. “You are the most terrifying thing in this forest anyways.”
He turned back towards Connie and the forest ahead.
As he turned, his map jostled free from his pocket and floated behind him into the air. He lunged for it, a short, hoarse cry escaping his lips as he realized he had reached too far and had lost his balance. The cry was cut off short as he toppled from his horse and crashed into the soft dirt below.
Armin landed shoulder-first, then rolled. His horse continued to trot ahead of him, but slowed to a confused trot.
He groaned, grasping his shoulder and pushing himself to his knees. He felt that spark of electric energy burst within him. The new pain from his shoulder…it was enough. He could transform. But–NO! He didn’t want to.
“Hey—Connie!” He called, grunting as his shoulder protested against him. “Connie!”
Connie turned back, seeing him kneeling there in the leaves. He stopped, his horse neighing loudly.
“Armin what are you doing?” He shouted back. “Come on!”
Armin struggled to his feet, still grasping his shoulder. It would be a pain to ride back to base like this, but it didn't feel like more than a sprain. And with his accelerated healing abilities, it might be gone by the time they arrived.
“Hang on,” He called back, scanning the leafy ground. “I dropped the map!”
Connie reared his horse to a stop, nervously glancing around him. Armin toed around through the dirt and grime, looking for the map. Finally, he spotted it on a nearby rock.
Armin’s horse gave a sudden low, quivering whinny, its nostrils flaring as it snorted in unease. Armin glanced back, jumping as he swore he saw something dark flash among the trees past the horse.
Heart thudding and sucking in the sickly humid summer air, Armin snatched the map and jumped back on his horse. His shoulder flared in pain as he did, igniting the colossal’s attention again.
“Connie go!” He called, ignoring it all. “I just saw something!”
Armin’s world spun as his horse surged forward, propelled by adrenaline and fear. Hooves pounded the forest floor, each beat echoing his pounding heart. He stole a glance over his shoulder, eyes widening with terror.
There it was again—a flicker of movement, a shadow darting between the trees. Armin's grip on the reins tightened, his mind racing. The forest, once vibrant and inviting, now felt like a labyrinth of danger.
“Faster, Connie!” Armin urged, his voice strained. The urgency in his tone spurred Connie into a flurry of motion ahead. The wind whipped past Armin, and his breaths came in ragged gasps as they sped through the woods, desperately trying to outrun an unseen foe.
Suddenly, without warning, the ground beneath Armin’s horse gave way. A deafening crack split the air and Armin’s stomach lurched as he and his horse toppled in the air. Armin’s horse let out a terrified scream, and Armin was thrown from the saddle, crashing into a wall of dirt before landing hard maybe four meters down.
Dazed, it took him far too long to register that someone was screaming his name above him.
“Armin! Oh my god, Armin, are you okay?”
“...Connie..?” He mumbled, frowning. His head felt like it was full of sticky pine sap…dripping in one ear and out the other. And why did his arm feel so numb?
“Armin!” The call came again from above.
Armin blinked dirt and dust out of his eyes, peering upwards. Connie stood at the top of the dirt pit, looking down on Armin with terror written across his face. Suddenly, Armin remembered that thing.
“Connie–” He cried out, choking on dirt. “You need to get out of here, I saw someone in the forest!”
“I’m not leaving without you.” Connie yelled back. “Use your gear! Get up here!”
Armin fumbled with the handles of his ODM gear, then, with a pained cry, found his right arm unable to move. That colossal spark of energy coursed through him again. Transform, transform, unleash it–
“I think my arm is broken.” He grunted.
Connie cursed above him. Armin glanced around, looking for a way out. To his dismay, he beheld his horse, struggling and kicking at the base of the pit. He lay on his side, unable to pick himself up. One of his legs was clearly broken, and he whinnied in pain.
“No, no, no.” Armin whispered.
“I’m coming down to get you.” Connie called. “Hang on–”
BANG
Connie was cut short by another noise, a booming, staccato. A pistol shot. It sounded just above the pit.
“CONNIE!” Armin screamed.
He waited with bated breath, cursing every millisecond that Connie failed to answer. Then he heard a pained grunt from his friend, and the unmistakable sound of someone crashing to the ground.
“NO!” He screamed again. “CONNIE ANSWER ME!”
Armin struggled to his feet, scanning the opening of the pit above him. He screamed out, over and over. No one answered him.
Just as he thought he might be going crazy from pain and fear, the dark figure finally appeared in full at the top of the pit. Armin’s heart nearly stopped at the sight.
Tall, and clad in a dark jacket and pants, the looming figure had a dark cloth tied around his face, obscuring his nose and mouth. His eyes, cold and intelligent, and a piercing blue peered out from under a brimmed cap. He carried a pistol in one hand, and a smaller round object in the other.
Armin had the ridiculous image flash through his mind of a spider, coldly looking down at a fly caught in its net. He beheld Armin with calculating eyes, glancing up every few seconds.
“Where are the titans?” He asked calmly, voice muffled behind the cloth.
Armin swallowed, his brain encountering a brick wall. Who was this man?
The man sighed, taking a seat at the edge of the pit. He let his boots dangle below him, a standard stock of military boots .
“I know you speak the same language as me. Are you mute?”
He looked expectantly at Armin.
“N–no.” Armin gulped. “Please help Connie–is he dead?”
The man glanced up again.
“He doesn’t look dead to me.” He paused, sighing and fixing his gaze back on Armin. “I’ll help your friend if you answer me this, where are the titans and are there more of you nearby?”
Armin trembled, considering his reply. He could lie and say there were more Scouts within minutes, but that bluff would pay off poorly if Connie had been shot and was bleeding out above him. There weren’t any Scouts for kilometers.
“We killed most of the titans.” He responded slowly. “But it’s just Connie and I here. The others are further away.”
The man considered his answer for a moment, then stood. Armin watched, heart thudding painfully, arm throbbing. His horse continued to whine in pain.
“Thanks kid.” The man spoke in a light tone as if Armin were a crying child in need of consolation. He uncapped the round object in his hand. “Don't worry about a thing. This will soon be behind us and we'll be off on a grand adventure.”
With that, the man dropped the object into the pit and walked away.
Armin gasped, watching the object plummet and crash into the ground by his horse. The object, a small bottle, shattered upon impact and a plumbing cloud of hazy smoke began filling the pit. Armin coughed against it, stumbling towards it as if to cover it in dirt. He made it only two steps before collapsing to his knees, unable to breath.
He gasped, vision going hazy in the smoke. His head spun, his thoughts jumbled.
The last thing he saw before everything went black was the twinkling light of the sun trying to shine through the forest above him.