Chapter Six

Lynn, Henning, Gelgar, and Nanaba

"Wait." Mike clapped a hand on Mr. Smith's shoulder. "Below…is that –"

"Yes, those are your friends," Mr. Smith said quietly.

"They're going to be good as dead trapped in a tower with titans about," Mike said angrily.

"Do you really think so little of them?" Mr. Smith smiled. "No, you're just frustrated that you can't help them. I know the feeling."

Mike swallowed. "Yes, I suppose that's something you've felt often?"

"Of course." Mr. Smith glanced away, towards his son, with a gentle smile on his face.

"Mike, you'll never believe this!" Isabel thought it best to distract a recently murdered man from his comrade's impending doom.

"Believe what?" Mike turned to her with a quizzical frown.

"This is Levi's mother!" Isabel threw an arm around Kuchel. "She's so nice!"

"But very neat," Farlan pointed out.

Kuchel blushed at their praise and extended her hand to Mike. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"She's long given up the notion of rubbing your face in mud," Mr. Smith said with a grin.

"To be fair, I was pleased you were helping him rise above the thief he was never meant to be," Kuchel said. "I just would have chosen a…less messy punishment."

Mike narrowed his eyes. "You're so nice. How."

"You'll have to blame my early death," Kuchel said. "And my brother."

"But I see you in his heart," Petra said. "There's sweetness still. Beneath all the shit jokes."

Kuchel laughed. "It is funny, isn't it, that he jokes about filth?"

"I'm sure there's some interesting psychology there." Mr. Smith stroked his beard.

A wail broke into Mike's attention. A slender man with long brown hair was sobbing against a pretty woman who looked not unlike Eren Jaeger. "Who is that? Can people really be unhappy here?"

"Yes, if they choose," Isabel said sadly.

"That's Grisha Jaeger," said Gunther.

"The basement man?" Mike's eyes lit up. Ha, Erwin, I'm about to learn before you.

"Yes, but, um…" Petra fumbled for the words.

"Well," said Eld.

"Oh, out with it. His son's the Ape Titan. His other son. Not Eren, obviously." Oluo sniffed.

Mike stiffened. "What?"

"It's a story I've longed to hear myself," said Mr. Smith.

"Well, I'd say we've earned it! Especially…you, sir." Oluo coughed in Mike's direction.

"What is this place?" A familiar voice rang out behind them.

Mike spun around. "Lynne! And Henning."

"Looks like you're not the Ape's only victim," Gunther said grimly.

"Mike?" Lynne stood, shakily, and reached for the gate to keep her balance. But then she drew back, as if not touching heaven would render her death less real.

But then she saw Henning still below her, and reached to pull him to his feet.

Mike rushed to embrace them. "What happened?"

"What the hell is this place?" Henning repeated.

"Can you not guess?" murmured the Person behind them all.

"Move, Gelgar!" Petra clapped her hands on her cheeks.

"They're okay. For now," Oluo said.

Mike hesitated. As much as he wished to talk to Grisha, to his friends, he dared not take his eyes off Nanaba and Gelgar, fighting for the kids in their charge.

Nanaba, stay strong. As much as he'd love to see her again – and feel her soft hands in his – he wanted her alive more than anything.

"Dammit! All I wanted was one last drink!" Gelgar choked out as titans surrounded him.

They surrounded Nanaba too, advancing towards her.

Mike stumbled to the gate, fighting the urge to cry. At least here there seemed no shame in tears – Grisha remained inconsolable.

Titans began fighting over Nanaba and Gelgar and Nanaba as if they were meat for dogs, yanking their bodies one way, then another. Mike gagged as Nanaba's leg was ripped clean off.

She didn't deserve this. Gelgar didn't, either. They should not have to die the way he had.

And Gelgar came first, naturally. "Oomph!"

"Hey, buddy." Lynne knelt before him, a flash in her hand. "Welcome to heaven."

He gaped at them. "I'm dreaming."

"No, we're quite real." Henning chuckled. "And you're quite dead."

"Gee, thanks." Gelgar snatched the flask. "If this is heaven, I expect high quality –"

"The highest," The Person interrupted.

Gelgar – Gelgar! – dropped the flask. "You?"

"I."

"Me? Me, here?" Gelgar lowered his head.

"Why not you?"

"I – I suppose…I don't know; I've never thought why not before." Gelgar's lips trembled as Petra picked up his flask, which had already refilled.

Light interrupted him, golden light the color of Nanaba's hair.

Mike leapt forward and slid to his knees just in time to catch her as she materialized, fully limbed and perfect.

"Nanaba."

Mike? Nanaba traced his scruff with her fingers. You're alive.

We're all here. We're all alive. In a moment that felt like an infinite spring bloom, Nanaba realized everything she'd ever hoped for was true. "Mike!"

She threw her arms around him. "Did – did I –"

He leaned back to look at her lovely face, her large blue eyes and wispy golden hair. "You're so brave. Braver in death than I was,' Mike told her, his voice thick with emotion.

Her face crumbled with happiness. "Oh, Mike."

"The kids are in trouble," said Lynne nervously.

"No, they're not," said Nanaba.

Everyone looked at her in puzzlement.

"I – I don't know how to explain it. Don't you see? Everything is beautiful in the end. They're going to be okay. I know it." Nanaba lifted her eyes to stare the Person in the face, as if she'd known them her whole life. "Right?"

"I have no reason to doubt."

"Then let's focus on here." Nanaba peered into the gate, into heaven. "Like that crying man over there."

"He's the Beast Titan's dad," said a girl with auburn pigtails.

"Also Eren's dad," Oluo added.

Nanaba blinked. "Well. All the more reason to see to him. Come on, Mike."

"Wait. I – I never told you I loved you. And I do. I love you, Nanaba," said Mike. His face reddened as he saw Oluo, Petra, Eld, and Gunther smirking at him.

Nanaba furrowed her brow. "But you did tell me. You gave me back hope, remember? You might as well have told me then. You're not as subtle as you think."

"And?" Gelgar prompted.

"And I love him, too," she declared, jumping to plant a kiss on his lips.

"Well, at least we won't have to deal with Erwin and Levi and Hange here," Mike joked.

Nanaba threw back her head. "True!"


"Hey there, you."

Grisha lifted his heavy, heavy head to see many recently slaughtered Survey Corps behind him.

"Your son killed me," Mike said stiffly.

"And that's why we're going to give you this," said Nanaba.

To Grisha's surprise and Carla's delight, he found himself wrapped in their embrace.