For the remaining ride to Hizuru, Aila checked on everyone, and reassured Falco that what happened was not his fault. Her arm had entirely healed within that time, and when she felt she was ready, she headed to the cabin Yelena was in to thank her for the spare clothes. As she walked, what happened at the harbor played in her mind, she was confused as to why her titan was able to evolve, why it was more powerful than the others, she would have to elaborate with Armin and Hange about it later. She had arrived at the cabin she was in, she stopped, standing in front of it and staring at the door, CLOCKCLOCK! "Yelena, it's Aila... are you.. can we talk?", it was silent for a moment. Aila nearly turned and left, thinking she was resting, but was stopped by the sound of the door clicking. There stood Yelena, weakly standing in the door way, staring at Aila, "Come it", she said as she stepped aside. Aila took a deep breath, she walked into the room and sat down on the sofa opposite to the one Yelena sat on. Yelena smiled, "So, what were you planning on talking to me about?" "I just wanted to thank you for the spare clothes, I don't think anyone else's would've fit me", Aila snapped back, wanting to end this interaction as quickly as possible. Yelena stood back up, walking to the small window that looked out at the water, "Of course, I wouldn't want you walking around with your breasts and genitalia out for the world to see, a woman should value her virtue". She turned around, smirking as she looked Aila up and down, "Besides, I think you pull them off better than I do", she said as she walked over to her, sitting down next to her. Aila tensed up, she felt uncomfortable and knew Yelena was up to no good, she stood up to leave, "Again Yelena, thank you for the clothes, I'll return them as soon as I can find some others". Just as she walked away, Yelena wrapped her hand around her wrist, "Don't you think you may owe me for giving you them?", she said as she rubbed her thumb on her hand, smiling all the while. Suddenly, the door slammed open, "If you wish to keep your one free hand to wipe your ass and eat with, then I suggest you let her go Yelena, she's obviously not interested in you, don't you know it's not polite to try and seduce a married woman?", Annie said as she walked in, Aila smiled at her, happy she came to her rescue.
Annie and Yelena had a stare down for what seemed to be hours, but was only a few seconds. Annie took Aila's hand and guided her out of the cabin, slamming the door on the way out, once they were clear of Yelena's tainted touch, she embraced her, "Ugh.. I'm sorry, I never should've suggested you thank that leech" "It's really alright Ann, I'm just glad you came to my rescue", Aila replied with a smile, leaning down and placing a soft peck on Annie's pink lips. Annie backed away but continued to hold her hand, "I came to get you but you weren't in your cabin so I checked everywhere, I was trying to come tell you that we're in Hizuru", she said as they walked to the captains cabin, this would be their first time somewhere other than where they were born. Once they docked, Jean, Armin, Connie, Gelgar, a few of the Azumabito's employees and Onyonkapon pulled the flying boat to a hangar for maintenance before they could take off and head straight for the rumbling. During that time, Annie said she began to feel sick and needed some air, heading down to the docks to sit near the water and rest, Aila was ordered to rest a bit more before they left to regain her strength. Falco and Gabi mourned their fallen home of Liberio and their families who were lost with it along with Pieck, who had lost all hope. Annie sat on the edge of the harbor, feet away from the water, throwing up into the sea, Mikasa and Sasha noticed, growing concerned for their friend. Sasha ran over to her while Mikasa set down the equipment for their mission, "Hey Annie, you ok? You're not looking too hot", Annie weakly looked up at her, she was pale, exhausted looking. Sasha sat down next to her, rubbing her back at she caught her breath, "I-I don't know, but... I have a pretty good idea as to what is wrong, and if it's what I think it is then.. shit...", she weakly told Sasha. Mikasa soon followed Sasha, sitting down on the other side of her, "Where's Aila? Does she know you're sick?" "No... she's resting right now, her body may be healed but her strength is still weak, besides.. I don't know if I should tell her", Annie answered as she rested her hand on her forehead. Mikasa and Sasha looked at each other, confused and concerned, "Tell her what Annie?", Mikasa asked with a slight frown. Annie let out a sigh before looking up at the stars above her head, "... That I'm pregnant.. Mikasa".
Mikasa and Sasha both shot up from their seats, "WHAT?! B-BUT HOW?!" "A few days before everything started to go down in Paradis, Armin donated some of his sperm to me and Hange preformed a procedure that would impregnate me without me having to have intercourse with someone, we wanted to start a family. I only started to feel sick after everything had gone to shit, I just wanted to surprise her and tell her, we had already agreed on starting a family before the Jaegerists even came to light, now it's too late to do anything about it", Annie said with tears in her eyes. Sasha sat back down, she brought Annie into her arms, embracing her as she sobbed in fear of what may happen to her unborn child. On the ship, Hange, Nanaba, Pieck, Armin, Levi and Kiyomi discussed with Yelena where Eren may be. Aila had awoken when she heard the ruckus from Armin trying to stop Levi from walking yet, "You should sleep a little more" "Sleep more? If I sleep longer than this, you'll just forget about me. I was asleep as if I had a fever, that fucking bastard's back now, finding out Eren's whereabouts is what needs to happen", Levi said from the other side of her door. She sat up from her sleep, and walked to the door, turning the knob as she stepped outside to see Levi holding onto the railing as Armin tried to convince him to rest more. Just as she was about to say something, Pieck had appeared, "I also... have nothing to do now", she said with dead eyes, it was as if her soul had been lost. Aila felt remorse for her, knowing just how much Annie was hurting for her father gave an understanding as to how Pieck is feeling for her own. The four of them continued on to Yelena's cabin where she lay resting, Hange and Kiyomi were also on their way their to get more details and information on where Eren would be heading. "There's an aerospace lab in the southern Marleyan mountains, that's probably Eren's second target", Yelena said through her pain of her broken arm, "Satrayose... surely.. if he knew about the existence of any weapon that could take down the founding titan...", Pieck added on. Yelena looked down at her legs, "He would then go to Karifa airbase, to destroy the planes", the room was filled with silence.
Levi glared at her for a moment, "You're so obedient" "I have a favor to ask in return, admit it", Kiyomi demanded. Yelena sighed, "Zeke lost.. but he was not wrong. The only solution to two thousand years of Eldian problem is the 'euthanasia plan', you can see from the destruction of the rumbling ", she said, sadness and defeat was written on her face. The room went silent once more, thinking of how she was right, about how the rumbling was truly the end. Hange broke the silence, "I admit... Eren did not show any solution.. hope, or future. Only my helplessness", she said with sadness and regret in her voice. Once Yelena had finished sharing everything she knew, they left her to rest, and led Levi back to his cabin to continue to rest for a bit longer. They all got off the boat, Aila looked around for Annie, wanting to share the new information they had discovered with her and whoever else would listen. She spotted her with Sasha and Mikasa who were comforting her, her face twisted into a frown, concern filled her eyes. She sprinted to her, "Annie! Are you ok?! Did something happen!?", she shouted as she came closer and closer, she stopped just close to Mikasa, panting. Annie looked up at her, her eyes were red and puffy from crying, Mikasa and Sasha both stood up, "We should give you two some space, you've got a lot to talk about", Mikasa said as she pat Aila's shoulder, taking Sasha's hand as they walked away. Aila stood confused, she looked back down at Annie who patted the spot next to her, she sat down pulling her into her arms, "Ann?", Aila asked softly. Annie nuzzled her head into her chest, letting out a long and hard sigh, filled with shakiness. Aila waited for her to be ready to talk, not wanting to push her, "Ail... there's something I have to tell you" "Ok, go ahead, you can tell me anything", Aila reassured her wife. Annie clenched onto her pants, "... I-I'm.. I'm pregnant Aila...", Aila's eyes widened with shock, she looked down at Annie, a smile spread across her face. "Y-You are?! But how?" "Armin donated his sperm to me, and Hange preformed a procedure, impregnating me without having to have intercourse with him", Annie explained. Aila's smile grew, she stood up and picked Annie up, spinning her in the air with joy, she was going to be a mother.
Aila set her down before she would puke, looking into her eyes, tears of joy in her own, she lifted Annie's hand to her cheek, kissing it. Annie was shocked at her reaction, she expected her to be angry for not telling her, "Y-You're not angry?" "Angry? Why would I be? I'm gonna be a mother! We're gonna be parents Annie!", she said with excitement, Annie smiled, relaxing a bit. Once Aila calmed down, she sat down holding her in her arms, looking out at the ocean before them, "So how long ago did this procedure happen?" "A few days before the attack on Liberio's internment zone, I was planning on telling you when we got back to Paradis once I was sure it worked but... then the world went to shit and I only was sure the morning before we left Shiganshina, I wasn't sure whether I should've told you, I was scared you'd be angry", Annie told her. Aila looked down at her, moving a strand of hair behind her ear, "Annie, I'm not angry, but I am happy and scared. I'm happy we'll have a family, but I'm scared for your own and the baby's safety" "I know, that's why I think... I should stay with Kiyomi and the kids. I don't want to but... I don't wanna risk our child's safety", Annie said as she looked down at the water below her. Aila kissed her forehead, "I agree with you, we can explain to the others why you're gonna stay on the boat with them, plus you gotta be there to keep Yelena in check", Aila said with a chuckle. Annie's eyes filled with tears, this time, they were of joy, "Thank you... so much, I love you so much", she said through sobs. Aila just rubbed her back as she cried into her chest, watching the sun rise as thoughts of her future family flooded her mind. Once Annie composed herself, she and Aila both told the others of the news, being congratulated by everyone, including Levi himself. They were more than understanding to why she needed to stay with them, insisted she stayed even. Soon, the morning had come, "HANGE! WE TAKE OFF IN ONE HOUR!", Onyonkapon shouted from the hangar. The remaining scouts along with Pieck gathered, "You hear him, check if you've got everything" "Right!", they all acknowledged. The final battle to save the world was just around the corner, the fear with uncertainty followed.
As they all checked their gear and supplies, they couldn't help but notice Levi's shaking hand as it clutched onto his blade. He noticed, letting out a sigh, "Two fingers are enough, it's fine", he reassured them, as he looked down at his mutilated hand. Aila headed over to Annie, she waited patiently near the water, her face twisted to a sad expression as she clutched onto her arm. Aila looked down at her, cupping her cheek with her hand, resting the other on her waist, "I'll be fine, I have to return home, or I'll be a pretty shitty mother and an even shittier wife", she said with a soft smile. Annie leaned into her touch, her eyes began to brim with tears, Aila wiped them with her thumb, leaning down and placing a kiss on her lips, deep and full of love. They rested foreheads, "You better come home... ok Brandt?" "Hm, as you wish.. Leonhart", they exchanged their final goodbyes, Aila bent down and placed a kiss on Annie's stomach, then turned and returned to the rest of the scouts, who waved at her one final time. Mikasa rested her hand on Aila's shoulder, "Ail, are you ok?" "Yeah, but now... I HAVE to come back home", she said with a determined frown on her brow. The others smiled at her remark, nodding in agreement that not only did she have to return home for her newfound family, but they ALL had to return home for their own. Just as the preparations were complete, and the plane was ready to take off, the ground began to shake. "This noise...", Hange said, everyone knew what it was, Aila ran out of the hangar, looking at the mountain behind Hizuru, her eyes widened when she saw it. She clenched her fists, "The rumbling... THE RUMBLING IS HERE!", she shouted, she snapped her head towards the port, letting out a sigh of relief when she saw that the boat had already left, and Annie was safe. Everyone soon joined her outside, staring in awe and fear of the monstrosities that headed straight for them, "Armin... we're out of options", Sasha said as she clenched onto Mikasa's hand. Armin was frozen, his eyes dead, "Now.. I have to.. buy time with-" "YOU CAN'T! YOU'RE THE KEY TO STOPPING EREN! I will buy time-", Aila was cut off. Hange stopped both of them, "STOP! You can't afford to use your titan powers more! I brought everyone here... I killed countless comrades to be here, I will take that burden", Hange said, she was planning on sacrificing herself.
They all stood in silence for a moment, she looked at Armin and smiled, "Armin Arlert, I'm promoting you to the fifteenth commander of the survey corps. The requirement for the commander of the scouts is to never give up, there is no one better than you, I'll leave everyone to you", everyone stood wide eyed. Hange was planning on sacrificing herself without hesitation, "Well, bye everyone! Oh, also Levi is your subordinate now, so manhandle him as you will" "Wait Hange...", Gelgar stopped her. She stopped for a moment, turning around confused, Gelger stepped in front of her, "You can't do it alone so.. I'll come with ya" "Me to-" "NO!", Gelgar stopped Nanaba. She stopped with her eyes wide, he turned around and walked to her, embracing her, then looking into her eyes, "Emmy needs at least one parent to come home... so you gotta stay Nana..", Nanaba's eyes were filled with tears. She began to sob into his chest as he held her, he placed one last kiss on her lips, smiling, "Tell Emmy that her daddy will always be with her", he said as he turned away, walking with Hange, to certain death before them. With sudden speed, the two soldiers sped off on their gear, they all watched as titans began to fall. The engineers rushed and rushed to finish the plane, and just before the rumbling reached them, they took off, "HANGEEEEEE! GELGAAAAAR!", Nanaba screamed with tears flowing down her cheeks. But it wasn't just her, everyone was mourning their fallen comrades, "TAKE OFF! HOLD ON!", Onyonkapon warned as he sobbed, Levi sat down staring off with a dead expression, "See ya... Hange..", he said. No tears flowed from his eyes, only a lost soul was in them, Aila sobbed in her hands, she has lost yet two more of her comrades... of her friends. She looked up out the window at the rumbling, clenching her teeth and fists, banging on the wall, "Eren... the boy I grew up with.. the boy who wanted to be free... you're gone now.. so... I WILL FREE YOU ONCE AND FOR ALL!", she shouted in anger. No one interfered her statement, not Armin, and not even Mikasa, had a rebuttal for her declaration to kill Eren Jaeger.