of a boy who wanted freedom

by Patolemus

Stopping a war before it's began is difficult, but Eren will be damned if he doesn't keep his family safe. Or, how Eren tries to get a better future of everyone, even at the cost of his own. Part 8 of A Second Chance

So this got a little out of hand… it's been a while, I'm sorry. Hopefully the length makes up for it! This part was difficult to write, since I don't know how the manga ends and I'm making my best to draw the connections with what I know. So many things to change!

So, for this au, assume it was easier to go back and forth between Paradis and Marley, and that messages can be exchanged easily enough for it to be regular correspondence. Also forgive me if anything is incorrect, I just know that canon is sad so I want to know as little as possible for as long as I can, so I didn't do my usual hardcore research while I wrote this.

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The war is over.

It's been two weeks since the last battle, and Eren still has trouble believing it truly is over. He doesn't remember how it was to have peace - never really had it, even before Bertholdt and Reiner kicked in the wall and started this horror show - and now that he does, it's… it's weird.

He likes it.

Up until the very end, Eren never thought he would really end this madness - how could he, when the titans seemed so invincible, when suddenly there were multiple other human settlements with greater technology and resources that wanted them all dead? - but the first time he remembers truly hoping it would all work out is when he first met Zeke.

Or well, more like the second time. Their first meeting was more about Zeke destroying their army, and Levi out of his mind with grief after sending one of his best friends to die only to let his killer escape, and Armin so badly burnt he would have died without the serum, and Eren thinking you'll pay for this, you'll pay for hurting my family.

Then he found out Zeke is his family too.

Their second meeting is around a year and a half after that final battle. The titans on the island are gone by them - they did it, they drove them out of their home, only for another, greater threat in the form of other humans to take their place, how fucking ironic - and they are locating a center of operations near the ocean so they can see when Marleyan fleets inevitably arrive.

It goes something like this.

Levi almost kills Zeke on sight, and Eren is barely able to stop it.

For someone who's in middle of enemy territory, being carefully watched by the one soldier capable of destroying even the most powerful of titans, Zeke remains irritatingly calm. Like he knows he won't be harmed. Just out of spite, Eren has half a mind of letting Levi cut his head off.

But he needs him, and Zeke knows this. He knows he won't be harmed by them as long as he's useful, and unfortunately for them, he is very, very useful.

He's the only chance they have to finish this war before it begins, after all. And while Eren has other options - oh does he have options, terrible, horrifying options that keep him awake at night as Levi holds him, as if protecting him even when asleep - he doesn't like them nearly as much as the one Zeke brings with his help. For one, this way he doesn't have to hunt him down and feed him to a child Historia would be forced to conceive.

After all, Eren has fought all this time for humanity's survival. Destroying it all would be kind of a moot point.

(He'd do it though, if he had no other choice. He would not hesitate, would stop at nothing, would not care if his family hated him for what he had to do, if it meant it was the only option for them to be safe.)

(He tries not to be scared by the notion.)

Even then, Eren is not allowed near Zeke, at least not near enough to touch. Levi is particularly adamant of being in between the two, even if most of the time Eren ends up being the one restraining him from jumping on his half-brother with a knife ready to carve through his neck.

Really, he wonders how is it that people still believe him to be the hotheaded one. Levi just has a better poker face.

The most delighted to have Zeke and his crew in Paradis is Hange, of course. They are incredibly fascinated by everything the outsiders talk about, the inventions and new technologies, as well as more titan knowledge Eren's father never knew about.

Even with a war approaching, Hange still looks for a cure before Eren's thirteen years are up. They need to know all they can about the titans.

(Eren tries not to hope too much, though. While he believes Hange is a genius, they are treating with the powers of a god here, a creature so powerful it could create something as atrocious as the titans.

He also can't help but think of a future where he and Levi can live quietly by the sea, happily growing old together, where he isn't this monster his father turned him into.

It all hurts too much, so in the end he tries not to think about it at all.)

Even then, planning for what they're about to do is… difficult, to say the least. There are a lot of things they have to set in motion, and not a lot of time to do them all. There's also the detail of Eren being the only one that knows what's going to happen exactly, and while the Survey Corps and Historia believe in him wholeheartedly, it's a bit more difficult to get the other people on the council on board. They're talking about infiltrating a country out for their blood and stealing their best weaponry away from them, so Eren doesn't blame them for being wary, but he knows the only way for this plan to work is making sure Marley is already subdued by the time he uses the Coordinate.

(They may win with the power of the titans on their side, but if Eren's plan works, then there will be none at all, and then Marley will obliterate them in seconds.

He won't allow it.)

While Hange and Historia try to convince the rest of the council (with a little bit of help from Pixis, who has always had faith in Eren even when he himself didn't have it), Eren focuses his strength on other things. There are things to do, structures that need building, train rails that need to be put in place, Walls that have to be checked and reinforced for when Marley inevitably comes with an army.

(Deep down, he knows it won't help. Not if they come by air. But what else can he do, when the government doesn't let him go and fix things? What use does it have to be Humanity's Hope - what a joke, when most of humanity wants to end him and his people - if he can't do anything?)

Eren still can't talk to Zeke much, what with the caution he has to proceed with when sending correspondence through one of his minions, but he finds it's nice to get to know his half-brother as an individual rather than a soldier, even if all his letters (and his, before he sends them) have to be checked. Their views on how to handle their situation are slightly different (why the fuck would he want to erase their entire raze from existence? There are other ways to fix the issue with the titan gene other than massive euthanasya!) but they both agree that they have to make sure Marley has been nullified by the time they actually go and use the Coordinate, so they have agreed to disagree until the day comes when they have to make a desition, and instead talk about other things, happier things, and try to forget that they're in the middle of a war and not just catching up with each other.

The one that likes Eren's new kinship with his brother the least is, unsurprisingly, Levi. Mikasa is a close second (she's a bit possessive like that), but Levi cannot be swayed. Understandable, Zeke is the reason his best friends and most of the Scout Regiment are died on a single day.

He still allows it, because he loves Eren and will do anything to make him happy, but he always checks Zeke's mail (what does he expect to find, a plan to overthrow their government?) before handling it to Eren, and he isn't even subtle on his displeasure. He's even semi-hostile to Yelena, Zeke's messenger and number one fangirl, though Eren kind of understands. She can be… intense in her admiration and affection for his half-brother, so it's only logical for Levi to dislike her on principle.

Still, it feels like he's being treated like a child, like he's not able to make his own decisions in the case that Zeke does, indeed, send him secret plans to overthrow the government (which he wouldn't do, because it was hard enough to get this one up and running, thank you very much). He sometimes brings it up in casual conversation, trying to imply that no, he would not go rough on them all if given the chance - he's actually trying to save Paradis, in case no one has noticed - but Levi sees right through it every time, and always levels him with a raised eyebrow and piercing grey eyes, as if he were in fact a child and not his lover of almost three years. Asshole.

Eren still loves him though.

(That's why he's doing this. For their chance at that house by the sea, for their chance at freedom and peace. He only needs to…)

Eren is called by the council after months of back and forth between Hange and Nile Dock, which isn't that surprizing, the prick has always liked to antagonize the Scouts on principle. One would think he would back down once the Queen got on board, but well, Eren can say a lot of things about that man, but there is no denying they he sticks to his believes. Even if they are stupid ones.

Once he's gotten the go ahead, Eren explains his plan. They have to infiltrate Marley and take the four titans not in their possession (how did it go from having one non-violent titan to having more than half of them on their side?). They are Marley's first line of defense, their ultimate weapons. If they take them away, they stand the best chance at making them surrender and sign a peace treaty, and then Eren and Zeke can take care of their titan gene problem.

To think that the least of their worries would end up being the actual titans. Go figure.

"And how exactly do you plan to do that? It's not like we can go to Marley's borders and ask for them to let us pass," Nile asks with a single brow raised, and Eren can at least revel in the fact that he doesn't look so scared of him anymore. While it certainly was amusing in the past, it's nice not to be thought of as a monster. Makes some of the nightmares go away.

"We go by boat. By now Marley should know we got to the edge of the island, but if the information Zeke has send is correct, they believe us too primitive to build a boat strong enough to get a lot of us there without being detected. And they're right, we don't know how to make the boats fast enough. But if we send a small enough group of people, we can use a much smaller, faster boat, and infiltrate Liberio. Once inside the city, it should be easy enough to find a place to hide short-term, specially with Zeke's help, and then we can spread out and do reconnaissance. One of us goes back to Paradis with the information, and by then we should have a set date, so then it's just a matter of getting the rest of the Survey Corps to Liberio," it's an ambitious plan, and Eren knows this, but it's the best one they have.

"But then we have the same issue with the boat, they'll spot us before we can get to land," Historia has a small frown, and she looks at him with contemplative eyes. "You already have a plan for that, don't you?"

"We can use that thing you've been working on, Commander Hange," Hange takes a moment to think his words over, and then their eye widens as they reach the same conclusion Eren had.

"The airship," they breath out, and there are starts in their eyes. "Eren you're a genius!"

"Not really, just throwing the idea out there. You're the one that has to make it happen, Commander," but Eren knows they'll do it. If someone can build an airship in this island, it's Hange.

"That will take months though. Do we have that much time?" Armin's eyes are calculative, and he doesn't look at Eren as he reviews their battle plans. Eren doesn't fault him for it. Useful as it may be, seeing the future is never pretty.

"If we hurry," it's the only thing he says - he doesn't have to say more, somehow he has become their biggest source of information. "I don't have a date, or a specific even that triggers anything, but I know that by the time we do have it, we'll be ready."

(Eren tries not to think of how many dead there will be by the end of this. Of how much blood there will be on his hands.

He fails.)

It's still another four months before the reconnaissance team leaves for Liberio. Squad Levi is the most adequate for the task, since they have the most training - hard for them not to, they're the only ones that made it out of the nightmare that was the battle in Shiganshina - and Hange joins them so they can gather first hand knowledge before coming back to Paradis to finish up the final preparations and lead the rest of the Survey Corps.

They are smuggled inside Marley's borders by some of Zeke's minions, and soon they are in the middle of Liberio.

Even if Eren has seen most of the city via his father's memories, or his own from the future, it still amazes him. So much more technology, more food variety, advanced architecture. This is what Paradis could have had, if the titans hadn't appeared. This is what they could have if Eren's plan works.

There's so many people, it's easy to blend in. They mostly stay inside the tiny apartment they are hiding in during the first few days, going out in groups of two or three at a time as they take turns to grab groceries and look around. Eren isn't allowed to go out without Levi, something about not taking their chances in case he's kidnapped again - it's not like Eren wants to be kidnapped, alright? It just happens! - but when he does go out, he's the most useful, since he actually knows what everything is. He and Armin compare their memories, see what has changed since Grisha was in Liberio from when Bertholdt was, and what has changed since then. Between the two of them, they make a map of the city, and then Hange joins them when it's time to formulate a plan.

"We have to make a pathway for the airship, so it knows where to go in the city. Maybe we can use some of Eren's crystals to make lights we can place on the rooftops, like a passage? That way you and the rest of the Corps can get in positon, Commander," Armin, as usual, is a tactic genius, placing pins and marking down locations with a red marker as he and Hange decide their course of action.

Eren ends up contributing little to their discussion, other than when they need him to corroborate some facts from his memories, and he instead looks with a fond smile at his best friend, thinking of how much he has changed from that little kid that used to be bullied for talking about the world outside the Walls.

"Are you sure you have to eat the War Hammer, Eren?" Eren's eyes snap back to Hange's when he hears the question, and he takes a moment to answer, thinking it over.

Does he? Not necessarily, if he's being honest. It would make him feel better, for one, if he doesn't have to eat anyone. The thought of destroying a city makes him uncomfortable already, he doesn't need to add eating humans to that.

But it would be useful if they have the War Hammer, one less tool for Marley to use, and one more for theirs. Eren doesn't know who exactly in that family holds the Titan, but he can guess is one of the two siblings. Not the head of the family, though, it would be too obvious. So it has to be the sister.

Eren thinks back to the memories he has seen. There, he takes the War Hammer - there's so much destruction, people are screaming, and crying, and it feels entirely too much like the time when Reiner and Bertholdt kicked in Wall Maria when he was a kid, except now Eren is the one destroying a city and causing so much despair, and the knowledge feels like a rock in the pit of his stomach - and the plan is a success, for the most part.

But Sasha dies. She dies because he takes too long, so they had to stall, and that kid manages to get in the airship and—

"No. It's not necessary. In my memories I do take it, but we can just capture her with the rest of the warriors and it shouldn't change anything. If anything, it would be better, since I wouldn't need to destroy the city to draw her out," Armin and Hange look at him as if searching for something, and Eren can only imagine the look on his face, but in the end they nod and go back to their planning.

(What good does it do to know the future when all it shows you is suffering and loss?

Eren doesn't want to hurt anymore.)

By the time Hange sails back to Paradis with a notebook full of notes on Liberio, Squad Levi has already figured their reconnaissance shifts, as well as divided chores and the like. With a bit of help from Zeke, they get some very illegal papers for Jean and Armin, who blend in the most with the citizens of Liberio, so they both get jobs to sustain them. Thankfully, they have all learned to live with ration bars - even if Sasha hates them - so they only have to spend money on things like toiletries and cleaning supplies for Levi's sanity.

Even then, they try to go out as little as possible, given that Reiner is running around the city as well, and while his reaction to seeing any of them in Marley would be hilarious, Eren doesn't think it would end up all that great for them, even if they have Eren and Armin's titans with them if push comes to shove, and probably Zeke's. They're not here to fight, not if they can help it. Eren knows he'll have to do some really awful things, that the possibility of him having to actually transform and destroy this city are quite high, but an actual fight between titans? Eren wants to avoid that, specially in an area as populated as Liberio.

He may have more than some bones to pick with Reiner, but he won't make the same mistakes he did. He won't take out his anger on people who haven't done anything to him.

As it stands, Eren is the one that goes out the least. If it were up to Mikasa, he wouldn't leave their place at all, but he does have a rather important job, so he needs to know at least somewhat how to navigate Liberio. Still, most of his time is spent cleaning the house with Levi, who also stays inside often. The both of them are likely the most recognizable for Marley's military, if Reiner has done his job as a spy at least semi-decently, so it's best for their interests if they aren't seen.

It's not all that bad, it gives Eren the chance to spend more time with Levi, even if he would like to go out and do things. It would help him feel less useful, more like an actual soldier and less like a weapon, only used when needed and then discarded.

(Sometimes, that's all he feels he is to most people.)

Levi keeps him distracted. He of all people knows how Eren feels, how it irkes him to be cupped up inside their tiny living space while everyone else is being useful. So, instead of being bitter about it, Levi cleans, and he makes Eren clean with him.

If anyone outside their squad were to enter their apartment, they would think some really OCD people are living in it. And well, they're not wrong. Levi's cleanness standards make for more than one person, specially with Eren enabling him. But it keeps them busy, and it helps to ease the jitters of being inside all the time.

Eren also writes. He writes about the memories that don't belong to him - that will belong to him - of all the different users of his titans - it's such a long list, so many people have died to keep them alive - and what they did. Most of the Attack Titan users were Marleyan Warriors, and those who weren't existed so far back in time it's like the titan itself has forgotten. Eren isn't able to access a lot of memories from the Founder, not without Historia or Zeke, but he is still able to trace back the royal family for a few hundreds of years. Not far enough to get to Ymir, not by any means, but far enough to take a glimpse of how the world was before the Walls.

It's an even more terrifying place.

Levi is the only one allowed to read those pages, the only one Eren trusts enough with all the knowledge. Mikasa would try and protect him from it, as she always does with whatever she thinks may hurt him. Armin, for all his good intentions, would try to use that knowledge, and Eren isn't sure he wants to know what he could to with it (he could do a lot, he could do so much with it, and it scares him, because his friend is sweet, but he also wants Eren to stop hurting, and he would to anything to help). Levi doesn't do any of those things. Eren is sure he wants to, oh he knows Levi wants to take it all away to ease his burden. But he knows that's not what Eren wants - he wants to be useful, and this is the only thing he can do to aid in this war - so he conforms with holding him during the night, chasing the nightmares away.

It almost works, most of the time.

When Eren is allowed out of the apartment, he and Levi go out to meet with Zeke. He is a fundamental part of their plan, and he knows Liberio better than any of them ever could, even with all the scouting they're doing. He helps them place the traps for the other Warriors, gives them their usual schedules, and when he has the time, he and Eren spend some time playing catch. Levi never fails to tell them how childish they are, but he never stops them, knowing it makes Eren happy.

One time, Zeke asks him why does he like Levi so much. It's almost laughingly easy to answer.

"He makes me happy. Even if it makes him uncomfortable sometimes, he always tries to make me the happiest I can be. Do you notice how he always looks tense when we stay out too long? He knows I'm probably the most recognizable out of all my squad, but he also knows I don't like to stay inside, so he makes sure to look around for anyone suspicious while you and I spend time together, even if he also doesn't like you," Eren smiles, taking a peeking glance at his lover, who is indeed tense as he surveys the area. "He makes me feel human, you know? Like I'm normal, even though I'm not. He's not overbearing like Mikasa, nor does he treat me like glass, like Armin. He doesn't whisper mean things behind my back. He's an asshole, but he doesn't lie to me. He treats me like an equal, not like a weapon. He… he takes care of me."

Zeke looks at him for a moment, and then looks back at Levi, pondering.

While Zeke and Levi's relationship is pretty one sided - which means Levi wants to kill him but he legally can't, so he goes with the next best thing: pretending he doesn't exist - Eren knows Zeke wants to get to know him, if only to know the man that makes Eren smile like he has no care in the world.

"Well, I'm glad you have someone that cherishes you like he does," his brother finally says, and there is a certain softness in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"Yeah. Me too."

Six months later, the final steps of their plan start getting in motion.

There are four titans in Marley's possession - five, if you count Zeke, though his kidnapping will be more for pretenses sake than actual need - and after months of careful planning, they finally have an opening.

There will be a public speech, made by the head of the Tybur family. As the day approaches, the future memories become clearer, and so three weeks from it, Sasha and Connie are sent back to Paradis with the date. Eren finds peace in the knowledge that they will get back to Liberio on time, with the whole of the Survey Corps on toe. The whole battalion won't be needed if things go to plan, but it's good to know they'll have backup in case things go to shit like they usually do.

With the help of Zeke's minions-worshippers-cult-whatever-the-hell-Yelena-is-supposed-to-be, they finish up setting up the traps. The Jaw - not Ymir anymore, they ate her as soon as she got to Paradis - and the Cart will be taken together by Armin and Jean, and Mikasa will take the War Hammer. Levi has taken pleasure in planning how to take Zeke while making it as believable as possible - read, as painful as possible - and thus Reiner is left to Eren.

He will make him wish he had never touched a single piece of Wall Maria.

Eren is on full scout uniform as he listens to Willy Tybur talk about him on that big stage, his lip curled in a humourless smile. Eren could, of course, destroy the world. He sure as hell has a lot of bones to pick with Marley, and the rest of the nations that watched as they got slandered and decimated, used as canon fodder. But then he thinks of the children, who haven't done anything, and the people who have grown up being brainwashed by anti-Eldian propaganda, and he can't get himself to do it. He will never be fond of Marley, but he won't be the reason why these people cease to have a home.

(Unless the plan doesn't work. Eren will destroy city after city, will kill thousands, millions of people, before he allows them to attack his home. He will become the monster they claim him to be, the one he tries to run from when he sees his future memories, and he won't regret a thing.)

The kid - Falco, he reminds himself, his name is Falco, he's not just a kid, he has a name - brings Reiner to him. Falco has been an integral part of his plan. Besides Zeke, Falco is the only person in Liberio Eren has talked to. It wasn't hard to convince him he was a former soldier, he looks traumatized enough, knows more about titans than a civilian would, and after a few months of friendship, it's laughingly easy to make it seem as a slip of tongue when he says he's been looking for someone.

"Is it another soldier? I'm training to be a Warrior, so I could probably find them for you!" he's eager to please, and Eren would feel bad about using him, but he really can't get himself to.

Eren is past feeling pity. All he wants is freedom for his people, and he won't let a little kid stop him.

"Ah, I guess you would. He's a Warrior himself, though I haven't seen him since he was deployed on his mission years ago. I recently heard he came back, but I haven't been able to find him. Do you happen to know Reiner Braun?" Eren looks hopeful, let's a wisp of light enter his otherwise dull eyes, and Falco's own eyes widen before a smile forms on his face.

"Oh! I do know him! I can bring him to you if you want! I'm sure Mister Braun would be happy to see you after so long, Mister Kruger," Eren allows himself a smile, and thanks the kid for his help, asking him if he could bring Reiner to the same spot the two of them have met all these times, a week from that day.

And Falco falls for it hook, line, and zinker.

Eren does feel a bit bad for the kid, when Falco realises he is not in fact a Marleyan soldier, but the same man Willy Tybur is talking about, the devil out to destroy them all. But he doesn't focus on the kid, letting his eyes fall on Reiner instead.

He looks pale, though that could be because of Eren, and the bloodied hand he holds in front of him as a warning for him to behave if he doesn't want a fifteen meter titan breaking havoc in Liberio. But he has also lost weight, and those eyebags talk of little sleep. He tells him exactly that.

"You don't look so good Reiner. One would almost think you're having nightmares," he drawls out, and takes a twisted sense of delight when Reiner flinches. "Don't worry, I'm not here to kill you. I'm not here to destroy your city either. That's your speciality after all, isn't it?" the blond doesn't meet his eyes, and Eren huffs in annoyance. "Just because you don't look at me, doesn't mean you didn't do it, you know? The least you could do is own up your actions, you fucking coward."

Falco shivers from where he's frozen in place behind Reiner. Eren ignores it.

"Eren, I—"

"You what? You're sorry?" Reiner doesn't say anything. "What are you sorry for? Kicking in the Wall? Getting my mom killed, alongside all those people who did nothing to you? Or continuing with your plan when you realized we didn't even know there were other humans outside the Walls?"

A few blocks from them, Willy Tybur warns them from the dangerous Eren Jaeger, and Eren allows himself a small smirk.

"By the way he talks, one would think I'm on a murder path or something. Not everyone is like you Marleyans, you know? Some of us just want to be left alone in peace," he takes a look at Falco, who doesn't look like he will be going anywhere, eyes locked on his hand covered in blood, and smiles. "Don't worry Falco. As long as Reiner does as he's told, I won't do anything to either of you. Or you city," he adds belatedly, thinking maybe he should reassure the boy.

"What do you want Eren?"

"What do I want?" he echoes, an eyebrow raised. "I want a lot of things. For one, I want my mother back. I want my comrades back, the ones who died because of you and your military. I want you to never had set foot on my home. But we can't have everything we want. So I'll conform with you coming with me quietly. You too Falco, we can't have you running back to your superiors now, can we?" while he addresses the kid, Eren's eyes don't leave Reiners. The blond swallows, nervous, pondering his options. Last time they fought one on one, he only got away because he had Bertholdt with him, and Eren has had the time to train his titan in peace since then. He knows that, and Eren knows he knows. "So? What will it be, Reiner? Will you come with me, or will you watch as I tear this place apart?"

"The others are here, aren't they?" Reiner's voice quivers a bit as he talks, showing how really fragile his state of mind is. Eren holds no pity nor sympathy for this man, but he can tell that his head got messed up badly during his stay on Paradis.

Oh, well. He should have thought of that before destroying Eren's home.

"If you're asking whether I'm working on my own, the answer is no. If you resist, you'll be put down before you know it, and the only difference this will do to our plan will be that I'll transform, killing Falco here with the explosion, and I'll destroy about half the city before anyone in here gathers enough man power to even try to stop me," in truth, if Reiner were to transform, Eren knows he won't have backup until the airship arrives, which can take from minutes to hours. Everyone already posted here has their own mission, and they trust each other to succeed. But Reiner doesn't know how many people there are working with him, and for all he knows, their plan is only to take him, since he's the one that caused all this mess in the first place.

Well, the only one that's still up and running, anyways.

"What will it be Reiner?" he asks again, and after one infinite moment, Reiner nods his head, motioning for Falco to follow him.

"Mister Braun?" Falco doesn't hide the terror in his voice, probably doesn't know how to, and Reiner places one of his big hands on the kid's shoulders.

"It'll be okay. Eren doesn't break his promises, he won't hurt you," Reiner still looks back at him, as if asking for confirmation, and Eren nods.

"Sure, I won't do anything to him. He's been most helpful, and hurting kids who haven't done shit to me isn't my style," his smile is cold as he pats the man down, taking the blade he uses to transform, as well as the standard issued gun. Then, he takes a hold of Reiner with the hand that isn't covered in blood. Falco won't attempt anything as long as Eren's holding him. "Of course, you lot wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"

"Eren, I'm sorry," he sounds downright miserable, and Eren would even say he's about to break down crying, but the damage is done. It was done nine years ago, when he first kicked in Wall Maria, and then five years later, when he looked at them all in the eye and tried to obliterate them again.

"Yes, well, you should have thought about that before you tried to kill my family," no one says anything after that, and Eren takes joy in Reiner's miserable face.

He's the first to get to their rendezvous point, probably because while talking to Reiner is the most psychologically difficult task in their list - they were friends at some point, comrades, only to be betrayed by him in the worst possible way - it would be the easiest to accomplish. This is the one they trained with, and Eren knows all the buttons he needs to press.

Mikasa is the second to get there. Unlike Reiner, who came with Eren voluntarily, the War Hammer obviously resisted, by the way she's limp on Mikasa's grasp. Eren watches as she places her on the ground with more delicacy than she usually holds, and proceeds to cut her arms and legs, which kind of defeats the purpose of the delicacy, on Eren's opinion. Falco whimpers, and Reiner tells him to look the other way.

"Don't worry, it's just to incapacitate her for now, they'll grow back. Mine did, when Reiner cut them off," his lips curls upwards when Falco looks at Reiner with disbelief.

"Eren," Mikasa sends him a look, and Eren sighs. She always likes to take away his fun.

"Alright, I'll stop," the rolls his eyes, and looks up at the sky. "If Levi comes back, tell him I'm putting up the lights," she nods, dragging the War Hammer closer to where Reiner and Falco stand, and the kid takes a deep breath before resolutely looking away. Reiner though, looks like he's seconds from keeling over.

"Levi is here?" he sounds breathless, most definitely from fear, and Eren narrows his eyes in disbelief.

"Yeah? Did you really think he would let me come here on my own? You should know better than that, Reiner," he huffs out before grabbing the bag they hid earlier during the day. "Don't worry though. He'll be busy enough with Zeke, so at least he won't try to kill you. Jean, on the other hand? He wants your head on a plater," then, Eren takes off with his gear, and sets on reading the path for their aircraft.

He's joined by Jean half an hour later, knowing it's better if Armin is there to hold off any attempts of rebellion from the Warriors. None of them will risk setting off the Colossal on a residential area, after all.

By the time they're done, Eren can hear different troops as they go around looking for their missing Warriors. The Jaw and the Cart are back with Armin and Mikasa when they get back, joined by Yelena, who has been most helpful with their plan. Both titan shifters's arms and legs are cut off too, Reiner's as well, no doubt Mikasa's work. Falco looks like he'd rather be anywhere but there, which, fair enough, but at least he doesn't look as pale as he did when Eren left, so he doesn't think the kid will faint on them or something.

Probably.

Levi joins them eight minutes later, Zeke in toe - or not exactly in toe. His brother looks… injured, to say the least. Levi held nothing back, not that Eren expected him to.

"Did you really have to do that?" Eren asks as he critically eyes at his brother's injuries.

"I didn't kill him, did I?" Levi tosses Zeke on the floor, and the Jaw looks a bit green. Probably hasn't seen any close up battles then, and if he did, it's only been from his titan's perspective. "Where the fuck is Shitty Glasses?"

"They should be here any minute now," Armin answers for him, looking at his watch. "Did you finish with the lights, Eren, Jean?"

"All set, Armin. We'll just have to swing up when they get here," Jean says as he goes to stand near Reiner.

Eren closes the distance between him and Levi, resting his chin on his lover's head. The voices and footsteps are getting closer, but Eren is not worried. By the time anyone thinks to look for them here, they will be long gone.

He's proven right when not even ten minutes later, they hear the airship arriving.

"Fucking finally," Levi mutters, and Eren smiles as he straightens up. "Alright brats, gather them all, one titan fucker per person. And the kid—"

"There's a fire escape on the side of the building, he can get down on his own," Eren answers before Levi has finished, who nods and gives him a sealed envelope. Then, Eren turns to Falco. "Once we're gone, you're free to go, but I want you to deliver this to your superior," he gives him the envelope, making sure his trembling hands don't drop it on the ground. "There, you have instructions on how to proceed if you want any of your Warriors back."

"Falco, don't—" the Cart is cut off by Jean, who places a blade to her throat.

"Trust me, you'll want the kid to give out that letter. It's the only hope you have of saving your country," the Cart closes her mouth, looking resigned, and Falco's grip on the envelope tightens a little as it finally downs to him what is going on.

Before long, they are pilling up their war prisoners, and while most of the scouts are put off at not getting a change to help, Eren is glad things went as smoothly as they did. It could have been a lot worse - a city up in flames, eating the War Hammer, people crying and swearing his revenge on him, Sasha dead - he thinks as he closes the door of Reiner's temporary cell. They'll have to take turns watching him and the other Warriors, and they'll also have to cut off their extremities at least twice during their journey, but now, Eren can finally rest. The hard part is over, and now they just have to wait for Marley to send their answer.

Eren spies Levi sitting on one of the benches. He's alone, which means either Hange hasn't found him, or Levi somehow scared them away - unlikely - but Eren doesn't really care which one is it as he makes his way to his lover, settling down besides him.

"Hey," he says sending him a small smile. Levi doesn't smile back, but then again, he seldom does. His grey ayes do soften a fraction, allowing Eren to scoot closer to him, and that's all Eren needs. Levi doesn't have to be affectionate all the time to let him know he loves him.

"Are they all locked up?" Levi asks, and Eren hums in agreement. "Good. You did good, brat."

"We did good," Eren corrects him, and Levi huffs, but doesn't argue. "Do you know what this means?" at Levi's soft questioning sound, Eren grabs his hand, interwinding their fingers. "It'll be over soon. We're almost there, and then…"

"Then we can get our house by the sea," Levi finishes for him, and Eren closes his eyes, smiling in content. He feels Levi's lips pressing a kiss to his forehead, and his eyes stay close as he leans into his chest, relishing in the safety it makes him feel.

"Freedom. What do you think it feels like?" he asks after a while, breaking the comfortable silence between them. People are talking around them, all of them too happy to keep quiet, but neither of them pay them any mind. It's just Eren and Levi in their little bubble, for this moment, before they get back to Paradis and they have to finish all the last minute preparations.

"I don't know brat. But I guess we'll find out, won't we?" Levi says against Eren's hair, that has gotten longer as the years go by and now reaches past his shoulders.

"Yeah," he sounds breathless, and he is. The sheer notion of freedom is… it makes him feel like everything has been worth it. "We will."

They're arrival back to Paradis is both a blessing and a curse. It's good to be back home, back to the familiarity of their land and the knowledge that they belong here. But being back to Paradis means their plan can go two ways, and one of them means bringing even more war to them.

Eren, for the first time in years, doesn't know what will happen next. Up until now, the memories of the different paths he could take were fairly similar, and it was easy for him to form a general picture. But now, there are many different ways this could go, and Eren's titan isn't cooperating with him, as usual. He wonders why that is, sometimes, and has come to the conclusion that his father is trying to shield him from the brunt of remembering, somehow. Most of the time he welcomes it, since the amount of memories he has are enough to give him a headache, but now he would like to know what will go down, exactly. Historia can give him access to different paths - options, not yet fulfilled - but she doesn't have the ability to unlock memories that haven't come to pass yet. The only one that can do that for him is Zeke, and last time they touched Eren only got a glimpse - the one that made this all happen. Since Levi - or anyone on the top brass, for that matter - doesn't want him to touch Zeke until all preparations are ready, Eren can only guess what will happen.

While they wait for a response from Marley, that being a diplomatic committee sent to discuss their surrender terms, or an army attacking them by sea and air, the final stages of the Walls fortifications are made. Eren goes around producing as much cristal as he can, as fast as possible, coating the entrances until he's sure not even Armin's foot could get through it.

Once the pure titans on the island were killed, the Walls opened, and several small settlements starting popping up outside. Most of them are military bases, since they have to keep an eye on the edge of the island, but all the civilians are evacuated inside the Walls as a precaution. While Eren did them the courtesy of not destroying Liberio, he's not so sure Marley would be so kind if they decide to try and take back their Warriors by force. Idiots, the lot of them, assholes too.

Once all civilians have been settled inside the Walls, Eren seals them all. It's painful, having to lock up his people after fighting for so long to set them free, but this is what will keep them alive, and so Eren will do it. Once this is all over the doors will open again, but right now keeping them opened is a liability they cannot afford to have. They'll have enough problems with Marley's airships, they don't need to worry about their other advances too.

As for the Warriors, they are all kept in different compounds, all of them top secret. Zeke is even brought to the forest, deep in Wall Rose, though with certainly nicer accommodations, since he is helping them and all.

Eren doesn't get to see them much, since he's busy with all the building and strategic meetings, but Levi does, so he keeps him informed on all of their statuses. He tries to make sure the Cart - Pieck, her name is Pieck, you can't ignore that to try to step away from the situation anymore - is being taken care of, since Zeke likes her, and has pleaded her case enough for them to place her at a house in the middle of nowhere, rather than a cell. Eren even arranges a meeting between her and Zeke, since his brother is sure he can convince her to stay put and sit pretty while everything gets sorted.

She's pretty mad when she finds out Zeke helped plan the whole thing, and it's pretty funny to watch his brother fumble as he tries to grovel for her forgiveness. Pieck ends up begrudgingly understanding, knowing the only way Marley would back down would be to force their hand with a stunt like this. She only wants her people to be safe - just like Eren does - and she is rational enough to see that their plan is optimal.

"Even then, I don't like being kidnapped and having my extremities cut off, Zeke Jaeger," she says with a displeased frown, and Eren snorts from where he's leaning against the wall, working as a supervisor instead of being the one supervised for the first time in his life.

"Yeah, welcome to the fucking club," he says before straightening up and motioning for Zeke to come over. "Come on, you can come talk to her again another time, but if I don't bring you back soon, Levi will kill you, her, and I won't get my night of I-haven't-seen-you-in-five-days-I-missed-you sex," his brother makes a disgusted expression.

"Too much information, little brother," Zeke inhales deeply with his eyes closed, and Eren laughs. It feels good to be able to act so freely, after all the tension he's been accumulating these past years. It's almost over, their work will be done soon enough, and then…

Then a house by the sea awaits him. A long life without titans, without fears, without being trapped inside a cage. A life with Levi by his side, to grow old together instead of spend the few years he has left right now.

"Yeah, yeah, suck it up. I got you time with your girlfriend, didn't I?" Pieck, surprisingly, doesn't look too put out by him, though she does give him an appraising look. You can get the soldier out of the army, but you can't take the army out of the soldier, Eren supposes. The gods know he hasn't stopped being paranoid, either.

Even with all the things they must get done, Eren still finds himself in strategic meetings more often than not. How he ended up in a position of such importance is beyond him, but somewhere along the line, in between all the bits of information he gave the top brass, Eren became a substantial part of the councils. Well, at least it helps him keep an eye on Historia. She has taken her role as Queen pretty well, taking into account they overthrew the government to put her there. As much as she dislikes it, she's good for the position. It helps that she actually cares for her people, of course.

Armin is there as well, as Hange's second in command and official replacement if anything were to happen and they die. Not as likely as it would have been years ago - not like when Erwin died - but it's always good to be prepared. Armin is the only one that knows all of Hange's plans, even Eren knows only what he needs too. Granted, he still knows more than most, since he's the one that has provided most of the information for the past four years.

Most of the time though, Eren doesn't actually do much more other than look ahead and try not to appear as bored as he really is. Goddesses, they would have finished this war already if there wasn't so much bureaucracy. One would think that their nation's survival would be top priority, but all Eren hears the council talk about is resources this and distribution that. Don't they realize there's an actual war going on right now? As in, a fifty fifty chance of an honest to the Walls army coming right to their doorstep, war.

And they ask Eren why he never wanted to join the MPs. Idiots, the whole lot of them.

It is after one such meeting, that he is intercepted by a recruit from the Scouts. Ever since the reclamation of Shiganshina and Wall Maria, the influx of recruits went up significantly. They are popular now, go figure. Now, their work has shifted from titan killing to exploration and national security, hence why they are the ones handling the whole affair with Marley.

"Sir, Captain Levi asks for your presence at the Garrison's headquarters as soon as possible, sir," the recruit, who's name Eren doesn't know (wow, it's been a long time since they left for Liberio, he doesn't know any of the new recruits, he has to change that soon), salutes, and Eren waves him off. It's been four years, and he still finds it weird when people call him 'sir'. There was a time when he wasn't even a proper soldier, he was literally classed as a weapon property of the scouts, and now he's a Captain, second in command of the Special Operations Squad, one of the oldest veterans, and people call him 'sir'.

"At ease. Did Levi say why he needs me?" the recruit shakes his head, and Eren sighs. "Alright. Thank you. You may go," the kid salutes again, and then leaves.

The Garrison's headquarters. That's where Reiner is. They decided early on that Reiner is the only one they cannot, under any circumstances, bring back to the castle. He knows his way around there, and it would be a security risk. Placing him at the Military Police's headquarters would be risky too, since Annie is still there. He and the Jaw - Porco Galliard, the one that ate Ymir - are probably the only ones that could break through the crystal, so the Garrison's headquarters were the next best choice for Reiner, leaving the Jaw with the scouts and the War Hammer with the MPs. That's also a bit risky, since she can manipulate the ground, but that's a risk wherever she is, and they've already moved Historia from Mitras in case an attack is made there. The War Hammer is watched twenty-four seven, and they keep her at the other side of the compound, drugged with a sedative Hange made with Eren as a reference, so it should be alright. If she so much as breathes suspiciously, they'll cut her arms and legs.

With that in mind, Eren goes to the Garrison's headquarters. The only thing that could make Levi call for him there is that something happened with Reiner, though why Eren would be needed - and more importantly, why would Levi call for him, since he's the one that wants him away from Reiner the most - he doesn't know.

Eren is ushered inside by some baby Garrison members the moment he gets there, and soon he's being led to the dungeons, where Reiner is being held. He finds Levi waiting for him besides the door that leads downstairs, which tells him he was indeed right and that something happened with the Armoured holder.

"Levi? What's going on?" he asks after giving him a light kiss on the cheek. "Something wrong with Reiner?"

"He wants to talk to you," Levi doesn't look happy about it, not that Eren blames him. No one in this island is much of a fan of Reiner Braun.

"Alright…" Eren narrows his eyes, bemused. "Why am I here?"

"He's been whining about it since we got back, he's driving everyone in here insane. I figured it would be best to just give him what he wants and be done with it," Levi looks annoyed, more than upset, but Eren has known him long enough to notice how his jaw clenches. He doesn't like this.

"Okay. I'll go down, see what he wants. I'll be back in ten minutes, fifteen tops," Eren throws him a reassuring smile, taking Levi's hand and giving it a little squeeze. "It will be alright. He won't do anything to me."

Eren isn't sure on how he knows that, but the moment he says it, he knows it's the truth. Reiner won't do anything to him, if only because he fears what will happen to his city if he does.

Reiner is the sole occupant out of all the holding cells in the dungeons. It's been years since the last time Eren was held in one himself, but he can still remember how it felt, and while Eren doesn't like Reiner and never will, he still feels something akin to sympathy for him. Most of the time, Eren had the commodities of a bed, a desk, and a drawer to keep his things, plus some extra blankets Levi gave him because it gets cold during the night. He was also allowed to leave his cell during the day, and he only got locked up when he was going to sleep, not that the arrangement lasted more than a few months, since he and Levi started sharing quarters when they started dating.

Reiner doesn't look so bad, if one dismisses the lost arm. His legs are intact, and he still has one full arm, so he probably hasn't been giving anyone any trouble besides his insistence of talking to him.

The blond looks up from where he was staring at the ground as soon as he hears the door, but he doesn't move from his spot on the uncomfortable bed. There's an empty tray near the door, so Eren guesses it hasn't been long since he was given food.

"You asked to see me," Eren says once he's in front of Reiner's cell. Unlike the last time they talked, Eren doesn't feel the usual rage surface. It's like he got it all out of his chest, and now he can finally rest. It's nice, not to be tied up by such corrosive emotions.

"Eren," Reiner looks tired. Not only physically, though he certainly looks it too, but his eyes look tired too. It's not unexpected, really, but it makes him curious. "I didn't think you would show up."

"Well, I'm here now, so hurry up and tell me what you want. You have ten minutes."

Reiner doesn't say anything for a while, and Eren observes as he tries to collect his thoughts. It's funny, how years ago Eren thought he new this man only to be betrayed in the worst way, and now that they are merely strangers, he seems to be able to read him like an open book.

Well, it's not like Reiner has something to hide anymore.

"Is it loud inside your head too?" whatever it was that Eren expected to hear, it isn't this. His eyes widen marginally, and then he frowns, but Reiner isn't looking at him. "It's always loud, inside my head. It's like two sides of a coin are fighting each other, and they are screaming, they scream so much I don't know what's real anymore. People I didn't know, memories that don't belong to me, they all yell, and it's so loud ," Eren doesn't dare move, doesn't dare to breathe, as Reiner clutches his head with his hands, tugging almost viciously at the strands of blond hair. "Am I a Warrior, serving Marley? Or am I a Scout from Paradis? Did I do the right thing, or did I just slaughter thousands of people senselessly?" finally, Reiner looks at him. Eren isn't surprised to see tears in his eyes. "Is it this loud in your head too, Eren?"

Eren doesn't know how to answer, at first. This is Reiner in all his instability, pleading for someone to understand him, to relate to him, but Eren is not that person.

"Do you know what the difference between you an me is, Reiner?" he says in the end, and Reiner looks up to meet his eyes. "When your first broke Wall Maria, you were a child. You didn't have a choice, you didn't know we were peaceful people. But then five years later, you did know. You did have a choice. And you chose to destroy us anyways," Reiner lets a hissed breath through his teeth, head bowed down. "When I got my choice, I thought back on how I felt when my world got turned upside down, how suddenly I had no home, no parents, nothing but anger and resentment. And I realized I didn't want to be the cause of that pain to anyone."

Reiner lets out a half choked sob, but Eren feels no sympathy. The time for sympathy was a long time ago, for a kid that didn't have a choice, not for the man that did and led himself to his own self destruction.

"You know, when I first started seeing my future self memories, I saw something horrible. I killed eighty percent of the world's population, almost one point six billion people, just to keep my country safe. I didn't want to do that, so I came forward with the information, and we created a plan," Eren looks at Reiner, dead in the eye. "I don't want to kill that many people, Reiner. But if this doesn't work, and your military doesn't take the deal, then I will. And I won't regret a single thing," Eren leans away from the bars, starting to walk away. When he's almost by the door, he talks over his shoulder, meeting Reiner's lost eyes for the last time. "To answer your question, no. It isn't loud inside my head, because I'm sure of what I'm doing. If you're feeling like this, then there's a reason for that."

Reiner doesn't say anything, just watching in helplessness as Eren leaves.

When Levi asks him, later, what Reiner wanted, Eren doesn't answer. The conversation has brought forward things Eren would like best buried, has tried to bury under piles upon piles of planning and preparations. The certainty that he would kill, would slaughter all kinds of people - innocent and sinner alike - if it meant those dear to him would finally find peace.

Part of him is horrified of himself. What gives him the right to end all those lives?

The other part viciously says that they don't matter, not if it means those that are his are in danger.

It scares him.

"Eren?" he snaps out of his thoughts when Levi calls his name, probably not for the first time, and he takes a deep breath before meeting his lover's eyes. They scrutinize him, looking for whatever it is that's troubling him, and Eren lets him. Because Levi sees the monster, the one lurking in the darkest parts of his mind, and he loves him anyways. With Levi, Eren can be himself, knowing he won't leave.

For some reason, Levi is okay with loving Eren, monster and all.

"Sorry, just… that conversation got deeper than I thought it would go. I'm okay," he reassures him with a slight smile, not that either of them believe it, but Levi knows when to push and when to let things be. He can read Eren like an open book, and he knows that whatever it is that has him so rattled, he won't open up about it right now.

"If you say so. Come on then, we have to be back at headquarters by nightfall," Levi lets the topic drop, just like that. He doesn't need to pry, doesn't need more than Eren can give him right now. It's in moments like this, that Eren falls in love even more with Levi.

They get an answer from Marley three weeks after getting back to Paradis. Thankfully, it gets there in the form of a diplomatic embassy sent by boat, a white flag proudly displayed so they know don't to attack them. When the news get to him, with only a few hours of delay thanks to the new train they have to connect the island, Eren finally allows himself to fully untense. Their plan worked, Marley came here in peace.

For the first time in a long time, Eren feels like crying from relief.

He doesn't, of course, and instead he gets ready when Historia makes him part of the group for the negotiations. Said group consists of himself, Armin, Hange, Levi, Pixis, Nile, and of course Historia, with Zeke scheduled to join once the treaty has been signed. Nile throws a hissy fit when he saw the Scouts have more representation, but his argument is soon shut down by the Queen, who tells him they are the most capable, being the ones directly involved with Marley.

Eren still enjoys seeing him sulking about it as they wait for the Marleyan committee to get to the Scouts headquarters.

It is, realistically speaking, the best place to hold the meeting. It's far from either of the Walls, so getting out of there would be difficult, specially since Marleyans doesn't have their 3DMG, nor do they know how to move around the forests surrounding headquarters. The Scouts are also the ones best trained to restrain - read: maim or even kill if necessary - the Marleyans in case things don't go well. The only con is that the Jaw is being held there, but even that could be an advantage in case they need to prove that the Warriors are alive.

The Marleyan committee is formed by seven people, most of them part of the military, by the looks of their uniforms, plus a standard squad for protection. Eren recognizes Willy Tybur from his original memories, with his long blond hair and pressed suit. He doesn't look like someone about to discuss an arrangement that could very well end up with him dead. Not that he did the first time around either, anyways.

As a show of good faith, they decide that Eren shouldn't be one of the soldiers tasked to escort the Marleyans. A sensitive decision, really, even if having Hange do it isn't that much better. At least they have Levi and Armin to get them under control. The three of them are sent alongside a squad of competent soldiers, Mikasa and Jean amongst them, leaving Eren, Pixis and Nile to guard Historia with the help of her personal guard.

The first thing Eren notices when the committee arrives is how all of them look at him with wariness, making him want to roll his eyes. Don't they realize he could have killed half of Liberio's population a few weeks ago? If he didn't do it while he was in Marleyan territory, he sure as hell won't transform and start rampaging on his own home. What would be the point in that?

Eren doesn't say any of that, of course, but it's clearly written on his face, if Armin's warning look is enough indication.

'Thanks for the vote of confidence, Armin. Really makes me feel better.'

Besides Willy Tybur, Eren is introduced to four of Marley's military, including General Calvi and his second in command, and Commander Theo Magath, in charge of Marley's current Warriors. The other two people on the diplomatic party are part of Marley's government, close advisors for the current regent.

Eren doesn't pay much attention to either of them. He's never had a good history with governmental personnel, if one were to ignore Historia, of course. So he uses his energy on better things than getting mad at bureaucratic bastards, and instead focuses on appearing as non-threatening as possible, while still contributing to the conversation.

It's exhausting.

Why was he chosen for this again? Ah, right. He has the Founder. Damn titan, causing more trouble than it's worth. Eren is glad this people don't know Armin is the Collosal's holder, or they would look at him with even more fear than they do him, and Armin doesn't deserve any of that.

"Your… missive said you would keep the Warriors alive. Before anything is agreed, I want proof of that," Eren isn't expecting the request to come from Theo Magath, though maybe he should have. Maybe a Marleyan can get a little attached to kids over the years, even if the kids are Eldians.

Historia, the head of Paradis's diplomatic party, smiles graciously and nods.

"Of course. We haven't done anything to either of them, if that's your concern, but I understand that proof may be necessary to calm your fears. Eren," she gives Eren a nod, and he stands up to go get the Jaw. He takes the keys from the guard on duty on his way down.

The Jaw is in the dungeons, near the cell that served as Eren's room when he first joined the Scouts. Unlike Eren's accommodations, the Jaw doesn't have a desk, or extra blankets, or somewhere to put his things so they aren't ruined by humidity. But he has been given three meals a day, and besides some maiming so he doesn't transform, he looks as good as new. Well, his uniform could probably use some washing, but all in all, he looks a lot better than Eren did when he has held by the Military Police, and he wasn't held for more than a week.

When Eren gets to the Jaw's cell, he's awake. Good, it saves him the trouble of waking him up.

"Your people are here, and they asked to see you. If you don't do anything, I won't have to cut off any of your extremities, and you can walk on your own. Alright?" the Jaw looks hesitant, not that Eren blames him. He, too, would think it over before agreeing to anything the enemy said. "If you don't believe me, there is a Commander Theo Magath asking for proof that you're alive and well. That ring a bell?"

Finally, the Jaw begins to move. He gives a single nod, and that's enough for Eren. He opens the cell, and goes to unlock the shackles that tie him to the wall. Steam raises as the chaffed wrists and ankles heal, and Eren is a little bit more cautions as he places a pair of handcuffs on his hands, hard enough so he can't move them, but not enough so he can hurt himself with them. Soon, Eren is guiding the Jaw through the corridors. He takes a few extra turns as a precaution, but soon he arrives to the conference room where the discussions are being made.

There's recognition in the Jaw's eyes as he takes in the room. Eren guides him so he stands next to the table, but doesn't let go until two of Historia's guards have taken post on each side of him. Only then does Eren rejoin the table, taking his seat besides Historia herself.

Commander Magath is busy looking at his Warrior, asking questions. Apparently, the Jaw's name is Porco Galliard, and besides his general expression of discontent he doesn't look all that bad. The Commander realises just about the same, because soon he's satisfied, and Historia sends her two guards to take the shifter back to his cell.

"I assure you the other Warriors are on the same conditions Porco Galliard is. They will be freed and presented to you once the treaty has been signed," Historia looks regal, a true Queen. Her words leave place for no argument, and soon, the discussions are on their way.

Trying to reach a consensus with Marley, Eren finds not even half an hour into the talkings, is like trying to learn how to use 3DMG with broken equipment: utterly frustrating and almost impossible. For a country who has been robbed of their most formidable weapons, they sure act like they're doing Paradis a favour, the bastards. More than once, Eren has to casually mention the Founder's powers just to get them to back off, and they haven't even gotten to the part where Eren actually uses it.

Eventually though, after various days, what feels like a million headaches and more than one almost violent conflict, they reach an agreement. Marley will back off, and will leave them alone, and in exchange they will give the Warriors back, and Eren will promise not to go around Marley causing havoc. They were quite adamant on that specific point, like he didn't get the chance to do it before, when they kidnapped the same Warriors they want back.

Eren tunes out most of the conversation, acting more as a guard dog than anything, since his expertise will be needed later. For now, they just need to get those papers signed, and then he and Zeke can go and drop the bomb on them. Eren doesn't expect them to be happy about it, since they'll be taking Marley's main weapon from them, but Eren also doesn't give a fuck about their feelings, so it checks out. Certainly a better outcome than destroying the whole world, in any case, and Eren will make them see that, one way or another.

That same night, Levi leaves to fetch Zeke. It's better if Marley doesn't have a chance to prepare before they're ready. It helps that he and Zeke have finally come to an agreement between their plans. It would be kind of awkward if they started fighting in the middle of the discussions, after all.

Even knowing Levi is on his way, Eren still finds himself missing him. He always does, when he's laying in their bed on his own. The bed feels cold without him, even if it's Eren who provides most of the heat during the night. Levi gives him comfort and safety, and no amount of rational thinking can get him stop missing him so much.

Eren feels Levi slipping beneath the covers sometime before dawn, and he immediately rolls over to snuggle besides him. Despite his semi conscious state, he still hears Levi sigh as his muscles untense, and Eren hums contently when he feels a pair of arms sneak around his torso, pulling him closer to Levi's chest.

"You didn't have any trouble on your way here?" he asks in a sleepy voice, muffled by Levi's chest.

"It was alright. Your brother is on one of the guest bedrooms for visiting officers, down the hall. You two can talk in the morning," Levi's breath tickles his ear. Eren hums in agreement. "Go to sleep, brat."

"Mhm, I was waiting for you. It's hard to sleep if you're not here," he looks up to kiss Levi's neck, feeling satisfied when he feels his lover shiver from it. "Goodnight, Levi."

"Goodnight, Eren."

Daylight comes too soon. Eren grumbles as he wakes up, not wanting to leave the comfort of Levi and their bed. But duty calls, and if he doesn't get up then Levi certainly won't, so it falls on him to be the voice of reason.

Despite common belief, Levi is not, in fact, an early raiser. Oh, he's up and about at seven in the morning, but if it were for him, he wouldn't get out of bed, ever. Eren sometimes wonders if it's because of his titan powers - he certainly remembers hating getting up in the mornings as a child, before the Fall - but when the sun comes up, it's hard to stay asleep, so it falls on him to wake up the fearsome Captain Levi of the Survey Corps.

"Get away, you demon," Eren huffs out a laugh when he hears the grumbled complain, watching in amusement as Levi tugs on the covers until he's completely under them.

"Come on, Levi, you have to get up. I have some tea in here if you want it," he waits. Normally, tea is enough to get Levi out of his cocoon, but he must be really tired from yesterday, because he doesn't budge. "Do you really want me to go and talk to Zeke on my own? Because that's next on my list before the meeting."

That does the trick. After a couple of moments, Levi's head peaks from the covers, and his narrowed eyes zero on him. Eren offers him the teacup he's holding, and endeared smile on his face, and reluctantly, Levi sits down, making grabby hands at the cup.

Eren understands why most people may find him terrifying, but honestly, Levi can be such a sweetheart sometimes. Before his morning tea, he's a literal baby, and he can be so childishly stubborn when the mood strikes him. Really not intimidating at all.

Twenty minutes later, they are freshly showered and knocking on Zeke's door. His brother opens the door still on his pajamas, bleary eyes behind crooked glasses. He must have still been in bed when they knocked.

Levi doesn't spare him any mercy, despite being exactly like him not even half an hour before. Zeke gets ready on a rush under Eren's amused staring, muttering things about demon boyfriends that like to make him suffer on purpose. Levi's lips twitch on a satisfied smirk, the sadist, but he contents with watching Zeke run from one side of the room to the other as he gathers his things. He probably didn't have time to unpack when he got here last night, not that he has much other than the clothes Yelena brought from him on her trips between Marley and Paradis.

"Your boyfriend is a sadist, little brother," Zeke comments once words have been said and agreeds have been reached. Levi, who's obviously listening from where he's walking in front of them, doesn't say anything.

"He's not, he just hates you," Eren thinks Levi snorts at his words, but his lover doesn't betray anything else, so he ignores it. He's probably wrong anyways.

"And how is that supposed to be better?" Zeke, understandably, doesn't look so convinced, not that he should be. For all that he's the one supposed to intimidate Levi, being Eren's family and all, it's mostly the other way around.

Besides, if Mikasa couldn't stop him, then Zeke certainly won't. He may be able to turn into a big ass titan, but even that pales in comparison to Mikasa's wrath.

"It's not, I was just correcting you," this time, Levi definitely snorts.

They are the last ones to arrive at the meeting, more than a few hours late. They planned for this, since that way they can be sure everyone has signed the peace treaty by the time they get there. To say Marley's delegation is surprised would be an understatement, if his slacked jaws and widened eyes are anything to go by. Commander Magath looks half on his way to an aneurysm, poor guy. Eren would feel worse if it didn't look so funny.

"Jaeger?" he says in a spluttering voice, nothing like the powerful Commander he has been during the discussions until now. He's been taken by surprised, he wasn't expecting this, and it's exactly what he and Zeke were planning.

"Commander," Zeke bows his head in respect, though he does not salute, not like Eren and Levi salute Hange when they enter the room. It's an obvious sign of rebellion, if Eren has ever seen one. "I'm glad the discussions went good. Eren tells me there is an agreement to cease fire?"

Eren has to hide a snort at the Marleyans's faces. Their looks of pure astonishment are priceless.

"What—? What are you doing here?" General Calvi looks in between an angry fit and a mental collapse. Honestly, Eren doesn't know which one would be better.

"Zeke is here to help me activate the Coordinate, of course," Eren keeps a straight face as he observes the transitions of the Marleyans's faces. Even Willy Tybur looks speechless, and that guy has been annoyingly pragmatic since he got here a week and a half ago, the bastard. It's been like having another Erwin Smith, only this time it was working against them.

"Tact, little brother. As usual, it's something you seem to lack," Zeke sends him a disappointed glance, though Eren is sure there's something like amusement dancing in his eyes. There's a choked gasp as one of Marley's government representatives asks 'Little brother?!'. Obviously, there's been a lack of communication - or intelligence, who knows - if they haven't figured Grisha Jaeger had been the one to steal the Attack Titan. Eren thought it would have been obvious, since Eren is also a Jaeger. Perhaps he overestimated Marley's intelligence. "What Eren meant, is that we have found a way to eliminate the titans, and we need to use the Coordinate for that."

Awww, everyone always spoils his fun, no fair.

"What is the meaning of this, Captain Jaeger!?" Eren has half a mind to speak instead of his brother, since he is, technically, also a Captain, but a glare from Levi keeps him silent.

Historia, who has been unusually silent up until now, is the one to answer.

"Zeke Jaeger is a Subject of Ymir, just like every other Eldian in this world. As you have so adamantly said all these years, Subjects of Ymir are not Marleyans, and as such, they no longer fall under your jurisdiction. From the moment you signed this treaty, every Eldian falls under the protection and management of Paradis and the royal family. This includes all the Eldians living on Marleyan territory, as well as your Warriors and Warrior candidates. They are, of course, allowed to live whenever they please, but they no longer respond to your government other than as visitors, as per our agreement," Historia doesn't leave room for arguments, head held high as she wears the crown she did not want, but took anyways for the good of her people. Eldians outside of Paradis may not respect her yet, or recognize her as their sovereign, but it won't be long until they realise she will give them a better life in Paradis that anything else they could get in the rest of the world.

Marley's diplomatic embassy has been left speechless, as Historia is right. This precise point was one that they, particularly Historia and Eren, were very adamant was included in the treaty. When Marley signed, they allowed their administration to take over the management of all Eldians on their lands. Marley no longer can force Eldians to join their military as canon fodder, they can go everywhere they please without fear to being killed, and they will not be degraded anymore. No longer will there be anti-Eldian propaganda, and if Eldian citizens so wish it, they will be free to come live in Paradis. Now that it has been established, no Eldians can be enslaved and diminished by Marley without consequences from breaking their treaty. It also means Zeke, if he so wishes - and he does - no longer belongs to Marley's military. He can stay, of course, but it will be a choice.

Eren takes the moment to relish on all they have achieved until now. The plan is almost complete, soon, there will be no more titans, he'll…

He'll be free.

The plan is, on simple terms, to use the Coordinate to erase, or in it's defect, nullify, the titan gene. In theory, the Coordinate can alter all Eldian's physiology, so it should be possible. If for some reason they can't do that, then they will defer to Zeke's plan of taking all Eldian's possibility to reproduce. Not an ideal solution, but better than having people capable of becoming titans, who can give birth to more people capable of becoming titans, running around.

"We are not asking you for an opinion," Eren stresses at Marley's delegates, not even hiding the victorious glint in his eyes. "We are informing you of the situation. Take it as a courtesy from us, since your military deals directly with titans," General Calvi looks ready to burst a nut, and it's probably the most satisfying moment in Eren's life.

Finally. Finally they are ready to activate the Coordinate. Marley is no longer a problem, and soon people won't have a reason to fear - and by default hate - the Subjects of Ymir. There may have some more work to do before the world stops referring to them as The Devils of Paradise, but that can we resolved at a later date.

Before any of this happens, of course, Levi Squad assembles all the remaining Warriors at the Survey Corps headquarters. Now that their country has signed a peace treaty, thet legally can't transform and rampage the place, not that they would want to anyways. They are surrounded by the only people that are literally trained to kill them, so it wouldn't be wise. And with their Captain siding with Paradis, it's easy to see their efforts would be in vain. Between Eren and Zeke, they could take out Reiner and Porco, since Pieck has agreed to collaborate in advance, and Lara Tybur, the holder of the War Hammer Titan, is not a part of Marley's Warrior Unit.

Pieck has decided to stay in Paradis with Zeke, though first she will go back to Marley to bring her family with her. The Tyburs will return to Marley, not that Eren expected any different. Porco wants nothing to do with them - probably still resents them for his brother's death, not that any of them asked Ymir to eat Marcel Galliard - and Reiner has taken the wise desition to stay far, far away from Paradis.

Annie, who has been inside her crystal for four years now, can't decide for herself, so it is agreed that she will be kept in Paradis unless her father asks for her return to Marley, if he decides to stay there.

All in all, it's a good outcome. Better than the first one, certainly. Eren shudders just thinking of what could have happened had he not come forward and told what he knew.

The day when he and Zeke finally activate the Coordinate, it's sunny. There are a few clouds in the sky, and it's a little bit too hot, but for Eren it's perfect. Soon, titan will be nothing but a nightmare (not a nightmare, not for him, not for his comrades, the ones that died and the ones that lived, left behind to make sure all the sacrifices were not in vain. Not a nightmare for all the ones that lived in fear for a hundred years, for the ones that lost everything and the ones that had their lives torn apart by them. Not a nightmare, even if Eren wishes it was), and then… there will be no more wars to fight, no more comrades to lose and mourn. He and Levi will finally get their house by the sea, theirs to cherish and theirs to live in until they are old and grey and titans are nothing more than tales told to children to make them behave.

Zeke extends a hand, and Eren, after a moment of hesitation, takes it.

At first, he feels nothing. Then, he feels like his life has been sucked from his body, and he's being stretched and blended together for an agonizing second, before his eyes clear and he's… somewhere.

It's unlike anything Eren has ever seen before. Beneath him, there is sand, and it extends for miles upon miles, until he can no longer see what's in front of him. He notices Zeke next to him, looking as put out as he feels. A moment before, it was the middle of the day. Now, there are countless starts in the sky, only…

They are not stars. They are bright lights, extending and stretching until they are converge on one big pile a few hundred meters from where they are.

"Is this…?" Zeke's eyes are partially hidden by the glow of all the lights, but he looks awed, not that Eren blames him. This place is beautiful, ethereal unlike anything he has ever seen. Even the memories of past users, who have witnessed far more than Eren could imagine, pale in comparison to what he's seeing right now

"The World of the Paths, where all Paths converge into one. Every thread of every Eldian joined into one, forming the reality we live in," Eren is breathless. He remembers Eren Kruger talking to his dad about an antecesor who swore he saw something like this, a place that connected all Subjects of Ymir, but Eren has never been able to access those memories, if they even exist.

Eren's here now, though. The World of the Paths is a real place, not just a concept. He's here, and he can change things, make them better.

He and Zeke go for the convergence of the Paths. The Coordinate.

They walk in silence, both too awed at what they are seeing - the very semblance of their world, the one that directs all Subjects of Ymir into a single Path - for words to come out. They aren't necessary, in any case. Anything either of them said right now would be a mirror of the other's thoughts.

It feels like years have passed by the time they get to their destination, and at the same time it's like no time has passed at all. Like the Nine Titan's memories, that seem to travel time and space in a way that should not be possible, this place is not affected by time. It makes Eren wonder, briefly, how much time has passed on the outside, if this will be a moment there, or if a lifetime will come to pass before they come back.

Will he see Levi again? Or will all of his efforts be in vain?

He ignores the anxious train of thought building in the back of his mind.

Eren doesn't notice her, at first. She's hidden, overshadowed by all the light the Coordinate emmits. But she's there, standing near the huge boom of light. Her feet are bare, and her clothes are torn, old. Her eyes are the ones of someone who has given up, who does not fight anymore. Someone who has never fought at all.

She's everything Eren longs to free, and his chest hurts.

"Ymir Fritz," Eren doesn't know how he knows this, but he is certain it's the truth as soon as the words escapes his lips. The girl looks at him, dull eyes questioning, inquisitive.

"Eren Jaeger," he doesn't question why she knows his name. If Eren is right, she's here to guard the Coordinate. There are a lot of things she must know. "I've been waiting for you."

This doesn't surprise him either. Here, in this timeless space, she must know everything that has come to pass, and everything that will pass in the future. For her, nothing is uncertain. Or maybe it is, until the decisions of her subjects create a clear timeline, erasing other probabilities one by one. Eren doesn't know, he only knows she has been waiting for him. Whether she's been waiting for him to destroy the world, or save it, remains unclear.

Ymir then turns to his brother. Zeke has his eyes glued to the Coordinate, not that Eren blames him. This is the source of their power, the reason behind the titans's existence. Every Eldian life converges into one big world through the Coordinate, connecting them all by something bigger than blood. It's imposing, and being in front of such a force is both an honor and a curse.

"Zeke Jaeger. My descendant. You who were casted away, now return to your rightful place," she doesn't speak like the young girl she looks like. If Eren were to guess, he would say she didn't even when she was alive.

The girl who made a deal with the devil. The goddess that came down to the Earth to deliver just punishment for humanity's sins. The savior who ruled the world, making herself a champion out of a whole raze. The slave that was forced to protect a kingdom and a King that weren't hers. Different versions of the story swirl around Eren's head, the truth getting twisted as the years pass until it's unrecognizable.

The only thing all the stories agree on is that Ymir Fritz is no mere girl.

"You guard the Coordinate," it's not a question. Like Eren, Zeke seems to know the certainty of his words as he speaks them. It must be the timeless nature of this place.

"Yes. For two thousand years, I've been looking over my people, working for the royal family. They have all asked me things over the years, just like you are going to ask me now," her voice reverberates with something ancient, powerful. Eren has no way to prove it, but he is also doubtless of the fact that even in death, the power of the Founder flows within her, filling her until there's nothing left but it.

"Ymir, is there a way to get rid of the titan gene?" Eren asks, desperately hoping her answer is affirmative, that he doesn't have to do something so horrible as to end their raze. Zeke grasps his hand with his, squeezing lightly. It's reassuring, knowing he's not alone in this vast place, so unknown and majestic.

"Eren Jaeger. Some call you the Usurper. Only your father before you, had the powers of my titan without royal blood. My descendants have asked me millions of things. More titans, more power, a failsafe way to continue their rule over the world. You are the first one that has asked to end it," Eren doesn't know if she looks curious. Her eyes don't betray anything, her face is blank. This Ymir has been molded by the royal family's wims until she's nothing but an extension of them.

"I want freedom for my people. I don't want them to live on a cage, fearful of what could happen if they go out. The world has turned on us, and it's time we end the titans forever. Please Ymir, help me free our people," for the first time during their conversation, something flashes behind those dull eyes.

"Please… no one has ever said please to me before…" something akin of a smile forms in her face. It looks odd, like it hurts. She must no smile often, if at all. The thought saddens him. "Freedom… it must be a beautiful thing, don't you think, Eren Jaeger?"

Eren cannot speak. His throat has constricted, no words come out, so he nods, swallowing hard.

"Ymir, can you grant us our wish?" Zeke finally looks at her, taking his eyes from the Coordinate for the first time.

"I can. And I will. No more titans will roam this world, if that is what you want," Eren nods again, trying to keep the tears at bay. They are almost there, almost… "Eren Jaeger. Are you willing to pay the price for the freedom you seek?"

"Yes," he's breathless, he can taste the freedom already, it's on the tip of his fingers. "Anything."

"Very well. Once you die, your titan will die with you, forever to be buried under the sand of this very land. Our people will no longer live with the power of the titans," things start to blurry around him, and Eren realizes the connection he and Zeke formed with the Coordinate must be wearing off. The last thing he hears, is a faint: "Thank you, Eren Jaeger."

When he blinks, he's back at the courtyard of the Survey Corps headquarters.

It doesn't look like time has passed, if the way everyone is looking at them is any indication. Eren doesn't react for a moment, and then, his eyes widen, comically so. He turns to Zeke, who's sporting a similar expression, lips parted, shock on his face.

"Did it work?" Zeke asks, almost gapping. Eren can't blame him, The World of the Paths was… unlike anything he has ever seen. "Eren, did it work?"

"I— I don't know. Try to transform!" Eren urges his brother, who takes out a knife with slightly trembling hands, and makes a small cut on his hand.

Nothing.

The wound doesn't heal, no steam comes out, and there is no Beast Titan in sight.

It worked? It worked!

Eren's knees give it, and he falls to the ground as the breath is knocked out of him. This is it. They did it. The titans… they are gone.

Tears fall down his cheeks.

Someone is holding him— Levi. He's down on his knees next to him, and Eren slumps against him as the toll of that they've just done downs on him. He just went to the Coordinate, talked with the very first titan, and somehow convinced her to erase the titans from existence.

"Levi, we— we did it, they're gone, I—" the words come out a choked mess, and Levi holds him tighter.

"I know. You did so well, Eren, you did great," he whispers hoarsely, and it takes a moment for Eren to notice he's crying too. Levi never cries, he always keeps everything bottled up until he can't anymore, exploding in a blaze of fury.

But now Levi's crying. They are happy tears though, so perhaps that's why. Now, they can finally get their house by the sea, welcoming Subjects of Ymir to Paradis as they grow old together.

Eren is on a high for the rest of the afternoon. Nothing can take the smile out of his face, not even the thought of having to write to various officers about what happened. He's skipping around the place, laughing in delight because the titans are gone, forever.

That night, when he has already retired to his and Levi's shared bedroom, Eren sits on the edge of the bed, a small knife on his hand. He wants to try for himself, he wants to make sure. Levi is observing him curiously from where he sits at the couch, enjoying a cut of tea, but he doesn't move to stop him. He knows how important this is for him, how much Eren needs the reassurance.

Eren makes a small cut on his palm, biting his lip anxiously. He doesn't aim to transform, just to heal, even if he knows it won't work because—

Steam comes out of the wound. Eren watches in horror as the cut heals itself in seconds, just like they have done since he inherited his titan.

No. No no no no no. This can't be happening, Ymir said—!

Are you willing to pay the price for the freedom you seek?

No. It can't be.

Yes. Anything.

Please, please, please don't do this to him. Please…

Once you die, your titan will die with you, forever to be buried under the sand of this very land.

Eren lets out a sob.

Distantly, he feels Levi wrapping his arms around him for the second time that day, murmuring reassuring things, but he doesn't process them, letting them wash over him, unaffecting.

He's still a titan. It didn't disappear, with the rest of them. He's still a titan, he's still a…

Monster.

He cries himself to sleep that night. His puffy eyes don't last more than seconds before they're healed.

It's been two weeks from that night, and Eren has tried. He has tried to move on so hard, has tried to not let this control him. His people are free, there are no more titans… except there is, there's still a titan roaming around, and his people won't know true freedom until there's none.

Once you die, your titan will die with you.

He's the last titan, the only thing in between Eldians and the freedom he has longed so long to give them.

Are you willing to pay the price for the freedom you seek?

Eren has fought for years for this very moment, when they can finally say they have won, that humanity has come out victorious.

Yes. Anything.

He won't let anything keep them from it.

(Even if he dreams with the house by the sea, living that life he promised Levi they would have.)

There is no other choice, not if he really wants his people to be free. He convinces himself of this as he writes the letters. They probably won't understand, and they'll be mad, and Eren won't blame them. Mikasa will be alright, she's strong. She's not the little girl he met all those years ago. Armin… well he will miss him, Eren is sure of that, but he has a country to help lead. He'll be busy with lots of things, enough that Eren's absence won't hurt him that much. Hange will miss him too, but just like Armin, their work will keep them busy enough, and the notes he gave them from his time on the Paths should be enough to last them a lifetime of research. Zeke will be sad, but he'll understand that this is Eren's duty, he of all people will understand. And Levi…

Levi will have his house by the sea.

(I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I broke my promise I'm sorry I'm sorry please forgive me but I can't stay I don't know who I am anymore I don't belong I'm sorry.)

Ymir, if you are listening, please, please, give them a life to start over. A blank slate, a world when there are no titans, a world where they are safe. Please, give your people the chance of a bright future.

Eren isn't sure if she's there, if she has decided to stay with him so he doesn't have to bear the weight of the Titan alone, but this is the least he can do.

With firm hands, he seals all three envelopes with care, and he places them on his desk. Then, he grabs the gun.

Eren will kill them all.

Every last one of them.

'I'm sorry Levi, but this is something I have to do.

BANG.

---

Hey… so I'll admit this got a little much out of control. When did I write more than 17k words? Hell if I know. But well, I hope this makes it up for how long it took me to finish it.

Basically, Eren saw what would happen, didn't like it, and said fuck you to what would have been the original timeline. He decided to do the smart thing and communicate.

A lot of things remain the same or similar to canon, but since he had the Survey Corps backing him up it was a lot cleaner and more diplomatic, with less actual mass destruction and more cooperation.

I changed some things on how the Coordinate works, and how Eren gets his memories, but I don't know how much I changed, because I haven't read the end of the manga and I didn't want to spoil the little I don't know already by looking it up.

Bonus: did you guys noticed how Eren always talks about their house by the sea, but then in the end it is Levi's house?

God, I'm a horrible person.

Anyways, we're almost done with this series! Just one more! I don't know when it will be done, I have so many tests coming up *cries* but I'll try my best.

As always, you can come talk/yell/whatever at me in tumblr, I'm patolemus there as well.

Stay safe! Kudos!
Pato