Silence came to the cell as Yelena finished her explanation. The whole time, Leon felt cold, fear. Each word that came from Yelena's lips had him crumbling, he felt like that scared cadet four years ago when Trost was breached.
"Children will no longer be born?" Armin asked.
"That's right." Yelena said. "The aim is to rid the world of the suffering resulting from the existence of Titans. Slowly and peacefully."
"No, wait. How is that peaceful?" Jean asked. "If the Subjects of Ymir disappear, the population keeps decreasing. In its final years the only survivors in the country would be feeble old people, right? How can we protect the country in a situation like that? You think the other countries will just leave us alone?!"
"As for that, it's going to be exactly like it's been up until now. For us to be able to use the Rumbling as a deterrent. It will be essential to maintain the succession of the Founder and the Royal family. Luckily, Queen Historia has been blessed with a successor. If that child has lived out the rest of their days, several Subjects of Ymir inhering the Founding Titan..."
"Then everything will be perfect, is what you're trying to say?" Jean asked.
"Perfection, absoluteness... each and every country carries their own distinct problems... however, one thing is for certain. The enormous threat that Titans represent. The history of blood and tears. The people who can put an end to id all do exist... Zeke and Eren... I do not know how many more thousands of years human history will keep going. But will the people who can accomplish such a great feat appear after that, I wonder? The two brothers will become symbols who will be passed down for the next millennia. Just like the gods of ancient times. And then even after death, the two of them will become the sun that shines on humanity as their saviors."
A sob escaped Leon's lips. They all turned to him and saw him wipe away the tears that fell from his eye.
"What's wrong?" Yelene asked.
"My child... my unborn child..." Leon cried. "Sofia... my wife... I haven't even seen them since we left for Marley... and now..."
Silence came to them, Connie and Jean turned to Leon with shock, they didn't know that Sofia was expecting. They didn't know Leon was going to be a father.
"We will be saving your child from such suffering. It is the greatest gift you could give them as a father, a life without suffering –"
"WHAT LIFE?!" Leon yelled. "WHAT LIFE IS THERE IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE HIM FORM ME EVEN BEFORE HE'S BORN!"
"You'll soon understand." Yelena said.
"YELENA! COME IMMEDIATELY, PLEASE! THERE'S AN INTRUDER!"
~*~
There was rumbling from above, dust and grains of stone fell from the ceiling. Iris looked up as the familiar shaking happened again. She turned to the window and saw debris fall.
"The Titans have started to move..." Iris said in a whisper.
"LISTEN TO ME!" Firo grabbed Iris by her face, and made her face him. "UNTIL NOW YOU DON'T CARE! ALL YOU CARE ABOUT IS YOURSELF!"
Iris slowly wrapped the chain around her first. She glanced back at the window and saw the battle unfold, the Jaw Titan, the Cart Titan were fighting Eren's Founding Titan. It was chaos. She turned back to Firo, who was too far gone for her to save.
"GO AHEAD, TRANSFORM INTO A TITAN AND KILL ME! KILL EVERYONE IN THIS BUILDING!" Firo yelled.
"You listen to me." Iris spoke. "Outside Titans are fighting, if I don't go there and stop this everything will be nothing – everyone will die!"
"Stop acting like a hero because you're not!"
"I KNOW I'M NOT!" Iris yelled. "I'M NOT A HERO! BECAUSE IF I WAS, THEN I WOULD'VE DIED FOR THE SAKE OF ELDIA! OUR PEOPLE! BUT NO, I FOUGHT TO LIVE, BECAUSE I WAS THAT SELFISH TO CONTINUE FIGHTING TO LIVE! BUT I'M TRYING TO BE – I'M STILL TRYING TO BE A HERO LIKE WHO THOSE WHO DIED – THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR HEARTS FOR THE SAKE OF HUMANITY!"
"I – "
"Listen to me Firo! Outside, Eren and three Titans are already fighting – Marley ships are coming, and I'm sure that Zeke is coming here any minute! If I don't leave now – if you don't let me out of these chains now, then everyone here – in this country will die!"
"I don't care anymore... the only reason why I even joined the cadets was... was to get close to you." Firo muttered.
Iris swung her hand, and her chain-covered fist hit Firo at the head, knocking him down. When Firo fell to the ground, Iris checked his belt to find the keys –
Iris was suddenly punched across the face, causing her to fall on the floor. She looked up and saw Firo recover from her attack, and had his fist out. When he was about to come after again, Iris kicked him at the knee, breaking it. Firo fell on the ground again, crying in pain, Iris went to his belt again to find the keys, but didn't' find anything, but for a gun.
"You're seriously going to do it?" Firo cried. "You're seriously going to kill us in this building? I just wanted to be par with you..."
"Firo... joining Yelena and her shit isn't going to make you a hero, nor will it make you any par with me... because you never needed to... I liked you when you were that humble farm-boy who made me dinner the night when we were headed for Wall Maria..." Iris aimed the gun at the chains and fired, the bullet caused the chain to break. "And the reason why I wasn't able to write... because I couldn't find anything to write about – we were part of a classified mission. We can't let civilians and cadets know about what we were doing – and..." Iris shot the other chain and finally freed herself. "Because I was your superior... relationships inside the Corps is unethical... it just makes things difficult. Believe me... that's why I never wanted you to join the Corps... because I know that the moment you do... you'll be another pawn in a game that we would play... and I can't do that to you."
"Iris..." Firo said in a whisper.
Iris went to the window, she shot the glass with a gun, giving her an opening. She grabbed a large shard from the ground. She reached to the edge, but before she could jump, she turned back to Firo.
"You chose this... and there's no going back now, unless you face the consequences after..." Iris tossed the gun at Firo's way, letting it skid the floor and stopped a few inches from the bleeding young man. "But remember, never regret your decisions."
"Iris, wait." Firo got up, reaching towards her.
Iris shook her head.
"I can't wait for you anymore, Firo."
Iris jumped from the window, she saw the battle between Eren and the Cart and Jaw Titan, and the Armored Titan. Shit, Reiner's here! Iris thought. Before she could crash to the ground, Iris cut her hand with the glass-shard, light came from inside her, and from the light, the Female Founding Titan came with a loud roar, with a swift movement, she ran after Eren, but the Jaw Titan blocked her way. Hardening her leg, Iris kicked the Jaw Titan across the face, sending him to the buildings in the District. She then returned to her original goal, coming at Eren's other side, Iris saw Reiner's Armored Titan.
EREN! YOU'RE MINE!
Hardening her finger's skin, she reached out to grab Eren by his nape. She needed to get Eren –
A huge Titan Crystal stake emerged from the ground, impaling both Iris and Reiner's Titans, trapping them in Eren's Warhammer abilities. Iris tried to move out of the stakes, but was unable to, due to it keeping her from the ground and continuously growing.
"TAKE CARE OF THE ARMORED AND JAW TITAN! AND RETRIEVE IRIS REED!"
"RIGHT!"
A large bullet – no cannon-like bullet came through Eren's head, turning her attention to where it came from, Iris saw the Cart Titan with the weapon on its back. When Eren did not respond for a moment, the Cart Titan aimed the weapon at her. Seeing that they had a good shot of her nape, Iris released herself from her Titan, she quickly got out and jumped off before the bullet could get her. When the Cart Titan fired, Iris was already out of range. She landed on one of Eren's Warhammer Titan Crystals and slid down, she jumped off and landed on one of the roofs of the buildings, and continued to run. She watched as Eren get shot again by the Cart Titan's weapon, and while distracted, Reiner broke one of the crystal-stakes, and stabbed Eren at the shoulder.
Fuck!
She needed to conserve the last few times she could transform so she could fight Eren on her own, but to do so, she'd need to take down the Cart Titan and that weapon, and as well as that –
Eren's Titan threw his arm at her direction in a swinging motion. She ducked down before it could hit her, and to her surprise, it didn't even come any close to her, instead, it struck down the Jaw Titan that was heading her way with its mouth wide open, about to eat her. She watched as Eren send the Titan far from their battle, and once again, be pinned down by Reiner.
Did he just...
The Armored Titan opened its mouth and neared Eren's nape, its teeth neared Eren's weak-spot, about to bite, but before Reiner could, Eren let out a loud shriek, causing everyone to cover their ears, and then he grabbed the Armored Titan by the half of its head and ripped it off its body –
A sudden wave of rocks came and caused the Armored Titan to fall. The familiar sight had Iris turn to the source, and to her great sorrow, she saw the Beast Titan standing on the Wall.
If he's here then... Papa, he's...
"It seems I managed to make it here in time, just as I promised... though I might be a little late..." Zeke said. "You did a good job holding out on your own, Eren... now just leave the rest to your big brother."
Zeke sent another wave of rocks their way. Iris continued to run, but this time, she was after the Beast Titan. When she saw the Cart Titan heading after Eren, she used the opportunity to transform. Biting her hand, Iris transformed into a Titan, and from the light, she jumped from the roof and went after Eren, who was walking towards the Beast, she tackled him down and pinned him down to the ground. She had him facing the ground, she raised her hand, her fingers hardened, and with a swift motion she –
Another wave of rocks came, and it hit her hand, causing it to be cut off. Iris gasped at the sudden disappearance of her hand, and then from behind, she felt numbers of Jaegerists coming for her nape. She hardened her nape just before a Jaegerist could slice through, she felt their blades break the moment they came in contact with her hardened skin. While they were trying to get her out of her Titan, Iris used her remaining hand to continue to pin down Eren, she opened her mouth to bite him out of his Titan and then escape this place or...
What if we don't need Eren and Zeke to start the rumbling? What we if only needed one person – one who is not tied down by the vow of King Fritz but also has the power of the Founder? Armin's words echoed in Iris' mind. But to do that... Eren needs to die.
Looking down at him, Iris saw Eren glancing at her with his Titan eye. She saw them, the soldiers who gave their lives for Eren, the hope of humanity...
No! This is the only way!
With a loud roar, Iris raised her head, opened her mouth, and came down to Eren's nape.
~*~
Onyankopon opened the cell that held the Scouts and set them free. The whole time, the Scouts were completely confused to why he was helping them when he was a part of this whole operation.
"Onyankopon, what's happening out there?!" Jean questioned.
"The Marleyan Army attacked from the sky with their blimps! Approximately five-hundred soldiers got attack by the Armored, the Jaw and Cart simultaneously! Eren and Iris are facing them alone!"
"Iris?" Leon said. "What is she doing? Is she helping Eren?!"
"No, she's fighting her own battle... but they're desperately struggling, but they'll get done in sooner of later! The Founders will be stolen by Marley! Please, lend him a hand! Save Iris and support Eren with everyone!" Onyakopon said.
Onyankopon was suddenly pinned to the wall by Connie.
"STOP WITH THE BULLSHIT, BASTARD! WHO THE FUCK IS EVERYONE?! THAT'S YOUR FIGHT! YOU THOUGHT WE'D OBEY THIS FUCKING TRAITOR?!" Connie yelled.
"Sorry! But I opposed Yelena, I'd just get my head blown up!"
"YOU ACTING NICE WITH US WAS ALL PART OF YOUR PLAN TO SEIZE PARADIS ISLAND BEHIND OUR BACK! ENOUGH! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF BETREYAL! BY REINER, BERTHOLDT, ANNIE, EREN! I'M FUCKING DONE WITH THIS SHIT! WHY?! WHY WOULD WE HAVE TO ASSIST EREN AND BECOME UNABLE TO HAVE CHILDREN!?"
"CONNIE!" Leon grabbed Connie and pushed him aside, releasing Onyankopon.
"Let's hear him out." Armin said.
Onyankopon wheezed as he tried to get some air, when he was able to speak, he finally said,
"I really don't know... about the wine... or the Euthanasia plan... same for the volunteers..." Onyankopon said.
"Huh?!" Connie said, still not convinced.
"I think it's true." Nikolo said. "Yelena forbid us to speak to the volunteers about the wine."
"Above all," Onyankopon spoke, "I don't want to help with the Euthanasia of Eldians! We wanted to develop Paradis Island and defeat Marley together! We abandoned everything and came to this island for this purpose! We devoted ourselves for the sake of everyone on this island!
"We could do it because we believed in this island's future! Children are the future! If this Euthanasia plan were to be implemented, then what is it we even came here to do?! Please... believe me..."
"I believe you." Armin said.
"Armin!" Connie gasped.
"You said back then that everyone exists because someone wished for them to exist, including the Subjects of Ymir... because it would be more interesting if different kinds of people existed, right? You showed your stance completely opposes Zeke's ideology. You were always that kind of person. Now, get up, Onyankopon."
Armin held out his hand for the man. Onyankopon took his hand and was helpedup.
"I believe you too, but what do we do?" Leon said.
"If we help Eren and Zeke, then the Euthanasia plan will be executed, right?" Jean said.
"We're not here to help Zeke and Eren... what we need is to ensure that Iris eats Eren." Onyankopon said. Appalled by what the man said, everyone fell silent. "Just like you said... there is a possibility that Iris' Founding Titan's limits is because she is a replica – but if we remove the original source, then the Eldians would have no one else to connect to but to her, and she'd become the Founder... we could use the Rumbling without risking the possibility of Zeke's plan of happening."
"But that's only a theory." Armin said.
"But it's the only plan we have to save everyone."
"Mikasa, you're silent for a while." Leon spoke. "Aren't you going to oppose to this?"
"Mikasa, don't you want to help Eren?" Armin asked.
"I do... but just like what Eren said... it's because I'm an Ackerman, that's not my own free will..." Mikasa said as she held her scarf.
"I think that's a lie that Eren made up." Armin said.
"The fact that I get headaches from time to time... why would you think it's a lie?"
"Because Iris is an Ackerman too." Leon said. "Iris woke her Ackerman power when someone tried to rape her mother, and she killed that man... if what Eren said was true, then she's meant to serve her mother –"
"But Iris is an exemption –"
"She's not! She's just like anyone here! We all based those things on theories – assumptions because we knew nothing, but when Iris got the memories of the First King, she never mentions such bullshit of Ackermans meant to serve!"
"Leon's right." Armin said. "And that's not all... Eren wishing for Eldians to become completely unable to have children... do you guys seriously believe that?"
There was silence between all of them.
"Well, I did think that wasn't like him, but to go as far as saying it's impossible –"
"But it is impossible, right?! isn't it Eren we're talking about?!" Armin said.
"Well then why?! Why doesn't he oppose Zeke and Yelena?!" Connie said.
"It doesn't matter if he doesn't oppose them! The one who makes the final call on how to use the power is the Founder himself, Eren! From the moment Yelena made her proposal to him, Eren had no choice but to do this! If he refused then I don't know what method Yelena used... but if he showed his agreement and managed to make her believe that he was their ally... then he could protect the island with the rumbling... moreover the moment he activates the rumbling is now that the main forces of the world nations are all gathered in Marley... just as planned, awakening just the few hundreds of Titans in Walls of Shinganshina is enough! If the world's stronger armed forces are annhiliated, then from now on no one will be able to lay their hands-on Paradis for the next fifty years!"
"I knew it from the very moment we joined the Cadets that guy's a maniac! And that bastard... I envied him because he was so damn cool..." Jean said. "It irritated me to no end, but... I don't want that guy to die yet."
"Well, if he kicks the bucket now... I won't be able to sock him..." Connie said.
"Let's go." Onyankopon said. "We're releasing all the soldiers who got locked up!"
As the Scouts went to get their gear, Leon spoke again,
"Armin, if what you say about Eren is true, then I think Eren knew about Iris' case... but he couldn't risk her safety by having her eat him so she could have his Founder's abilities and leave her defenseless under Yelena... Onyankopon, you said that Iris is outside fighting, right?"
"Yes, and she's not doing so well right now." Onyankopon said.
"If I'm right, Eren's going to make Iris eat him in this battle so she could use her Founder's abilities to its full potential..."
"Hold on, but why won't Eren and Iris just do it themselves? This whole rumbling? Isn't she untouched by the vow?" Connie asked.
They all turned to Connie, shocked. He was right.
"No..." Armin said, stopping, coming to a realization of their mistake. "Because we were wrong... because Eren knew that Iris can't use her Founding Titan abilities because she's not really a host of the Nine Titans, she's just a replica... but, if she were to eat him and take his Titan abilities, then she'd be the Founding Titan."
~*~
The Scouts came out with their gear, and when they saw the battlefield, they knew that they were just in time before everything turned to hell. After deceiving Yelena, they went to the battle, they hid behind the houses from the bullets that rained from the Marleyans.
"There's Iris! She has Eren!" Leon yelled.
"Shit! We need to get there!" Jean yelled. "We need to stop her!"
"What?!" Connie yelled.
"Come on!" Leon yelled.
Iris was tackled by the Jaw Titan. She grabbed the Jaw Titan by its hair, pulling it away its jaw from her. She then bit at the Jaw Titan's shoulder, pulled its head, ripping its head from its body with a powerful tug. Its human host appeared from the open flesh. Iris then threw the Jaw Titan away from her and then returned to her goal on getting Eren. She ran after his Titan that was talking towards Zeke, but before she could reach him, Reiner came and tackled her down. He punched Iris at the face, repeatedly, that was until Iris punched him across the face with a hardened fist, she then grabbed Riener by his hair and then slammed his head to the building and to the ground.
"I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS! REINER!" Iris yelled.
I can't say the same thing, midget... Reiner thought.
Iris let out a loud roar, and attacked Reiner. They both went into a hand-to-hand combat, as they did so, Iris couldn't help but feel a sudden wave of nostalgia, memories of them sparing during their years in the Cadet Corps came back to her, but she also remembered his flaws in battle. Iris kicked Reiner across the legs, sending him down.
The bigger you are, harder the fall, shit-head! Iris thought.
She rammed her leg at Reiner's chest, and kept him down. She turned to Eren and saw him nearing Zeke. Punching Reiner one last time, Iris continued her chase on Eren –
The machine gun was fired, and Zeke fell from the Wall. His nape badly wounded.
Did they... kill him?! Iris thought.
"I CAN'T FOCUS THE ANGLE OF FIRE! MOVE, HURRY! IF HE STILL HAS A BIT OF LIFE LEFT IN HIM! HE WILL SHOUT FOR SURE! BRAUN, GELLIARD! DON'T LET THE BEAST TITAN AND THE FOUNDING TITANS COME INTO CONTACT! IF THEY USE THE FOUNDING POWER IT'S THE END! EAT THE FOUNDER BEFORE THAT HAPPENS!"
Iris glanced behind her and saw Reiner getting up. She was suddenly brought down by the Jaw Titan, it bit her at the leg and then ripped her flesh before she could even punch him off of her –
Iris felt a sudden piercing pain in her body. And she fell to the ground.
What the hell?!
Reiner came towards her, but he went pass her and came after Eren.
Why'd Reiner just...
She tried to get up again, but the pain was extreme. Unknowing to Iris, the bullet of the Cart Titan's weapon has hit her and has taken about half of her body. Iris fell to the ground, unable to find strength to stand. The last thing she saw the was the sight of Zeke's Titan speaking to an Eldian Warrior. She couldn't hear what they were speaking about, and before she was lost... Zeke screamed... and every soldier that intake Zeke's Spinal Fluid turned into a Titan.