The night prior to the escape…

"Glad you could join us, Jean," Hange says as she, Mikasa, and Jean join us inside a building near the fort. "Joshua and Mikasa were just filing me in on the situation. I'm sorry I couldn't have been here on the ground. You've done a great job in this grueling situation."

Jean spots me. "You're back. Did you…"

I nod. "Connie and Falco are safe. I don't know if Armin filled you in, but his hypothesis is true. When the hardening on the walls came undone, so did the hardening around Annie. She's in a safe location for now, along with the kids, Connie, Sasha and Historia. I was hoping to find you, but I ran into Hange and Mikasa."

"As for Levi," Hange starts as she sits at the table across from me, "he's not fine, but he's alive. He won't be able to fight...for a while, though. Also, we've joined forces with the remaining Marley forces, including the Cart Titan. This is to stop Eren. We shouldn't be slaughtering one another."

"How do you plan to stop Eren," Mikasa asks.

"First, we gather everyone. They'll be the ones determining what we can do. But we're powerless without help from you or the Nine Titans. The military structures we've known have been wiped out. I'm not your superior any longer. I ask this knowing that, but-"

"I'll do it," Mikasa states. "I don't want Eren facing any more indiscriminate attacks… Even if they're meant to protect me...or this island. I want to stop Eren."

"You know I'm in," I say. "It's partially my fault that led to Eren doing this. If I had judged the situation better, we could have prevented this. So, if it's to correct my lack of leadership...and to stop my friend, I will do whatever it takes."

"Even if," Jean says, "we really are able to stop Eren… Then what? Even if Eren is able to maintain the Power of the Founder, he only has four years left to live. What will happen to this island after that? The wor;d's hatred for us won't disappear overnight. We'll have to keep facing it for decades… To stop Eren would be to destroy the island."

"I think...that Marley would look at the situation and assume the rumbling would activate the moment they try to attack the island. At the very least, I can't see them laying a hand on this place for a good while."

"They'll think the world could end at any moment unless they wipe this island off the map. It'll do more to incite them all than Willy Tybur's speech!"

"You may be right, but we have time in this hypothetical situation of yours. We should be able to buy ourselves a few years of time, even if they do come to destroy the island."

"But...the last time we looked for a possible solution like that, we ran out of time and we're empty handed! That's why Eren decided to wipe out the rest of the world-"

Hange slams her fist down. "I'm not accepting genocide! You're not getting me to agree with any reason to support it!" She takes a few deep breaths before calming down. "Sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. You're right, Jean. It was my cowardly idealism that made Eren turn to this. And...while I might be screaming, I was the one trying to run away...to throw it all away...to forget it all and just survive. But… I'm still the 14th Commander of the Scouting Corps/ I devoted my heart to the freedom of mankind. It feels like… I can see all my comrades. The vast majority of them died without ever knowing that humanity existed outside of the walls. Erwin died barely knowing it himself, if he heard it… 'Just bringing freedom to this island is enough for me.' Do you think a single one of them would be so narrow-minded as to say that? We have only one chance to stop this slaughter...and it's now."

"...Hange… I'm still a member of the Scouting Corps."

Present

Eldian and Marleyan. Two people, born with different ideals of the world, fought with different visions of the world, now both sides gather around a fire as the world they share is threatened to be flattened. And what do we do? We stare at each other in silence, for the most part. This bothers my former superior officer. "Instead of staring each other down, could some of you help me?"

General Theo Magath scoffs. "To think we'd all be here, taking a meal together after all the time we spent trying to kill each other... It's interesting. What changed your mind? You know you'll get the world you want if you just let Eren Jaeger go. That heaven for you island devils. We were so close to keeping Eren and Zeke from coming into contact… If only you hadn't helped them out."

"Like I explained, General, none of us want genocide. We wouldn't have scurried off to a forest to lay low and make stew if we did?"

"So you're saying you finally see whose side justice is on…"

"Justice," Jean growls. "Were you talking about justice? You? So we're the bad guys for fighting against those Titans you people kept sending over to us? Listen up! The reason we fought as hard as we did is because we didn't want to be eaten alive by Titans! And you're over there trying to say that's something only devils would do?"

"Yeah," Theo says as he takes a drink. "You do look like devils to me. All our concerns about Paradis have come true, and now you're working on destroying the world. This is the result of all your hard-fought battles, is it not?"

"Listen here. If his mom wasn't eaten alive after the walls got torn down, Eren would never have done this in the first place! You're the ones who backed him into using the rumbling, aren't you?"

"Oh. So now you want to talk about history? You at least understand that Eldia was the first to devastated Marley and make its people suffer, right?"

"How long are you going to play victim over something that happened two millennia ago?"

"Ugh, it's like I'm talking to a child. Do you think that nonsense holds water in the face of two thousand years of real history?"

"Excuse me?"

"Hey, stop it," Hange sternly asks. "No one wants to hear you bicker about things none of us saw two thousand years ago. Jean, the general here is baffled by our existence. The existence of us strange devils who are so desperate to save the very people who tried to wipe this island clean that we're willing to throw heaven away… We lived in the outside world for a few months. We can't go back to being ignorant island devils."

"And so," Annie speaks as she stares at the seven of us who were in her class and lived on the island, "you can kill him now?"

"What," Armin asks in confusion.

"Can you kill Eren?"

"Killing Eren isn't the only way to stop him," Mikasa states.

Annie sighs. "Yeah. I thought you'd say that. Then what? Are you going to convince him? Is the kind of person who tries to commit mass murder really going to have a mind you can change that easily?"

"We don't know," Armin answers, "not until we talk to Eren."

"Okay… They say you're able to speak with him. What are you going to do if he still doesn't decide to stop this genocide? Don't you think we should have a last resort in mind?.. Thought so. If we try to protect our homeland of Marley by killing Eren, you're going to end up fighting us in order to protect him, aren't you? That's how it is, right, Mikasa? Because I doubt you've ever considered something to be more important than Eren."

Mikasa draws her blades. "So you're saying I should die?" Annie raises her hand up and flicks the sharp insert up. We jump up in alarm, but then Annie holds her hand out.

"I understand exactly how you feel. I...only have one reason I want to stop Eren. I don't want my father in Marley to die. That's why I need your help. If you can convince Eren to stop, then fine. At the very least, we shouldn't fight until it comes down to that."

Mikasa sighs and sheathes her blades. "Okay."

As the tension dies down, Hange serves the stew to the entire group except the Cart Titan. We quietly eat together until Hange speaks up again. "It'll be five hours at full speed to the harbor, even with rested horses. We'll be relying on the Azumabito. According to Miss Kiyomi, there's a flying boat meant to observe the rumbling ready at the port. We can approach the Founding Titan using it."

"I knew it. So the Azumabito were helping you behind the scenes."

"The problem is figuring out where the Founder is. We'll run out of fuel in no time if we just fly around aimlessly."

"That's right, we need to figure out where the Founder has gone. It can be anything, but we need a lead. That's why I captured her." All eyes train on Yelena, who sits alone, her stew untouched. "Where is Jaeger heading to first."

"Why would I know? And even if I did, why should I tell you?"

"You're the one who offered Jaeger your knowledge of the mainland when he had none. He has a path in mind for this rumbling of his. You should be able to make a guess."

Yelena scoffs. "Bastard. I'm asking why I ought to help Marleyan bastards like you."

"Because we decide if you live or die, I'd say."

"It's pointless, she wants to die."

"But aren't you fighting Marley for the sake of your own homeland? Are you fine with doing nothing and letting it be trampled?"

"She must not," Magath says as he sips his stew. "Because she's a Marleyan bastard just like the rest of us."

Pieck fills us in on the stunning revelation as she moves behind Yelena. "After the way you got the better of us in Liberio, Yelena, we did a full look into your past. We couldn't believe it. Born into a run-of-the-mill Marleyan family, yet you pretended to be from a small farm annexed by Marley ever since you met Zeke? Disillusioned by Marley, you came up with a story. A miraculous tale of saving the world with a prince. You'd plaster over your own lie until you made it part of human history. I'm impressed by just how deep your desire ran."

Yelena chuckles as she pets the Cart's face. "It almost sounds like you claim to be any different. What exactly do you think separates any of you from me? Saving the world...are there any words sweeter and more alluring? You give yourselves to the sublime excitement that is the idea of saving hundreds of millions of lives. You gulp it down as if to wash away all your hatred until now, as if it never existed. That's how all of you look to me right now. Just think back a bit, won't you. Reiner Braun. I wonder how many Eldians were eaten alive by Pure Titans after you made that hole in the wall. Oh, and don't forget, you crushed Joshua's parents. From there, you snuck inside the shared times both good and bad with your so-called comrades here, and then you betrayed them. You killed them. And now you're pretending to be their comrade once more? Annie Leonhart. It seems like you killed a number of Scouts yourself. Oh, and that you trampled countless residents of Stohess District as well."

She then turns to us residents of Paradis. "And yes, all of you were quite brave yourselves when fighting against the great nation of Marley. Joshua, it was you who first approved of the attack, and it was you who conducted all those deaths. Blame it on Eren, sure, but you didn't stop it...no, you stood and watched as you reveled in the penance of what happened nine years prior. Because, just like yours, Reiner and Annie's hometown was burning in flames, a piece of poetic justice. You got what you wanted, a true vengeance of a human… I never thought someone who acts so sensible would smash and tear his way through a naval port… Armin. You showed everyone just how much strength you snatched from Bertholdt. The scale of your military exploits there must only be matched by the casualties you left behind, dead civilians included. I don't know the extent of the rest of your bravery in Liberio, but you did an impressive job of overcoming the Marleyan Army's superior numbers to leave that place covered in blood. Especially you, Jean. You courageously hurled a Thunder Spear at Falco, that boy over there, to defeat the Cart, against your superior officer's orders. Thanks to it just barely missing, the boy continues to live, of course. And… Gabi, the girl over there, shot Sasha within death's grasp. Oh, when we thought she was dead, even I was saddened. But all of you are family to her since your days in the training corps. Your sadness and your hatred must've dwarfed mine in comparison. But not even you, Section Commander and Executive Assistant To The Commander, could avenge your dear Sasha. You, Joshua of all people here, should have sided with Eren and the Jaegerists… Or you could have saved the world. I bet, if Sasha did die, you wouldn't have shot Reiner's hand, but fired at Eren and blown him to bits, huh?"

I swallow all of my soup and turn to Hange. "If Sasha didn't eat everything, are there seconds?"

"There's plenty more."

I get a refill of my bowl and swirl the contents around. "Thank you for pointing out everything, Yelena. Getting our grudges and past transgressions out in the open so we can clear the air, right? Let's talk about your fantastical dreams that you made soup of your comrades' brains without hesitation. Yet, for all that's worth you have nothing to show for it. Yet you're so considerate."

"Oh… I forgot. What was it, again? The name of the good friend of Jean's you once talked about? That's it. Marco. Yes… You said Annie was involved in his death, didn't you? Have you asked her about it yet? About the truth behind his death?"

Jean didn't have to ask, his glare towards Annie did so. "I took Marco's ODM equipment. That's why a Titan ate him."

"Annie was only following my orders," Reiner confesses. Marco…overheard a conversation Bertholdt and I were having about something he couldn't know. We were afraid of being found out...and we thought the best way to shut him up would be to have a Titan kill him. I...slammed Marco into a roof while in the air. I held down to keep him from moving while I made Annie take off his ODM equipment. Marco was stuck there until a Titan came from behind and ate him."

Jean lowers his gaze. "Marco...is there anything he said to you at the very end?"

"He said… 'We haven't even tried to talk this out yet.'"

"That's l… That's it. We haven't been trying to talk this out. That's why...we've been fighting to the death with each other, isn't it? If...we'd just talked to each other at the start...we wouldn't be killing each other like this."

"It's still not too late," Hange says in response to Jean. "We've all fought tooth and nail to be here. But at the very least…we're talking now. Not fighting. Who could have imagined it? That we'd all be eating around a fire like this?"

As a moment of silence envelopes the group, Reiner unseals it as he looks at me. "I saw you on that day, right beside the debris. When you told Shadis your purpose, and your reasoning to me days later, the soldier in me wanted to do the same."

"Reiner, that's enough," I say, unable to face him. "You're saying that your guilt messed with your brain, right?"

"Don't forgive me. I really am a worthless man. Because of me, your parents died. Because of me, Marco died. Because of me, Thomas died."

"Reiner, that's enough."

"Because of me, Mina died… I'm sorry." My rage, locked away deep in my mind, breaks out and spurs me towards Reiner. I tackle him on the ground and release nine years of pent up anger in my fist, punching him repeatedly until my fist and the left side of Reiner's face is hidden behind steam and blood. Connie and Armin pull me back, so I try to kick Reiner until Gabi leaps in the way, protecting her older cousin. Still held back, I calm down as Gabi raises her head up and turns to us.

"I'm sorry… Our wish...was to slaughter all of you on Paradis. For the world to accept us...and forgive us. That's why it was always our hope...for this island...for the devils to go away… And now… Mom, Dad, everyone in Liberio is going to be taken away because of it… I'm sorry." Gabi then crawls away from Reiner, and bows at my feet. "I know just how shameless it is of me to ask, but… We need all of you to help us. Please…won't you lend us your strength?"

"Please," Falco joins her, "stop the rumbling with us! Please! Please!"

Sighing, I fight out of Connie and Armin's hold. "Let me go." Turning away, I walk into the woods, ignoring the calls of the others. I don't know how far I'll walk, how long I'll disappear, but I want to be alone.

But, as I should've known, I'll eventually be found. It doesn't phase me much when I hear her call my name and her approach, nor does it surprise me when her blonde companion appears close behind. Both Sasha and Historia sit in front of nearby trees. Neither say a word, so I turn to Historia, my sight on her belly. "You could have told me."

She looks away. "I know, but at the time…"

"Yeah… So is the official story about a stablehand from childhood being the father true?" She doesn't answer that, so I don't press it any further. Instead, I turn to Sasha. "Have I been gone long?"

"An hour or so. Hange was getting worried, so…"

"Yeah…"

"Reiner's healed, but...that's expected… Finally released it, huh? Nine years of pain, betrayal, regret… As harsh as it was, Yelena isn't wrong. We're putting this idea of saving the world before our mutual hatred. No one hates Reiner as you do. Annie is...Annie, not so well-liked in the first place. I don't think anyone can blame you for hitting Reiner. I think he intentionally pushed you."

I nod. "He did. I fell for it. He knows...that Thomas and Mina's names alone triggers me." I subconsciously reach around my neck, but it's empty. Kaya still has my necklace. It feels...empty. But I do have my journal, not the original Thomas gave me but my third book in total. Holding it, I toss it to Sasha. "Read it when you have a chance."

Sasha holds it in confusion. "What for?"

"It's my confession of everything since we first stepped in Marley for that conference. But the important part starts in the aftermath of Liberio, about a week or so later. Yelena...she wasn't wrong. Neither is Eren."

"Joshua…"

"I watched those people die, Historia. I watched Eren crush them. Marleyan, foreigners, Eldians too. You know how I felt? I felt good. It was beautiful. It was a bloody painting of sweet, sweet revenge, of justice, of payback. I didn't feel bad at the moment, I relished the screams and the death. But now… I realize they were right, we are devils, but we weren't like this from birth. I became one on that day the wall broke. You, Sasha, became one saving Kaya. Historia, you became one when you defied your father… I told Eren I'd be with him when we took out our enemies, yet I condoned his actions before and arrested him afterwards. I told him I couldn't do it because of you and our future, Sasha, but… That was a lie. I couldn't kill Reiner's family not because I wanted to end a cycle of hate, but because I didn't want to do it. I didn't want the dirty conscience. I didn't want to feel my humanity. I wanted to be a devil...but it turns out I was a human the whole time."

Sasha steps over and hugs me, placing my head on my shoulder. "I'm glad you didn't kill them, because you have been nothing but a human this entire time. Whenever you could have chosen the path of the devil, you stayed human. Mina and Thomas were...horrible soldiers back before they met you, but you didn't cast them aside but joined them. You gave me a meal that first night after my run, you helped me accept my different tongue. Historia...would still be Christa without you and Ymir."

Historia nods. "Not even that… You put your life on the line for Eren along with Mikasa and Armin when none of us did either. You and Armin were first to go out to Eren when he lost control. You led us back in Trost when you could. You led us when Annie attacked. You led us when Zeke first appeared. You lead us into rescuing Eren and Ymir and gave your life to protect us. You led us when my father's Titan threatened the wall, you led us when Bertholdt wiped out most of the Scouts inside Shiganshina out, and just the other day, you led us to a relative victory. Yes, I wasn't there for some of those or in Liberio, but someone who is a devil cannot be the leader that you are. You aren't Mikasa, you aren't Jean, you aren't Armin, but we all all have faith in you because...if we're devils, someone who leads like you do must be the most humane one. Yes, you may have wanted Reiner dead once but you didn't kill him, not because Jean convinced you or because you couldn't, but because...deep down, despite the darkness, that light within didn't want to kill him. It's the same light that prevented you from hurting his family. It's not that you couldn't, you didn't want to. Not because of conscience or morality, but because you didn't want to."

I drop my gaze to my lap. "You think it's that simple?"

Sasha nods. "It's the same reason we're going to save Marley and the world. It might be the right thing to do, stopping Eren, but we don't owe the world much. We're doing it because we want to live with them. If that means rejecting Eren...then so be it. And you will lead us, no longer seeking vengeance, but seeking the future."

I sigh, then raise my head up. "If that's possible. Eren is not going to speak favorably with us, we're going to have to kill him. I know that."

"And what will you do, knowing that?"

"...What I've always done...what they would want me to do. What you two would want me to do… If I must lead us into hell, then hell we go."

The next morning

"Gabi, I'm sorry for kicking you," I apologize as we ride the carts towards the southern harbor. The girl looks at me with wide eyes as I turn to her, a half-smile on my face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

I nod and, for better or worse, catch Reiner's eye. "Oh… Reiner… You're not getting an apology, not from me."

"Yeah… Fine with me."

"I can't...forgive you yet."

"I know."

"And me," Annie asks.

I look up to Annie, then at Historia and Sasha, then back to my lap. "I...am thankful you didn't stomp me back in Stohess. But you did get these two here, so… I don't know." The cart we ride in (that Armin directs) suddenly stops. Turning my attention to what did so, Reiner and I stand to see Pieck reappear and rise out her Titan. She looks distressed

"The Jaegerists have captured it. They must have gotten there first by steam engine. They were prepared for battle. The place was covered in soldiers with Anti-Titan gear. They figured out that we want to prevent the rumbling...and they plan to stop us before we can."

I should have dropped Floch's ass from higher in the air.