Author's Notes: Hello everyone! If you've followed me from my other stories, you know who I am. If you don't, then I am the Almighty Afroduck (the best duck in the universe) and I'm here to bring you with a story! Be warned, this contains spoilers from the manga (including from chapter 62) and this will be an AU considering that everything I may base my story on may change, but I'll keep as cannon as posible if I can.
IMPORTANT: There's a song at the end of this chapter, and the narrations that occur above every verse take the same amount of time as the verses to sing. Also, the verses are written like this: -Take on me, Take me on-
Well, without further ado, enjoy!
A Warm Welcome
Eren rode through on his horse along with the rest of the Survey Corps. Most had been talking and laughing all the way back home to Trost, no longer any Titans left in existence. He at one point had believed that the one definite solution to the problem that was the Titan infestation was to kill them all. That changed, of course, when he realized that they were once humans too. All had had names, families and lives deprived from them. His large kill count did not make him feel much remorse, however. He would have preferred death any day before having to live with the fact that he ate someone without anything he could do about it. He remembered his father in a flash and felt a chill of disgust and regret at his actions.
He'd eaten only one person in his entire life and it had been the worst crime he'd committed his entire life, though miserably not by much. Amongst the Survey Corps final expeditions, along with some of the Garrison's and Military Police's troops thanks to Historia's safe transfer to the throne, the second-to-last mission was filled to the brim with casualties. It had been to the point that Mikasa had attempted to protect him and Armin from the overflowing waves of Titans. The result of that had ended in Armin being eaten and Mikasa falling to her death. The irony was so bittersweet, he could laugh as easily as he could cry.
The mission had involved going to the center of the Titan's least concentrated territory and having himself call them with the powers that came with being a Coordinate. None could have guessed how many aberrant types would have showed up. No matter how many hundreds of meters away, all had made themselves to their positions. Armin had been at a Titan's maw and there was nothing anyone could do about it, and one of Mikasa's wires had been broken by one of the monsters with truly serrated teeth.
He remembered how he wept as he held her in his arms as soon as the 'Cure' made its way to all of the multiple giants' nostrils. The 'Cure' was the nickname given to the substance that managed to revert al Titans to their pure human status. The formulas had been found in his father's basement, along with how to use his Coordinate in order to use it to keep the Titans in line and let themselves breathe the fume. The deviants that they found, however, proved to be immune to him.
Eren's thoughts returned to Mikasa's last few breaths, having both him and Jean at her sides, along with the rest of the remaining 104th trainees. It had killed him to know that despite having done everything in his vast amount of power, he couldn't save the sister that had taken care of him since the day he brought her to his home. After the deviants and other average Titans had been intoxicated with the 'Cure', the group of them buried her on the spot. He'd taken back the scarf he'd given her the day she her parents were murdered and now rested on his neck, giving him a nostalgic scent of the porcelain skin it had rested on before.
He remembered returning to the castle-like base in Wall Maria that the Survey Corps maintained. He'd gotten drunk with at least two whole bottles of vodka before he couldn't remember anymore. He somehow woke up the next morning in his bed, still fully clothed. From what he heard from others, Levi had come to confront him and apprehend him, to which he responded by throwing back numerous insults at the Commander. He had been surprised to hear that rather than beat the ever-breathing shit out of him, Levi only placed his arm around his neck and led him to his room. Apologizing and consulting him that day, he asked why he didn't do what he would have normally done with him. He said nothing, but Eren implied on his own that after the losses he took, Levi likely pitied and respected him. After all, he was never insulted with 'brat' or 'idiot' by him again. Likely because of the massive change in him.
After going through the greatest hell in his life, he stopped smiling. Period. All he had to show was an emotionless yet melancholic demeanor to his face. The same one worn by several of the Corps' veterans. The same one worn by Levi. On his horse, he could see how much closer to the district they were. It'd only be a few minutes before arriving. He looked at Jean from afar going on his own stallion with an expression similar to his own. After the major loss, both no longer viewed the point in fighting each other, nor where they as abrasive as they had been before. The lack of friction between them had opened a strong connection through trust. They, along with the somewhat melancholic Connie and Sasha, had diminished any rivalries they used to have after losing their closest friends. From his stallion, Jean met Eren's gaze and nodded, a gesture that was returned.
The rest of the ride was uneventful until their arrival. With so many more people inhabiting human territory, the streets were filled with them, making way for the soldiers they now praised. Some were humans who had lived their entire lives with fearing the Titans, others had been Titans for a lifetime. None of it matter any longer as they threw flowers at them with teary eyes. That wasn't enough to make Eren smile, though. Commander Levi Ackerman had been at the front with him on the right and Jean on the left. After Erwin's loss of his arm and Historia's uprise, Supreme Commander Darius Zackly retired from his post, which was then left for Smith to take care of. That left Levi as the Commander of the Survey Corps and Hanji Zoe as the Lance Corporal. At the end of the road was the Supreme Commander, Commander Nile Dawk and Commander Dot Pixis waiting for them, several of their troops to their sides.
As they got closer and away from the cheering crowds, Nile nodded his head to the troops, all of which pointed their guns at Eren. All went silent as he was shocked from the events taking place. He sure as hell had no idea what was going on or why, something he shared in common with Erwin, Levi and all those who had gone to the final expedition. One of the soldiers motioned him to get off his horse and stripped him of his gear as he dictated, "Eren Jaeger, you are under arrest."
He was then taken by soldiers from both sides, the two dragging him to the underground catacombs with a soldier following pointing the barrel of the gun at his head for good measures. Many in the crowd of the expedition, none from the civilians, shouted and cursed at the Commander, none knowing what the meaning of this was. Levi got of his horse and stomped his way to the three. "Care if I ask what the fuck was that about?!"
"Yes, Nile, I think we're all interested to know." Erwin said as he turned to face the leader of the Military Police. He was unfazed by their glares, though looking somewhat guilty, and opened his mouth to answer. He was interrupted by Pixis, however. "It was my idea."
Both looked shocked at hearing the bald soldier's statement, him continuing, "The Titans have been eradicated, I know. I also know that the reason why that is is because of. This however, is something that's more than necessary, Erwin. You and I both know that having a Shifter alive among us is bound to cause fear in the inhabitants that live under our vigilance. It is cruel, and I shall die knowing I am the reason a hero was executed, but if we've stained our hands this much in order to gain mankind's freedom, and we'll have to go all the way to make sure we didn't sacrifice so much just to lose it all in a civil war."
"He's right, Erwin. Two years ago, I would have killed him just to experiment on him, but now this is the only reason I am going through with it. The last time we were in this town, it was being destroyed by him and that other female Shifter. And we took part of several more deeds like that in order to win this war against the Titans. If we can be safe, this is the way." Nile added, though with no eagerness in his voice about it.
Levi was about to seethe at the two men for doing something as stupid at this, but a defeated sigh from Erwin took him by surprise. He was even more shocked to hear from him, "I understand. I'll give the order for his execution within the hour."
Levi stared wide-eyed at the man as he turned his back on them and left as well as Nile and Pixis, leaving him alone and deadpanned in front of his soldiers.
Eren was shoved into a cell and chained to some very thick cuffs in the room. Unlike the last time he was put a prisoner, he had no bed in which he could sleep. All there was was the unforgivably cold and humid floor. The officers that took him there gave a last look of disgust before heading upstairs again. Then it dawned on Eren. All this time, he'd fought passionately for a race that was capable of enslaving their own kind. A voice brought him from his thoughts.
"Eren?! What the hell are you doing here?!" He paled as he looked at Reiner in a cell to his right. The small prison cell had been located at the end of a mini hall, the stairs at the other end. Two cells were in each side of the hall, making for a total of five compartments in which to put criminals in. Seeing Reiner there, captured, led him to connect the dots. True to his guess, Ymir, Annie and Bertholdt grabbed their bars and looked at him. He'd no idea of when or how they were caught, but he guessed Erwin found a way. And now he was here, to be murdered with them all.
"Eren! What's wrong?!" Reiner shouted, attempting to get a response from the man. His efforts were to no avail. Annie looked at him in shock, maybe pity, Ymir just shock, and Bertholdt just pity. He then realized the point of him being here. Of not knowing of the other Shifters' presence. Of being detained. He was going to be the show of the day at a public execution. Ymir looked at Eren and questioned, "Yeah, Eren. Why the fuck did they put you here?"
"HEY! SHUT YOUR MOUTHS, SCUM!" bellowed an officer above.
"Well, fuck you too." Ymir whispered right back at the man. The reminder of the officer that they were being held prisoners made Reiner lower his voice, yet he still tried to talk to Eren. "Eren, talk to me! Why did they-never mind. We're planning to escape and there's room for you!
On cue, Annie showed a glint of metal in her hand, proving to be a key. First thing's first, we need to-"
Reiner stopped as he realized that that Eren was now looking at his cell's right wall emotionlessly, not listening to a word he said. Reiner tried whispering his name, the other three watching, each time louder until the officer above them shouted at the lot again. None of it had made Eren change in the slightest. The extreme change in his personality was not lost to any of the four, and it worried them to no end how even more stoic than Annie he was. Seeing Mikasa's scarf around his neck did not give them any reassurance. Reiner then sighed, looking at the ground dejectedly, before looking up and saying in a normal toned voice, "Eren, I'm sorry. For everything. For dragging you to this shitstorm of a war for being responsible for destroying your home, for everything. Trust me when I say that, I mean I feel like the shittiest person alive. So do Annie, Bert and Ymir. Everything we did, we did to reach the same goals you accomplished. Even then, we failed, and now we all regret having to turn our backs on the soldiers, no, the friends we fought with for years. We're going to escape this place and I doubt we'll be coming back, and you deserve to get a second chance. Please, just listen to us and come with us."
It was then that Eren turned his gaze to Reiner's again. The latter was shocked to see just how dead his eyes were. Yet somehow, he didn't give a sign that it was because of him. Instead, he turned to the right wall, sat down and began to kick it with his right foot in a rhythmic pattern. Reiner watched at him dejectedly just like the others and then turned to the three and whispered the final details of his plan.
It had almost been an hour since Eren had started kicking the wall, no whispering from the four or shouting from the guards making him stop. Rubble had settled on his cell near the wall, breaking down more and more pieces of the old stone. Pointless, really. Making a hole in a wall countless meters thick that would only lead to another closed cell was less than counterproductive. He had stopped after half an hour, turning his back on the wall and resting his head against the hole he made and sitting on the small stones he'd broken out. He then sat quietly, staring at the other wall without moving.
"Okay, it's five minutes before they come down to get us. Annie, it's time for you to open the doors. Bert, you're helping me carry Eren. I'll be damned if we leave him to die after everything he's done to end this damn war. Ymir, when we get out, you'll be flanking us and watching our six. We've lost more than enough people in a life time, we're not leaving anyone behind now." The three nodded as Annie silently stood up and silently started fidgeting with her lock with the key. They heard footsteps heading down and she hurried, trying to get the door open. Finally making it enter and twisting it, the key broke. The four looked bewildered at the small metallic circle Annie now held in her hands, the rest having been broken off.
"Shit." She murmured. The guards finally headed down, all pointing their guns at their heads. One looked at the broken off body of the key still lodged in her locked and laughed. "So close, yet so far. That was the lock for that lanky retard's cell, not yours you dumb bitch."
Any of the four would have insulted the man right back, but the fact that they were now facing their deaths overwhelmed them too much. The guards quickly got them out, shoving them forward and took them up. Tying their hands behind their backs and clearing their pockets, the officers took them to the platforms, all high and with five ropes hanging from them. The four were sent up as they heard a crowd of civilians jeering at them and throwing at them whatever they could. This wasn't put to a stop by the Military Police, who merely sneered at the sight. Just as the four stepped behind their ropes, leaving the middle one for Eren, a particularly large object was thrown at his knee. He knelt, on top of the platform, yet his rope at least seven meters behind. Before the guard could force him to get back up, he uttered, "I wish to confess."
The guard reeled his neck back, staring at him dumbfounded as he shouted, "What?!"
His outburst had everyone silenced, from the taunting civilians, to the motionless officers, to the broken Corps members, to the mourning Shifters, to the high Commanders. Eren said more loudly, "I wish to confess the terrible crime I committed, for I am guilty."
The officer snickered at him and took several steps back as he gave him room and solitude on the stage. "By all means, go ahead! Repent for all that you're responsible of!"
The officer left to join the crowd, knowing that in the case that should he try to make any sudden movements, countless officers were perched on the rooftops to shoot him. Eren turned to the watching crowd. "I'm guilty of a monstrous crime, a crime that should never be forgiven, a crime that only a fool would make!"
The crowd grew less scornful as they heard his tone grow louder and louder, a sense of dread creeping into them. All those that knew Eren, from those in the crowd to those behind the ropes, looked at him fearfully, never having seen any side Eren like this.
"I am guilty, of allying myself to humanity." Everyone was shocked by this.
-And who, are you, the proud lord said, that I must bow so low-
"I am guilty of saving all of your worthless lives, a race capable of enslaving their own kind."
-Only a cat of a different coat, that's all the truth I know-
"I sacrificed everything for you ungrateful bastards. My friends, my parents, everything that I could have been."
-In a coat of gold, in a coat of red, the lion still has claws-
"And then, I get rewarded by getting stabbed in the back after everything I did for you all. But that's not the worst part."
-And mine are long, and sharp my lord, as long and sharp as yours-
"All of you have the audacity and stupidity to assume I'm just going to sit down and wait to get shot in front of you all." He continued as he smiled for the first time a bitter smile. Now everyone looked in fear at him. His hand began to reach for a bump in the back of his dust filled pants as he grabbed something from his back pocket. He grabbed a particularly sharp stone he broke off from the wall and grasped it with such force that it broke his skin and inked blood. A small steam produced from his hand, as the other four Titan Shifters gasped in fear.
-And so he spoke, and so he spoke, that lord of Castamere-
"You're wrong. I'm done with you shits, and I'm done with humanity." He gave a final sinister smile to the crowd as he looked up and lightning struck him, blinding all and producing a shockwave that sent back the crowd, killed the officers nearby and threw the other four Shifters straight back.
-But now the rains weep o'er his hall, with no one there to hear-
The crowd looked at the stage and screamed in fear as a fifteen meter Titan appeared in front of them and let out the must bloodcurdling roar they had heard in their lives.
-Yes, now the rains weep o'er his hall, with not a soul to hear-
Author's Notes: For those of you who know what this song is, you the best. Anyone who doesn't, search it on Youtube by putting the lyrics and listen to it while reading the last scene. I hope you've had as much fun reading this as I have writing this.
The Almighty Afroduck,
All Hail