Just in time, guys! Here I am with chapter four. Thank you so much for the massive support I've gotten so far. I hope you'll enjoy! :D PS: planning this story is kinda hard. Since the manga is still running, I've to change things on the fly. Anybody who has read chapter 107 will know what I'm talking about.

~Seira: I love your plot and I really hope you continue this story cause it's amazing!

Thank you! I definitely will. :3

''Titans!'' Speech

''Titans!'' Thoughts

For some reason, Eren was more nervous than he would've imagined. He and his father had done the most difficult part of their mission already, so why was facing Annie, Reiner and Bertolt in a normal conversation almost impossible for him? Eren shook his head. He had to be convincing if he wanted to succeed. At the moment, he was standing in front of the three shifters who were all still unconscious.

Ymir was standing next to him, a sliver of concern showing on her face. He had told her everything she needed to know when they'd traveled back to wall Maria. Needless to say, she had needed a moment to process everything, never mind that she had a bit of trouble believing it all. But like Eren had expected, she was alone and scared, and thus decided to trust him for the time being. He just had to keep treating her with respect to make that trust grow.

''It's going to be all right,'' Eren said to himself more than to Ymir, but she still responded hesitantly.

''Are you sure I'm the right person for this? I just ate one of their friends after all.'' Her concern hadn't diminished in the slightest, even though all three warriors were tied up and weren't able to shift into their titan forms.

''It'll be for a little while, at least until my father has found a way to extract their powers without killing them. Besides, you're the only person who knows about Marley inside these walls beside the royal family. And I can't leave them behind without any supervision either.'' Eren paused as he looked around the plain room they were in. Honestly, he couldn't have wished for a better spot to keep the three shifters until he had convinced them to join his cause.

They were exactly twenty-five meters up and around two meters inside wall Maria. Eren smiled as he reminisced about the fact the wall was actually hollow at some points from the inside. ''Looks like the hiding spot you used against us is going to be your temporary prison for now, Reiner and Bertolt,'' he thought, nodding in satisfaction. The room was fairly large with enough space to walk around. Eren had provided enough food and water for Ymir—who was going to keep an eye on the three shifters—and the three shifters themselves to last a few days.

Plenty of oxygen streamed into the multiple vents, and there was even a spot to go outside to get a breathtaking view of the island and all the mindless titans roaming around. Eren nodded in satisfaction and then eyed Ymir again. ''I'll come back tonight to check up on you,'' he promised, ''and then I'll slowly teach you how to shift and use the jaw titan effectively. If one of the warriors manages to break free—which I doubt—don't hesitate to kill him or her. You'll be able to shift while they don't. At least, not immediately. Be merciless. One life doesn't equal thousands of others.''

Ymir nodded, although she wasn't sure she was able to do it if it ever came to that. Eren probably knew, because he had built this room cleverly. Annie, Reiner and Bertolt were all tied up separately; not far away enough so they couldn't see each other, but they weren't able to reach. Likewise, a line on the ground indicated the distance the warriors could walk forward and thus effectively reach with their legs. As long as Ymir didn't cross it she would be fine.

There were no sharp edges or objects in the room to break free from the restraints, neither a way for them to shift. They were trapped in such a way that they were unable to leave, but not unable to move around.

''So, what will you do now?'' Ymir asked Eren curiously. She was still amazed he was able to stop such a destructive threat before it could've happened. It made his story that he was from the future all the more believable.

''I'm going to wait until they wake up and try to knock some sense into them,'' he responded seriously. ''We're all Eldians. I don't want to kill three innocent children who've been brainwashed by Marley just because they don't know any better. Hopefully, they'll understand sooner than later.'' He pointed at the female titan in the room. ''Particularly Annie was intrigued by my offer. With a bit of luck, I'll have her convinced by the end of today.''

''And what if it's a trick?'' Ymir whispered back. ''What if they say they want to join you just so they'll be free and wreak havoc anyway?''

''I know all three of these people very well,'' he responded, ''Annie will be the first to give in. Not only doesn't she believe a word what Marley is saying, but she also knows I'm telling the truth and can possibly give her what she truly wants. Besides, I need a way to bring back Dina—'' Eren motioned with his hands to refer to the smiling titan. ''—so the payment of joining me is giving up her powers. If she's willing to do that, I know I can trust her. The boys are going to need more time, but once Reiner is convinced, Bertolt will follow quickly afterwards no problem.''

Ymir was pretty impressed. ''You really thought about this, didn't you?'' she said in amazement. ''You really want to restore Eldia back to its long lost glory without losing a single soul.''

Eren nodded silently. ''We've been suppressed long enough. Too many lives of Eldians were lost. Marley is going to pay for what they did; but not in the same way we've been paying. When Paradis is titan free and I've gotten rid of all the corrupt politicians around here, we'll claim Marley and make it a peaceful country were Eldians and Marleyans will learn to live as one. It's going to take some time, but we'll take it slowly. The world will learn we're not devils, and once everything is set and done, the power of the titans will be no more. They'll be destroyed, never to be used again. I'm going to personally make sure of that.''

Ymir smiled, but then gasped when she saw Reiner stir. Sure enough, he began to open his eyes groggily. Eren stiffened a bit, but held his friendly composure. Reiner looked around in confusion and groaned; he'd taken quite some damage before the lights went out, so Eren assumed his healing joints were pretty sore. It took a moment before his eyes set on Eren and they widened in recognition. Fear, panic and anger all set in at once.

Eren could see these powerful emotions swirl in Reiner's eyes. The armored titan suppressed a growl and tried to stand up, only to stumble and fall back down; a combination of him being tied up and his joints not working fully yet. He lowered his head in defeat and refused to open his mouth for the time being.

Likewise, Eren wasn't making a move yet either. He waited patiently until Bertolt and Annie had woken up too. It didn't take long before Bertolt's eyes had flicked open with a big gasp as well, like he had been holding his breath for too long. He panted while his eyes only displayed pure terror. Apparently, he hadn't been dreaming pleasant.

When he saw Eren standing there, however, only anger was present in his face. ''You,'' he said lowly, ''I'll kill you. I'll kill you until there's nothing left!''

It was odd how much Bertolt reminded him of himself when he was younger. It made Eren pity him. It wasn't too late yet to change his mind; it would just take a lot of patience on his end, Eren was sure of it.

Bertolt continued to make empty threats while he struggled furiously against his binds. Reiner ignored his best friend and continued to keep his head turned low. Both looked utterly broken.

Finally, Annie reached the land of the conscious as the final member of the group. She didn't make a sound whatsoever; it was like she had been wide awake for a while now when she opened her eyes. Most notably, she didn't display any resentment whatsoever when she locked her eyes with Eren. He only saw utter sadness and bitterness; she probably thought she'd blown her chance with him when she helped out her friends in battle.

Eren was silent for a little while longer before he cleared his throat. A friendly smile appeared on his face. ''I apologize for the rough treatment and the condition you are all in,'' he began kindly. ''I hope you understand I can't have you guys shifting and still destroying wall Maria.'' He paused and eyed each warrior individually. ''How are you feeling? Is there anything I can get you?''

Bertolt had shut his mouth, his face murderous while low growls came out of his throat. He was like a wounded animal, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't somewhat surprised at how Eren was talking to them.

Reiner had lifted his head, the tears that had threatened to roll down his cheeks having stopped as his face displayed utter confusion.

The only one who didn't seem surprised was Annie. Instead, a sliver of hope appeared in her eyes. That was a very good sign for Eren; one he hoped that would grow.

He continued when none answered—understandably so. ''I'm afraid this is where you'll be staying for the time being, but don't fret. Ymir here,'' he pointed at the female standing next to him, who stiffened considerably, ''will keep you company in my absence.''

''Where is here?'' Reiner whispered. His voice had lost all of its power; he'd accepted very quickly that they had failed and that he was a prisoner now.

''We're inside wall Maria,'' Eren answered honestly. ''It's the only place where I can keep you safely so no harm will be done to you.''

Bertolt let out a cynical laugh. ''No harm?'' he hissed. ''You devils have probably planned to torture us so we'll spill every bit of information you can use against Marley. It's the only reason why you haven't killed us yet, isn't it?'' he spat, demanding Eren that he would tell the truth.

Eren shook his head. ''No, Bertolt. Why would I torture you when I already know everything that's going to happen? I knew about your arrival, did I not?''

He grumbled, but couldn't find a counterargument to that. He wanted to shout that the information of their arrival was leaked somehow, but Marley had been utmost careful. Moreover, Eren and his father both had the attack titan on top of Eren having the founding titan too. It just didn't make any sense.

''Eren,'' Annie called, her curiosity piqued by his last statement. ''Can I ask how it's possible for you to know everything?'' Her eyes were back to that analytical gaze he was so used of her. She was calculating every move he made; trying to find the least bit of dishonesty if she could.

Eren slowly nodded his head. He'd thought this over carefully, but feeding his potential allies lies wasn't the way to go about things, especially if he wanted them to trust him. ''It's because I'm from the future,'' he explained simply.

Bertolt snorted loudly. ''You want us to believe such obvious lies? We're not gullible!'' he yelled, his anger flaring up again. ''You're trying to brainwash us, aren't you? So you can use us against Marley! We'll never let that—''

''He's telling the truth,'' Annie interrupted him, effectively shutting him up. Bertolt was gawking at her incredulously and even Reiner gasped in shock.

''Annie?'' Reiner whispered, ''what are you saying?''

If she was completely honest with herself, she didn't know why she would believe such a ridiculous statement either, but for some reason, it just fit. His knowledge, the two attack titans, the fact he knew her fighting style even though they'd never met and his experience in controlling the founding titan like he'd done it for years all would be explained this way. Eren was being dead serious about it too, so he was either crazy and believing his own lies or being extremely honest—especially the latter told her Eren had no ill intention with them at all. If anything, it gave her even more hope his offer would somehow still stand.

''I know what I'm saying, Reiner,'' she concluded finally. ''Marley has always been full of shit. Maybe you don't believe that yet, but I'm not easily fooled. What Eren is saying is the craziest story I've ever heard, but I believe him based on what I've seen so far.''

Bertolt guffawed, a breathless laugh escaping his mouth. ''Marley full of shit?'' he repeated, like he couldn't believe that had come out of Annie's mouth. ''You're crazy! We've been tasked with such an important mission. The trust Marley has put on our shoulders pierces the sky! They gave us—mere Eldians—a chance to become honorary Marleyans if we succeed! Do you believe that's all a lie!?''

''It's based on false pretenses,'' she whispered back, the things she'd thought for so long finally leaving her mouth. ''Even if we become honorary Marleyans, people will not look at us differently.''

Bertolt's jaw threatened to drop, his body refusing to feel the treacherous hate that welled up for Annie. Reiner, in the meantime, chuckled while sweat started to accumulate on his forehead. That'd normally happen to Bertolt, but the same feeling of anxiety he felt on the battlefield a few hours prior overwhelmed him again. It was the fear of losing Annie.

''So what?'' he said, some of his willpower returning through his desperation. ''We should just believe this devil then? And then what?''

Annie looked back at Eren hopefully, who nodded his head in confirmation. ''My offer still stands. I require your help in changing some crucial things around here. With your power backing me up, I'm certain I'll succeed. You'll help restore the real glory of the Eldian race, as well as help me spread the real story of Eldia and Marley.'' Eren paused and then reached out his hand like a guardian angel. ''Please, let me help you.''

For the second time in his entire life, Eren saw a small smile creep up Annie's face. It was as rare as a harvest moon, but twice as beautiful. He knew he had Annie convinced then and there.

''Pretend for a moment that I accept your offer, Eren,'' Annie said, her voice trying to remain stoic but unable to hide a hint of excitement, ''Will you just let me go?''

''I will, but on one condition,'' Eren responded, his nervousness building again. This was going to decide whether or not he would have a very strong ally at his side and be able to bring back Dina again. ''You'll have to give up your titan powers. Not only out of a precaution, but also because I'm trying to bring back a very important person of royal blood.''

Alarm bells went off in Annie's head immediately, her excitement dwindling down to her usual stoic expression. ''Don't believe him, Annie,'' Reiner yelled just for good measure, ''this is obviously a trick!''

''I understand it sounds like a trick, but please think about it,'' Eren begged. ''What do I possibly gain by getting the titan powers out of you willingly as opposed to killing you?''

Again, Annie saw or heard no dishonesty coming from Eren, which frustrated her a little. Giving up her powers was the last thing she would do, and the question remained how Eren was going to get them out without killing her.

When she stayed silent, Eren nodded his head. ''Please give it some thought. I'll be back tonight. In the meantime, you guys can get acquainted with Ymir.'' He gave her a reassuring pat on her back as he made his leave. He saw how her mind was full with uncertainties, but he trusted she'd do well and get acclimated in no time. Ymir was a strong woman, after all.

Once Eren had finally reached his home, the morning had made place for the afternoon. The sun was harsh on his face and neck, but he knew that Mikasa was going to be a lot harsher. His mom was doing the laundry outside, humming a happy tune while his father had locked himself up in his basement. He'd given his father all the info he knew about how the power of the titans worked. Now it was up to him to find some sort of solution.

''Hi mom, I'm back!'' Eren called out happily.

Carla turned around and smiled. ''Hi, sweetie,'' she greeted back, the relief in her voice almost unnoticeable. She was a pro at hiding her worry, something that wasn't unjustified in this situation; both she and Mikasa knew that whatever they had done was something very dangerous. ''I'm glad you're back! Lunch is almost ready. You can help out Mikasa if you'd like?''

He'd rather not even though he loved her with every fiber of his being. Facing her wrath—no matter what age she was—was always a scary experience. He knew how to deal with it, obviously, but if he could avoid it, he would do so. Unfortunately, he had to face her sometime.

''Sure, mom! I'll go help her out!'' Eren made his way into his home until he'd reached the kitchen. There, Mikasa was already busy setting the table with various sandwiches, fruits and drinks she'd made. Her eyes lit up for a moment when she saw that Eren was completely fine, but then scoffed and continued her job without so much of a greeting.

''Hi, Mikasa,'' Eren greeted her anyway. He knew the best way to approach the situation was to talk about it immediately rather than avoiding eye-contact or pretending nothing was wrong whatsoever. ''I'm sorry if I made you worry,'' he apologized, getting the necessary cutlery and glasses to go along with the food and drinks. ''I understand that you're mad at me and I deserve that wholeheartedly. I just hope you can forgive me.''

Mikasa stopped what she was doing and looked him in the eyes. ''Eren,'' she said sternly, ''what's gotten into you? Ever since last night you haven't been acting like your usual rash self. You almost seem like a different person!''

Her concern was logical. Eren didn't deny the fact he'd changed a lot; everybody did when they grew up. It must be worrisome for Mikasa seeing him so differently. ''That's because I have,'' he admitted to her. ''Honestly, it has been very hectic for me too.'' He laughed awkwardly while shaking his head. ''I've got so much on my head that I feel it's going to spin and make me dizzy.''

Mikasa's gaze softened and her hand found his shoulder supportively, almost lovingly the way how she would often do when they were older and had started a romantic relationship. ''Eren, please tell me what's going on,'' she begged. ''I don't understand. Your dad wouldn't tell me a single word either and hasn't come out of his basement the moment he returned.''

It was the utter powerlessness in her voice that Eren wanted to console her. One of the most important things in her life was being able to protect him no matter what, but now, so suddenly, something was threatening it and she didn't have the slightest clue who or what it was. It made her feel tiny and scared.

Eren hugged her closely, which she reciprocated by letting her head rest on his shoulder with a slight sniffle. ''I promise to tell you everything tonight, all right? Now is not the right time. Please tell mom as well. You both have every right to know what's going on, and dad and I will explain, but it's not going to be easy to believe.''

''I'll believe anything you'll say to me,'' she replied stubbornly, secretly enjoying Eren's affections a little more than she would've cared to admit.

Eren smiled and gave her a soft kiss on her cheek, which made her gasp while the cutest blush formed on her face. She was simply too adorable. ''How about after lunch we meet up with Armin and go on an adventure?''

Eren remembered whenever they hung out he would call it 'going on an adventure.' They'd often pretend they were outside the walls, exploring the world and its many different environments they only ever read about in books, but never knew were real or not. He missed those days and it was a great way to ease his mind a bit.

Mikasa gently nodded her head in agreement, feeling a lot better with herself knowing that Eren was going to tell what was going on tonight. Her worries ebbed away little by little. That kind smile of his was so addictive; it gave her a funny feeling whenever he flashed it at her and it made her want to hug the scarf he gave her like a big teddy bear.

She suppressed those urges and instead continued to set the table in preparation for lunch, wondering what Eren was going to tell her that possibly wouldn't make her believe was he said. ''Oh, hey, Mikasa! My dad and I are actually titans in disguise.'' She giggled inwardly at those thoughts, having no idea how accurate her guess truly was.

Eren had joined his father in the basement after he'd returned from hanging out with Armin and Mikasa. Lunch was delicious and so nostalgic that Eren had trouble keeping it together for a few times, not to mention, just running around in the meadows of his youth with Armin and Mikasa. Now that he had emptied his mind, he was aiding his father however he could while recounting his conversation with the three shifters.

''I see,'' his father mused, ''so we have a chance that Annie will actually help us out? That's incredible!'' He was genuinely happy, but it was hard to show it when his mind was busy finding a way to extract the power of the titans without killing the host. He had made some good progress already with Eren's help, but didn't have anything solid working yet.

''It is,'' Eren agreed. ''She's not only a very capable fighter, but she'll also be our ticket to bringing Dina back.''

''Speaking of Dina,'' Grisha said. ''How is she doing? Have you checked up on her?''

''I did when I left the three shifters in the care of Ymir. She's doing well as I expected,'' Eren responded. They had left the smiling titan outside the wall with the order to remain where she was until Eren had told her otherwise. She complied effortlessly, but just to be sure, Eren had built a protective wall all around her which she couldn't escape from and ensured any other wandering titans couldn't hurt her either. She'd stay there until they had the female titan, and with a bit of luck on both ends, that would be by tonight.

''I promised Mikasa I was going to tell her what was going on tonight—mom too,'' he added. ''Which means I need your help in explaining.''

Grisha grunted, rubbing his temple tiredly. ''She forced you to tell, didn't she?'' he mumbled while continuing to recalculate the formulas he'd used.

Eren smiled. ''Sorta. She has a way to convince me. Maybe it's because I married her,'' he admitted.

This time, Grisha laughed. ''Why am I not surprised by this? That girl had a crush on you the moment you wrapped that scarf around her neck. Curiously, when did you finally figure that out?'' he teased his son, knowing how oblivious he could be.

This time, Eren blushed a bit in embarrassment while rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. ''Too late; way too late, dad,'' he confessed. ''It was so obvious in hindsight, but I'm ashamed to say it wasn't the most important thing in my life at that moment, so I never took much notice in it.''

''You've got that from me,'' Grisha responded with a big smile. ''How women like Dina or Carla even took notice in me, I'll never understand.''

Both father and son laughed at that. Sometimes, the biggest mystery on earth weren't the titans, but the women instead.

''I do plan on telling them everything, though,'' Eren continued seriously. ''I want to get this over with as soon as possible.''

Grisha grumbled, but nodded his head in agreement anyway. ''That'll be for the best.'' He gave his son another smile. ''It's getting time to prepare dinner. Go help your mom and Mikasa. I'll finish things up here. I should have something ready later tonight. I can't guarantee it'll be stable or if it will even work, but it's the only chance we've got.''

''I know, dad. But you know what?'' Eren said confidently, ''For some reason, I don't doubt for a second it's not going to work.'' He couldn't explain why, but it was a gut-feeling, like something inside him told him it was going to be all right.

''The scariest part is that I've got the same feeling,'' Grisha replied. ''It's the same feeling that made me believe you were from the future and why I went along with your crazy plan. So far, it has worked out, so I'm not going to question it.''

''Maybe it's the curse of Ymir?'' Eren thought as he made his way upstairs while his father continued to wrap things up before dinner was ready. Whatever it was, it gave Eren the resolve to go on, which was all that he needed.

That's it for now, people! Did you like it, love it, hate it? Please review! I love to read your thoughts and respond to them! :D Next chapter in three weeks from now. Until then. ^^

~Syrup-Waffle