˗ˏ✎ warnings ! *ೃ
MAJOR spoilers for chapter 138 of the Attack on Titan manga / potential spoilers for Attack On Titan season 4 part 2 are included in this chapter! anime onlys, read with discretion.
"...Why aren't they stopping?"
Sitting atop Falco's large winged Titan, part of the Scouts watched over an army of Colossal Titans steadily marching for the crowded military base sitting in the distance. From above, it looked like a sea of red was slowly engulfing the land around Fort Salta, a mesa standing tall in a barren desert under the late afternoon sun.
"Are you sure you killed Zeke? Maybe he didn't really die." Connie suggested aloud, wariness laced in his voice and tone. Exhaustion and dried stains of blood marked Connie's features as he hung tightly onto the roped-netting spread out on Falco's feathered back, trying not to be blown away by the strong winds blowing past him.
"I'm positive. I watched his head fly off with my own eyes." Levi confirmed somberly, but despite this statement, he uncharacteristically looked a little unsure of himself.
Connie lifted his head in confusion, furrowing his eyebrows at Levi, "Actually, you only have.."
Sitting beside Levi, Mikasa shot Connie a glare, wordlessly shushing him before he could finish his intrusive thought aloud.
"..Nevermind." Connie muttered.
"What if it was the centipede thingy?" Gabi chimed in eagerly, receiving puzzled stares from everyone sitting around her. She only returned their stares with a wide-eyed expression of her own, obliviousness at its finest, as she waited for a reply.
Annie, who sat beside Gabi, gave the young girl a weird look, "What are you talking about?"
"Back in Paradis, I shot Eren's head off with an anti-Titan rifle." Gabi put simply.
Everyone's eyes widened in surprise, especially Mikasa's. She and the others had been so busy fighting each other in Paradis, they didn't even realize Eren had been decapitated in the battle.
"But then (Y/n) caught his head, and when she did, something jumped out of Eren's spine and connected itself to his head. It looked like a shiny centipede or something." Gabi explained more.
"That sounds.. gross." Annie muttered in disgust, a grimace sitting on her face.
"What was it?" Mikasa asked, intrigued.
"I think it was the Founding.. or the true power of the Titans. When it connected to Eren's head, that's when that thing appeared." Gabi motioned to the giant creature that became of Eren, still marching across the land with the Colossal Titans at its side, "What if it's in Zeke too? Maybe the centipede came out of him like it did with Eren."
Annie opened her mouth to say something, but another had beat her to it.
"I don't think it's Zeke who's behind all this.."
Everyone turned to look behind them, being greeted with Armin's worried gaze. His freshly healed legs were crossed beneath him, his hands wound in the roped netting to maintain stability.
When Armin, Mikasa, Annie, and Connie rejoined Levi & Gabi on Falco's Titan, Armin had silently migrated from the group, excluding himself from the conversation. He had fallen into a thoughtful silence ever since he saw your Titan, and was only now speaking to the others.
The others silently awaited Armin's explanation, eyeing him in expectation. So he sat up a little straighter, raising his voice to speak. He was the new Commander after all, maybe he should start acting like it.
"I believe Zeke truly is gone. I don't think he would try to trick us again. He wouldn't have gone to the lengths he did to reveal himself to Captain Levi." Armin said, eyes distant as he recalled the memories of him sitting in Paths with Zeke.
While at first Zeke resisted Armin's beliefs and ideas of saving Humanity and appreciating Life, eventually he was persuaded. Zeke accepted his demise willingly and wholeheartedly, leaving the safety of the Paths dimension to bare himself to Levi's pure wrath in the form of steel swords.
Armin remembered the look of finality in Zeke's bright blue eyes the last time they spoke. Armin was positive Zeke was dead and no longer a worry. And yet, the Wall Titans still marched. It was a conundrum, but it was soon provided with an explanation.
"The only way the Rumbling could continue, is if Eren had access to someone with Royal blood, right?" Armin asked the others, though it wasn't really a question he wanted to be answered. His eyes searched their faces for some understanding, but he found none.
"Right..?" Connie agreed reluctantly, "We know that already. But Zeke is dead, so—"
"Who else has Royal blood here besides Zeke?" Armin asked once more. His teeth absentmindedly picked at the flesh of his bottom lip, anxiety beginning to seep into his being.
Annie gave Armin a confused look, a knot forming on her forehead from her eyebrows furrowing together, "Are you talking about (Y/n)? But how would she..?" Annie's question trailed off with the wind, a look of realization settling in her stoic features.
Gabi perked up in her spot with wide brown eyes, raising her hand as if she were answering a test question in one of her Warrior Unit classes, "Armin, are you trying to say that (Y/n) could be in Paths with Eren?"
Armin's eyes never left Annie's as he nodded his head, "I'm afraid that's exactly what I'm saying.."
It was silent besides the whistle of the wind blowing past the Scouts' bodies; a blank, yet thoughtful expression sitting on everyone's faces as they took in what Armin was telling them.
Connie reluctantly raised his hand, not speaking until Armin nodded his head towards him. "Okay.. I see how that could be why the Rumbling isn't stopping.. But what about (Y/n)'s Titan randomly showing up? If she's in Paths, why is her Titan just walking around like it's out on the town?" Connie asked before frowning, "And why would she shoot at us with her spikes? We're her friends, right?"
When Armin and the others were still standing on the spine of Eren's Founding Titan, they spotted your Spiked Titan standing tall amongst the other veteran Titans inhabiting the mountain of bones. Your Titan gave Armin and the others no chance to feel relief at seeing your appearance, because you had already fired off a large spike right at the Female Titan's back, leaving them confused. Luckily they made their getaway soon afterwards.
"Well we could say the same for most of the other Titans down there. Why are they here if they're not really.. here?" Armin debated, referring to Connie's question. Armin pointed down at the big red mass sitting on the Founding Titan's tall spine, "Like Bertholdt's Colossal Titan. He's here and we know for a fact he's not supposed to be here because..." Armin eventually made a motion towards himself, emphasizing his point.
"True, true.." Connie nodded slowly, before tilting his head and scratching at his nape, "But.. I still don't get it."
"I believe (Y/n)'s Titan is being controlled by the Founding like the other Titans are." Armin simplified, earning an Ohhh from Connie who understood better. "It's just like what Pieck said earlier, Eren or the Founder created an army of veteran Titan-shifters to fight against us.. And now they've taken (Y/n) as one of them."
"Shit.." Annie muttered under her breath. Her face was composed but the fiddling of her fingers messing with her ring gave her anxiety away. "Was the hundreds of other Titans on Eren's back not enough? Was taking (Y/n) really that important?"
"It's because of her blood." Mikasa said, staring down at the Founding Titan with thoughtful eyes. "She's a royal so she could keep the Rumbling going if Zeke died.. Her Titan form was just a bonus. It's built for battles like this, unlike Zeke's big Beast Titan."
"It still doesn't make sense to me. They took her long before Zeke died." Annie debated before a thoughtful crease to her brows formed, "Unless.. They were planning on Zeke dying in the first place."
A cold chill ran down Armin's spine, and it wasn't from the wind. Everyone exchanged wary looks, a thousand words transferred with just eye contact, not because Annie's theory sounded far-fetched. But because it sounded exactly like something Eren would think of. If anything, the idea was right up Eren's alley. He already blindsided the Scouts with his true plan for the Rumbling. Who's to say Eren didn't think of this too?
Armin was beginning to lose trust in his best friend.
"But now we have a new problem.."
Everyone looked to Levi, who turned to Armin in particular. His steely grey glare pierced into Armin's intensely, never wavering as he said, "As long as (Y/n) is alive, the Rumbling will continue. We have to—"
"Don't." Armin held his hand up, pleading, begging Levi to not continue. "Don't say it. Please."
Levi ignored him, "We need to kill (Y/n)."
A sharp pain struck Armin right in the heart as Levi said the words aloud. With his jaw clenched and his fists balled in his lap, Armin squeezed his eyes shut, temporarily blocking out the world to cowardly retreat to his mind.
It was still a conflicting piece of information to absorb. On the bright side, you're alive and assumingely unharmed. The downside? You being alive is single-handedly supporting Eren and the Wall Titans' march to end Humanity beyond the Walls.
Armin knew of this already. It was the first thing that surfaced in his mind when the theory of you being alive came to be. Thoughts of your possible death ate at Armin's mind like a parasite. He didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to hear about it, because then he'd be forced to face the terrifying thought of having to be the one to end your life.
Armin was tired of losing the people he cared deeply about. He wasn't ready to lose you again. He had just got you back to him, had finally gotten you in his arms by some miraculous stroke of luck.
Life was unfair, giving him all he ever wanted, just to cruelly snatch it right out of his hands again.
"Look, you can ignore it all you want, Armin, but you're the Commander now. You'll have to face it sooner or later." Levi advised bluntly, no form of empathy in his cold tone. "You don't have to be the one to do it.. but it has to be done."
Armin started to shake his head no, as if that would somehow make Levi's words untrue. He could feel his heart climb to his throat, his stomach lurching forward with nausea. "There has to be another way."
"This is the only way." Levi countered.
He watched Armin curl in on himself, both physically and mentally, as Armin held his head in his hands. The pain and conflict was visible for everyone to see, in the way Armin's trembling fingers tangled in his blonde tresses. In the way he continued to squeeze his eyes shut. Mikasa shifted closer to comfort Armin with reassuring squeezes to his shoulders and pats to his back. He was scared, she could tell. Scared of losing the one he loved.
Mikasa knew that feeling better than anyone.
Levi blew out a heavy breath, "Look, I understand. It's not an easy thing to think about the death of someone you.. love." Levi said the word like it was foreign, a weird taste in his mouth, "But we've all had to give up something to get here.. This is for the best, and I'm sure (Y/n) knows that too."
Armin was naturally a kind person, someone who always seemed to have others best interest in mind before his own. He's proven it time and time again. But Armin didn't think he could learn to be selfless enough to willingly sacrifice your life for the better of the world. He'd give his own life in a heartbeat if it meant you'd survive this.
It was a dark thought that came and went, but just for a fleeting moment, Armin thought he would rather let Humanity burn under the Wall Titan's feet if it meant you'd live.
But he's a Commander now, and people in such a high role can't only think for themselves. There were people counting on Armin to lead them to victory like the Commanders before him once did. He had a duty to fulfill. Armin was sure Erwin wouldn't have hesitated in making a decision like this. Nor would Hange. It was yet another reason why Armin didn't think he was the slightest bit fit for this position.
Why did Hange have to choose him?
Suddenly, the thundering boom of a loud explosion disrupted the tense conversation, along with Armin's thoughts.
Everyone looked towards the direction of the noise, immediately noticing the fiery blast radiating from the Founding Titan's stretched neck of bone. The large explosion blew harsh waves of heat and wind to Falco's Titan as it circled overhead. The head of Eren's Founding Titan promptly disconnected from the rest of the body, falling down into the steamy abyss surrounding the Wall Titan's feet.
Connie's eyes widened in disbelief, a sharp gasp escaping his open mouth, "T-They did it..! Jean and Pieck got Eren's head off!"
No one noticed the way Mikasa grew increasingly stiff at both Connie's announcement and the sight before her, fear engulfing her entire being.
But not a moment more passed before, just as Gabi described earlier, a large glowing centipede-like creature slithered its way out of the Founding Titan's decapitated spine. Like a worm, it squirmed around, eagerly searching for Eren's head.
"That! That's the thing that came out of Eren's head!" Gabi shouted, confirming everyone's thoughts.
Seizing the opportunity, the Armored Titan suddenly jumped out from its hiding spot within Eren's ribs, to grab onto the glowing creature. With his strong arms wrapped around the large worm, Reiner pulled it down to the ground with him, tackling the creature the moment they both touched down.
"Let me off."
The others turned to watch Armin with puzzled expressions marking their faces. The weeping boy they had just experienced, was no longer there. Armin was straightfaced, eyes still glassy from crying, but only focused on the fight happening between the creature and Reiner on the ground.
He figured he could sit here and keep crying about you, or he could go and solve the problem at its root.
"Huh? What did you say?" Mikasa studied her friend with concern in her eyes, wanting to make sure she heard him correctly.
"I said let me off. I need to transform now while that thing is out in the open." Armin repeated rashly.
"Wait, so you're really going through with it?" Annie asked, icy blue eyes opened wide as she watched Armin scramble to stand to his feet. She didn't have to explain what she meant, everyone knew.
Armin was going to kill Eren.
Armin ignored her question, "You guys just worry about grabbing Jean and the others, if you can, and leaving this area. I'll give you a minute."
Mikasa sat up, "Armin, wait—"
"Falco! Get me closer to Eren!" Armin ordered.
Without another word, Falco's Titan took an abrupt swan dive to get closer to Eren's Founding Titan, prompting everyone to scream in terror and dig their fingers into the roped netting to avoid being blown off. Amidst this, Armin took the opportunity to jump off.
The others could only watch as Armin used the wires on his ODM gear to land safely on the tall towers of bone standing on the Founding Titan's lengthy spine.
With a sharp wraparound, Falco flew beneath the large body of the Founding Titan, into the cage of bones where Jean and Pieck hung idly from the underside of Eren's ribs.
"Jean! Pieck! Get on!" Connie shouted as Falco approached the pair, "We need to get away quick! Armin's gonna blow this whole thing to pieces!"
"But what about Reiner! Won't he get caught in the explosion?" Jean shouted back. He didn't look much better than the others, face covered in a shiny sheen of sweat and smeared marks of ash from the explosion. Jean's ODM gear was nearly busted, only offering him a single wire which he used to hang from the bones above him.
"The Armored Titan should be able to withstand the Colossal Titan's transformation! Reiner will be okay!" Pieck assured with great confidence. Only the upper half of her human figure was seen, the lower half embedded in the open, steamy nape of the Cart Titan. The Titan hung upside down from Eren's ribs, using it's muscular arms to wrap itself tightly around one of the thick bones.
Jean still seemed unsure of this unanimous decision, glancing towards the ground where Reiner still tussled with the glowing worm-like creature.
"Come on! We don't have time to waste. Armin only gave us a minute." Annie yelled up impatiently.
With this new information known, Jean sucked in a frustrated breath through gritted teeth. In quick haste, he used the ODM wire he hung by to swing over to Pieck's area, safely snatching her out of the Cart Titan before they free-fell the short distance to Falco's Titan.
"Thank you." Pieck was breathless as she struggled to regain her bearings and sit up properly, grabbing onto the netting provided on Falco's back.
"No problem." Jean grunted under his breath. He didn't move his arm from around Pieck, trying to help her hang on while also keeping himself from being blown off the Titan.
As Falco flew from beneath Eren's Titan and took to the skies once more, everyone watched as Reiner struggled with the centipede-like creature on the ground. The Armored Titan repeatedly punched the large worm back, blocking its path to Eren's detached Titan head sitting idly by. But Reiner's efforts seemed to be of no help. The worm was relentless as it thrashed around, kicking up dirt into the air.
The concerned look sitting on Jean's face didn't go past Pieck's watchful gaze, "Don't worry. Reiner's prepared for the consequences. If we had let this crucial moment pass us by, his efforts would've all been for nothing."
While it was good to hear, Pieck's words did nothing to settle the general unease that filled the air. You could feel the tension simmering beneath the surface, just waiting to bubble up and explode.
Will Armin's transformation be enough to stop Eren?
━━━━━━
Using his gear to latch onto the tallest bone at the peak of the Founding Titan's spine, Armin watched over everything from a birds-eye view.
Falco's Titan was flying out towards Fort Salta, having already collected Pieck and Jean on it's back along with the others. Reiner's Armored Titan was still on the ground in front of the Founding Titan, fighting with the creature that slipped out of the Eren's spine. And not too far from where Reiner and the creature scuffled was where Eren's Titan head sat, the glow in its usual bright neon-green eyes now dimmed to darkness.
Then there were the variety of Titans inhabiting the valley of bones known as the Founding Titan's spine. Armin had expected them to attack when he landed, but instead of focusing on him, the Titans were fighting.. each other?
It was a full out bloody brawl to the death. Armin was in pure disbelief as he watched the Titans of the past tear each other apart from limb to limb.
At least, everyone but you.
The Spiked Titan was the only one that didn't engage in the fight, untouched due to Bertholdt's Colossal Titan using its large muscular arms to block any Titan that dared to come near you. Your Titan's eyes were glowing a bright white, seemingly watching over the others.
Her eyes were darkened at first, like the others.. What changed when we left?
Confused, Armin continued to study the events happening below him. His attentiveness quickly noticed the clear divide in the fight, being split between two large groups.
So they're not just fighting randomly.. There's organized teams..
One group of Titans moved with stiff robotic movements. The color of their eyes were a dull grey, void of any color. Dark shadows were cast over their faces, as if to hide their features. The Titans moved as one unit, a hive mind, with coordinated attacks. It was obvious this group were the ones being controlled by the Founding or Eren.
The opposing group consisted of the Titans that crowded around the Spiked Titan. Unlike how they were earlier, vibrant colors had returned to their irises, no longer a muted grey. Their bodies moved with more agility and range than the other Titans. And the movements weren't coordinated, they were all doing their own signature technique or fighting move, as if they were thinking on their own free will.
But Pieck mentioned earlier that she didn't think they were conscious.. Could it be possible if..?
Armin's eyes wandered back to the Spiked Titan who stood in the middle of them all, just to find that the Titan had already been watching him. Another cold chill ran down Armin's spine and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he held your Titan's intense gaze.
Was it really you watching him, or someone else?
All this time Armin had been assuming that Eren or the Founding had control over you and your Titan, but he never stopped to think that maybe you were able to take back control. It wasn't impossible, in fact it was likely considering you had Royal blood.
So Armin wanted to test his theory.
━━━━━
You were exhausted.
Your body felt like it was burning hot and working in overdrive. Your muscles were sore and tired from over-exertion, breathing labored and heavy, like you had just finished running a thousand or more miles. And all you've done is stand in a circle and hold hands.
The moment you placed your hands in the cold palms of the other Shifters in Paths, a greater power took over, granting you the ability to see from the other Shifter's perspectives. You could tap into either of their memories whenever you wished, viewing the world on the outside through them.
Viewing through the eyes of different Titans, you could see that a fight had broken out on the Founding Titan's large mountain of a spine. The brawl was split between the Shifters who stood with you now in Paths, and the other Titans, who you assumed to be of the Founding's resurrection.
At some point you even managed to catch a good view of Annie, Connie, and Mikasa. Though it was only for a few short moments as they escaped on Falco's Titan. You had nearly collapsed to your knees from happiness when you spotted Armin sitting among them, unharmed and free from the mouth of that strange Titan that held him captive. Zeke had told you earlier that Armin was able to escape Paths, but it was still relieving to see proof with your own eyes. Er— Well, Ymir's eyes that time.
The ability to see everything was great for a while, being able to use the Shifters in Paths to your advantage and keep a watchful eye over your friends.
The only thing was, you didn't know how to stop it.
The power to see so much at once, eventually grew too much for you to handle.
You were jumping from memory to memory as they happened, flashing images of one scene bleeding into the next. One second you were in your own body, standing under the stars in Paths, and the next, you were viewing the world through Porco's Jaw Titan as he clawed out the eyes of a Titan. Just to abruptly switch to the Colossal Titan's bird-eye view as he watched the Titans fight on Eren's spine from above. And so on.
It was dizzying.
You tried to hold out for so long, fearful that if you let go of Bertholdt and Porco's hands, it would stop the connection of all the Shifters to their Titans. But you knew if you stayed like this, always jumping from one mind to the next, you'd go utterly insane.
Time in Paths moved differently. Mere seconds in the outside world lasted longer in the Paths dimension.
You've been holding hands and helping the Shifters fight in Paths for days. Maybe longer. You stopped counting after seven.
You wondered how Eren handled powers like this. With the Founding, you knew Eren had an abundance of abilities at his fingertips. It must've been intense, you thought, being able to see and hear everything all at once, all the time, like an omniscient being. It almost made you pity him.
It also made you curious as to why Eren didn't attempt to stop you from fighting back, especially if you knew he could see what you were doing.
Maybe he just doesn't care.
Or maybe Reiner was right.. If I had to go through this alone all the time, I'd want someone to stop me too.
Maybe Eren wants me to stop him.
And with that conflicting assumption, you let yourself drown in the dangerous sea of your thoughts again, forced to watch the events outside of Paths flash past your eyes like a horribly put together stop motion film.
That is, until you saw something new show up from the usual scene of Titans fighting. From the blur of images, it looked like a figure. A person.
Wait..
Is that..?
As if the universe finally heard your desperate plea, the jumping paused. Or maybe it was just the deep will within you that made the flashing of memories stop. Somehow you were seeing the outside world from your own Titan's point of view again, no longer switching from mind to mind. Now you could only see things from one perspective, one scene playing out in front of your eyes.
You could see the Colossal Titan's arms still shielding your Titan from the others. You could see the Titans tearing each other apart. And in the near distance, you could see a human figure perched on one of the tall bones of Eren's spine, using their ODM gear to properly latch themselves as they took a look around, before they found your eyes.
Armin..
He came back.
He stared at you for a while, mere minutes feeling like they'd been stretched into hours. And although he wasn't saying a word, and neither were you, you could feel — and see — everything. The panic and confusion made itself apparent on Armin's face, like it usually does, but amidst those feelings, you saw sadness. A sadness deeply rooted that he couldn't keep hidden. It only shown for just a second, but you had already seen it before he hid it away again beneath a mask of what you thought was faux confidence. Maybe he didn't want to scare you.
Thing is, you already were. And you didn't realize just how badly you were until Armin came back and offered you a tidal wave of comfort just from seeing his face.
You watched him decidedly move to another bone tower, one closer to you. There was a look of resolve marking his soft features as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "(Y/n)! I don't know if you can hear me in there, or if you're even really there! But if you are and you're listening, I'm going to transform!" Armin shouted so loud, his voice echoed past your ears and out to the horizon. "Eren's Titan is going to be blown apart! It's the only way!"
You could see the concern settle into Armin's features, with the slight furrow of his brows and the worry pooling in his cerulean blue eyes as he watched your Titan. He didn't know how this news would affect you.
Armin shouted once more, more rashly, like he was anxious to just spill everything out, "I tried to wait until we found a way to get you back, but there's been a change of plans.. Just.. Just hang on for me, okay? I'll figure something out!"
For the first time since Zeke left you behind, your desire to leave Paths returned tenfold. You wanted nothing more than to be out there with Armin, with your friends, to support them in this urgent time of need. But in the end, it seemed what happened out there would all be left up to them. The fate of Eren, and maybe even Humanity, was in their hands.
Meanwhile you were stuck in Paths, forced to watch on.
You tried to ignore the burning heartache you felt in your chest as Armin used his gear to travel away from you, further down Eren's spine. You assumed he was attempting to create space between you and the explosion his transformation would soon create.
Though you assumed it wouldn't matter. It's not like you were really out there. Your real body was in Paths.
So with Armin's new plan locked in place, you finally summoned the courage to let go of Bertholdt and Porco's hands. The Shifters wouldn't be needed in their Titans anymore if Armin was going to transform and blow every bone on the Founding Titan apart.
There was no action needed this time for your consciousness to naturally retreat to the mind of your human body, leaving your Titan body behind in the outside world. When you opened your eyes, you were in the realm of Paths once again, standing under a blanket of twinkling stars in a royal blue sky. The other Shifters still stood around you in a circle, their heads tilted up towards the atmosphere and their eyes glowing white.
You focused on your hands, each one still wrapped in Bertholdt and Porco's cold palms. Slowly but surely you wiggled your fingers, encouraging the blood that had long grown still to circulate again. You had been holding hands for so long, they've fallen asleep and grown numb to the touch. When the painful feeling of pins and needles subsided, you took a deep breath before abruptly wrenching your hands out of Bertholdt and Porco's grips.
The moment you did, you stumbled backwards and fell on your bottom, but that was nothing. You hardly blinked from the fall. You were just so relieved, so excited to be free of that arrangement from Hell. Who knew holding hands would cause so much distress?
Your could feel a migraine coming on, the pressure sitting right between your eyes a telltale sign that there was more pain to come. You blew out a heavy sigh as you held your head in your hands, elbows leaning on your knees.
It felt like you had been stuck underwater all this time, letting the harsh current sweep you under, deeper and deeper, until your lungs were filled with saltwater that burned with every inhale. But now you've finally swam back up and broke the surface to breathe in your first real gulp of oxygen.
After regaining your bearings and catching your breath, the first thing you did was take a thorough look at the Shifters, intrigued to see how they reacted without you standing with them. Everything looked the same, besides the difference in their eyes. What was once a bright white glow was now dimming with every minute passed. You couldn't tell if it was a sign of your power wearing off or if it was the Shifters deciding to leave their Titans on their own.
Would they wake up after this or go back to how they were before I came..? You watched the Shifters for a few more moments before you realized they probably wouldn't be back with you just yet.
It was silent in the dimension of Paths, save for the gentle sounds of your breathing still evening itself out. You took a look around, twisting your neck this way and that way to look across the sand dunes in the horizon.
Well.. What now?
Before long, your eyes wandered to the army of Wall Titans standing tall over hills of sand in the distance. The Titans were made entirely of sand but with realistic details like the tendons and skinless muscle that made up their bodies. You eyed the giants with a distant look sitting in your eyes, a forgotten thought floating from the darkened corners of your mind. It was a place you reserved only for the thoughts you didn't want to face, the ones that scared you.
The Rumbling..
It's still happening because of me.
And suddenly the uneasy look on Armin's face made sense. He was being tormented by the same thoughts as you.
You remembered what Armin had said, how he wanted to figure something out. Did he think he could find a way to spare your life and still save Humanity? You chuckled a laugh devoid of humor at that. You would never doubt Armin's intelligence, but a plan ending with you alive and Humanity beyond the Walls still existing? Sounded like a dream, a fantasy that would never come into reality.
It was hopeless.
That feeling of dread within you grew ten times stronger, a tightness brewing in your chest that made it hard for you to breathe. The nauseating feeling of anxiety settled within the pit of your stomach, the jitters causing your fingers to tremble and your teeth to abuse your bottom lip with absentminded biting. You were looking death right in the eye, trying to hide the way you were shaking in fear.
You were scared. You were so scared.
A thousand thoughts raced through your mind and made the migraine pound against your skull even worse. How does it feel to die? Will it hurt? When I die, will my soul go to Paths to be reunited with everyone else? You wondered how Ymir, Porco, Bertholdt, and the others made death look so easy. They knew they were going to die, yet they handled it with grace. You, however, were ready to break down and scream.
You thought of Armin. The lovely ray of sunshine that brought warmth and light to your life. Your very first love. Tears collected in your eyes when you thought of his bashful smile, kissing his pink blushing cheeks, feeling his soft hand intertwined with yours, and how you never wanted to go a day without either of those things.
You didn't want to leave Armin. You really, really didn't want to leave Armin.
But you also didn't want to force Armin into making the choice that would haunt him for the rest of his days: to spare your life or to save Humanity beyond the Walls. You figured it wasn't like Armin to even think of such a selfish idea anyways. You already saw him make the choice to go against his own childhood best friend for the better of Humanity, why should you be any exception?
What made you better than the rest of Humanity?
Maybe this is what you were always meant to do, you thought as you wiped at your eyes and slowly got to your feet. Didn't Marley mold and condition you into the war machine you are today to do exactly this? To protect and defend their people from the wrath of the devils on Paradis? It was a Warrior's vow.
You walked on legs that felt like limp noodles, forcing yourself towards the Wall Titans gathered in the distance.
Though there was no need to rush, considering the drastic time difference between Paths and the outside world, you still had a sense of urgency as you approached the Titans. Your friends were fighting for their lives outside. You'd make things easier. The Wall Titans stood tall over you like large buildings — bigger than that, actually. It was terrifying coming face to face with the tip of one's large foot, almost the size of a house, even though they were inanimate and made of the same sand you stepped on now.
Wall Titans are still Pure Titans, right..?
You rubbed your palms together, no real use in the motion but to settle the nerves that bubbled within you, before you promptly laid your hands down on the Wall Titan's foot, specifically it's big toe. As soon as your hands made contact, you could feel it. That same rush of power buzzing through your veins like pure adrenaline, a feeling you felt before when you would control the Pure Titans in the outside world. It's overwhelming power captured your body in its hold, holding you captive in its grip
But just as exhilarating as it felt, it was also painful. With gritted teeth you hung on, feeling all the life and power being sucked out of you to channel into this large being, nothing but sheer will keeping you from collapsing.
But you wouldn't stop, not until you knew for sure that the Rumbling would come to it's end. And that Armin and the others would be okay.
So you let the black spots cloud over your vision, steal your breath, and engulf you in its darkness as you slipped away.
━━━━━
Perched on the peak of the Founding Titan once more, Armin did one last attentive sweep of the deserted land surrounding the Founding Titan, making sure no one was left behind. It was only when he did a second sweep that he completely halted in his movements.
He could actually see the ground around the Founding Titan.
There weren't large groups of Wall Titans blocking the way with their bulky bodies. There weren't thick clouds of steam covering the ground from the Wall Titans' scorching hot bodies. There weren't even fresh footprints carving craters into the Earth.
It was just.. Bare land.
Armin couldn't help but feel puzzled, a frown tugging at his lips as he looked around the Founding Titan for any lingering Wall Titans. But when he looked towards the Founding Titan's behind, he froze completely.
The Wall Titans stopped marching.
The Wall Titans. Stopped. Marching.
And they weren't just stopping. They were dying. Armin held his breath as he watched a large Wall Titan in the front of the group slowly collapse to its knees with a loud boom that made the ground tremble with its weight. Then the one beside it fell, the one next to that Titan, and so on. Slowly but surely, the Wall Titans fell, releasing large clouds of steam into the air. Sparks of lightning danced around their degenerating bodies, as if they had been short-circuited and were malfunctioning.
But.. The Rumbling would only stop if..
Armin could hear his heart pounding in his ears as he slowly looked down to where the Spiked Titan last stood, everything in his body screaming at him not to. Along with the other Titans, the Spiked Titan had degenerated into nothing more than a steamy pile of bones. Bones.
Time seemed to stand still as Armin watched your Titan disappear into nothing but a memory. You were gone.
Armin waited for the sadness to wash over him like a tidal wave, for the tears to finish spilling from his eyes like water to a dam. But all he could feel was outrage. He was pissed.
You were gone and it was his fault. He did this to you. If Eren hadn't dragged you into Paths for his own selfish reasons, you'd still be there. You'd still be at Armin's side. You'd still be alive. Eren was the leading cause in your downfall, and that was unforgivable.
And so Armin bit down on his hand.
From the sky, a single lightning strike touched down to Earth and sparked Armin's transformation, a thundering boom following soon afterwards. A globe of orange flames and light swallowed the Founding Titan whole, it's heat scorching the rocky land around it to a charred black. Fire lapped eagerly at the bones of Eren's Founding Titan, burning it to ash as it blew away with the wind.
What was once flat rocky land around the Founding Titan, was now a deep crater carved in the Earth, glowing a bright red from the heat of the Colossal Titan's entrance. Small flames danced around the edges of the crater, releasing thick dark clouds into the late afternoon sky.
As Armin's Colossal Titan rose and climbed out of the burning crater, he could only think of one thing...
━━━━━━
"Is Eren really dead..?" Jean asked hesitantly.
It was a question that still couldn't be answered with confidence, lingering like a ticking bomb over their heads.
Now standing on the base of Fort Salta, everyone slid off the feathered back of Falco's Titan. Everyone seemed oblivious to Mikasa's grunt of pain under her breath as she grabbed at the side of her head with closed eyes.
It didn't take long for the Warriors to find their families amidst the thick crowd of civilians gathered around Falco's Titan. Gabi ran to her weeping parents, Pieck ran to her excited father, Annie ran off to find her own missing father, and Falco's joyful parents greeted him at the open nape of his Titan, ignoring the fact that their child was now considered a Titan-shifter.
The Scouts watched these interactions with somber expressions, no one for them to run to in this bittersweet reunion. They couldn't help but think of their own families back home in Paradis, both the ones they created and the ones they were born into. Levi held onto Mikasa's shoulders a little tighter, using her height to keep himself off his bad foot.
Gabi caught the Scouts eye as she hurriedly dragged her parents and her aunt to the edge of the steep rocky mesa Fort Salta sat on, pointing down to the ground below it. "Look! Reiner's still fighting, aunt Karina!"
Karina was an older lady with light blonde hair and soft eyes the color of gold. The Scouts could easily tell this was Reiner's mother. She nodded her head with a grateful yet concerned smile as she replied to her niece, "Yes, I see, Gabi.."
The Scouts moved to join Gabi's family near the edge of the mesa, wanting to get a better look at the land for themselves. The first thing they saw was the glowing centipede creature right at the foot of the mesa, still writhing around on the ground in search of Eren's head.
"It's still alive, even after that explosion?! What the hell is that thing!" Connie exclaimed in disbelief.
And not too far from the creature was the Armored Titan. Though he was sluggish and had a few visible injuries, it was evident that Reiner was still alive. His Titan stood in front of the large worm, trying to once again block it from reaching Eren's head.
Which was apparently missing.
"There's Armin!" Jean announced.
Everyone's attention was directed to the large Colossal Titan, slowly climbing its way out from the deep crater it created in the ground during its transformation. It walked through the walls of fire like it were nothing but light rain showers, clouds of steam releasing from its scorching hot body as it slowly stomped across the land, towards Reiner.
That is, until another explosion blasted out from behind him.
The Scouts weren't even surprised when they saw the lightning strike touch down, the stocky body of another Colossal Titan manifesting from a thick cloud of steam.
Unlike any other Colossal Titan, this Colossal had long, dark hair stretching down its back. The flesh on it's cheeks were missing, exposing the rows of blunt teeth and muscle within it's mouth. It's eyes were a glowing vivid neon green as they stared menacingly at Armin's Colossal Titan.
Eren.
"I knew he wasn't going to die that easily." Jean muttered under his breath, though he didn't sound disappointed at the thought of Eren still being alive.
"We need to keep Eren away from that shiny thing! We don't know what's gonna happen if he touches it. The Rumbling could start up again." Gabi expressed her worries hurriedly, eyes wide as she watched Eren's Titan slowly stomp towards Armin's Titan.
"We have to kill the centipede! But how?" Connie thought aloud, "If a Colossal blast couldn't kill it, then what can?"
"Forget the big bug. We have to go after Eren." Levi dully advised, "This nightmare won't be over til he's dead.."
"What's it doing?" Jean pointed out the centipede-like creature now attempting to slither up the mesa towards the Scouts, despite Reiner's futile attempts at dragging it down. The hiss of air spraying reached the Scouts ears before smoke started releasing from the centipede's skin in spurts, quickly surrounding everyone on top of the military base in a thick smoky fog.
"Is it dying?" Mikasa asked, baffled. She began waving the smoke out of her face, trying to see the creature clearly.
"It doesn't smell like a dead Titan.." Levi noted before pressing a finger up to the entrance of his nose.
Connie was uneasy as he looked around with wide frightened eyes, "Hey.. Isn't this the same thing that happened at Ragako Village..?"
Everyone exchanged knowing looks.
If Connie was right, everyone standing on that military base would become a savage Pure Titan within minutes, maybe even seconds.
Levi straightened up, "Mikasa! Pieck! Get on Falco! We're getting out of here!" He ordered.
Falco and Pieck were still talking with their parents, turning to Levi and the others with puzzled expressions. Pieck stepped away from her father momentarily.
"What are you talking about? Where are we going?" She asked with concern.
"You should know more than anyone about what's going on here. Shifters and Ackermans are the only exceptions to this gas. We need to leave before everyone transforms!" Levi was impatient as he climbed onto Falco's back, shooing Falco's parents off. "Or stay. I don't care. Come on Mikasa."
Mikasa shared a wary look with Jean and Connie, squeezing them on their shoulders before she grabbed onto Pieck and pulled her onto Falco's Titan. Because of their normal bloodlines, they'd have to leave Jean and Connie behind on the base. Once Mikasa and Pieck properly climbed on, Falco took off to the skies.
As the fog grew in thicker and surrounded the boys, Connie threw an arm around Jean, holding him close to his side. "So this is it for us, huh?"
Jean wrapped an arm around Connie's shoulders, a soft smile spreading on his face as he watched Falco's Titan soar further away from them. "Looks like it.. We're going out the Scouts way."
There was a weird sense of serenity resting within the boys. They've never felt any calmer than right now, staring the death of their humanity right in the face. The fog finally engulfed them, blocking their view of the sky and anything else around them, but they still held on to each other.
Jean squeezed Connie's shoulder, his eyes glassy with tears, "I'm glad that you're here with me."
Connie returned that reassuring squeeze, his voice thick with emotion, "Always, brother."
Mikasa, Levi and Pieck watched from above as the fog covered the military base like a thick blanket, an eerily quiet silence filling the air. That is, until a single blast echoed out from Fort Salta, a single ball of light glowing bright in the fog. Then another, and another, and so on. A series of transformations were happening on top of the mesa, producing Titans of various sizes and skin colors.
Every Eldian that stood on that base was now a mindless Pure Titan, their humanities long lost.
Their savage roars could be heard far and wide as they fought to get off the military base, pushing and throwing each other down the steep cliff of rock. Just like the Titan-shifters from earlier, these Titans moved as a unit, fighting to get to Armin's Colossal Titan and tear him apart. If it weren't for Reiner acting as a blockade with the Armored Titan, the Pure Titans would've surely succeeded.
Meanwhile Armin faced Eren's Colossal Titan, the two locked in an intense stare down. The betrayal and anger was amplified and surrounded them like a thick bubble.
Usually someone as soft and kind-hearted as Armin would try to find a different way to resolve this conflict, a peaceful route that involved no violence and blood shed. But that pity and sympathy Armin held for Eren shriveled up and died with the ashes of the Spiked Titan's bones. All Armin could feel now was a burning anger building up within him, a deep resentment sitting on his chest for the person standing before him.
This is all because of him. People are dying because of him. (Y/n)'s gone because of him.
When will he pay for any of it?
So it was Armin who threw the first punch, his large fist slamming into Eren's Titan with the force of a thousand Wall Titans. Eren staggered backwards before regaining his balance, and just like he learned from Annie so many years before, he raised his fists in front of his face defensively.
As the Colossal Titans fought, Falco's Titan swooped around overhead, the only passengers being Mikasa and Levi. Just prior to this, they dropped Pieck off with Reiner and Annie on the ground, working together in their Titans to contain the glowing centipede and the savage mob of Pure Titans that now gnawed hungrily at Reiner's Titan.
Mikasa gripped at her head, unable to hold her blades. Groans of pain continuously escaped her lips, her eyes squeezed shut from the continuous migraines.
"Mikasa! You need to get your shit together!" Levi ordered sternly, "We're the only ones who can kill Eren. We're the only ones who can end all of this!"
Mikasa shook her head, fresh tears running down her face from either the pain of the headache or from what she had to do next. With trembling hands, she unbuttoned the lower half of her white button-down and reached inside. A deep maroon red scarf was pulled out, blowing in the wind as Mikasa quickly wrapped it snug around her neck and over her mouth.
Like a switch had been flipped within her, Mikasa's pain was now hidden away, her expression stoic and cold. The intense emotion in her grey eyes diminished as she sat up.
"Eren's in the mouth. I'll kill him. Help me do it." She demanded as she stood on her feet, unwavering.
Levi was bewildered at the sudden change, but didn't question it. He got to his feet to join her, being sure to stay off his bad foot. "Got it." Levi said, preparing his weapons.
And then they jumped into the air.
As if Armin knew of Levi and Mikasa's plans, his Colossal Titan reached out to grab Eren's head, holding it still, as he took another punch to the face from Eren's large fist.
Taking the opportunity Armin gave them, Levi hastily launched a Thunder Spear towards Eren's face, blowing a gaping hole in Eren's front teeth with an explosion. Mikasa took her only chance, throwing herself in the hole to enter Eren's mouth. She slid across the saliva of the tongue, fast towards the human head perched on a long neck of bone.
Mikasa had tears in her eyes as she looked into Eren's dull lifeless green eyes, watching her as she approached. Her heart clenched at seeing the state he was in, his skin a sickly grey and the marks of his Titan etched and carved into his skin. Mikasa held her breath as her sharp blade met the fragile flesh of Eren's neck, slicing through tendons and muscle with ease. She caught his head in her hands, still warm from the life that hadn't left him quite yet.
And with this known, Mikasa brought Eren's head to her lips and together they shared their first and last kiss.
As the light left Eren's dull green eyes, Mikasa whispered her final goodbyes.
"See you later, Eren."
to be continued!
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