This is My Last War (Attack on Titan // LeviHan) - Part 3

Home Is Where the Heart Is

"Dramatic," Zoë remarked drily. "And ridiculous."

"And yet, there are enough people who are ready to believe there are deadly, horrible things on Paradis. If this continues, it will get even harder to find a passenger boat that takes you from the continent to the island."

"It could be deliberate."

"Yes, it could be."

The urgent summons from their Queen to return to Paradis had reached them only weeks after Marley's crushing defeat and unconditional surrender. A peace agreement was being negotiated these days. Marley's generals faced prosecution for war crimes. It was likely the country would be divided into five occupation zones. Yes, the war was over - and it had been going on for so long, people hardly remembered why it had started in the first place.

"Commander!" Zoë turned her head towards the shouted greeting, watching Armin scurry towards her. Her second in command scrunched up his face in sympathy when he drew closer. "Oh, you are still unwell?"

"What gave it away," Zoë groaned.

"Your skin is green," Armin lamented. "I am so sorry, Commander. I hoped to have a word with you."

"Take over from me and keep talking to her," Grütter offered his advice and turned away to take a turn on the deck. "It won't hurt to keep her mind off wanting to throw up."

"Really?" Armin looked doubtful.

"What are your thoughts about the scary stories about Paradis that are spreading like a wildfire?" Zoë asked him because indeed, talking helped.

"Someone wants to keep people away from the island," Armin replied promptly. "Though this method's success rests too much on people's superstition and fears to be a sure win."

"Could just be a hoax," Zoë suggested. Or the Azumabitos. They had vested interests to be the only ones with easy access to the rare materials on Paradis.

"A lot of people believe in these stories," Armin pushed some of his windblown hair out of his eyes. "There was even an article in one of the medical journals. Mass hysteria, they called it. It has real effects."

Ah, the medical journals... she would miss them.

"Should we get subscriptions?" She asked Armin, running through a list of desirables in her head. It was a long list, but without knowledge, they'd be greatly disadvantaged on their remote island.

"I'd love to. But will we have the budget?"

Zoë shrugged ruefully. Probably not. Paradis faced difficult times.

The Walls had crumbled. All of them. At the same time.

The Paradis government was sure it was sabotage - what else? - but couldn't prove it. Tensions were running high, the damage was tremendous, the death count was staggering. Cities like Trost or Shiganshina had been completely cut off from the rest of the island by mountains of rubble.

The Queen had called her elite soldiers back from the mainland to help her solve this new crisis. When Zoë had begun to write the mission reports, she had to ask herself whether they could count it as a success? They had infiltrated Marley's research facility and had helped the Eldian resistance - but in all honesty, the end of the war was hard to relate to their efforts.

It had just been Marley's time to fail.

"What did you want to talk to me about, Armin?" Zoë peeled her eyes away from the chimneys to look at the blond man before her. Her stomach lurched precariously but she willed it into submission once more.