The boy doesn't react to Gabi's presence. His wide, gold eyes stare blankly as he curls in on himself, falling to his knees, forehead pressed against the grass. His body trembles, and he clutches his head, pure adrenaline giving way to terror. To grief. To shame.
"This is where I'm gonna die," he whispers, believing it. It's only a matter of time. Marcel is gone. Marcel was eaten, all to protect him. The others must be dead, too. All because of him. All because he was never worthy of becoming a Warrior in the first place.
Unbeknownst to him, a blond girl and a dark-haired boy—Annie and Bertolt—finally reach Reiner's side, gasping for breath. Without preamble, Annie hauls back and kicks Reiner in the chest.
Reiner screams. Screams and flails backward, eyes closed, panic erasing all his years of combat training. When nothing else happens, he finally opens his eyes—and there's Annie, exhausted but alive, standing beside Bertolt.
Reiner's screams die in his throat.
"Not bad," Annie gasps. "That's the … first time … I've ever lost to you … in a foot race."
Bertolt slumps to his knees wordlessly, still trying to catch his breath. Reiner says nothing, the pride he might have felt at such an accomplishment absent in the face of everything else.
"If we … had immediately gotten a hold of the Titan … that ate Marcel," Annie continues, her breath slowly returning to normal. "We wouldn't have lost … the Jaw Titan. But you two ran, and … I didn't know what to do, either." She closes her eyes. "He's … not coming back … now."
He's not coming back. Marcel isn't coming back. Because Marcel is dead, and it's Reiner's fault.
"But," Reiner protests, as if his words might change anything, "there weren't supposed to be any Titans yet! They said they'd be … closer to the wall…"
"Not all of them." Bertolt's voice is harsh; when he raises his head, fear fills his eyes. "It's not like every Titan is going to be acting exactly according to our plans… Didn't you learn that…?"
Bertolt has never looked at Reiner like that before. Never looked at him with such overwhelming disappointment. It cuts deep, hurts more than Annie's kick to his chest, leaves him speechless for a moment too long.
"Enough," Annie declares, turning her back on Reiner. "Let's go back. We'll find Jaws, then we'll go back. That Titan will probably have turned back into a human somewhere by now. And it's not as if we can complete the plan to retake the Founder without Marcel's leadership. The plan has … already failed. This place isn't safe, either. A Titan could show up at any time."
Wordlessly, Bertolt stands, turning to follow Annie. Reiner remains on the ground, watching his fellow Warriors' retreating backs. Watching, terror churning in his gut as they decide to abandon the mission.
"… Wait."
The word is spoken in two voices. One voice is the boy's, still seated on the ground, his wide eyes pleading. The other comes from behind Gabi: a young man's voice, his tone far more forceful, gold eyes burning with intensity.
"No, we can't go back," the two Reiners say—the child on the ground, reaching out a beseeching hand; the young man with his fists clenched, staring over Gabi's head as if she isn't there, his eyes locked on Annie. "We'll continue the plan."
using a mix of manga & anime dialogue, don't mind me
"This is where I'm gonna die," he whispers, believing it. It's only a matter of time. Marcel is gone. Marcel was eaten, all to protect him. The others must be dead, too. All because of him. All because he was never worthy of becoming a Warrior in the first place.
Unbeknownst to him, a blond girl and a dark-haired boy—Annie and Bertolt—finally reach Reiner's side, gasping for breath. Without preamble, Annie hauls back and kicks Reiner in the chest.
Reiner screams. Screams and flails backward, eyes closed, panic erasing all his years of combat training. When nothing else happens, he finally opens his eyes—and there's Annie, exhausted but alive, standing beside Bertolt.
Reiner's screams die in his throat.
"Not bad," Annie gasps. "That's the … first time … I've ever lost to you … in a foot race."
Bertolt slumps to his knees wordlessly, still trying to catch his breath. Reiner says nothing, the pride he might have felt at such an accomplishment absent in the face of everything else.
"If we … had immediately gotten a hold of the Titan … that ate Marcel," Annie continues, her breath slowly returning to normal. "We wouldn't have lost … the Jaw Titan. But you two ran, and … I didn't know what to do, either." She closes her eyes. "He's … not coming back … now."
He's not coming back. Marcel isn't coming back. Because Marcel is dead, and it's Reiner's fault.
"But," Reiner protests, as if his words might change anything, "there weren't supposed to be any Titans yet! They said they'd be … closer to the wall…"
"Not all of them." Bertolt's voice is harsh; when he raises his head, fear fills his eyes. "It's not like every Titan is going to be acting exactly according to our plans… Didn't you learn that…?"
Bertolt has never looked at Reiner like that before. Never looked at him with such overwhelming disappointment. It cuts deep, hurts more than Annie's kick to his chest, leaves him speechless for a moment too long.
"Enough," Annie declares, turning her back on Reiner. "Let's go back. We'll find Jaws, then we'll go back. That Titan will probably have turned back into a human somewhere by now. And it's not as if we can complete the plan to retake the Founder without Marcel's leadership. The plan has … already failed. This place isn't safe, either. A Titan could show up at any time."
Wordlessly, Bertolt stands, turning to follow Annie. Reiner remains on the ground, watching his fellow Warriors' retreating backs. Watching, terror churning in his gut as they decide to abandon the mission.
"… Wait."
The word is spoken in two voices. One voice is the boy's, still seated on the ground, his wide eyes pleading. The other comes from behind Gabi: a young man's voice, his tone far more forceful, gold eyes burning with intensity.
"No, we can't go back," the two Reiners say—the child on the ground, reaching out a beseeching hand; the young man with his fists clenched, staring over Gabi's head as if she isn't there, his eyes locked on Annie. "We'll continue the plan."