A/N: Hello, readers! I apologize for the events and the angst that will come in this chapter. Enjoy!
unedited
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𝓒𝙷𝙰𝙿𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙵𝙸𝙵𝚃𝚈-𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙷𝚃,
𝓣𝙷𝙴 𝚁𝚄𝙼𝙱𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶.
┗━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━┛
THE SHIP CARRYING THE SCOUTS and the warriors finally arrived in Odiha as they rushed towards where the flying boat was. "Remove the cover! Hurry!" Jean ordered.
"Dammit! These explosives are in the way." Connie informed.
"Let's cut 'em off and toss 'em." Reiner suggested.
"Wait. We might be able to use them. Let's load them on the flying boat." Armin said.
Mikasa was walking by Annie, carrying a crate. "Annie, check your equipment." She told her. "You're still not used to the new ODM gear, are you? Go with Reiner and zip around over there to get accustomed."
Annie looked down. "Why?"
"We should... do the things we can... so..." Mikasa started to say.
"I believe I told you that I'm backing out."
"You don't even intend to get on the flying boat either?" Mikasa asked.
"Sorry, but I'm staying behind. Wanting to save humanity... I don't really get that. If anything, us Eldians in Marley were persecuted by the 'humanity' you want to save from the moment we were born. Even if hypothetically the rumbling stopped now, with Marley gone, there's no one left to protect the Eldians." Annie looked over towards where the others were preparing the flying boat. "I truly do feel sorry about this, when they're putting everything toward the slim hope of saving their homeland. But... I can't fight anymore. I want to spend the time I have left living peacefully."
Mikasa turned to look at Annie as she blushed, which made her blush in realization. "When did this happen?" Mikasa questioned.
"When did what happen?" Annie asked.
"Okay. I get it."
"Get what?"
"You don't have to suffer anymore. But... Armin is going to board the flying boat with us and head for Eren." Mikasa informed.
Annie looked down. "I know."
"What about you? What do you want?" Annie asked. "Are you gonna go kill Eren to save humanity?"
"I won't kill him." Mikasa responded. "Eren's gone far away, and I'm bringing him back. That's all I'm doing."
Mikasa started to walk away. "By the way, did you lose your scarf?" Annie questioned.
"I have it." Mikasa simply replied before she continued walking.
Levi was walking down the stairs as Armin was trying to stop him. "This is crazy! You should still be in bed!" Armin protested.
"Stay in bed? If I lie down any longer, you shits are gonna forget all about me. And that bearded bitch who passed out after her arm was broken is awake. I'll be damned if we don't make her tell us where Eren's going." Levi claimed.
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Everyone was gathered in a room as Yelena was telling them Eren's next location. "Most likely, that is Eren's second target." She said.
Pieck placed a hand on her chin in thought. "Fort Salta..." She mumbled, causing everyone to glance her way. "True. If he knew of the existence of weapons that had the slightest chance of harming the Founding Titan..."
"I expect that's his next stop after Karifa Naval Port. He'll go to destroy the airships." Yelena said.
"You answered mighty obediently." Levi noticed.
"I have a request for all of you." Yelena clenched the blanket that was wrapped around her tightly. "Please acknowledge something. Zeke was defeated. But he was right. The only solution to the two-millennium-spanning Eldian problem was the euthanization plan. I'm sure you can see that in the wake of this disaster."
"Yeah. I admit it." Hange confessed as they looked away. "I wasn't able to show Eren any solution, or hope, or a future. I admit my powerlessness."
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It was soon the next morning. "Hange!" Onyankopon shouted, waving to get their attention. "In about an hour, we can begin preparations for takeoff!"
"Got it!" They replied before turning around. "You heard the man. Each of you, inspect your gear."
"Yes, Commander!"
Levi was struggling as everyone looked at him in concern. "Two fingers is all I need. I'm ready." He said.
"Simon. Can I have a moment with you?" Hange asked as Simon nodded, the two of them walking away from the others.
Hange crossed their arms. "About what you told me... Are you sure you're going to go through with it?"
"I have a bad feeling that something will go wrong, Hange. You know my intuition is often correct." Simon replied as Hange agreed with him.
"I already told you I have Armin in place of the next commander if anything were to happen."
"I know. But that kid has already been through a lot. And he's only nineteen. He doesn't need the entire operation on his shoulders." Simon said. "Besides, my term ends in two years anyhow. Why not make it end sooner?"
"Levi's not gonna like this."
"Why do you think I haven't told him? The idiot would probably stop me." Simon chuckled. "Think you do me a favor, Hange?"
"What is it?"
"Take care of Levi for me, will you?" Simon told them, looking back at Levi for a moment. "When I'm gone, he's gonna need someone. Be there for him, as a friend."
"Sure thing, Simon." Hange promised, making Simon smile before hugging them in which they returned it.
Hange and Simon soon joined the others as Annie was getting ready to leave.
"Annie!"
"Annie, take care!" Connie called out.
"See you later!" Hange said.
Annie glanced at Armin, who looked back as he held a hand up in farewell. Annie turned around and walked towards the ship. Mikasa joined Armin's side.
"Armin, are you all right with this?" Mikasa asked.
"With what?" Armin blushed.
"To be honest, I was relying on her." Jean admitted.
"But Annie has fought enough." Connie said.
"I am. I... I want Annie to stay Annie." Armin stated.
"Are you two sure you want to come with us?" Hange asked Reiner and Pieck, who walked towards them. "Assuming the rumbling stops, Eldians won't find themselves in a great position..."
"I hate to admit it, but you were right, Hange. General Magath was leaving us a final order: to work together and do what needs to be done." Pieck said.
"Pieck..." Hange trailed off. "I'd love to ride on the Cart Titan's back sometime and its body heat as we—"
"No." Pieck stepped aside. "That took a sudden, creepy turn."
Everyone was soon walking towards the plane. "I see Hange's love of Titans is still unrequited." Levi said.
"They think they'll be pals eventually." Simon stated. "Tell me, Levi. Do you think they're all watching? Farlan, Isabel, and Sean... All of our fallen comrades who sacrificed their lives trying to get us to this point?"
"Don't go and start sounding like him." Levi replied.
An Azumabito mechanic checked to see if everything was in order. "Good. Begin the fueling process!" He ordered.
"Yes, sir."
"Thank goodness. We're gonna make it before the rumbling gets here." Onyankopon muttered to himself. He suddenly turned around, seeing a drenched Floch, who began to shoot.
Mikasa charged forward, attaching her wire to Floch's throat as he choked on his own blood.
Everyone soon gathered around Floch. "Floch..." Hange mumbled. "Don't tell me you clung to the ship all the way here—"
"Hange!"
Onyankopon's sudden shout grabbed everyone's attention. "There are holes in the fuel tank!" He announced, leaving everyone stunned. "We can't fly like this!"
"Don't lose hope. If we cover the holes, we can make it work!" One of the mechanics said.
"Get the welding tools!"
The Azumabito mechanics soon got to work. "How long will it take?" Hange questioned.
"With tin plates, we could do it in an hour, barely."
The table moving soon got the mechanic, Simon, and Hange's attention as everything began to shake.
"This sound..." Simon mumbled.
"Don't tell me..." Reiner turned around and rushed outside. "It's here. The rumbling... is here."
"Don't do it." Floch mumbled. "Please... don't..."
"Inspect the engine! Hurry!"
"Floch..." Hange muttered as them, Jean, and Simon kneeled down.
"Be ready to start fueling at any moment!"
"Every... one... on the... island... will be... killed... Our devils... are our... only... hope..." Floch spoke weakly.
"Come on! Floch!" Jean said.
"He's dead." Simon informed, closing Floch's eyes with his hand.
Gabi and Falco were banging on the doors while the Azumabito mechanics got to work. Armin and Mikasa stared at the Titans coming their way.
"Armin, do you have any ideas?" Mikasa asked.
"Only one." Armin replied. "I stay behind and slow them down."
"It can't be you. You're our sole trump card for stopping Eren. I'll do it." Reiner said.
"That's obviously not the play." Simon cuts in. His Scouts cape blew in the wind as everyone turned to look at him. "We can't afford to expend another shred of Titan power. Reiner, Armin, your Titans are not expendable. I'll slow them down."
"Simon..."
"In truth, Hange was going to do it, but I offered to be in their place." Simon continued on. "Well, that's that. See ya, everyone."
Simon soon walks away, meeting up with Levi. "Hey. Simon." Levi gives him a look. "What the hell are you thinking?"
"That I'm about to have a super cool exit?" Simon replied.
"That's not what I'm talking about."
Simon sighed. "I'm saving our Commander. That's what I'm doing." He said before staying silent for a moment.
"I hated Erwin for what he did. You and I, we could've had lived a peaceful life with Farlan, Isabel, and Sean back in the Underground. It was hell, but that place was home to us." Simon confessed. "But still, if he never recruited us, we never would've made great memories. Let me go out in style, Levi."
Levi stayed silent for a moment before placing his fist on Simon's chest. "Give your heart." He said.
Simon laughed. "That's not what I was expecting, but it'll do." He stated before using his gear to charge forward. Everyone rushed after him.
"Simon!"
Simon continued propelling himself using the buildings at a rapid pace before finally coming face to face with the horde of Titans.
"This is as far as you'll go, Eren!" He thought.
He hooked his wire onto one of the Titans cheekbones and throwing a Thunder Spear at its nape, knocking it down while the other Titans tripped over it. Everyone just looked in shock.
"Hey. I'm Simon. That's my twin brother, Sean. Our father is friends with Kenny, the guy who brought you in. What's your name?"
"Levi."
"Levy?"
"He said Levi, Sean." A younger Simon rolled his eyes. "That's a nice name. Well, Levi. I hope we can become friends."
"Damn it! Why am I remembering all our times now?" Simon cursed.
He connects his wire to another Titan and flew down, moving swiftly below the Titans feet before throwing his second Thunder Spear at the legs.
"You five... How are you so skilled with ODM gear?" Erwin asked the group.
The five of them stayed silent, refusing to talk. That was when Miche Zacharius began harassing Levi as he slammed his head onto the ground and brought his head up harshly as Levi's bangs covered his eyes.
"I'll fucking kill you, bastard!" Simon shouted, getting protective of the man he's known since childhood.
"Nii-san, stop it! There's nothing you can do given our current situation!" Sean said, trying to calm down his older twin.
"We're self taught!" Farlan told Erwin.
"It's sealed! Start fueling! Hurry! Hurry!"
Simon ended up getting thrown back as he used his gear to keep himself from falling. He looked back and saw that the debris went through a couple of houses and crashing into the building where the flying boat was being kept. He charged forward and sliced one of the Titans nape.
"They're right on top of us!"
"There's no more time for fueling! Start the engine!"
The flying boat began to start. "Push the fuselage forward!"
Simon charged at a Titan before slicing at its nape. "They need more time?!" He asked himself.
He pushed himself forwards at the Titans as he began to burn. "Hot!" He exclaimed as his Scouts cape caught on fire.
Simon swung through the Titans and sliced at two more as his body continued burning.
"Launch the ship!"
"Grab my hand!" Connie said, grabbing onto Jean.
Simon's whole body continued burning as he screamed.
"Sorry, Levi... I lied. My decision wasn't just to save Hange. I was looking for a way out of this hell." Simon thought, his gear catching on fire."Because I wanted to see my brother again."
An explosion then occurred.
"Section Commander..." Jean said, looking out of the window of the boat and seeing Simon's burning body falling down.
Armin was in tears, Jean gripped onto his head and everyone else was either sobbing or had sorrowful looks.
"So long, Simon." Levi muttered. "Rest easy."
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When Simon woke again, he saw that he was laying down, looking at the bright, blue sky. He jolted up in alarm.
"The flying boat!" Simon exclaimed.
"It took off."
Simon looked over, seeing a mop of gray hair that was similar to his. The male's face was also darkened.
"You did well, Nii-san."
"Sean?" Simon questioned. "All of you..."
He looked back up to see the boat flying. Simon closed his eyes and sighed.
"I see."
Oliver offered a hand as Simon grabbed it. He then looked over at his brother. "I missed you." He confessed, hugging his twin tightly.
"Me too." Sean admitted.
Simon glanced at his former squad members — Oliver, Dillon, Rachel, and Alastrine. They were all there.
"That reminds me, there's two more people who've been wanting to see you, as well." Sean informed, making Simon hum in confusion.
"Simon!"
Simon turned around to see Isabel rushing towards him, with Farlan right behind her. Isabel tackles him, taking Simon by surprise.
"Isabel, still energetic as ever." Simon chuckled.
"You betcha!"
He releases Isabel before hugging Farlan. "Man, do I got stories to tell you guys." Simon stated.
Farlan smiled at him. "You can catch us up on all that we missed. We got all the time in the world." He said.
"Don't rush to join me, Levi. I'll be waiting for you."
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A/N: Simon's soul being reunited with Farlan, Isabel, his brother, and his former squad members is everything to me. I definitely gotta add 'Summertime Sadness' to Simon and Levi's playlist because it came on at the right time.
Thanks for reading!
Word Count: 2457 words.