Chapter 18: Return to Calaneth District

After the surprising revelation of Michael possessing his own unique Titan power, the Scouts were left torn on how to proceed from this point onwards.

The reveal of certain people having that power, and Eren possessing it was bad enough. But now that they know that the adopted son of Erwin Smith possess a power greater than Eren’s, they fear how the Military Police will react. After the mission once again yielded no results, they’ll be forced to hand over Eren and Michael to the MP’s for execution.

Erwin continued to sit with his son and comfort him over the traumatic experiences of his own actions as the Crystal Titan.

Looking back on it, Michael was terrified of the amount of power he possessed. He wasn’t even in control at the time. His Titan body was under the control of that mysterious old man that appeared in his mind, whilst he was being consumed by his desire for vengeance against the Female and Winged Titans, which almost resulted in Eren’s death.

Everyone else were still trying to adjust to Michaels Titan powers. All of them whispering to each other about their thoughts on the subject.

Some began to question his loyalty as they did Erens. Some were pissed that he’d kept such a power secret from everyone. But most believed him when he said he was unaware he had this power to begin with.

Armin recollected on Eren’s first transformation and compared it with Michael’s. Based on what Eren told him, he confirmed that like Eren, Michael wasn’t in control upon first transforming and was only acting on instinct and desire.

Eren wanted to kill the Titans, whilst Michael wanted to kill the Female Titan and save Eren.

“I don’t believe it.” Connie spoke first, drawing the attention of the other cadets. “First Eren, now we find out Michael is a Titan. What the hell is this?!”

“We’re all just as shocked as you are, shorty.” Ymir mocked him whilst patting his shaved head. “None of us could’ve ever predicted it. Can’t imagine what he was thinking, hiding a secret like that from us.”

“I don’t think he knew.” Sasha says in defence. “When Eren first transformed he was just as clueless as the rest of us. He had no idea of the concept of people turning into Titans. If he did know he would’ve told us. He’d never keep it to himself.”

The cadets all look amongst each other as they gave more thought to the situation.

“Mikasa.” Jean addressed the girl still clinging to Eren’s unconscious body after all this time. “You and Captain Levi were the only ones who actually saw Michaels Titan in action. What do you think? Were they that of someone who knew what they were doing, or were they that of someone who didn’t know?”

Mikasa thinks back to the Crystal Titan’s fight with the Female Titan and compares it to the first time she saw the Attack Titan fight the Titan that was about to kill her that day.

The way Michael was slashing away at the Female Titan carried the same determination and rage that Eren had when he assumed Titan form for the first time. He was driven by the built up anger of humanity against the Titans, whilst the Female Titan was more focused and experienced.

“I don’t think he was in control.” She slowly answered. “When I saw him fight, he attacked like a predator decimating its prey. He was too focused on killing the Female Titan, that he didn’t show us the slightest interest…. Yes. I do believe Michael was in the dark about his own power, just as Eren was. He is not our enemy.”

Some of the cadets felt at ease after hearing Mikasa’s explanation. She was not the type of person who’d lie about something like that. Though they knew little about her, they were well aware of the fact that Eren was all she thinks about. She rarely stands up for anyone else.

But if it weren’t for Michael, Eren would’ve been taken by the Female Titan. And had the Winged Titan not have stepped in when it did, he probably would’ve succeeded in killing her.

“She’s right.” Armin added. “I remember Michael telling me once that he has no memory of his life before being adopted by the commander. It might be possible that the memories of obtaining his Titan powers was taken from him by the enemy that sent the Winged, Female, Armoured and Colossal Titans… Maybe he escaped and lost his memories as a result.”

“Whatever the case. Michael being a Titan will cause even more panic and distrust amongst the MP’s should they find out. Not just for him, but probably for the commander too. There might be a chance he’ll be charged with treason. Or worse, Michael will be executed alongside Eren.”

Those last words caused Mikasa to react negatively in response. If she weren’t holding Eren right now, she’d probably punch something. So instead she settled for her usual death glare, making it obvious to Jean that now’s a good time to change the subject.

“I don’t care what anyone thinks.” Sasha interrupted the uncomfortable stare off. “Titan or not, Michaels still our friend. And even if some of you disagree, he’ll always be “my” friend! I refuse to believe a man so skilled at hunting and Titan killing could be a traitor. This is just a misunderstanding, nothing more!”

The others were impressed with Sasha’s statement. They never expected her to be the one to look past the Titan reveal and still view Michael as her friend and comrade in arms. This leaves them to wonder if there was something going on between them other than being on the same team during their last months of training.

“Wow Sasha, I never expected you to be the one to look past all this.” Connie addressed her. “I’m still having a hard time accepting it.”

“Makes sense why she’s the only one.” Ymir butted in and placed her hand atop Sasha’s head. “It looks like Potato Girl has a little crush on Michael.”

Sasha’s face quickly brightens red whilst wearing a heavily embarrassed expression. Despite Ymir holding her head in place, she manages to turn it around and face her, ready to spout out her words of denial.

“WHAT?! You- You’ve got it all wrong! I don’t have any feelings for Michael! He’s just a friend! And besides, he’s not my type! I like a man who can cook a good meal! Meat is and always will be my one true love!” She practically screamed at her.

“Oh you like meat, huh? Does that include Michaels-

Ymir suddenly gets bonked on the head by Christa, who had to jump just to reach her given their drastic height difference.

“I think she’s been embarrassed enough. And I didn’t like where this conversation was going… It’s very inappropriate.” She scolded her tall friend.

The others all stare in awe at Christa’s scolding of Ymir. They couldn’t help but feel amazed that she still gives off the appearance of being a goddess even when telling someone off.

Reiner usually would be staring at the girl he vowed would be his wife one day. But right now he and Bertolt were more focused on Michael who was being interrogated by Erwin, Levi and Hange. His Titan body was almost fully evaporated now, with only the crystallised skeleton remaining.

Both of them felt the presence of the Crystal Titan awakening for the first time the exact moment Lazarus and Annie did. None of them had ever seen or heard of a Titan that looked similar to Michaels.

Reiner briefly thinks back to his childhood. Specifically Lazarus’s second day at the academy as a Warrior Candidate. It was during Leonardo Waldenburg’s lecture on the Nine Titan powers. He remembered Lazarus interrupting the class and correcting the teacher of there actually being ten Titan powers instead of nine.

“There’s actually ten Titans, not nine… Miss Muller once told me a story about a Titan that had the power to construct anything out of pure crystal. But unlike the Warhammer Titan, it’s not limited to only constructing weapons. It could build castles, roads, bridges, even machinery out of crystal.”

“Ah. You speak of the legend behind the Crystal Titan.” Leonardo answered Lazarus. “Yes, I’ve heard this story times when I was your age. The story about a Titan that was born the same time as the founder Ymir’s Founding Titan. It tells of a Titan who’s body is completely covered in shining crystals, which it can use to build anything. And it can grant that power to other Titans, giving them the power to harden. A Titan that acted as the knight of Ymir Fritz, as well as the Holy Grail for the power of hardening as a whole.”

Back then Reiner didn’t think much of it and assumed Lazarus was being fed false hopes by his mentor Lucia. But seeing it before his eyes made him realise that Lucia wasn’t making it up. The Crystal Titan was real, and it had been dormant inside Michael all this time.

“The Crystal Titan… I never thought I’d actually see it with my own eyes. Everything Leonardo said about it was true.”

He turns to Bertolt who felt his eyes glancing at him. He was just as clueless as he was. With Lazarus and Annie gone, all they could do was stand and watch, wondering if this discovery may be a major problem for them.

“A Titan that powerful could be dangerous in the hands of the enemy.” Reiner thought to himself. “The only ones among us who might even have a chance against it are Lazarus… and Bertolt.”

“What do we do about this, Reiner?” Bertolt whispered in his left ear. “Nobody said anything about the Crystal Titan being real. It was supposed to be a myth.”

“Clearly it isn’t.” Reiner whispered back. “Michael may cause some problems for us in our mission. But this changes nothing… If Eren isn’t the Coordinate, then there’s a possibility that Michael is.”

After Michael finished explaining what happened, with Levi filling in the details from his own perspective, he starts describing his first proper encounter with the Winged Titan, leaving Hange with the most shocked expression of them all.

The crystal hardening covering the side of his face where his scars used to be have shattered and fallen off of his head, revealing his now fully healed face. It was as if it hadn’t been scarred at all. And his breathing was now stable so he no longer had a need for a rebreather.

“So you managed to get a good look at him?” Erwin addressed his son.

“Yeah. He was nothing like how I imagined. He was much uglier. He looked like a devil with those big wings, flaming breath and horned head.” Michael described.

“What?! It can breathe fire?!” Hange shockingly exclaimed.

“It’s true.” Levi backed him up. “The bastard set the part of the forest we were in on fire. None of us could get close to it.”

Michael then unknowingly puts a his hands together in a ball. The others were shocked to see a bright light emitting out from the gaps between his fingers. He then opens his hand and small crystal statue of the Winged Titan, based on his recent memories of it, materialised in the palm of his right hand.

Erwin and the others – especially Hange – were fascinated by Michael’s power to create and shape crystals with his mind.

Michaels eyes begin to focus on the statue he’d just conjured up. Finally realising what he’d just done, he drops it and shuffles back a bit.

“What the hell! When did I… do that?” Michael muttered to himself. “How did I even know I could do that?”

Hange snatches the statue and examines it from every direction, fascinated by its sculpture. Every detail was perfect. There wasn’t even so much as a single scratch or bump on it.

“Incredible. So this is the Winged Titan? Such an amazing specimen.”

“So you can use your powers without even summoning your Titan form?” Miche questioned. “You said you didn’t know anything about your Titan powers. But judging by your actions just now, I think you’re lying. You created that sculpture so easily, as if you’ve been doing stuff like that for years.”

Erwin didn’t want to admit it, but Miche had a point. He does believe Michael when he claimed he had no knowledge of his Titan powers, yet he can’t understand how he was able to use it’s powers so easily. Eren lost control of his power during the mission to retake Trost, and after that he had to go through intense training to get some mastery over it.

So how could Michael use his powers so easily as if its second nature?

“Dad I swear to you I’m telling the truth. I-I can’t explain it. But I feel like ever since this power awakened inside of me, I’ve been slowly receiving knowledge on how to properly use it. I don’t know how I made that statue. It’s like breathing or blinking. I just did it without thinking.”

“Sounds like bullshit to me.” Levi uttered.

“That’s enough, Levi.” Erwin silenced him. “Michael… What exactly happened that caused you to awaken this power? What were your thoughts in the moment?”

“Well…” Michael hesitantly began, trying to recall the events in proper detail. “I remember being impaled by a broken tree branch. My mask was broken and I struggled to breathe… Before I was about to die, I saw some mysterious figures standing all around me. One of them was an old man who claimed to know me. He offered me his hand and I accepted. It was then that this power awakened and manifested my own Titan body. But when I fought the Female Titan, I wasn’t in control. That old man was while I was just a spectator. Ever since that moment I’ve been slowly gaining knowledge on how to control it. It felt like I was recovering memories I had lost long ago.”

Erwin pays close attention to Michaels explanation, making sure he hears every single detail of this vital information.

He briefly thinks back to the day he first found Michael outside the walls during a Scout Expedition. Back then he had no memory of his life apart from his first name. With no family or knowledge of his own life, he felt it best to take him in and teach him all about life inside the walls.

Erwin started to wonder if the Crystal Titan powers and his missing memories are connected in some way. Was he too a victim of secret Titan experiments like Eren? Or was this something else?

Either way he knew sitting around theorising wasn’t helping anything. He stands up and helps Michael up onto his feet.

“Dad?” Michael hesitantly spoke up.

“You have nothing to worry about Michael. This doesn’t change the fact that you’re my son.” He reassures him, forcing a smile on Michael’s face. “However, I doubt we’ll ever find out the truth behind your powers here. My gut tells me the secret to you and Eren’s powers lie within the basement. All the more reason why we must get back to Shiganshina. The plan hasn’t changed.”

“But sir.” Miche interrupts. “Whether he knew or not, it doesn’t change the fact that the Scouts now have two soldiers that can turn into Titans. Should word of this get out-

“I know, Miche.” Erwin interrupted him in return. “This discovery is not only a problem for Michael, but for the Survey Corps as well. If the MP’s discover that we’ve been hiding this information from them, it could result in the disbandment of the Scout Regiment. If that happens, we’ll never learn the truth behind the Titans. And humanity will never be able to move forwards. We’ll be trapped in the past forever.”

“So what do you intend to do about it?” Levi asked him.

“I don’t want to do this to my son. But we have no choice but to tell them. However, I have a plan. Michaels Titan possesses a power unlike anything we’ve seen before. It’s even stronger than Eren’s Titan. It could prove to be a formidable opponent for the Winged Titan. Out of them all, he stands as humanity’s deadliest threat. If we can convince the higher ups that Michaels Titan is strong enough to beat it, then humanity will finally gain an advantage against the Titans… And what’s more.”

Erwin grabs the Winged Titan statue from Hange and presents it to them.

“This hardened power could be used to seal the holes in Wall Maria.” He turns to Hange. “Right Hange?”

“Right. From what I’ve gathered, this crystal substance doesn’t immediately evaporate like a Titan’s body normally would. In fact… it’s components are identical to the materials used to construct the walls.”

Everyone, including Michael, was shocked by this discovery. For many years it was left a mystery as to how the walls were constructed. Walls that size would take humans thousands of years to construct, even if they had the best tools and got everyone involved.

Some people would even go on to believe that the walls were created by gods, and the three walls were named after them. But people like that ended up joining Pastor Nick’s wall cultist group.

To this day nobody knows how it was done. The walls looked too perfect for it to be done by human hands. And the god theory was highly unlikely. Therefore it made sense to Michael that the walls were probably constructed by people who possessed the Crystal Titan, or Titans with similar power.

“It may be possible that Michael comes from a family that all possessed this Crystal Titan power, and it was used to construct the three walls. Though I can’t explain how Michael obtained this power or how he lost his memories.” Hange theorised.

“All these theories are giving me a headache.” Levi uttered in annoyance. “Maybe we should continue this discussion back home.”

“Levi’s right.” Erwin admitted to his followers. “It is time we declare this mission a failure and return to Calaneth District. As for Michael, nobody here will speak of what we discussed to anyone. Not until I say otherwise… Make sure the recruits understand this, Levi.”

Levi responds with a single nod and approaches the rest of the Scouts. Michael looks up at his father, as well as the Winged Titan statue. Then he turned his attention to the sky, expecting the actual Titan to be up there watching them.

“Where are you, Winged Titan?” He mentally asked himself rhetorically. “The next time we meet, will be your demise! I now have the power to make you pay. So enjoy your victory while it lasts. You may’ve won the battle… But your gonna lose the war!”.

After everyone within the Scouts managed to properly process the knowledge of Michaels Crystal Titan, they began to make their way back to Calaneth District.

Michael was riding alongside Erwin, Levi and Hange whilst Eren was resting in the cart behind them. Due to recent events, Erwin believed it be best that he take responsibility for his own son for the remainder of the the trip.

Deep down he knows that he’s not a threat to humanity, though he can’t say the same for the others.

He’s noticed the other Scouts giving Michael the occasional glances of resentment and fear. These glances also reflected upon him as well, as he could tell that many Scouts were beginning to ask questions, and even go so far as to question his leadership.

As difficult as it was, Erwin had faith in his son and his newly discovered power. He and Eren were the key to finally fighting back against the Titans. But most importantly, the truth of what lies beyond the walls may reside somewhere in his lost memories.

His goal from this moment on was to help Michael regain his memories and hopefully discover the truth behind everything. And if that didn’t work, then there was always Grisha’s cellar.

“Commander Erwin!” One of the Scouts up ahead called out, drawing his attention back to reality. “There’s smoke up ahead.”

Erwin and the others all look ahead. They all notice a fading purple smoke lingering in the air, implying that someone had fired an emergency signal.

“That’s the… right rank.” Hange uttered. “Someone survived!”

Michael quickly raises his head upon realising who it was who might’ve fired the signal.

“It’s Lazarus! He’s alive!”

“How can you possibly know that?” Levi asked.

“… I just know. It has to be him. He’s too skilled to be killed like that.” He immediate turns to Erwin. “Dad, we’ve got to-

“Don’t worry, son. We’ll rescue him… If he is still alive.” He then addresses Levi. “Levi, go with Michael and check out that smoke. Join up with us at Calaneth once you’re done.”

Levi nodded and guided his horse away from the group. Michael does the same, and the two of them head off in the direction of the purple smoke.

Upon entering the open plains, Michael was shocked at how many dead soldiers and horses littered the entire area. All of them had been wiped out by Titans. Amongst the corpses, the majority of them were horses, with only a few soldiers laying in pools of their own blood. Some of them were dismembered and crushed, whilst the majority of them were presumed eaten.

“Looks like the entire right wing was wiped out by Titans.” Levi stated as he scanned the area for whoever fired the smoke signal. “Whoever fired that smoke signal can’t be too far. Most likely they’re injured or were on the brink of death when they fired it.”

“Or they could still be alive.” Michael corrected him, refusing to believe Lazarus was dead. “He’s alive, I can feel it?”

“That another strange Titan power you have, or is it just a gut feeling?” Levi asked.

“It’s a gut feeling… You starting to have second thoughts about my loyalty like the others?” He hesitantly asked.

“It’s not exactly doubt.” Levi answered without looking in his direction. “It’s more like I’m trying to look past the whole thing and focus on how I see you. Had you intentionally been hiding this from me I would’ve grown to distrust you. But I believe you when you said you didn’t know by the look of confusion and fear in your eyes… If my squad were still alive they’d probably have had the same reaction to when Eren accidentally transformed to pick up his spoon.”

Upon saying that, Levi’s eyes lowered. The reminder of seeing his own squads bodies brutally destroyed by the Female Titan had really gotten to him, even though he’s very good at hiding his emotions from others.

But Michael could tell what he was thinking underneath that tough emotionless facial expression. Captain Levi was seen by everyone in the Survey Corps as a strong and fearless leader and the greatest Titan killer of them all. No soldier could match his skills, not even Lazarus.

“OVER HERE!”

Speak of the devil, Michael thought, as his face lit up with relief and joy when he spotted Lazarus in the distance waving his arms about, trying to get their attention.

“Lazarus! He IS alive!” Michael proudly announced to the captain.

“So he is.” Levi uttered under his breath.

The two of them lightly kick the sides of their horses to get them to pick up the pace as they quickly approach Lazarus.

Michael pulls on the reigns, ordering his horse to stop so that he could climb off and give his friend a big hug.

“Lazarus. Thank god you’re ok. When I heard the entire right wing was wiped out I thought you might not have made it. But here you are… I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“Michael!” Lazarus choked against Michaels newfound strength that he unlocked with his Titan powers. “Can’t… breathe! Crushing lungs!”

Michael quickly lets go upon realising he was squeezing too hard. Lazarus clutches his sides whilst letting out a few coughs.

Once Lazarus regained his composure and straightens out his uniform and hat, he looks over at Michael and Levi who was still sitting atop his horse.

“Boy am I glad to see you guys. I’m glad to know you answered my distress call… My whole squad was wiped out by a large group of Abnormals. I fought as hard as I could, but I couldn’t save them. I got separated from my horse during the chaos and was forced to walk towards where I saw the smoke signals.” He quickly fabricated to explain his absence opposed to where he actually was.

“So you saw it too then.” Michael slowly responded. “The Female Titan.”

“Female Titan? What are you talking about?” Lazarus asked, pretending not to know. It was only then that he just realised that Michael wasn’t wearing his rebreather mask. And on top of that, his scars had completely disappeared.

“Hold on, Michael… What happened to your face? It’s all healed. How did that-

“He’ll fill you in on the way. Right now we gotta rejoin the others before they make it back to Calaneth without us.” Levi interrupted, reminding them that they were pressed for time.

“Wait. My horse still hasn’t returned to me yet.” Lazarus pointed out.

Lazarus soon followed that up by using two fingers to let out a loud whistle, hoping his horse will hear it and return to him.

Levi however was too impatient to wait around and orders Michael to have Lazarus ride behind him on his horse.

Michael obeyed and shuffled forwards slightly, making room for Lazarus to get on behind him. Once he was safely onboard, the two of them race northeast in hopes of rejoining the Scouts.

They continue on for about ten minutes until they hear the sound of another horse neighing to the left of them. It was a black coated horse with a white mane, still equipped with a saddle and bag of supplys.

Lazarus instantly recognised it as his own horse, surprised to see that his whistles actually managed to reach it considering the distance between them when he first separated from it.

“Hey! There’s my horse over there!”

The horse closed the distance between them, allowing Lazarus to reach out and climb onto its back. He strokes its mane as a way of showing how grateful he was that it came back to him.

“Good to see you again, girl. For a minute there I thought you weren’t coming.”

With that little exchange out of the way, Lazarus turns to Michael again and proceeds to ask him some questions before being interrupted by the horse reunion.

“Now then, Michael. Care to fill me in on what’s been going on after we got separated? What’s this about a Female Titan? And how did your face get healed?”

“Hey.” Levi interrupted. “You’ll get your answers. But don’t forget that Erwin will want answers from you as to what actually happened in the right wing. Understand?”

“Yes captain.” Lazarus responded with a salute.

“Ok Laz.” Michael began. “You better brace yourself because you’re not gonna believe what I’m about to tell you.”

After regrouping with the rest of the Scouts, the Survey Corps had finally returned to Calaneth District, without success.

The 57th Expedition ended with great sacrifice and little results. Captain Levi suffered sever injuries during the fight between the Crystal and Female Titans, and his elite veterans have lost their lives.

The financial and human cost of the extra wall expeditions saw the Scout Regiment lose much of it’s backing.

On the way, Michael had been telling Lazarus everything that went down after the formation split off. Telling him about the Female Titan, the deaths of Levi’s Squad, and the surprising reveal of his Crystal Titan, as well as the strange figures he saw within his own mind.

Lazarus obviously knew about all this, but acted as if he had no idea of said events.

As far as he can tell, nobody saw him fly Annie back to the lands behind Wall Sina. He barely found a closed off enough area for him to land in and drop Annie off, whilst also keeping a look out to ensure nobody was spying on them.

On top of that, he had to also fly back to the area from which his squad was wiped out, get out of his Titan body far away from it, and walk a good couple of miles before firing off his smoke signal. All to give off the appearance of being the only surviving Scout from the right wing.

Nobody seemed to have asked him any questions yet, so for now he appeared to be in the clear. But only because the Scouts were more focused on what the townspeople’s reaction will be once they learn that their mission was a failure yet again.

As they slowly entered Calaneth, the people had gathered to the sides of the streets and watched the vastly depleted soldiers slowly walk past them. A lot of them had serious injuries and were covered in bandages, whilst others were more damaged mentally than physically.

The people all talk amongst one another, wondering what happened out there. Most people grew concerned about the mental wellbeing of the surviving soldiers, whilst others began to trash talk about how they’re wasting their tax money on keeping them fed only to have them die for nothing.

Eren attempted to get up and shut them up, only to stop once he spotted two kids looking at them with a look of joy. Seeing those kids reminded him of himself and Mikasa when they were younger. They too would be in the back of the group, looking at the Scouts as a symbol of hope, whilst not understanding the magnitude of what they go through every mission.

Lazarus and Michael kept their silence as they rode through the streets. Neither one of them had anything to say or even think about during this moment, other than the wellbeing of their friends.

Levi was soon approached by a man who claimed to be Petra’s father, telling him of how proud he was to have her as one of his elites. All that unnecessary praise only deepened Levi’s anguish. He couldn’t bear to hear it, nor find the strength to tell him to stop talking about her.

But nobody within the Scouts was hurting more internally than the commander himself. As soon as he was the first one to enter Calaneth, Erwin was being scorned and bombarded with peoples complaints about their failure. All of them demanding he answer them and wonder if it was even worth sacrificing all those lives.

The Scouts failed mission only worsened due to the backlash of the public. It grew so bad that whatever public favour they still held had been crushed.

Soon, within an hour of returning. Erwin and the other responsible officers will inevitably be summoned to the capital, as it would soon be declared that their custody of Eren Yeager will be summarily revoked.

Despite all that. Erwin was only thinking about one thing… What will become of his son once the news of the Crystal Titan reach the capital.

No matter how he may present it, the higher ups will always see this as him keeping the discovery a secret from them, and could result in the disbandment of the Scout Regiment. And the end of Michael’s life.

As much as he wanted to, keeping the secret could prove highly dangerous should anyone ever discover it on their own. From this moment on he’ll need to choose his next moves very carefully… The life of his son depended on him.

To Be Continued