Doctor Who/Attack on Titan - The Last Siege Pt 12

The sound of the TARDIS materializing cut through the cool night air in what was once the bustling Shiganshina district. Once it had finished materializing, the door swung open and four figures rushed out into the night guided only by the warm glow of lanterns, otherworldly Sonic Screwdriver light and the pale light of a First Quarter moon. The three young soldiers knew that the Titans got their energy from the sunlight and most likely would be asleep this time of night. Still, it didn’t make sneaking past the sleeping behemoths any less nerve wracking. At one point a three meter class Titan who was sleeping against a dilapidated building raised its head up from its knees ever so slightly to see what was making all the noise, but the Doctor was on it before it could move another muscle.

“No, no, no, go back to sleep,” the Doctor said quietly as he pointed his Screwdriver at the Titan in an attempt to amplify the sleep messages in its feeble brain. “Go to sleep and dream about great big fields to run around in.”

As if the Titan had heard his advice, it slowly lowered its head back down and resumed its loud, obnoxious snoring.

Even though the once urban Shiganshina district was almost unrecognizable after five years of neglect and decay, Eren was still able to find his way to his family home fairly quickly. After a handful of right turns, Eren and his comrades found themselves standing in front of what was left of his old house. Then it all came back to him like a great, crashing wave. The horror, grief, helplessness and anger that he felt the day Wall Maria fell all came back to him. For several moments he just stood there, frozen by all the emotions that gripped him, and stared at the crushed remains of his house that were now nearly overgrown with weeds and other vegetation.

It took Mikasa grabbing Eren’s arm and pulling him forward to snap him out of his trance and the three teens and the Time Lord moved toward the left side of the house where the basement door was located. Armin and Mikasa got to the sunken in doors first and cut the brush away from the doors with their paring blades allowing Eren to try to unlock the door with the key his father gave him. However when he placed the key in the lock, it didn’t seem to fit right nor did it turn.

Now what was he going to do?

No sooner had Eren pulled the key out of the lock in despair that he heard the whirring of the Sonic Screwdriver behind him, and the pop of the lock coming open. His hopes refreshed, Eren quickly opened the doors and jumped down the stairs into the basement with his friends following behind him.

“Seriously, is there nothing that Screwdriver can’t do,” Armin mused to himself.

When the four of them reached the bottom of the stairs, they were greeted by a stuffy, dusty room filled with dozens of stacks of parchment papers, books on rickety shelves and tables, test tubes, beakers and other lab equipment and various charts of the human body and maps of the three walls tacked all over the basement.

“My dad said that I’d find the truth about the Titans down here,” Eren said bewildered by the chaotic mess that greeted his eyes. “But, where should I start?”

“How about I look at this table over here,” Armin suggested, pointing to his left.

“OK, then I’ll check the bookcase on the right wall,” Eren replied.

“I’ll take a look at the bookcase on the far wall,” Mikasa suggested.

The teens then went their respective ways leaving the Doctor to check the table with the chemistry equipment. While they looked through different charts and books about everything from medicine to dictionaries, the Doctor began looking at the scraps of parchment and notebooks that were among Grisha’s lab equipment. What he found astonished him. There were pages of chemistry equations, detailed human anatomy charts and lengths of parchment that detailed Grisha’s findings on both. He’d never seen anything like it from a human. As he was admiring the late Dr. Jaeger’s work, he saw something glinting in the lantern light out of the corner of his eye. It was two glass syringes; one empty, the other filled with a strange fuchsia colored liquid. The Doctor then quickly and quietly pocketed the latter syringe in one of the inside pockets of his jacket. If the liquid inside it was what he thought it was, he wanted to run some tests on it just to satisfy his own curiosity.

For close to fifteen minutes the four of them continued to look through the cluttered mess but still couldn’t find anything that would reveal the truth about the titans. Eren was close to giving up as he glumly dropped a stack of books back onto the bookcase when he accidentally knocked over one book that was smaller than all the others.

As he reached down to pick it up, he noticed that it was actually an old, leather-bound journal; unlike all the other books that were bound wood or paste board. However, what piqued Eren’s interest enough to call over the others was the fact that the lock on the journal had the exact same pattern as the key that his father gave him and on the front of the journal embossed in large Old English letters was a word he’d never seen before.

“Veritas,” he asked aloud as the others gathered around him to look.

“It’s an old word that means truth,” the Doctor replied.

Eren, Armin and Mikasa all exchanged looks, then looked down at the journal and the key in Eren’s hand. This had to be it, it just had to be. With shaking hands and a lump in his throat, Eren slipped the key into the lock, turned it slowly and opened the journal as his friends leaned in to get a better look, holding the lanterns higher so Eren was able to see.
What they found on the yellowed pages of the journal was a quickly scrawled but legible letter written by Grisha to his son. Even though it was difficult to make out at times, Eren began reading aloud.

“’To my son, Eren. If you’re reading this right now, I’m probably already dead and the titans have no doubt taken Wall Maria. However none of that is important right now, what matters right now is that I tell you the truth.

“’You see, when I was a young medical student I had the privilege to study with some of the best minds in the land. Many of them belonged to noble families or had other connections with the government. It was during that time when I was introduced to such an exclusive circle that I made shocking discoveries about our government, and the world itself.

“’You see Eren, the monarchy and the government know more about the titans than they’re letting on. As a matter of fact they have some sort of a pact with them that states that their lives will be spared if they slowly surrender the world to them. I’m not entirely sure where the titans came from but I’m convinced that they’re not from our world. I also know that the government is using young people like yourself to transform into titans themselves and do their bidding.

“’After I discovered all of this, I set about trying to find out how they were able to temporarily turn humans into titans. I spent years studying all the information I could get my hands on, even going so far as to spy on my new friends, and reverse engineering my findings until I came up with an injectable serum that I’m sure would give me the results I was looking for. However I needed a test subject.

“’I was originally going to use a prisoner on death row to test the serum but the day before I was to perform said test, I learned that there was a plot to breach Wall Maria. So the morning of this plot I plan to leave. Believe me I have no intention of abandoning you, your mother and your sister to a horrible fate, I merely need to go back and spy on the conspirators to make sure what I heard was correct and to find out what other crimes they have planned. It is here and now that I make the most drastic choice of my life: to test the serum on you, my son.

“’I understand if you feel betrayed by my actions, but I didn’t choose you as my subject simply because I had no other options, I did so because I knew if anyone could handle the transformation process and be able to beat back the titans it was you Eren. My brave, passionate son who wanted nothing more than to see beyond the walls and live in a world not ruled by fear.

“’After I do so, I plan to continue spying and see if I can’t get the information I find out to authorities on the side of humanity. This endeavor will no doubt get me killed in the most painful and innocuous way the government can come up with.

“’So when you find this journal please honor this last request for me, son. Burn all my research and notes that you find in the basement but bring this journal to someone in the military that you trust. My research should never again see the light of day lest it fall into the wrong hands again, only bring this journal with you. It’s all the proof you need.

“’There’s not a lot of time left so I’ll jot down a list of those in the government and military who are conspirators with the titans.’”

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The four of them then read down the list of names. Some of them they were shocked to find out had been on the side of the titans.

“’Finally, I give you one last warning my son,’” Eren continued reading. “’Beware the nobles, beware the leaders of the military and beware-‘”

</blockquote>

Confused, Eren flipped through the remaining journal pages looking for the rest of the sentence, but he found nothing but blank pages.

“Beware what,” Eren cried. “Beware of what, Dad? Why didn’t you finish writing?!?”

“Maybe he didn’t have time to finish,” Mikasa replied. “He did leave fairly early that day.”

“You’re probably right,” Eren sighed as he closed the journal. “But I still wish I knew what he was talking about.”

He slowly got up from the stool, his entire body and mind heavy with the revelations he’d just read, but his heart was dead set on what he had to do next.

“Can you guys help me find some oil,” he asked turning to his friends. “We’re gonna need a lot of it if we’re going to honor Dad’s wishes.”

***

Even though they only had the oil in their lanterns and the Sonic Screwdriver to act as an accelerant, everything in the basement and the entire house itself went up in flames fairly quickly. It wasn’t easy for Eren and Mikasa watch their family home go up in a blazing inferno of orange and yellow, but somehow watching the flames devour what was left of the house gave them a sense of closure. Something they’d been wanting for five years.

As the three teens and the Time Lord watched the house burn, Eren clutched his father’s journal close to his chest and quietly said,

“We’re going to end this today, aren’t we?”

“We sure are,” the Doctor replied. “So we better get back to the TARDIS. The sun will be up in a few hours.”

He then turned and walked back to his blue box followed by Mikasa and Armin, but Eren still stood there. Transfixed by the fire and the heat it was giving off.

When the Doctor noticed that Eren wasn’t following him, he walked back toward the young man, gave him an empathetic pat on the shoulder and quietly said,

“Come along Jaeger.”

Snapped out of his trance, Eren turned to catch up with his comrades while the Doctor followed behind him. Once they were all inside the TARDIS, the Doctor darted past the teens and started up the TARDIS’ launch sequence. When they were finally in the air, he turned to his three companions; smiling as if the previous somber moment hadn’t happened at all and said,

“Now then, we’ve got a lot of work still left to do. Armin, see that box over to your left? I want you to take the bits that are in it, hand them to Mikasa and she’ll connect them to the bits that are in the box next to her. Once you’re done with that hand the device off to me and then you place in that messenger bag to your left once I’m done charging it, Eren.”

“Alright, but what exactly are we making,” Armin asked as he turned his half of the device over in his hands.

“Explosive charges,” the Doctor replied nonchalantly as he was checking the readings on the control console monitor. “Not to worry though, they won’t go off unless I press the detonator.”

Even though the teens trusted the Time Lord, they still were extra careful as they put the charges together and handed them off to each other.

As the soldiers continued to put the charges together, the Doctor would look up at the monitor to check the readings when he wasn’t using the Sonic Screwdriver to activate the charges.

“Time sure does seem to move differently in the TARDIS,” Eren said trying to make conversation as he placed the charges in the bag. “It doesn’t seem like we’ve been awake for almost twenty-four hours.”

“That’s how it tends to go,” the Doctor replied absentmindedly, his focus still on the monitor.

“Yeah, and for some reason I can’t get enough of it; all of the action and danger that we’ve been through,” Eren continued, his focus drifting away from his task. “Doctor, after all of this is over and I get to see the world beyond the walls I want to go with you. I want to see all of those stars that I saw yesterday and to see if there are any more worlds like this one out there! Will you please let me come with you?”

“Eren,” the Time Lord replied. “Would you be so kind as to hand me my Screwdriver so I can recalibrate these monitor settings?”

The young soldier, not amused with the Doctor dodging his question, handed him the sonic device anyway. He’d get back to him with that question again, and he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.

Once all the charges had been put together and placed in the bag, the Doctor took one last look at the control console monitor and then started up the TARDIS’s landing sequence.

“Alright then,” the Doctor chirped excitedly. “We’ve got the charges, got Grisha’s journal and I’ve got all the info that I need from the TARDIS. There’s only one thing left to do!”

“And what’s that,” Mikasa asked.

“We let ourselves get captured,” the Doctor replied nonchalantly.

The next thing the four of them knew there was a loud banging outside on the TARDIS door and a stern but familiar voice calling to them.

“Doctor,” Captain Levi’s voice boomed. “You and your cohorts are under arrest for conspiracy and treason! We have you surrounded so come out now!”

“You-you can’t be serious can you,” Armin stammered in disbelief, as Eren and Mikasa exchanged the same look.

“Oh I am,” the Doctor continued. He then leaned forward and said in a low serious tone, “Now, whatever happens next I want you to follow my lead. Understood?”

The three teens just looked back at the Doctor flabbergasted until Eren finally ventured to speak.

“Ye-yeah. But I don’t-“

“Eren, trust me,” the Doctor assured him as he made his way to the door. “I’m the Doctor after all.”

The Time Lord then turned on his heels and opened the door, letting in a flood of bright morning sunlight.

“Alright, alright. No need for you lot to continue to beat on my door. I surrender,” the Doctor said unflustered as he stepped out of his TARDIS.

Eren, Armin and Mikasa, still not sure if they believe what was happening, tentatively stepped out of the TARDIS themselves, hands raised in surrender. When they stepped out into the daylight, what greeted them was the looks of hurt and betrayal on their friends’ faces.

“You’ve got some nerve,” Levi’s low, angry voice said to the three of them as he patted down the Doctor, taking his Sonic Screwdriver and Psychic Papers from him. “Thinking you could pull the wool over our eyes and side with this enemy of humanity.

“Captain you don’t understand,” Eren blurted out, unable to contain his emotions while the other Scouts patted down him, Mikasa and Armin. “We’re not the enemy we figured everything out! Please just-“

“Oh I understand more than you think,” Levi hissed at Eren, his eyes like icy daggers.  “I’ve been doing some digging of my own and I’ve found out what you and your Doctor friend have planned. Do you think I’m stupid enough for you to pull a fast one on me?”

Eren just looked back at his captain with his mouth agape. Luckily before he could utter anything else his eyes managed to fall on the Doctor, who had the same expression on his face that he did back in the TARDIS. An expression that said,

“Trust me.”

Eren then understood, and lowered his head in defeat as the rest of the Survey Corps members stripped him and his comrades of their 3DM gear, the journal and the bag of explosive charges, then bound the hands of all four of them.

“The rest of you find a way to move that blue box with us,” Levi commanded the other Scouts that weren’t otherwise occupied.

“And make sure to gag this one,” his disgusted gaze turned toward Eren. “We don’t want him to try and transform on us.”

The next thing Eren knew a rag was being tied over his mouth and then all he saw was blackness as a dark burlap sack was pulled over his head and he was led away.

End of Part 12