Year ???
Location: Tower of Babel, ???
"It is not a sin to fight for the right cause. There are those who words alone will not reach. Cell is such a being. I know how you feel, Gohan. You are gentle, you do not like to hurt. I know because I too have learned these feelings, but it is because you cherish life that you must protect it."
- Android 16
Armin felt like vomiting. He shakily raised his hand away from his mouth to see a handful of blood and his own cracked teeth. He was breathing heavily. It hurt. He wanted to cry. He was.. helpless.
Kneeling on the steel railings on the edge of the Tower of Babel, Armin looked up to see Sasha staggering towards a creature engulfed in shadows.
Sasha: Y/n!
Sasha ran up to Y/n, grabbing him by the arm and looking up at him with a hurt expression.
Sasha: Why would you do that?! You hurt your own brother!! What.. what's the matter with you..
Sasha slowly stopped speaking as she noticed that Y/n, despite her grabbing him and yelling at him, wasn't listening to her at all. She looked down to see what Y/n was doing. He had screwed off both the gas tanks of her ODM gear. She gazed up at him with nervousness in her voice.
Sasha: Y-Y/n-
Arming gasped out as Y/n grabbed onto Sasha's face with this big hand and threw her off the railing. Armin dashed to the edge to see Sasha screaming at the top of her lungs while she was falling into a seemingly endless void before her voice suddenly stopped with a loud thud.
Armin: Sasha..?
Annie: H-How could you?!! After everything we've been through.. she was your friend!!
Armin leaned on the railing and looked to the side to see Annie dashing at Y/n in rage. Her attacks were slow and emotional, which made it easy for Y/n to weave out of the way, walking backwards. As Annie threw a wide hook, Y/n ducked it and slung his massive arm around her throat, restraining her from behind.
Annie's face ran red as the blood flow to her head was cut off. She was grunting like an animal, smashing her elbow in Y/n's rib and scratching his face to break free.. to no avail. He didn't even flinch.
Annie: W-Wait, Y/n.. I-I'm pregnant..
But Y/n didn't react at all. Instead, Armin froze as he saw Y/n staring right at him.
Y/n: Do you love your sister, Armin?
Armin: Huh..?
With bloodshot eyes, Annie slowly dragged her view up to Y/n's face, who looked at her with no emotion whatsoever.
Annie: You'll be a father, Y/n.. i-isn't that great..? I love-
Her eyes went blank, and she gurgled on her saliva as Y/n levered her neck to the side with his arm slung around her neck, slowly and painfully snapping her spine off her head in a fleshy thud. Her body went completely limp, and Y/n dropped her to the steel railing.
Armin looked at Annie's dead body, breathing heavily and quickly. He screamed out in terror, seeing his sister's corpse on the floor.
Bertolt: Annie!! Y-You bastard!!
Y/n staggered forwards as Reiner grabbed him from behind, restraining him. Bertolt ran across the railing, with sparks flying out of him, and a face filled with rage.
Reiner: You'll pay for what you've done!!
Bertolt: Die!!
Armin: No!!
Armin felt helpless as he had to watch Bertolt run towards Y/n. Before he could transform into the Colossal Titan, Y/n threw his head back into Reiner's face, smashing through his nose. Reiner let go of him, and Y/n instantly dashed forward, directly into Bertlolts face, who gasped out in shock.
Bertolt grit his teeth, screaming out to transform, but just before he could do it, Y/n grabbed into his ear and yanked his head to the side, overstretching it and snapping his neck, making Bertolt's lifeless body collapse to the floor with a loud thud.
Reiner: Bertolt-!!
Y/n: Do you love your brother, Armin?
Again, with a question like that. And again, Y/n was staring right back at Armin with those calm eys of his.
Before Armin could even scream out entirely, Y/n plunged his hand into Reiner's chest and ripped out his lungs trachea, preventing him from breathing in. Reiner staggered back, grasping onto his throat, as he wasn't able to breathe anymore before he collapsed to the ground, twitching violently in pain and terror.
Armin was shaking, with tears rushing out of his eyes at what he was witnessing.
Armin: What.. why..? Y/n, I-
Freya: Run away!! Into the corridors!
Before Armin could respond, he was grabbed by the collar and yanked with him by Freya, who fled into the Towers corridor. They were running down a dark pathway, with metal pipes and valves around them.
Armin looked over his shoulder to see that Y/n was slowly walking past them, not bothering to run at all.
Armin: H-He is following us!!
Connie: No problem!!
Connie and Jean dashed past the fleeing Armin and Freya, with their swords in hand, standing strong to block Y/n's path in the alley.
Jean: We will buy you guys time!! Run away to the upper floors!!
Freya and Armin didn't stop running, but the latter couldn't take his eyes off the backs of Connie and Jean, who bravely blocked Y/n's path. All the while.. he couldn't do anything. He felt helpless.
Jean: Not one step closer, Y/n! I don't know what the fuck is going on with you, but it ends right-
Connie only felt a massive splash of warm liquid coat his entire body. As he shakily looked to the side to where Jean used to be, he saw that Y/n simply dashed through him, completely annihilating Jean's body, popping him like a tomato.
Connie: H-Hey, Y/n.. t-that wasn't meant like that, y-you know..?
Y/n just stared into his shaky pupils for a while before raising his flat hand, looking to the side at Armin again, speaking out in an eerily calm voice.
Y/n: What about your friends?
Connie: N-No, Y/n-
Slash!
With lightning speed, Y/n dragged his flat hand down diagonally across Connie's body. Armin didn't notice much at first before Connie's upper body slowly slid off his lower body, splashing to the floor. His legs still stood, twitching rhythmically and even walking two more steps before they, too, collapsed to the floor.
Armin screamed out in terror, tasting blood in his throat from how loud he was screaming. Freya grunted, slowly getting exhausted from having to drag Armin with her.
Freya: Run faster, god dammit! We need to reach-
Armin fell to the ground as Freya's grip on his arm completely vanished. He rolled to the floor and looked up to see that Freya was being dragged up by Y/n on the ceiling of the corridor.
Freya: Y-Y-Y/n!! N-No!!!
She was threshing and screaming but ultimately vanished in the dark void of the ceiling, behind metal pipes and concrete blocks.
Armin heard her screaming loudly. Flesh being ripped and liquid flowing. After a while, blood gushed out of the ceiling and flesh and bones started falling down onto his body.
Armin couldn't even scream anymore. He was simply shaking, with empty eyes.
Armin: This.. this has to be a nightmare.. a bad.. bad nightmare.
Y/n: This isn't a nightmare.
Armin's eyes shot to the side to see Y/n sitting next to him comfortably, coated in blood from head to toe. Especially around his mouth. There was something different about his eyes. He looked unhinged. And he was smiling eerily.
With a loud bang, the entire corridor was suddenly covered in smoke as a wall blew up. Armin felt shrapnel and dust shoot across his face and looked to the side to see a Colossal Titan's face, looking straight at them from the hole it blew into the wall.
Y/n: Looks like Eren and his army finally arrived.
Armin watched in complete shock as Y/n simply walked over to the Colossal Titan's face, peeking through the hole in the wall, which was following him with his eyes.
In one fell swoop, Y/n punched the Colossal Titan in the face, blowing half its head off and making it collapse into the abyss below to reveal the blue sky above again. It revealed a flying object high above.
Armin: O-Our plane..
Y/n: Hm, there it is. How dangerous to fly around a battle zone.
Armin saw Y/n picking up a pipe off the floor, which had been blown off from the Colossal Titan before. As he saw Y/n looking up at the plane soaring high in the skies, his breath spiked.
Armin: Wait! Hanji and Levi are still on that plane! A-And your wife as well, Y/n!
Y/n: Armin, have you ever seen a game of baseball?
Armin looked at him in confusion as to what he was implying.
Armin: What..?
Y/n casually spun the pipe around in his hand before taking a big step and shooting it up high into the skies with a powerful gust of wind blowing past Armin's face. As Armin opened his eyes again, he heard a loud explosion and saw a fireball up high in the skies where the plane used to be. The fragments of the plane took a nosedive and fell down towards the ground, far below.
Armin: Why..? Why would you do this..? You're a monster..
Armin froze when Y/n knelt down next to him and stared him down. He looked to see that Y/n reached out his hand towards him. Internally, Armin trusted him blindly, so he instinctively took his hand, only for Y/n to violently pull it back and rip Armin's entire right arm off its joint.
Armin screamed out in pain, holding his gushing shoulder and rolling on the metal ground in horror. It was unbearable. A level of pain he had never felt before.
Y/n: A monster? Wrong. I'm the Devil. Look at how far your pacifism has brought you, Armin.
Armin grits his teeth and grunts out, trying to suppress himself from screaming.
Y/n: Why didn't you protect any of them? This is your fault, Armin.
Armin: N-No..
Y/n: You're powerless. Do you hate me yet?
Armin: I..
Y/n: You reject violence. The most common language in this world. Loathe me, Armin.
Armin: Y/n..
Y/n: A pathetic display that cost you everything. Despise me.
Armin: Why..?
"Armin."
"Hey, Armin!"
~ ~ ~
Year 854
4 Days since the start of the Rumbling
Location: Hizuru Airplane
Connie: Armin!!
Armin gasped out and ripped open his eyes at Connie calling out to him. He looked around to see his friends looking at him in either curiosity or worry.
Sasha: Armin, are you crying?
Armin touched the skin under his eyes to feel water. He was indeed crying. But he sighed out in relief.
Armin: It was all a dream..
Connie: Damn, must have been a pretty bad nightmare.
Sasha: Probably dreamt about getting rejected by his crush, poor Armin.
Jean: I'd cry too if I looked like that, but that's just me, you know?
Armin took a deep breath and shook his head off. He still felt his heart pounding in his chest. He grasped onto his right arm.. and it was still there. Everyone is here. Nothing he experienced was real.
Armin: It was just a nightmare.. everything is okay. Everyone is alive.
Onyankopon figured out how to smoothly operate this new flying machine very quickly. They soared above the clouds towards their destination in relative harmony, as everyone was too focused on what Freya had to present to them.
Everyone sat on the sidelines of the plane while Freya sat on the floor in front of a map of North Africa. Her comrades listened carefully. After all, they knew that this was the most important operation they had ever been on.
This will be the end. The war to end all wars. And if either Y/n or Eren succeeds, that statement might not only be symbolic.
Freya: I spent most of the night and this morning on the radio equipment. Many radio towers in the area of North Africa, more specifically Northern Algeria, have reported concentrated attacks on their military infrastructure. Eren went out of his way to jeopardize the military capabilities in this concentrated area like he never has before, which is more than enough indication for me to believe that we are very close to our destination. Eren intends to neutralize all possible military support in the area to attack the Tower of Babel without disturbances.
Freya pointed at the crossed areas. Spots where there have once been Marleyan Military Infrastructure. Either bases, airfields or other installations. They all formed a half circle around the coast of Northern Algeria. She pointed at a specific point on the map that was marked blue.
Freya: There is no doubt about it. The Tower of Babel has been built at the Port of Algiers. The biggest port in the area and one that has received massive investments in infrastructure in the last four years. Eren is closing in on the location, but we are ahead of him. We have an edge.
Seeing the spot of their destination marked on a map brought reality very close to her comrades. This is where it will all happen.
Hanji: When will we arrive at the location?
Freya: Based on the landscape I just observed beforehand, it is safe to assume that we will reach our destination in about 30 minutes.
Connie: 3-30 minutes..?
Sasha: That.. quickly?
Freya nodded and leaned back on the ground in a more relaxed pose.
Freya: Damn right. Depending on what kind of anti-air capabilities Y/n has installed onto the Tower of Babel, the way we will engage our target might vary. It would be best if we could jump onto the Tower directly, but if there is a threat of us being shot down, we might have to land first before pursuing our target.
Reiner: Do we even have time for that?
Freya: Well, judging from my estimations of where exactly Eren and his army of Colossal Titans are, we would have about 10 minutes to make it to the destination before he does.
The very slim time frame they had sent shivers down their spine. That meant that the death army of Eren is only ten minutes behind them. A window which was way too small to their liking.
And what was even more stressful is the fact that neither Hanji nor Freya, their leaders, have decided to inform them about any specific plans on how this operation will go. They have no tactic, no goal or any organization.
Armin: May I ask why we haven't received any former explanation of what our plan is?
Hanji: That is simple. There is a plan. But we simply didn't want you to overthink it for our whole journey so Freya and I withheld it from you. Now that we are close to our destination..
Hanji locked eyes with Freya, who returned a validating nod to their Commander.
Hanji: ..it is time to enlighten you on what our exact strategy is for this operation.
While Freya and Hanji prepared something, Jean looked over at Pieck, who sat next to him. He never truly got to know her very much, but the way she was acting now was a stark contrast to what he had witnessed until now. Where she used to be playful and teasing before, she is now very quiet and looks out of it, staring holes into the floor.
Jean: Pieck? Is everything alright?
Pieck took a long breath and exhaled slowly. She contemplated on how exactly to state what she was feeling right now.
Pieck: I'm thinking about my daughter and Lara's son. I trust Y/n. I know him very well and can't imagine that he would abandon them. I just really hope that he made it in time to take them with him. I don't even want to imagine that they..
Seeing her worried like this drove some sense of urgency into him. He playfully bumped into her shoulder lightly and gave her a faint smile.
Jean: If Y/n is anything, he's reliable. I've known him for quite a bit longer than you, so trust me when I tell you that he made double sure to get them to safety.
Pieck nodded and tried to relax, returning him a faint but warm smile.
Pieck: Yeah. He never disappointed me. I truly adore him..
Jean: Yeah.. me too.
Pieck raised an eyebrow at him, and Jean only now noticed how odd he sounded without context.
Jean: Not that way! The other way! He started out as my mentor but I see him as my brother now.
Pieck: Mentor? Of what?
Jean: Well, uhm..
Jean looked over at Mikasa, who was too preoccupied with fixing up her equipment to notice.
Jean: I uh..
Pieck noticed his rosy cheeks and just nodded it off with a smile.
Pieck: I get it. You clung to Y/n because Mikasa clung to him.
Jean: Yeah. No matter what effort I put up or how I wanted to approach her, she always turned to him and didn't even see me at all. I still remember that one spring day where I went to pick her some pretty flowers. I gathered all my courage to give them to her.. only for her to instantly pass them over to Y/n to give them to him. I always knew that I picked a battle that was already lost.
Pieck: I love my husband. But what I saw and heard from Mikasa is something completely different. Y/n loved to talk about you guys. And even if I know the circumstances of why Mikasa clings to him so much, I can't stop thinking that there is more to this.
Jean sighed and went through his hair.
Jean: You sound like Kiyomi. Do you believe this religious nonsense? That Y/n is the Devil and Mikasa is sent by god to kill him?
With the way Jean stated it, even Pieck had her doubts now. It sounded more like a gospel out of a book of worship than a plausible explanation.
Pieck: I don't know. I mean, Y/n being the embodiment of evil? I just can't see it. He is a great husband and an even better father. He is already renowned as the greatest leader of Marley, even for his young age and comparably short period of reign. He lifted millions out of poverty and ended the segregation of the Eldians. And I also wouldn't call Eren or Mikasa good. They are supposed to be god sent, but Eren is committing genocide on the innocent. Mikasa was overcome by rage and stabbed her sister. I don't really see this good and bad distinction, to be honest.
Jean: Well.. I was never really religious. But my mother is. She always told me that our world is the no-man's land between heaven and hell. Perhaps we see the good in evil and the evil in good. Maybe we have been deceived by our god, or we may have fallen victim to the Devil's charms.
Freya: Alright, everyone attention to me.
Everyone present turned their heads to Freya and Hanji who sat at the front of the cabin.
Freya: So, to start things off I'll make one thing clear as day. If I catch any of you people trying to talk sense into them or try to convince them to stop, I'll personally smack you over the head. Those two are far too radicalized and determined to be swayed by some fancy words and sentimental tears. We gotta do it the old-fashioned way.
Freya smacked into her flat hand with her fist, sending a loud clap through the cabin.
Freya: We have to stand and fight.
Reiner: And how do we fight against them?
Connie: Yeah, and are we like fighting against Y/n first with the help of Eren, or against Eren first with the help of Y/n, or..?
Freya: Neither. We can logically make out this scenario in our heads. Eren knew about Y/n's plans and when it would be time. So Eren will be there to get to Y/n before the Tower is ready and loaded. Y/n knew that Eren would be coming after him with the Rumbling. So, knowing Y/n, I'm certain he has planned some kind of way to stop or at least hold the Colossal Titans off from the Tower. So the plan is to win against Y/n first, and then defeating Eren is trivial.
This helped to some capacity to clear the situation and what they planned to do. But especially the last part did not ease her comrades minds.
Sasha: Well, you say that so easily..
Bertolt: Shouldn't I just blow up the Tower of Babel with my Colossal Titan? That would bring us a quick victory.
Freya scoffed at his naivety.
Freya: Yeah, just like it worked in Liberio, right? Quick victories aren't a thing, especially not against him. Y/n will just knock your ass out instantly again, and your crucial ability will be utterly useless to us once again. You will stay in this plane for the operation and bide your time until we can use your abilities.
Bertolt: Well, then.. how are we supposed to defeat Y/n? I mean, we utterly failed in Liberio. The only reason we "captured" Y/n is because he wanted to be captured.
Hanji: That's correct. We did fail in Liberio. However, the reason we failed is not because Y/n is stronger than all of us combined. The main reason for our defeat was that we were utterly disorganized. Eren raided Liberio and we had no time to set up a plan. We just blindly swarmed Y/n, and he tactically took us out one after another.
Freya: But it isn't like he completely stomped us. Y/n struggled in his clash with Captain Levi. And the only reason Levi couldn't defeat Y/n is because he had no backup. This isn't supposed to be like this. No one was there to support their Captain in that battle, and so he barely lost because he was outclassed.
Levi scoffed and looked out of the window.
Levi: Outclassed? You could have left the last part out. I nearly had him. Give me another try, and I'll beat his ass.
Hanji sighed as she now got to the most important part.
Hanji: That would be the best option, but sadly, you're too injured to participate in the fight properly, let alone fight Y/n. But we will stick to a similar plan. The key to winning against Y/n is to have him duel our strongest fighter. Our ace. Meanwhile, the others support and assist our ace until Y/n is defeated. He may be undefeated. But even Goliath fell as David used the right tactics in battle. He is not invincible.
The indication seemed to be rather clear. Armin pointed at Mikasa next to him.
Armin: Right. So, the plan is to assist Mikasa in her duel against Y/n.
Hanji wanted to agree, but Freya lifted her hand to signal that she wasn't done.
Freya: You are mistaken. Mikasa is not our strongest fighter and will also not be the main opponent of Y/n. She is not the ace.
The entire cabin, including Mikasa and Hanji, looked at Freya in utter confusion.
Reiner: What..?
Connie: Mikasa is by far the strongest out of any of us.
Jean: It's not even a competition. She lifts steel beams all on her own, Freya.
Hanji put her hand on Freya's shoulder to address her with genuine concern.
Hanji: Freya, I, too, do not believe in what Hizuru told us. I'm a woman of science, so I don't think that some miracle from the heavens will bless Mikasa and make her magically defeat Y/n. But even then, she is a genetic beast. She's an Ackerman, the number two of the 104th Training Corps. She is only second to Levi.
Armin remembered something that Y/n told him a long time ago.
Armin: Y/n mentioned once that he wouldn't know who would win in a fight against him and you, Freya.. can it be that you suggest yourself to duel Y/n?
Freya shook her head again.
Freya: No. It is true that I can control the L/n blood since childhood as well. I used to be able to keep up with Y/n. But that's over. He has far surpassed me and my capabilities. So no, I will not be the one dueling Y/n.
Everyone looked at each other, perplexed about where Freya was going with this.
Bertolt: Then.. who will?
Without hesitation, Freya lifted her arm and pointed at someone. Her finger was directed towards Armin, who looked back at her in complete shock.
Armin: Wait.. me..?
Freya: Correct, Armin. You will be the one that will duel Y/n. We will all build on your lead in this fight and will support you from the sidelines.
Armin was left speechless. Neither he nor his friends knew even what to say to this.
Armin: Y-You're kidding, right?! In all my special training over the last 4 years to control the L/n blood, I never once beat Captain Levi in a fight! I'm not ready for this! I-I don't think I'll ever be!
Freya: Frankly, I'd probably mop the floor with you as well. But that isn't the point, Armin.
Armin watched as Freya knelt to his level, pointing at her and him.
Freya: You and I have the blood of a warrior race flowing through our veins. But you have an edge over me.
She gently pulled up one of his white strands of hair. She looked in his eye to see a E/c colored iris. His neck was bulkier. His forearms rougher. His jaw tighter and his shoulders broader. And the look on his face was also completely switched out. Where the old Armin would have looked at her in fear, he now held a sense of irritation in his eyes. He was more aggressive.
Freya: You have Y/n's blood flowing inside you. Your personality has been altered. Your looks are different. Y/n's data has fused with your own. Genetically, you are him. So, if anyone here has the potential to duel Y/n, it's you. Because this will be a mirror match. And we, your comrades, will tip on the scale to shift fate to our side. You just have to unlock that potential. My first option was Akira. But Mana made sure to cripple him, so he is out of the picture. The only other person with Y/n blood alive and ready for battle is you.
Armin still shook his head hectically, feeling his heart rate skyrocket. The others looked at him in worry as he hugged his shoulders and lowered his head, visibly shaking. Freya tried to calm him down and grasped onto his shoulders.
Freya: Listen. I know that I'm asking a whole bunch of you and that you're not sure about this-
Armin: Not sure?! Are you stupid or something?!
Freya gasped as Armin slapped away her hands. The others saw on full display the change of Armin's personality. He looked up at her with piercing eyes, quivering in horror.
Armin: You don't understand anything at all! I-I just can't, okay?! When Y/n and I had a talk one-on-one in Marley.. he walked up to me, and.. I.. stumbled to the ground like a helpless child..
Sasha: Armin..
Armin's rage fueled into frustration, as tears escaped his eyes. Sasha and Reiner moved closer to him to hold onto his back, consoling their friend.
Armin: Like a victim.. that's what I am compared to him, Freya.. I can't stand up to him, not in a million lifetimes. I'm.. not capable of fighting him..
Freya isn't good with emotional things, so she doesn't even try to console him. She knelt down and pressed her finger into his chest, glaring him down.
Freya: Listen to me, shithead. I didn't ask you to fight him. I told you to! Because you know what? We don't have a damn choice in this matter! You have to do this, or we all die.
Armin: You want me to raise my hand against my own brother..? You want me to hurt him? B-But regardless of if I can land a hit or not, he'll beat the brakes off me!! How am I supposed to defend myself?! What am I-
Armin choked on his words as Freya roughly grabbed onto his collar and pulled him off his seat.
Freya: I was wrong. Maybe you aren't genetically altered to be like him at all. I give you one last chance, Armin. If you keep on your feet now and be a man, we have a realistic chance of surviving this and saving humanity. But if you decide to drop to your ass like the coward you've always been since you were born, everyone you love will be gone.
Freya's piercing glare reflected on Armin's teary eyes. His mind was in a haze. He was scared. He felt fear. In this moment, Armin just waited for Freya to release her grip on him to just fall back onto his seat and admit defeat.
Armin: She is right. I am a coward. Since birth, I have always been pushed around by others. I could never stand up for myself and struggled to do so for others as well. I always had to be taken care of.. I relied on my friends for strength. When I received Y/n's blood I actually thought something would change.. who did I think I was? I buckled in front of him. Returned back to being a victim. Broke out of the delusion of worth. I'm.. weak.
"Armin."
Armin instantly snapped out of his gaze. That voice.. and the way this slender hand wrapped around his thumb. He looked down to see Mikasa look up at him. There was no worry. There was no sorrow or anger.
Mikasa: Just a couple of hours ago, you were there for me when I needed it. You said that Eren and Y/n aren't here. That you will be the one to have my back in my time of weakness. You aren't weak. You are strong. Let us lend you our strength, Armin. You are not alone.
Armin blinked a couple of times before looking around the cabin. All of his comrades gave him reassuring smiles.
Jean, Sasha, Reiner, Bertolt, Pieck and Connie. Even Hanji and Levi threw him a faint smile. All whilst Mikasa looked at him, not expectantly, but knowingly. She knew that Armin had it in him. She knows this person in and out. More than Armin knows himself.
Armin swallows and nods. He looks up at Freya, who still gave him a stern gaze. As he felt the presence and trust of his comrades, Armin was no mere man anymore. Their souls were finite, but he felt as if behind his back was an unstoppable army.
Freya looked in admiration as a familiar glow appeared in Armins eyes. A shine of confidence and defiance. Strong and without reluctance. It reminded her of..
Freya: Y/n..?
Armin took a deep breath and nodded.
Armin: Sorry for being so whiny, Freya. Let's do this. I will lead us into victory.
Freya nodded, somewhat impressed by his determination. Armin flinched and yelped out as she punched him in the shoulder.
Freya: Well said. We'll be counting on you, soldier.
Armin: A-Alright.. ouch.. you didn't have to-
Everyone froze as the world around them turned blue. They were not sitting in their plane anymore but had been shifted into an icy, endless desert. They looked up into the skies in shock to see the branches of the paths, the tree of light illumination the skies.
Connie: What the-?
Jean: Shit.. not again.. are we..?
Reiner: The Coordiantes..?
Levi: Seems like they've been eavesdropping on us.
Armin walked forwards as his comrades were still stunned in confusion. He yelled out into the void that were the Coordiantes, trying to be heard.
Armin: Eren!! Y/n!! Please, listen to us!! You have done enough!! No one will lay a hand on Paradis ever again now, Eren! And with your leadership, we can create heaven on earth with no bloodshed, Y/n!!
Jean: Eren.. Eren!!
Jean joined Armin in screaming out into the void.
Jean: Stop with this nonsense!! Y/n and you can walk this earth in peace without you having to slaughter everyone else beforehand!! You've gone insane! Listen to us!!
Sasha: Yeah.. that's right!! And Y/n, you don't have to do this!! It must have been terrible for you, right..? Dying over and over again, having to see your friends end miserably.. seeing how we can't remember you.. I can't even imagine how you must have felt.. how you must feel right now! But please stop this!! You've done enough, we can find a solution together!! You don't have to suffer for us!!
Mikasa: I..
Everyone looked back at Mikasa, who was trying to find the right words for her feelings.
Mikasa: I want to share the burden of your sins with you.. we are all guilty of making you who you have become. So, please. Y/n.. Eren.. come back to us..
Silence. There was no answer. Only the faint wind brushed against the sand and filled the void with a weak sound. Levi sighed.
Levi: Heard that, you brats? Stop now, and I'll let you off with an ass-kicking. Why don't you soggy lampshades speak up for a change?
Armin felt his blood running cold. There was something else inside this void.. someone else. He felt two familiar presences.
Armin: E-Eren?! Y/n?!
Two voices echoed through the void.
Eren: I will not live another day amongst these animals. The Rumbling will not stop until the Tower of Babel has fallen and every person outside the Walls has ascended.
Y/n: Every soul deserves to taste heaven. I will not stop until this world dies and a new one arises.
Everyone hectically looked around to see where the source of those voices came from. Armin spotted something at the foot of the tree of light. Two silhouettes were standing in the far distance. He pointed in their direction and yelled out.
Armin: There!!
All his comrades looked over and everyone immediately started running towards these two shadows. As they ran closer, they could faintly see who was standing there. Although only some of them could recognize who these two children.
Freya was the first to notice. It was Y/n at the age of seven years old. She remembered his exact frame from her childhood.
Freya: Y/n!!
And Armin instantly recognized the other child. It was Eren at the age of 10.
Armin: Eren!!
These two were standing still, watching their friends and family run towards them in the distance. The forms in which they stood there were those at which their lives had been cursed.
Y/n: Damned by our curse. Never one-
Eren: -without the other. So we would always-
Y/n: -have a friend on our side-
Eren: -who comforts us in eternity.
Y/n was at the age of seven years when Kaito put the cursed ring on his finger. From that time on, his life would be damned to be eternal until his spirit broke.
And Eren was ten years old when he ate his own father to inherit the Founding Titan, which would give him the power to control the past, present and future.
Bertolt: Eren!! Why are you still letting us use the power of the Titans?! Why have you allowed us to come here?!
Pieck: Y/n!! You could have commanded us to stay on Paradis with your eyes, but you gave us a choice! Why did you do that?!
As they nearly reached the two of them, the tree of light suddenly warped backwards into the far distance. They all came to a stop, completely out of breath. It seemed as if Eren and Y/n were unreachable to them.
Eren: In order to gain my freedom, I will take away the freedom of the world. But I won't take anything from you. You are free.
Y/n: You should act as your heart desires. I am merely your guide and not your master. If you want to defy me, do as you wish.
Eren: If you want to save humanity, stop my breath.
Y/n: And if you want to deny heaven, end me.
Eren: As long as we have our unbreakable conviction, we will collide. There is only one thing for us to do.
Y/n / Eren: Fight.
They could only stand there and watch as Eren and Y/n gazed towards them with their empty eyes. Armin grits his teeth and goes into a full sprint, rejecting their wishes, trying to reach them regardless.
Armin: I won't accept this!! Eren!! Y/n!!
His comrades followed him, and they dashed towards Y/n and Eren as fast as they could. All the while, Eren and Y/n slowly turned to each other to look into each other's eyes.
Y/n: God be with you, brother.
Eren: God be with you, brother.
Y/n: Are you satisfied?
Eren: Never. Look at what happened to us, brother.
Y/n: Only war, suffering and futility. It is time, brother.
Eren: For what?
Y/n: To end it all.
Eren: Once and for all.
Just as they were able to grasp them, the blue lights around them, as well as the desert, disappeared. They all crashed on the ground of the plane's cargo bay. They were back in their world, away from the Coordinate.
Onyankopon looked over his shoulder from the pilot seat towards them in shock.
Onyankopon: Hey! What happened?!
But they were still too stunned by what they witnessed.
Reiner: Shit.. is.. is that it..?
Levi: Well. That's our hope for negotiations gone.
Jean: Is there really nothing.. we can do but fight?
Levi sighed and nudged Freya.
Levi: Now what?
Freya was still a bit out of it but always ready to play her part.
Freya: No change in plans. We will prioritze fighting Y/n. And Armin will take the lead. He bravely stated it himself, right Armin?
Freya looked over at Armin, who still sat in his seat, unresponsive. Mikasa, who sat next to him gazed at him in worry as he didn't reply.
Armin: Armin..?
Everyone walked over to their comrade to see that his eyes were wide open, but a blue hue was clouding it. There was no doubt about it.
Armin is still inside the Coordinate.
[POV Change - Annie]
Location: Hizuru Ship, International Waters
Annie and Kiyomi were leaning on the ship's railing, gazing towards the quiet ocean and the blue skies. They felt a false sense of peace, as they knew that billions of people were currently dying all around the world.
Annie: Where are we going?
Kiyomi: To the Empire of Hizuru. I believe Mikasa and the others will stop the Rumbling. However.. I'm not quite certain to what extent this country will be able to operate as one.
Annie: Hm. Sounds like only eating fish and rice for a while.
Kiyomi gave her a faint smirk at her little jab.
Kiyomi: Hizuru's seafood is exquisite. You can have as many delicacies and as much white rice as you desire.
Annie: That's good.
Kiyomi realized that Annie was out of it. She wasn't entirely there. The waves reflected off her eyes.
Kiyomi: What's on your mind, young lady?
Annie just sighed and scratched the back of her head, a bit conflicted if she should talk about it. But Kiyomi is an experienced lady. She's seen and heard it all, and the look on her face told her everything she needed to know.
Kiyomi: It's about a man, am I right?
Annie scrunched up her face and averted her gaze, looking away. Kiyomi smiled warmly.
Kiyomi: Nothing excites a girl's heart more than love. Isn't that right, Annie? Or should I say.. a woman's heart?
Annie shook her head, having grown resistant to the teasing already.
Annie: Yeah.. I guess.
Annie sighed deeply, looking back at the waves.
Annie: I wonder if I made the right decision. I mean.. I can't change it now anyways. I decided to prioritize the safety of this child over participating in the fight.. but..
Kiyomi: You want to see him again, don't you?
Annie was somewhat amazed at how easily Kiyomi could read her. It comforted her to open up more.
Annie: I wonder if he would be disgusted at me that I raised my sword against my allies once more?
Kiyomi: We always assume the worst in love. How has Y/n treated you after you killed all of these innocent people when you tried to kidnap him?
Annie: He.. comforted me. And gave me a chance to redeem myself..
Kiyomi: And what makes you think he wouldn't do that again?
Annie just nodded. She was right. That was exactly who Y/n was. She felt stupid. Annie grasped onto the steel railing, enraged at herself.
Annie: I'm a fool. I fled when it came down to what was important to me. I'm such a coward.. I should have gone with them. Why did I get scared? I want to see you again.. hear your voice.. just one more time. Please.. just one more time.
Before Kiyomi spoke out, she saw Gabi and Falco run up to them very energetically.
Gabi: Miss Annie!
Falco: I.. I had a dream!
Annie was too occupied with herself to fully engage in conversation.
Annie: A dream? What? That you and Gabi got married?
Gabi: What?!!
Annie: And then had teeny tiny children, even more annoying than you two?
Falco: I- Wha- You- No!! Hello?!
Kiyomi seemed to notice that it was something important that they wanted to say.
Kiyomi: What did you dream of, young gentleman?
Falco: I saw Porcos memories! They all flooded into my mind.. and I was flying in these dreams! It felt weird, but..
Annie grunted and turned around, somewhat annoyed.
Annie: Shut up, you damn kids! Go lug some coal or something, damn! You..
Annie blinked a couple of times and only now realized what Falco had said.
Annie: Wait.. did you say you saw Porco's memories?
Falco gulped, recovering from the shock.
Falco: Yes.. I saw memories of how Porco was soaring over the clouds as the Bathomet Titan.. flying across fields as if I was as light as a feather. And I feel as if.. I could do this, too, now!
Falco gasped out as Annie grasped onto his shoulder, looking at him with wide eyes.
Annie: Can you do it?! Can you transform into the Baphomet Titan and fly Falco?!
Falco nodded with determination. These memories were clear, and he felt as if he had done it a thousand times.
Falco: Yes, I am certain that I can!
Gabi: We came here to talk to you, Annie! This is our chance! We can use this Titan to help in the fight to save the world! We wanted to ask you if you would be willing to-
Annie: Yes!!
Gabi and Falco both flinched as Annie didn't hesitate for a single second when she realized what they implied. This was Annie's chance. A last chance just for her, given to her by pure luck. She wasn't about to let it slip out of her hands like this.
But she acted too quickly. She regained her senses and looked over at Kiyomi.
Annie: Oh.. Kiyomi, I.. I know this will sound like nonsense to you.. this is utterly illogical because I already decided to go with you, but-
But Kiyomi only shook her head with a satisfied smile.
Kiyomi: Don't. It's okay. You see, Annie when I was but a young maiden in love, I, too, made decisions that would seem ridiculous. Completely devoid of any logic and sense. But isn't that what makes life worth living? Don't let this opportunity slip out of your hands. Grasp what is yours and never let it go. Live with no regrets, Annie Leonhart.
Annie sighed and smiled brightly. She didn't know Kiyomi very well, but she was grateful for what she had done for her in this little time she had spent with her. She reminded her of Carla.
Gabi: Won't the ship sink, though? I mean, Porco's Baphomet Titan was pretty damn heavy and powerful. I don't think this ship is a good starting platform.
Kiyomi just patted Gabi on the back and looked at Annie.
Kiyomi: I do not mind if this ship sinks. This young woman will write the most important pages in her life right now. I would be honored to offer you ink to paint these pages.
[POV Change - Armin]
Location: Coordinates
Armin looked around him in confusion. Everyone disappeared. Everyone but him. He walked around in this lonely desert aimlessly, trying to find someone.
Armin: Hello? Mikasa? Jean..? Reiner..? Where are you guys?
Nothing. Armin was all alone, and no one answered him. He came to a standstill and sighed. What was he doing here?
"Are you looking for someone?"
Armin's ears perked up at that voice. It sent chills down his spine. He instantly recognized it. His eyes filled with determination as he turned around to see the person who spoke to him.
He was standing there like a majestic animal, with his white hair flowing in the wind. His sheer presence gave Armin a sense of both peace and sorrow. A man and a concept in the same body.
Armin: Y/n.
[End Chapter 55]