Attack on prime

Zeke quickly glanced at Matthew as they walked down the hall towards the training grounds. He noticed that Matthew held himself to a higher standard when no one else around. He had a calculating stare and straight back, clearly wanting to be in control of the situation.

But there were things he had to take into consideration. He didn't know how much the titan knew of human culture, and the form he was currently in only lasts twenty four hours before complications arise. Would that apply to the clothing he phased into as well? How would he cover up the fact he couldn't eat or drink? How long before the two of them got caught?

"You're tense," Matthew commented, causing Zeke to snap out of his thoughts, "If you don't want to be suspicious, then don't look guilty."

"When did you activate the human form?" Zeke asked.

"This morning," Matthew answered, "I actually did take a look around the facility before I arrived at your door."

"We have to keep track of when you turn it on," Zeke proclaimed.

"I can keep track of it by myself," Matthew proclaimed.

"Things can happen," Zeke retorted.

"And you clearly think I'm incompetent," Matthew shot back.

Zeke didn't respond as they continued on. The titan clearly didn't trust him, and had no reason to. But in order to get closer to the island, closer to Eren, he had to gain his trust.

—–

Colt stared on at the other warriors as he did his stretches. He was worried, really worried. The event that happened between him and his brother yesterday could put both him and his brother at risk. Falco just started the program and he was already one of the top candidates to inherit Zeke's titan. If what happened yesterday jeopardizes any of that, everyone he cared about would be shipped off to Paradis or used in the war. He had to be more cautious now.

"Falco, what are you so worried about?" a black haired girl demanded as she walked up to him.

"N-nothing," the young boy stuttered.

"Your face says you're lying," she retorted as she got up in his space, "What are you hiding?"

"Gabi, stop it," a blonde girl with a ponytail said to her as he stopped stretching.

"What if he's hiding something, Zophia?" Gabi demanded.

"I'm not hiding anything," Falco declared with more confident, "I was just harassed yesterday."

Gabi immediately backed off. "You must have done something wrong,"

"I didn't do anything wrong," Falco proclaimed, "My mother wanted me and Colt to get some supplies that weren't in Liberio. We were stopped on the way back."

"So then, how did you manage to get home?" Zophia asked.

"Someone saved me and Colt," Falco answered.

"Suppose that Eldian took the fall then," Gabi assumed, "Idiot,"

"That's just it…he wasn't an Eldian," Falco admitted.

"What?" Zophia whispered in disbelief.

"We'll talk about it later," Gabi stated as other soldiers got in formation, "Commander Zeke is here."

Falco and Zophia immediately got in line as Zeke walked out to the training grounds. Falco nearly gasped as he saw the man that saved him the other day walk right behind him. He was a Marley soldier?! No! No! No! What if he said something?! His brother! His family! They would be turned into titans!

Colt gasped as he saw the gray haired man right behind Zeke. Was he a Marley soldier?! Shit! They were going to die!

Megatron glanced over to the rows of child soldiers and noticed the two boys he saved yesterday staring at him in fear. They most likely think he's a Marley soldier and that he might kill them. He had no reason to, at least not yet.

"Eldian, why did you bring this man?" The Commander present demanded.

'The other from the interrogation room,' Megatron realized.

"He's a new recruit," Zeke explained, "This is Matthew Hayes and he will be instructing the recruits in new fighting styles."

"You must be joking," The Commander hissed.

"Sorry I don't meet up to your expectations," Matthew forced out.

"And what exactly do you offer?" He demanded.

"Probably five ways to run off," Matthew answered.

"You seem fairly confident," the Commander remarked, "A little too confident."

Matthew just stared at the Commander before sighing. "Fine, then. Let's put that to the test. Bring them out!"

Two Marley soldiers forced five Eldians in uniform out into the open. They all looked terrified and worn out. Zeke realized that these five were deserters or traitors of some sort. They should have been shipped to the island, but since Matthew destroyed the port, there was no way they could do that.

"You will fight these five devils," the Commander explained as the two soldiers threw down weapons to them, "If you can beat them, then I might take you seriously."

"I thought they would've been sent to the island," Matthew remarked.

"Eldians have more use for war," The Commander explained.

Megatron narrowed his eyes. It had some truth to it, but it was a lie none the less. And he had a feeling none of the Eldian soldiers knew.

"Fine then," Megatron grumbled as he stretched his arms. He had to sell the illusion he was human.

Zeke took a few steps back before noticing out of the corner of his eye Reiner watching from the second floor balcony. Shit! This was bad!

"So who's the new guy?" Pieck asked as she and Porco walked next to Reiner, with Porco keeping his distance from the shifter as much as possible.

"Matthew," Reiner explained, "I don't know much about him, but he's apparently been recruiting."

"Let's see what he brings to the table," Porco said as he crossed his arms.

Megatron watched the Eldians hesitantly pick up the rifles and aim them at him. Five enemies, five weapons, using brute force would be out of the question. He had to use a different fighting style, go more for the defensive. Agility might work as well.

"He doesn't seem that interesting," Gabi commented.

Falco didn't say a word as one of the Eldians pulled the trigger on the rifle. The bullet flew through the air, but Matthew managed to dodge the bullet at the last second.

"What the?" Falco gasped.

Megatron ran towards the five and punched the one who fired at him in the face. The others tried to hit him with the butts of the rifle, but he went on the defensive and dodged them all with swift ease. One of them swung it like a bat, but Megatron ducked and tripped him off his feet. The ex-con rolled out of the way before kicking the third one in the gut.

"This project is a very dangerous one," Calvi explained to Willy Tybur, "You do not have to subjugate the War Hammer Titan to this, but it would be a great help if you lent your hand to end the island devils."

"How far along are you in this project?" Willy asked.

"We are still in the experimental phase," Calvi explained, "We're still trying to understand exactly how we can utilize the substance of the metal titans. If you wish to, you may come with us to the Titan research facility and monitor our progress. If you agree and we have perfected the material, we can administer it to the War Hammer Titan, and they could join us on our journey to retake Paradis once this war is over."

Willy thought it over for a moment. "I will only monitor the progress of the project until I know for certain the substance is safe."

Magath listened in on the conversation until something caught his eye outside the window. He gasped when he realized that it was Matthew fighting the five Eldians who committed treason.

"Commander Magath, what's so important outside?" one of the Commanders asked.

Calvi stood up and looked out the window next to him to see the man fighting. Willy noticed this as well and smiled.

"He's very skilled," the nobleman remarked.

Megatron got back onto his feet before he continued to dodge and block other attacks from the remaining three. He tripped over himself and fell on his back, allowing for one of them to aim a rifle at the center of his head. Megatron grabbed it and pushed it at the last second, causing the man to fire into the ground instead of his head. Megatron flipped back, kicking the man in the process before managing to get some distance between them.

Zeke could only watch in amazement as Matthew broke the arm of the fourth one. He was extremely skilled. Was this what Reiner and the other went up against? He looked behind him to see Reiner and the others watching in surprise, not shock. Reiner didn't recognize the fighting style? But why?

Megatron internally cursed as he dodged the last one's attacks. He wasn't very skilled in Soundwave's combat techniques. He learned it, but never mastered to the degree of his former TIC. He was still sloppy. But he supposed the struggle made it easier. He knows that the titan shifters see him as this invincible monster, so this definitely sold the fact that he had flaws.

Megatron punched the last of the Eldians to the ground, feeling their blood on his knuckles as it ran down their noses. He pretended to be exhausted by breathing heavily before straightening himself out.

Zeke looked around to see everyone's reaction. Reiner, Pieck, and Porco were all stunned by the display. Most of the cadets seemed to stare on with caution and shock while Gabi in particular was smiling with excitement, her disinterested in the man turning into immediate adoration.

Calvi stared down in interest while Magath was shocked by the man's prowess. Meanwhile, Willy gave a smug look to Magath, almost as if he was proven right.

"I-impressive," The Commander stuttered before regaining his composure, "Now kill them. Kill them for the glory of the Marley Empire."

Megatron glanced back at the Commander before stomping on the edge of the rifle, causing it to flip up into his hands. He aimed said rifle at one who was still conscious. He stared back at him in fear. Tears streaming down his face, terrified at the prospect of death. Megatron was ready to pull the trigger, but stopped when a memory from the war came into his mind.

A similar scenario, except in the place of the human was an Autobot, begging for mercy. He remembered he didn't listen and blew his head off without any hesitation. It filled him with adrenaline; it filled him with power.

It filled him with guilt.

"Do it Megatron," he heard Unicron say, "Show your true nature."

"No," Megatron responded.

"What?" The Commander demanded.

Megatron grimaced and lowered the rifle in response. He grunted as he broke the rifle using his knees and threw it to the side.

"What do you think you're doing?!" The Commander shouted.

"I'm not going to kill them," Megatron declared, "I don't care if their Eldians; I have no reason to."

Zeke began to panic. What the hell was he doing?!

Calvi walked out of the room while Magath grimaced and Willy watched with concern.

Reiner almost thought that the Eldians would live, but the Commander pulled out his own pistol and shot them all in the head. Porco looked in disgust while Pieck stared solemnly. It didn't matter if they were shown mercy. They would still die in cold blood.

"Eldian sympathizer," The Commander hissed, turning his gun on him, "I'll show you what it means to disrespect us. These creatures destroyed the world, and if given the option they would kill you. A mind like yours would only lead to insurgence."

Megatron felt anger rise up inside him, suddenly remembering all the times the Elite tried to shut him up during his time as Megatronus. He didn't take it from them and he certainly wasn't going to take it from another human.

"Fine then," Megatron began, "Kill me."

The Commander was taken off guard while Zeke was trying to consider his options.

"Well," Megatron began as he walked up to him, "I'm a threat to the empire, right? An Eldian sympathizer, a dangerous mind that could lead to insurgence. Shoot me down like a dog then."

Megatron could see the hesitation in his eyes as he continued. "Go on."

The Commander gasped as Megatron grabbed the gun and aimed it at the center of his forehead. "Do it!"

"Wait!" Zeke exclaimed as Reiner, Porco, and Pieck gasped in fear.

"Enough," Calvi ordered as he walked up to the two, "We don't have time for needless infighting."

"Sir, he is an insubordination," The Commander retorted.

"Then you should have shot him without a moment's hesitation," Calvi declared, "He's offering a clear shot, and you still haven't taken it."

The Commander tensed while Megatron's eyes never left him.

"And besides, this is a man that doesn't fear death," Calvi retorted, "A bullet in the skull means nothing to him. So lower your weapon,"

The Commander gritted his teeth before lowering his weapon. Calvi then turned his attention to Megatron.

"This will be the only time your insubordination goes unpunished," Calvi proclaimed, "At least until we can provide a solid punishment for you."

"I have nothing to lose," Megatron declared, "Nothing you do is going to affect me."

Megatron walked away from Calvi, leaving everyone else shocked at the display. He may have made thing more complicated for himself.

Meanwhile, the warrior cadets were utterly speechless. This man defied military command and defended devils like them. But why?

"He's so cool," Gabi smiled while Falco watched with worry. What was going on?

"The Beast Titan says he wants to help the island?!" Jean demanded.

"According to Megatron, yes," Hanji explained, "We haven't brought this up with everyone else yet because we're not sure if we can truly trust him."

"No way!" Connie shouted.

"This isn't set in stone, but we have to take it into consideration," Hanji retorted, "Even with Optimus and Megatron helping us, it's still not enough to catch up with the rest of the world."

"There is the chance he might sell us out and turn us into Marley," Armin added.

"Maybe," Hanji agreed.

"Megatron told us if Zeke managed to fabricate his identity that he would consider taking his ideas into consideration," Optimus explained.

"There are benefits and disadvantages to this plan," Armin admitted.

"But it's the enemy, Armin," Jean reminded.

"We are considering all options," Optimus declared, "But considering the entire world's opinion on us, we cannot disregard this option."

"We might bring it up with everyone else," Hanji explained, "We just have to wait on Megatron."

"And how long is that gonna take?" Jean demanded.

"I do not know," Optimus admitted, "And considering Megatron's stance on trusting others, it may take time before a decision is made."

"Sir, that was my fault!" Magath exclaimed, "I should've thrown that man in jail when I had the chance!"

"That man saved my life!" Willy retorted, "I won't let you do that!"

"Don't you find it a little bit weird that the man was on the same train as you when you got attacked?!" Magath shot back, "Not only that, he's been a complete insubordination the moment he arrived here! We can't have a man like that running around and disrupting order like that!"

"Then give the man his freedom back!" Willy suggested.

"No," Calvi interrupted the two as he got up from his seat, "We can use him. Commander Magath, you said he would be training the new recruits?"

Magath nodded his head.

"We're going to change that condition," Calvi declared.

Megatron ignored the human's explanation before making his way to Zeke's office with the Military Protocol in hand. He let his emotions get the better of him. He wasn't going to hear the end of it from the monkey.

Later

"What the fucking hell was that?!" Zeke demanded as Matthew began flipping through reports on military protocol in his office, "You coaxed a commanding officer to shoot you! You could've ruined everything!"

"I was trying to prove a point," Matthew said in his regular voice.

"What point were you trying to prove?" Zeke hissed.

"I was trying to prove that I'm human," Matthew retorted.

"Humans don't ask to die unless they're clinically sick!" Zeke exclaimed, "Both of us could have been in trouble!"

"What's done is done," Matthew proclaimed, "Nothing we can do to change it."

Zeke groaned in irritation. "This can't go on. You can't go and do whatever the hell you want when I'm trying to help you blend in as a human. The very least you can do is listen and put some amount of trust in me,"

Matthew looked up from the papers and gave Zeke and unamused expression. "I've known you for less than twenty four hours, and you really want me to put my truth in you? I've had multiple beings try to kill me, both ally and enemy, either out of revenge or a position of power. Not only did you turn humans into titans, but you somehow managed to do the impossible and anger Optimus Prime. It is nearly impossible to do that, and you managed to do it overnight. So no: I don't trust you, and don't expect to gain that trust easily."

Before Zeke could say anything, he heard a knock at the door. He walked over to the door and opened it to reveal Commander Calvi at the door.

"Sir!" Zeke exclaimed as he saluted him.

"It's fine, Zeke," Calvi proclaimed as Zeke put his hand down.

Megatron ignored the conversation as he went back through reading the Military Protocol. He didn't have time for this. He would probably have to leave.

"Why are you here?" Zeke asked, "Did something happen? Am I needed at the front?"

"No, I'm not here for you," Calvi answered, "Commander Magath told me you were responsible for watching our new recruit."

Zeke watched with apprehension as Calvi turned his attention to Megatron.

"Matthew Hayes," Commander Calvi began as he walked up to him.

Megatron responded to his alias name by looking up from the papers for military protocol. Meanwhile Zeke glanced back and forth between them.

"My name is Commander Calvi; I'm the head of Marley Military," he introduced himself.

Megatron looked back down at the papers in his hands. "Okay, whatever,"

"Sir, I apologize-"

Calvi raised his hand to stop Zeke from talking as he stared at Megatron. "I saw your little demonstration today of your combat abilities. You've impressed many of my officers. Where did you learn such a technique?"

"I've been to many places and learned from other that knew how to fight," Megatron responded, "I've learned enough to pioneer it on my own."

"I see," Calvi merely said, "Magath said that you would be training our soldiers for war. I would like to change that rule."

"Does this mean I get to leave?" Megatron demanded.

"No," Calvi said, "Not until our war is over. However, the Eldians soldiers that we will put on the front lines; many will not have the chance to make it out alive."

"Many of these soldiers are kids," Megatron commented, "So they're most likely going to die. What's your point?"

"The threat on Paradis is something we cannot ignore, and in the event that our current warriors somehow die before we can make an expedition to the island, I want the next generation of Titan warriors to be ready." Calvi explained.

Calvi placed a small stack of papers next to Megatron. "These are the current top candidates to inherit the Titan powers. I wish for you to train them privately and make them better warriors until the war is over. You won't train all the new warriors. Just the ones likely to inherit the power."

"You're going to have to tell Magath this," Megatron remarked as he skimmed through the profiles of the top four candidates.

"I already did," Calvi proclaimed, "And it is effective immediately starting tomorrow."

"Here's a question that's been bugging me," Megatron began, "Do I have to physically fight in this war? Because I don't want to have to deal with another stupid injury. I already get enough stares as it is."

"No," Calvi answered, "At least not until I say so."

Megatron groaned in response. "Great."

"I must head out, but I do expect results. Do you understand?" Calvi demanded.

"Sure, whatever," Megatron answered, "Just let me catch up on your protocol."

"You start in a few hours," Calvi informed.

Zeke watched Calvi walk out of the room before shutting the door and glaring at Matthew. "What the hell was that?"

"I'm supposed to act like I hate the humans here and just being here," Matthew reminded in his normal voice, "Which isn't far off. I already hate humans in general. Flesh is such a weird concept."

"He is the Commander of our military," Zeke told him.

"And I have lived for over four million years," Matthew shot back, "I do not care."

"Matthew, you can't keep acting like this," Zeke retorted, "You're going to get caught."

"I'm supposed to act like I don't want to be here," Matthew reminded, "If I don't, then that raises suspicion. I can't be invested in your secrets without someone demanding why. The other one is already suspicious of me."

"Magath?" Zeke questioned, "But we gave him the fake ID. You should check out."

"I overheard him talking about how suspicious it was for me to be on the same train as The Tybur family," Matthew retorted, "I wasn't aware of the importance of the family. I was more focused on helping others so the military wouldn't question my background."

"Helping people, how?" Zeke demanded.

"Simple labor tasks in exchange for supplies," Matthew explained, "Clothes and food aren't much of a necessity, so it makes certain things easier."

"Which reminds me," Zeke began as he pulled out a list on a sheet of paper and handed it to Matthew.

"Can I please just finish reading the military protocol?" Matthew demanded.

"This is just as important," Zeke declared, "This is a list of things you specifically need to figure out in order to blend in as a human,"

Matthew grumbled as he set the book on Marley military down and snatched the list from his hand. He scanned through it and raised an eyebrow.

"Putting on clothes?" Matthew questioned.

"This is a list of things you specifically need to fix in order to blend in as a human," Zeke declared.

"This is ridiculous," Matthew hissed.

"This is important," Zeke declared, "One slip up, and they can send an army to Paradis."

"Fine," Matthew groaned.

"Okay," Zeke said, "You told me you can't eat or drink. How can you come up with an excuse for that?"

"I found a human word called 'fasting', so I could just say that," Matthew retorted.

"Water isn't something you can fast," Zeke told him, "It's a necessity for all humans to drink. What if someone says something?"

"Well I can just say that I drink it by myself because I hate social interaction," Matthew retorted, "Which isn't far off because I despise you all."

"God, how do the others on the island actually deal with you?" Zeke demanded.

"Most of them actually know who I am, so it's more of a sense of fear," Matthew answered.

"Fear?" Zeke questioned, "What did you do?"

"I'm over four million years old and your comrades have said I looked like a devil," Matthew vaguely answered, "You come up with your own conclusion."

Zeke didn't say anything as Matthew read over the list. Matthew is four million years old, and he's managed to strike fear into the hearts of the other Titan shifters. Something told him when he fought, he held back against them.

Which brings the question: why did he hate humans so much? And how strong was he?

"Do I really have to learn how to put on clothes?" Matthew demanded.

"You have to," Zeke declared, "If the clothes you wear right now is the same light and matter you keep talking about, it's going to get destroyed and you can be exposed. Do you have clothes where you're from?"

"We have paint jobs and armor replacements," Matthew answered.

Zeke groaned in irritation. He literally had to teach a god to be a human. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.

"Do you truly believe trusting Zeke Jaeger is our best option?" Zackley demanded in the council room.

"I don't think we should trust Zeke at the moment," Hanji explained, "Even though we've been told he wants to free Eldia, he's been serving Marley his entire life. We're taking this information lightly, and will only consider what he has to say if we can truly trust him."

"He turned our people into titans!" One reminded.

"We know, but at the same time, we can't ignore the fact that we're in need of allies and we need to catch up with the rest of the world at a faster pace," Hanji proclaimed, "It's just something we have to consider."

"Should we even release this to the public?" Zackley asked.

"Not yet," Hanji answered, "We should give it some time,"

"We will trust your judgment for now," Zackley declared, "But this is a serious situation."

A few hours later

Zeke and Megatron watched from afar as Reiner brought in the top four cadets to become the next warriors. Megatron noticed that only one of them was eager into fighting while the others were apprehensive.

"Well, they're yours," Reiner informed as he walked up to the two.

Megatron sighed as he walked towards the warriors while Reiner stood next to Zeke.

"This is going to be interesting," Reiner remarked.

Megatron stared at the four warrior cadets he is currently suppose to train, noticing that they were practically sparklings except for the one in the middle. These four would possibly be his enemy within the next eight years? This was going to be interesting.

"Zofia Werner, Colt Grice, Falco Grice, Gabi Braun," Megatron listed as he looked at each one of them. He noticed Gabi looked too eager to be participating and nearly snarled at the girl. This was unsettling.

"I have been asked to train each one of you privately by your commanding officer," Megatron continued, "But if you think this is going to be your standard military training exercise, think again. I am not your friend. I am not your ally. I'm not even an acquaintance. I am here to break every single bone in your body, so you don't die on the battlefield. You will most likely be tasked to participate in this war, and you will all be ready for that moment."

"We will become the strongest warriors you've ever seen!" Gabi exclaimed with excitement.

"And that is your first mistake," Megatron declared.

He could see the shock on Gabi's face while the others became confused.

"I don't understand, Sir," Colt admitted.

"Strength does not guarantee the victory," Megatron explained, "Your opponent would easily use it against you if you only played to your strength."

Megatron noticed Reiner Braun watching the training exercise from afar. "Braun! I need you here!"

Reiner was startled, but followed Megatron's orders and walked up to him.

"I need you hit me," Megatron requested.

"But sir, why?" Reiner asked.

"I need to prove a point," Megatron answered, "It's fine."

Reiner hesitated, but threw a punch regardless. Megatron quickly ducked and knocked Reiner off of his feet. The shifter's back hit the ground before Megatron pinned him there with his hand.

"Strength doesn't guarantee victory," Megatron explained, "Your opponents could be faster, more agile. They may have a secret technique you couldn't predict. And if what was said was true about the metal titans on Paradis, then you all have your work cut out for you."

Megatron helped Reiner to his feet, allowing the titan shifter to dust himself off.

"For now, I'll see what you four can do," Megatron explained, "Now come at me with everything you've got."

Gabi was the first to attack followed by the other four. Megatron spread his legs and raised his hands. This was going to be interesting.

Eren yelled as he threw a punch at Optimus' holoform. Optimus twisted the arm and forced Eren back. Eren countered by kneeing the arm, causing the Prime to release him.

Hanji watched from afar, monitoring their progress when Levi walked up to her.

"Think he's improving?" Levi asked.

"Well, he definitely been able to keep up compared to four months ago and when Optimus first got here," Hanji answered, "He's still not on the skill set as Optimus, but it looks like he can hold his own. If he can beat Optimus in a fight, then that'd be something."

"I doubt Eren can beat Prime in a fight," Levi declared.

"That's a little harsh," Hanji admitted.

"Prime has four million years worth of experience, while Eren only has four months," Levi reminded, "He still has a long way to go."

Optimus threw a punch at Eren, but Eren was able to react quickly enough and block the attack.

Megatron punched Colt in the gut, knocking the wind out of him and making him fall to the ground. The ex-con dusted himself off as he saw the other sparklings try to get up from the ground.

Zeke and Reiner watched in sympathy. That looked pretty brutal. Reiner was pretty sure he felt that punch administered to Colt.

"Alright, that's enough for today," Megatron declared.

The ex-con then raised an eyebrow as he saw Gabi trying to force herself to stand up.

"I said that's enough," Megatron stated.

"N-no," Gabi forced, "I'm not going to."

"This was an assessment," Megatron retorted, "You push yourself; you're going to get injuries."

"But I have to," Gabi declared, "I have to become the Armored Titan, and destroy the demons of Paradis. For Marley, for Eldia, and for the world,"

Zeke noticed the guilty look on Reiner's face. Whatever Reiner saw on Paradis, he doesn't want Gabi to see it.

"You won't get there overnight. Especially in the condition you're at right now. We're done for today," Megatron ordered, "Get rest before your next training exercise."

Megatron looked behind him to see the guilty look on Reiner's face before walking off.

Willy looked up at the overhead as he, Commander Magath, and Commander Calvi walked through the titan research facility.

"So what will you be showing me today?" Willy asked.

Calvi opened a door to one of the room. "This,"

Willy and Magath stepped inside the room, but Willy gasped as he saw a large thorn on the other side of the glass being analyzed by scientists.

"What the hell is that?" Willy asked.

"A piece of the flying titan," Magath answered, "The Female Titan managed to cut it off during their last fight. It is indeed alien, and we haven't been able to determine any other minerals like this on our world."

"We've run some tests and used some of our most powerful weapons to see if it can do some damage," Commander Calvi continued, "It only managed to create a dent. Nothing broke off. This is practically the strongest metal in all of existence."

"And from what was gathered, there are more like this?" Willy asked, "Like the flying and metal titan,"

"They both hail from the same world and were a part of a four million year war," Calvi explained, "A race far more advanced than our own. They could rule the stars."

"That is terrifying," Willy admitted, "They sound like gods."

"Seems that many have come to that conclusion as well," Magath remarked.

"So how was the Female Titan even able to cut off a piece of the titan if Marley weapons can't do it?" Willy demanded.

"I'll show you," Calvi answered as he directed the two outside of the room. They continued down the hallway and entered a room on the right. Calvi then pulled out a key and opened a container before pulling out a small vial of a glowing, blue liquid. He handed it to Willy, who carefully took it from his hands.

"That substance has been inside one of our titan shifters," Calvi explained, "It's called energon, and it is the life force of the metal titan. The king of the walls managed to infuse that substance with spinal fluid and inject it into Annie Leonhart."

Calvi pointed to the room with Annie trapped inside and strapped onto a bed. "That was the result."

Willy noticed the titan shifter looked tired, but he also noticed the blue substance appeared in her veins and her eyes, making them glow a brilliant blue.

"A side effect of the substance," Magath explained, "So far, it's non-lethal."

"But the substance has managed to accelerate regeneration," Calvi added.

As if on cue, a scientist cut off Annie's arm, causing her to cry out in pain. Willy watched as the arm grew back in a matter of five seconds as if nothing happened.

"Amazing," Willy admitted, "Have you tried this substance on a pure titan?"

"Not yet," Calvi answered, "We're still testing it out on the titan shifters. We're also trying to hypothesize exactly what it would do on a pure titan."

"The other substance; however, is unpredictable." Magath explained.

Willy carefully set the energon vial down in the container. "Other substance?"

"The flying titan referred to it as 'dark energon'," Calvi explained as they walked to another room, "It's apparently more lethal that energon itself, and it has caused negative effects on the Colossal Titan."

Calvi showed the condition that Bertholdt was in. Willy gasped when he saw Bertholdt looked sicklier than Annie, and his arm looked like it was deteriorating.

"The substance has prevented the Colossal Titan from regenerating, and has been instead destroying the Eldian from within," Calvi explained, "Administering the substance from within the Female Titan seems to slow down the effect, but only for a certain amount of time."

"Is it killing him?" Willy asked.

"It might be," Calvi admitted, "We have no idea of the full extent dark energon has, and our only way of understanding it would be to get the flying titan. For now we won't use the substance at all. If we handle it incorrectly, it could lead to an outbreak upon the population. If it's harming the titan shifter, who know how many humans will die."

"Dark energon will not be administered to anyone until we can get more insight on it," Magath declared, "For now we will only work with energon, and hope that provides us with an edge of defeating the demons of Paradis. If we can take out the two metal titans, the island won't stand a chance. They're nothing without them."

Zeke watched Matthew taking notes on the warrior cadets from his desk. "I'm surprised."

"Surprised about what?" Matthew demanded.

"Surprised that you're willing to teach the enemy what you know about combat," Zeke explained.

"You truly believe I would teach the enemy everything I know?" Matthew asked as he raised an eyebrow, "You must be a fool."

"You seemed willing to teach them today," Zeke retorted.

"I was ordered to teach them," Matthew retorted, "And I have to follow them or else this whole mission could spiral out of control. And even if I taught those sparklings everything I knew, they wouldn't even be able to utilize properly to beat me and Optimus in combat."

"What makes you so sure about that?" Zeke asked.

"Optimus has been training his pet for months and he hasn't been able to even beat Optimus once in training," Matthew explained.

"Pet?" Zeke questioned.

"Your brother," Matthew corrected.

The door opened and the two turned to see Pieck walking in with her crutches with Porco right behind her. Pieck was about to greet Zeke, but tripped over herself as she took a step forward. Matthew reacted quickly and caught her before she hit the ground.

"You okay?" Matthew asked in his other dialect.

"I'm fine," Pieck reassured, "Guess I still have trouble walking."

"I didn't think Marley would be that heartless and allow disabled Eldians to fight in wars," he remarked as he set Pieck on the couch.

"Oh, I've been in my titan form for a while," Pieck explained, "Being in there tends to render me unable to walk in my human form."

"You're a titan shifter?" Matthew asked as he grabbed her crutches.

"I'm the cart titan," Pieck smiled as she took them from him.

"And what about you?" Matthew asked Porco.

"Not a shifter," Porco answered, "I am a candidate to becoming one."

"I see," Matthew said.

"Matthew, you will have to leave," Zeke explained, "We're going to discuss some strategies for the war."

Matthew seemed to get the message as he grabbed his information on the warrior candidates and walked out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"So that's the guy training the next batch of warrior," Porco remarked, "I don't know why I haven't been administered into this program if I'm still not a titan shifter."

"You will be brought to the front to fight in the war," Zeke reminded, "Your services are needed there."

"Will Bertholdt and Annie fight in the war as well?" Pieck asked.

"Not yet," Zeke answered, "They're still trying to determine the effects of the substances in their bodies. Bertholdt is quite a serious case."

"But what happens when they do determine the substance in their bodies and how it could be used for combat?" Pieck asked.

"It could provide us with the edge against other countries as they advance in technology," Zeke answered.

"Speaking of technology, the entire world knows of the metal titans and that they might've gotten here somehow," Porco reminded, "The other countries could be hunting down the material and use it to upgrade their own weapons."

"But at the same time, no one really knows where to start looking for the material," Pieck reminded, "We're the only ones that have any idea of where to look,"

"That is true," Zeke agreed, "But desperation can find a way. The other countries don't have the titan power, so they would need everything they can get their hands on in order to win. That is something we need to watch out for."

Megatron observed the cadets training from the higher floor while taking notes. If he wanted to gain more insight on Marley Military, he had to find a way to get on their good side. Sucking up to humans, never thought he'd live to see a day like this.

The titan saw the cadets running with heavy bags on their backs, trying to see who was the fastest. The ones he appeared to be training were in the lead against the rest. Those children…they were just children, and they were led to believe that dying was a good thing. That sacrificing their lives would benefit their people. In reality, they would just be condemning them to either death or an eternal nightmare. They were exposed to war, and they were happy about it.

Megatron sighed. Would he have done something like that? He's killed millions. Brainwashing sparklings wouldn't be out of the question. He's gone so far to obtain victory, and in the end he lost everything. These children would lose everything too, whether they succeeded or failed.

"Sir," a voice spoke.

Megatron snapped out of his thoughts and turned to see the oldest of the warriors he was asked to train. The boy straightened his back and saluted him.

"Colt Grice," he introduced himself.

"I know who you are," Megatron said in the other dialect, "And you don't have to salute me. I'm a prisoner, not a soldier."

"B-but sir-,"

"You don't have to call me sir," Megatron reassured, "Matthew is just fine."

"I just-…," Colt trailed off, "I'm sorry. You protected me and my brother, and now your trapped here until this war is over. You're here because of me. Because I'm an Eldian."

"I'm here because I broke someone's hand," Megatron chuckled, "I just hope you got back home without any problems."

"You were worried?" Colt asked in surprise, "But I'm a devil, I-"

"You were just trying to protect your brother," Megatron interrupted, "And besides, I've seen people who are worse than you. Someone's heritage doesn't make them a monster."

"They'll call you an Eldian sympathizer," Colt proclaimed, "They'll ridicule and mock you just like they do with us."

"I've dealt with worse," Megatron reasoned, "Besides, I'm stuck training you all day so what difference does it make?"

Megatron could see the surprise in Colt's face as he looked back down at the cadets. "Are you still bothered?"

"People are cruel to Eldians," Colt declared, "I just didn't think I'd meet someone that wasn't an Eldian that was kind."

Megatron laughed. "I'm more reasonable than kind. So tell me, why did you come to see me?"

"I…I need you to sabotage my brother," Colt answered.

Megatron's amusement left his face as he faced Colt. "Explain."

"He's o-one of the other warrior candidates," Colt explained, "I just can't let him become a warrior."

"I thought becoming a warrior was an honor," Megatron recalled.

"It is!" Colt exclaimed.

"But you don't believe that if you're asking me to ruin your brother's chance at becoming one," Megatron retorted.

Megatron could see the fear in Colt's eyes before placing a hand on his shoulder. "I won't say a word. Just tell me why it's important to you."

"Being a titan shifter only lasts for thirteen years," Colt began, "And I'm willing to become one to save my family. But I can't let that happen to my brother. He's too young. He means too much to me. He doesn't deserve it."

"Then why become soldiers in the first place?" Megatron demanded.

"…Because there wasn't anything else we could do," Colt answered with a despondent look.

Megatron sighed as he removed his hand. "I can't do it. And not because I don't care. Seems I'm the only one here with enough decency to acknowledge these soldiers are children. I can't sabotage your brother because it would lead to all of us getting into trouble. I would be in trouble for not fulfilling my duty and thrown in jail. And I want to leave as soon as I can. If they figured out that you asked me to sabotage your brother, it could mean the end for you and your family."

"You're right. I…I'm sorry I asked," Colt apologized, "It was selfish of me."

"That was hardly selfish," Megatron retorted, "The only thing I can do is train him to survive in the war. Him getting the Titan powers is not up to me. I can't do much to help you."

"…Thank you," Colt spoke, "It's strange, really. No one really takes into consideration our situation. Hopefully I qualify as a titan shifter. That should save the rest of my family."

"You seem like a good kid," Megatron commented, "I hope you do find another way to protect your family instead of trading your own life. Now go. You don't want to get into trouble."

Megatron watched Colt run off before he sighed to himself. This was going to be strange.

The scientists were working on the schematics of Annie and analyzing the energon from her body. One of them put another vial of energon down on the table before walking away. Meanwhile, Yelena, disguised as a scientist walked into the room. She walked over to the table and looked at the notes before stealing a vial of the energon and placing it in her pocket. She greeted one of the scientists before calmly walking out of the room.

Later in the night

Megatron placed the papers on Zeke's desk, causing the shifter to look up at him.

"I have to leave," he informed, "It's late and I need to deactivate the holoform."

Zeke sighed. "Okay, but we need to work together. In order to survive and help the island, you need to put your trust in me."

"I gave you a week to allow me to consider if you were trustworthy," Megatron reminded, "Use it wisely,"

Zeke watched the holoform disappear before the door opened to reveal Yelena.

"What did you gather?" Zeke asked.

Yelena pulled the vial of the energon spinal fluid from her pocket and placed it on the table. "This is what they're working on. I don't know if I'll be able to infiltrate the lab again that easily."

"This is good enough," Zeke proclaimed, "We have a week to gain the flying titan's trust, so we need to do everything in our power to ensure it."

"What do you need me to do?" Yelena smiled.

Blooper

"So I have a question?" Zeke began.

"And that is?" Megatron said.

"Why did you choose 'Matthew Hayes' as your alias name?" Zeke asked, "I know it's not your real name but why that."

"I had to find a human name in order to blend in," Megatron explained, "I actually spent my time in the library one day just trying to find the right fit. I found the name I chose suitable and decided to stick with it."

"I see," Zeke said.

"It was either that or 'Frank Welker,'" Megatron added.

"Why 'Frank Welker'?" Zeke asked.

"It just sounded right," Megatron answered.