Pieck surveyed the landscape below her, carefully perched on the edge of the cliff overlooking the enemy fort. Dust thrown up by the various explosions and gunfire obscured the visibility of the battlefield somewhat, but the keen eyes of her Titan still picked up the enemy movements.
"Carlo, there's an enemy unit trying to flank Annie!" She called out to her gunner.
"Right!" He replied, quickly shifting the barrel of the modified cannon that was strapped to Pieck's back and taking aim at the enemy.
A second later, the cannon roared, firing a shot that screamed across the battlefield before obliterating the distant enemy.
Pieck temporarily hardened part of her Titan in order to protect both her real ears and the ears of her Titan, but the other soldiers in the gunner's nest had no option but to cover their ears, which didn't help much.
With the threat eliminated, Pieck focused her gaze once more on Annie's progress. The other Female Titan was rampaging directly in front of the fort, slaughtering the enemy soldiers and taking out the cannons one by one, either destroying them outright, or smashing parts of the fort to block them and ensure they could no longer be used.
Before long Annie had damaged or destroyed most of the key targets, with Pieck and her crew taking care of the rest.
Pieck looked over the fort carefully before nodding in satisfaction. "Carlo, inform the General Magath that we can proceed with the final operation."
Carlo nodded before reaching for a nearby radio.
Pieck shifted her gaze away from the fort and down to the harbor that lay below. Derya was its name, Pieck recalled, and it was the last refuge for the Mid East Allies fleet.
But not anymore. A moment later, after their submarine unit had gotten into position and released a specially modified one person capsule, the harbor was obliterated by an enormous explosion.
A second later, as the smoke cleared, all that was left was a mess of wreckage and debris, with the Colossal Titan standing in the center. And with the fort's long range guns damaged or destroyed, they would be unable to shoot at the enormous target.
Carlo called down to her. "Pieck, we've just received confirmation. The remaining enemy forces are surrendering. I repeat, they're surrendering."
Pieck let out a long sigh. "At last."
The war was finally over.
Three years had passed since the failure of the operation on Paradis. After learning that the islanders had managed to obtain the full power of the Founding Titan, Marley had tried to rally the rest of the world to attack Paradis, as they could now release the Wall Titans and destroy the world if they wanted to.
But many of the other nations, including the ones that would become the Mid East Alliance, were unconvinced of this immediate threat. To them it appeared as though Marley was simply trying to distract them from its failure, and force other nations to waste their time and resources on this foolish endeavor. They also believed that if Marley continued to antagonize Paradis, it would spell the end for them all, and that it would be wiser to leave the island alone.
The final straw came when Marley warned the world that the Wall Titans had been spotted moving on the island and that they needed to act soon or they would all perish. This got many nations to mobilize their respective militaries, but when the Wall Titans failed to show up and begin destroying the world, many of these nations lost all trust in Marley. And after it became clear that Marley still intended to return to Paradis island despite their previous failures, the Mid East Alliance was formed and declared war upon Marley to prevent them from making the same mistake and potentially dooming the world.
Three years later, the Mid East Allies had finally been defeated, and the war brought to an end. One of the key factors that had helped ensure their victory was Bertolt's Titan, as it had been extremely effective at destroying the enemy harbors. And of course the Cart and Female Titans had contributed as well.
But as Pieck made her way down the cliff and headed for the defeated fort, she knew that their work was far from over.
Several hours later, a meeting was held in one of the conference rooms of the fort, with all the high ranking military officers attending. Pieck, as the warchief of the Warriors, was also present, and was sitting right next to her commanding officer, General Magath.
Admiral Calvi sat at the head of the table, and looked over the diagrams he had placed in front of him.
He frowned. "So, we won. But it doesn't feel like much of a victory, does it?"
Magath grimaced. "Indeed. The fact that it took us this long to win the war is frankly an embarrassment."
The Navy Commander glared at him. "Are you blaming us?"
Magath gazed at him coldly. "Your incompetence is partly to blame, yes. But it isn't the key issue."
He leaned back with a sigh. "The truth is we vastly overestimated the power of the Titans, and became too dependent on it. This arrogance caused us to lose the Armored, Jaws, and Beast Titans to Paradis island, and also encouraged the other nations to invest in developing weapons that can counter the Titans. The result is that our Titans are no longer the overwhelming force they once were, and the rest of our military has not kept up in terms of technology compared to other nations."
He glanced at Calvi. "The only reason we won this war was our superior numbers and resources. The Colossal Titan was and still is a fantastic asset to us, as I'm sure you're all aware, but unfortunately he can't be everywhere at once. And as for our other Titans, well, I'm afraid the time will soon arrive when human ingenuity surpasses even the power of the Titans."
Calvi nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid you're right."
He shifted his gaze to the only Eldian present. "Pieck, what are your thoughts?"
Pieck cleared her throat. "While it is true that the power of the Titans may be on it's way out, a large part of this is because the Pure Titans are so hard to control, and thus are not very reliable as weapons, since they could just as easily turn on us as on the enemy."
Her gaze darkened. "But there is a power that can control Titans, and unfortunately it is in control of our enemies on Paradis."
Calvi nodded grimly. "The Founding Titan. As long as it is in the hands of those devils, the world is in danger. Now that the war is over, we must deal with Paradis."
Magath leaned forward. "I agree. But we need to be careful. If we rush in like last time we'll only end up biting our own head off again. And if possible, we must rally at least some of the other nations to our cause."
Calvi shook his head. "Hmm. Well, we'll discuss this more another time. I'm sure our troops are eager to go home."
The following day, the Eldian soldiers were on a train heading back to Liberio.
The high ranking officers were in the front car, and this included Magath and Pieck. The second car was where the rest of the Warrior unit was seated. The unit consisted of three Warriors, three future Warriors, and three Warrior cadets.
Gabi stared out the window with glee. "We're finally heading back home!"
Zofia smiled softly. "It's been a while. It will be nice to see everyone again."
Udo sighed. "I'm just glad we're all still alive."
Gabi clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't be such a downer! There's no way us virtuous Eldians would be defeated so easily."
She smirked. "Now that the war is over, all we have to do is take care of those island devils. Once I inherit the Female Titan, I'll finish them off once and for all."
Porco chuckled. "You're getting a bit ahead of yourself, aren't you? Annie, Bertolt, and Pieck still have two years of tenure left, so it will be a while before you inherit the Female Titan. It might all be over by then, and then there won't be anything left for you to do."
"No way!" Gabi protested. "There'll definitely still be something that has to be done!"
Colt held up his hands nervously. "Take it easy, Gabi, he's just teasing you."
Bertolt and Annie remained silent at the rear of the car.
Falco meanwhile watched their banter quietly, lost in thought, and tried to push down the feeling of disappointment he felt.
He'd known that he probably wouldn't be picked to inherit one of the Titan powers just yet. Porco was in line to inherit the Colossal Titan, while Colt was selected to inherit the Cart Titan. That only left the Female Titan, which meant that they would most likely choose either Gabi or Zofia. And a few weeks ago, Magath had decided on Gabi.
With the successors chosen, Falco knew that it would be many years before he would be eligible to inherit a Titan, and that he, Udo, and Zofia were only still around just in case something happened to Porco, Colt, or Gabi.
Which, given everything that had been happening, was certainly possible. Though the war with the Mid East Allies was over, it wouldn't be long before Marley once again resumed its operation on Paradis.
Throughout the train ride, Porco, Colt, Gabi, Udo, and Zofia remained fairly upbeat and carried on various conversations, some of which Falco participated in. Annie and Bertolt, though, remained very quiet throughout, only speaking when asked a question or actively drawn into the conversation.
Falco eyed them carefully.
They're the only ones here who've been to that island. They know firsthand how dangerous those island devils are. Despite what Gabi and the others might think, this won't be easy. I wonder...what happened to them during those five years?
The following morning the train arrived at its final stop, Liberio.
While Gabi and the other cadets cheered at finally being home, Bertolt could only manage a reluctant smile.
The war had not been fun, far from it. But it had provided him with a nice distraction, something else to focus on, which kept him from dwelling on the five years he had spent on that island. At least, it did some of the time. Other times, though, there were indirect reminders at every turn.
After being told that the Wall Titans had been seen moving on the island, and that they could come and destroy Marley at any time, many of the Eldian soldiers had spent the last three years living in fear, terrified of that threat becoming a reality. And whenever Bertolt was around, they looked to him as a source of inspiration and reassurance. He was the keeper of the Colossal Titan, the Warrior who had fought the island devils and survived. If anyone could protect them from the island devils, it was him.
But while Bertolt did what he could to reassure his fellow soldiers and boost their morale, he felt like a fraud every time he did. He knew damn well if the Wall Titans invaded Marley, there was nothing he could do. At best he might be able to kill a few of them, but their sheer numbers would soon render such trifling victories meaningless.
On top of that, however, their fears reminded him a bit too much of the fears the Eldians behind the walls had exhibited after the fall of Wall Maria. Many of them had lived in fear, terrified that one day the Colossal Titan would come and finish them all off once and for all. Though nobody knew he was the Colossal Titan during most of those five years, he felt uncomfortable and at times disturbed when listening to how people perceived what he had done.
Perhaps it was only fitting that Bertolt and his fellow soldiers should live in the same fear that he had inflicted upon the islanders.
He shook his head. He was home now, and he needed to put on a brave face for his father.
A short while later, the Warrior unit and the rest of the Eldian soldiers made it to the entrance of the internment zone, where countless friends and family stood to welcome them home.
As Bertolt searched for his dad, he noticed Falco and Colt rushing forward to greet their parents. Porco's family stepped forward and embraced their son, while Udo and Zofia found their way to their respective parents as well, who were very relieved to have their children home once more.
Pieck stepped forward and hugged her dad, while Gabi was embraced by her mother and father. Close by, Bertolt spotted Gabi's aunt, remembering sadly that she had also been Reiner's mother.
Before long, Bertolt managed to find his own father, and forced a smile.
"Dad! It's good to see you!"
His aging father held out his arms. "Son! I'm glad you made it back."
Bertolt embraced his father, struggling to hold back tears.
His father patted him on the back. "I heard all about your heroic deeds. I'm very proud of you."
Bertolt's smile faded. "Yeah…"
He looked up, and saw Annie disappearing around a corner walking next to her father.
As they headed back to their home, Annie and her father didn't say anything, but the silence wasn't uncomfortable. Instead they simply took the time to enjoy each other's company, and to savor the peaceful moment while it lasted.
This closeness was something relatively new to them. When she was growing up, he had only seen her as a means to obtaining a better status and lifestyle, while she had viewed him with a mixture of fear and contempt, only doing what he told her to because she didn't have any other choice, and ultimately didn't care what happened to her one way or the other.
But then, all of that changed.
THREE YEARS AGO
Annie felt herself trembling slightly as she stepped through the gate, and froze when she saw her father standing there waiting for her.
After the loss at Shiganshina, the remaining Warriors had been allowed to return to Liberio while the Marleyan higher ups planned their next move. But none of that mattered to her at the moment.
She let out a small smile, tears spilling from her eyes. "Well...I came back."
His eyes widened, and he ran forward, not even noticing that he had dropped his cane.
"Annie!"
"Papa!"
After closing the distance between them, Annie embraced her father, not even noticing the slightly shocked expressions from Bertolt and Pieck at this unusual display of emotion from her.
He sobbed. "I'm so sorry…"
Over the next few days, they repeatedly visited the one area inside the internment zone that had a few trees, which was tucked off to one side. Despite the trees it was a rather bare and dreary area, and there were rumors that it was haunted, which kept the more credulous Eldians and Marleyans well away. But for the more skeptical Eldians it provided a little privacy.
While they were alone in the wooded area, Annie ended up telling her father everything that had happened to her while she was on the island.
She told him about how Marcel had died. She told him how Marcel had sacrificed himself for Reiner. She told him how Reiner had died, how it was her fault for not seeing the warning signs, and how Marcel's sacrifice was in vain because of her.
She told him about reaching the wall, and how Bertolt and Reiner had broken it down. She told him about the thousands of island devils that had perished in the Titan onslaught. She told him about how she had come to realize that they weren't devils, but people, no different than any others. People they had slaughtered mercilessly.
She told him about enrolling in the cadets in order to eventually join the Military Police and discreetly search for the Founding Titan. She told him about Eren, the holder of the Attack Titan, and his own mission.
And she told him about Armin.
As they walked amongst the trees, Annie struggled to stop herself from crying as she thought about him.
"He...he was...without a doubt...the single most kindest, purest, and thoughtful person I've ever met."
She closed her eyes. "And I...I think...no...I know I loved him. And I know he loved me. Somehow, he saw something good in me. Despite all the blood on my hands, all the sins, all the deception...he still liked me for me. God knows why, but…"
She shuddered. "When he found out...what I truly was...the look on his face…"
At this she couldn't keep it in any longer, and she began to sob.
Her father pulled her in for a hug, shedding his own silent tears, trying to comfort her while she confessed her darkest secrets, the secrets no one else could know.
After all, Marley wouldn't be too thrilled if they found out that the holder of the Female Titan was displaying sympathy for the island devils.
To hell with what they think. He thought angrily.
After she had calmed down, he pulled back and placed his hands on her shoulders. She had grown quite a bit taller over those five years, and while most parents would be pleased by this fact, it only reminded him of his sins, and what his beloved daughter had been through the past five years.
His voice trembled. "Annie. I'm so sorry for putting you through this hell. It was my selfishness that led you to suffer. I can't ask for forgiveness, nor would I deserve it even if you could give it. But...know that I will always be by your side. And the one thing I want more than anything is for you to be happy. Even if that means throwing away the honor of being a Warrior, even if that means making an enemy of the whole world. Do what makes you happy. If there is anyone who deserves happiness in this world...it's you...my daughter."
Three years had passed since then. Life had moved on, and the war with the Mid East Allies had kept her fairly busy. Fortunately her Titan wasn't as vital to the war as Bertolt's was, so she had been allowed a few more occasions when she could visit her father.
They both loved each other, and at last were living like a normal father and daughter. But it still felt like something was off.
It was truly ironic, Annie reflected as she stared out the second story window of their home.
While she had been on the island, the thought of her father, and keeping her promise to him, had sustained her, and kept her focused on completing her mission.
But now that she had returned and was back with her father, she found her thoughts continuously returning to the naive boy from Shiganshina, either reminiscing on fond memories or wondering how he was doing.
Magath walked down the street cautiously, his hand resting on his pistol. He probably wouldn't need it, but he wasn't taking any chances.
A few minutes later he had reached his destination, an abandoned warehouse. Not the cleanest or most comfortable meeting place, but it had served him well in the past. After looking around to make sure he hadn't been followed, he discreetly entered the warehouse.
Once inside, he noticed several large bloodstains on the floor, one of which was fresh.
Magath scowled. He really wished the bastard had less violent hobbies.
He raised his voice. "I know you're here. Come out. We need to talk."
"Yo. It's been a while, hasn't it General Magath?"
A tall man stepped out of the shadows, and Magath found himself looking into the grinning face of Kenny Ackerman.
Author's Note: That look on your face right now is what motivated me to finish this chapter relatively quickly.
So, Kenny Ackerman is meeting with Magath. How and why did this come to be? Sorry, you'll have to wait until next time to find out!
Also, I did consider the idea of Annie becoming pregnant as a result of her and Armin's night of passion, but in the end I decided against it, as that would raise a number of issues that I'm not sure I'm comfortable trying to write about. Plus, in the canon they said that if Historia turned into a Titan while pregnant, the baby would die. So let's just say that even if Armin and Annie conceived that night, when Annie turned into the Female Titan the following morning it ruined it.
Anyways, be sure to leave a review and let me know what you think.
