Chapter 2 Midnight Train

A table with a newspaper was shown. "Four years we wasted squabbling over a peninsula's sovereignty." A Marleyan General said. "And our two main battle Titans were nearly shredded by the enemy fleet."

I would want to see them shredded...Levi thinks. But then again, I'm glad they didn't, or else I won't be able to kill Zeke by myself.

"'Human ingenuity surpasses and shatters Marley's Armor at last.' " He read the newspaper aloud.

"The press from other nations is commending the Mid-East Forces. Does this sound like a victory for Marley to you?" He turned to Magath. "Magath, do you care to comment?"

"General, I'm afraid the time has come. That is, humanity has eclipsed the Power of the Titans." Magath stood up. "While we've been relying heavily on Titans and colonial expansion, other nations have been developing weapons to counter us." Magath walked to a window and looked outside. "As a result, our strategy has come back to bite us in the ass." The other officers were sitting at the table staring at him. "As a result, our strategy has come back to bite us on the ass."

Magath walked back to his seat. "However, if aircraft keep advancing at this rate, bombs will soon fall like rain. All while Titans, the devils of the earth, can do nothing but look up and watch." In the ceiling was a big gaping hole. Seagulls were flying in the sky.

"Do we not have any Titans with wings?" The General asked.

"A titan with wings? That will be really amazing! We could fly around on top of it!" Hange says.

"There we go again... Hange and her obsession with Titans. You're going to die eventually if you're careless." Levi sighs.

Ray frowns as she turns away, Armin notices it and he frowns, knowing that something is going to happen to Hange.

Eren also notices Ray's frown and asks, "Are you okay, Ray?"

Ray says, "Don't worry about me. Just continue to watch the show."

Magath sat on his chair, again. "General, I'm trying that the era of Titans-"

The General cut him off. "I know. In the near future, we will lose our initiative in the war. No, perhaps we already have. Though, once the heroes who crushed the Eldian devils, look at what we've become."

"If I may, General?" Zeke asked, who was sitting next to Magath. "Requesting permission to give counsel."

"Zeke, the wonderboy. Go ahead."

Zeke stood up. "We should resume the Paradis Island Operation and recover the Founding Titan." Two Marleyan soldiers stared at him.

"As Commander Magath was saying, Marley needs to develop better weapons. However, the world will not stand by and wait." The General crossed his arms, while he listened to him. "Our military needs time to completely restructure. But for that, the newspapers of the world must read this: 'Marley occupies Paradis and Wields the Power of all Titans."

"You have one year left in your term, correct?" The General asked Zeke.

So he's going to die earlier than a year. Screw being my half-brother, I'll make sure you pay for what you've done. Eren thinks.

"If they're going to do it again, I want to pass this time." Reiner frowns.

"Yes, and I'm concerned that Colt can't inherit the full power of the Beast Titan." Colt, who was standing behind him, looked at him.

"I see." The General said. "In your last year, you wish to redeem yourself for your defeat four years ago?"

"That is correct." He answered. "The sick exploits of Grisha Yeager should be brought to an end by none other than me, his former son."

Eren glares at Zeke. If only Dad is a good father to you, he wouldn't have forced you to become a Marleyan Warrior and do all those things to us... Eren frowns, he doesn't know what to think anymore.

"Sick exploits of your father?" Bertolt asks.

"He probably means the fact that I have the Founding Titan." Eren sighs.

A cigarette was lit in Zeke's mouth. He and Colt were walking up the stairs to a balcony terrace. "Sorry I bashed you to further my agenda, Colt."

"Don't be. You were amazing. To think, an Eldian being heard by the general!" Both of them leaned against the balcony railing and looked at the sea. "There hasn't been a Beast Titan like you in its history. Sometimes it reminds me of the Founding Titan. Why are you so special?" Colt turned to Zeke, who continued to smoke his cigarette. "It's not like you have any royal blood."

"He's going to be so shocked when he finds out that Zeke actually has royal blood." Connie says.

Jean says, "Maybe the TV will show us when that happens. I think I am looking forward to it."

"Wait, you say that Zeke has Royal Blood?" Annie asks.

"His mother is a Royal Blood, but she turned into a Titan." Eren says, "That was also the reason I could use the Founding Titan back when we were escaping because I touched his mother who was a pure Titan."

Reiner and Bertolt remembered the pure Titans rushing toward them if it wasn't for Ymir. "I see... so that's how you use the Founding Titan's power..."

"Who knows? Guess I'll be dead before we figured it out. Oh... But when you inherit my memories, you'll find out my big secret."

"Secret? What is it?" Colt asked.

"The special way I wipe my ass. Hope you don't tell anyone." Zeke said while he stubbed out his cigarette on the floor with his foot.

Magath walked towards them. "Too late. I want a report."

"Commander!" Both of them saluted respectfully to him.

"Everything down to hairs on your ass. Do you think Eldians get privacy?"

"Seriously? They even give Eldians privacy?" Sasha asks.

"This is so wrong in everything..." Historia frowns. "I would never do that to anyone in Paradis."

"That's why you're the better leader." Erwin says.

"Wait, what about Historia being the leader?" Bertolt asks.

"Historia is the queen of Paradis now." Armin says, causing the three of them to gasp in shock.

"The Queen?" Reiner stutters in surprise.

"Heh, that sure is surprising." Annie says.

"No sir!" Zeke answered him.

Magath lit up a cigarette. "You can conquer Paradis in a year?"

Zeke rubbed his neck. "It's more like I have only one year left to try."

Magath looked out at the sea. "These past three years, every scout ship we've sent to Paradis hasn't returned. Zeke, what do you think of that?"

Everyone perks up at the mention of what they said, and Eren says delightedly, "We kidnapped their scout ships?"

"Now I really want to see how we manage to fight those ships!" Connie states.

"You're not the only one." Hange adds.

"Wait, if you can kidnap our scout ships... did you kill all the Titans in Paradis Island already?" Bertolt asks.

"Yeah. We even got to the sea." Armin says.

"Considering 32 ships were sunk, I can't imagine a single Titan was responsible. At least two Titans, including Eren Yeager, must have blocked their escape."

"So that means Armin and I were the ones who kidnapped the scout ships." Eren says. "I bet they're going to pay for what they've done to us."

Armin frowns, "I just hope we didn't kill any more people... we did kill a lot of Interior Police back when we tried to save Historia and Eren..."

"Wait, Armin is also a Titan?" Reiner asks.

"Sorry, but when I changed into a pure Titan, I ate Bertolt." Armin frowns.

"I see..." Bertolt sighs, "I guess it would be better than anyone else."

Magath turned to him. "I agree. If we attack the island, our ships will need support."

"Yes. But it's more than their Titans that pose a threat."

Levi attacking the Beast Titan and Mikasa landing in the mouth of the Armored Titan was shown.

Reiner woke up with wide eyes and an arm stretched out in the air. "Wait..." He sat up.

Mikasa shows a dark face. Good, for what you've done, I'll make sure to haunt you forever.

Levi thinks, If I have to face him again, I'll make sure he won't be staying alive.

"So that was what happened?" Reiner asks, "When did it happen?"

"The day when we try to take back Wall Maria. You, Bertolt, and even Zeke tried to ambush us. It was also when Bertolt was eaten by Armin, but your Cart Titan appeared and both you and Zeke escaped." Hange says.

"It seemed like you were having a good dream, so I didn't wake you." Porco sat at the table beside him.

"I still haven't thanked you for back then Galliard... Thank you."

Galliard turned to him. "Don't thank me." He turned back and ate his sandwich. "If I inherited the Armored Titan nine years ago, this wouldn't have happened. My brother wouldn't have protected you and been eaten by a Titan, either."

"You saw Marcel's memories?"

"No, but I learned enough from that girl before me, Ymir." Galliard was shown, walking towards Ymir, who was chained and looked weakly to the ground. "What an impressive name for such a pitiful woman."

Historia had tears in her eyes. "Ymir.." She knows that this is inevitable, but she can't believe Ymir is gone forever.

As for the others, they are mad at how Porco was badmouthing her.

"Isn't thanks to her that we got my brother's Jaw back?" He turned to Reiner again.

"Yeah, that's right."

"What the hell were you doing on that island? Getting saved by someone new every day?"

"Yeah."

"I saw how you were acting through her memories. What's with that? Pretending to be a reliable guy, huh?" He glared at Reiner. "I'd say you were imitating my brother!"

The door opened a young woman walked in with a crutch and one arm. "Pock, let's not pick on people who just took cannons to the face."

He looked at her. "Quit calling me that, Pieck."

"So that's Pieck?" Erwin asks.

"She looks nothing like her Titan." Armin remarks.

"Yeah, so she is still the Cart Titan..." Bertolt says.

"But why would she walk with a crutch?" Hange asks.

"You all right?" Reiner asked her.

"It's been two months since I've been human." she said, sitting down on the bed across from Reiner. "I kinda forgot the whole bipedal thing."

"Two months?" Everyone widens their eyes, but then they remember Ymir being a Titan for 60 years.

Ray says, "Considering the Cart Titan is useful for carrying stuff, it is no wonder."

"By the way, Reiner... You oughta see Gabi and the others. They're worried about you."

Reiner stood up and walked out. "Think I will." The door closed behind him.

Pieck lay down on the bed and sighed. "I'm pooped."

Galliard looked at her and frowned. "Feels like ages I've seen you."

"Really? Even though we're always fighting together?" she asked him.

"Well, we might not have to for a while."

"Let's hope so."

A port was shown. A young woman was walking with a soldier. "This way." she said to him. "Sure."

Udo walked towards the other kids. "Hey, if Titans lose their usefulness in battle, what will happen to the Warrior unit and us Eldians?"

"-A guy that lives near me said the sea is so salty 'cuz he pisses in it." Zofia talked to him, while Falco sat down next to Gabi. "Mr. Braun will be fine."

She was looking down. "I know."

"Huh? That's..." The others followed Falco's gaze.

Enemy soldiers were walking on a ship, their hands tied up. "They're probably enemy soldiers that survived the Pure Titan attack." Udo said. "Once they get home, they'll talk about how inhumane Titan warfare is! It'll just make things even worse for us Eldians!" He walked to Gabi and Falco and placed his hands on their shoulders. " 'People of the world! Let us kill the Subjects of Ymir!' " He walked to a bollard and started kicking it. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"He has quite a temper." Sasha states.

"I know someone, who is worse than him." Jean mocks while staring at Eren.

"You have something to say, horse-face?" Eren glares back.

"Only speaking the truth here."

"That's enough, you two." Mikasa holds Eren's hand and stops them, and the two boys eventually stop.

"Cut it out, Udo." Reiner walked towards them. "Don't beat up the city."

Gabi smiled and stood up. "Reiner! You're okay to walk?!" She, Udo, and Zofia stood in front of him.

"Yeah. Are guys all right?" He placed a hand on Gabi's head. "Gabi."

"Yup." He did the same thing to Udo and Zofia.

"Udo." "I guess." He smiled.

"Zofia." "Same old."

Reiner turned and looked at Falco. "Falco." "Hello."

Gabi stood in front of Reiner again. "Hey! They said we're going back to Liberio!" She grabbed his hand and began to walk away with him. Zofia and Udo followed them. "Let's walk around till then!"

"Hey!" Reiner was surprised.

"We never get a chance like this!" Gabi said excitedly.

"Shouldn't Mr. Braun resting?" Falco asked them, they turned and looked at him.

Falco seems to be caring to Reiner. Erwin thinks.

Reiner kneeled in front of him and placed a hand on his head. "I'm all right. Don't worry."

"You go home and rest!" Gabi said annoyed.

Falco walked towards them. "I'm coming, too!"

Reiner looked after them while they stood together.

"Hold up, Gabi. Commander Magath said that's not a place for kids..." Falco said.

"But I just saw him walking that way." Zofia answered. "You worrywart."

Reiner stared at them and suddenly gasped. Instead of Gabi and the others, he saw Annie, Bertholdt, Galliard, and Marcel talking together.

"Good to know that you still care about us even though you ditched us." Annie says.

"I didn't want to ditch you, we don't have a choice." Reiner says.

They began to walk away and a young Reiner called after them. "Wait!"

They turned around and Gabi and the others looked at him confused. "Huh?"

Reiner stood up and they started to walk together. "You kids are too young for that store." he told them.

"Aww!" they said disappointed. However, someone was watching them from afar.

Ray flinches after seeing the person, and Levi notices it. Is he one of us? Is that why Ray's panicking?

A train was driving down the railroad at night. Eldian soldiers were in a wagon together. A few of them were sitting on the floor. The rest were standing. They were listening to Colt, who was drunk.

"Did you witness the bravery of our Eldian goddess?!" Colt was standing next to Gabi with a hand on her shoulder. "Gabi took on the armored train in place of 800 Eldian soldiers!"

"Man, Colt! You stink of booze!" Gabi said annoyed.

Eren and Mikasa remember Hannes, considering he was also this drunk the day when Bertolt broke Wall Maria. And Mikasa notices the similarity between Eren and Gabi. There it is again.

"Why'd you do it, you big idiot?" Colt leaned down to Gabi, who tried to push his face away.

"Comrades!" Colt continued. "Do you have any idea why this idiot risked her life?! Well, I do!" He held onto his Eldian armband. "She did it to save all your asses in the Eldian unit!"

The others had tears in their eyes. The rest stood up and they cheered together. "Yeah!"

In another wagon, the Marleyans could hear them. Magath was drinking alcohol at a table. A Marleyan soldier walked towards the door. "I'll go shut them up."

"Let 'em have it." Magath said and the soldier stopped and looked at him. Magath closed his eyes. "Just this one night."

Pieck, Porco, and Zeke were also on the same train, they lowered their heads with frowns.

"I'm surprised. I thought he wouldn't let them a little fun." Historia says.

"Yeah, me too." Connie agrees.

"Commander Magath might be badmouthing us Eldians all the time, but they still care for us." Reiner says.

"I see why you compare him to Commandant Shadis." Eren says.

Colt had Gabi on his shoulders. They were cheering Gabi on. "Gabi! Gabi! Gabi!" "Me! Me! Me!"

Reiner walked up to Falco, who was watching them. "They're lifting her up again."

"They shouldn't let my brother drink." Falco answered. "And Gabi gets carried away too easily."

"Still, it's looking like she'll be the one who inherits the Armored Titan."

Falco looked down. "Yeah. The girl who adores you will inherit your Titan... and will live till she's 27." Reiner looked at him. "If cannons don't shred her first, that is. Are you fine with that?"

Reiner leaned down to him with wide eyes. "What did you say? Are you insulting the honor of inheriting one of the Nine?"

Falco looked at him with scared eyes. Reiner leaned closer to him. "If I report this, you and your whole family will become Titan weapons."

"He wouldn't dare!" Armin gasps.

"You're not going to have Falco killed, right?" Mikasa turns to Reiner.

"Of course not!" Reiner replies.

"W-wait! Let me rephrase what I said!" Falco begged him. "I, Falco Grice, hoped to be freed from the evil blood of Ymir and my ancestors! I pledge my life for Marley!" he swore.

"And what about the honor of inheriting one of the Nine?"

"I would be proud to be an honorary Marleyan and be given the chance to display my loyalty to our motherland."

"Do you want to inherit the Armored?" Both of them looked at Gabi.

She was still cheering. "Thank you!"

Falco turned to Reiner determined. "The one who should inherit it... is me!"

"Yes." "Huh?"

Reiner placed a hand on Falco's shoulder. "You have to rescue Gabi from the dark future that awaits us."

"So Reiner didn't want her to inherit his Titan... he wanted to protect her..." Eren mutters.

Reiner sighs in relief, and he can really understand how it feels since Marcel did the same for him.

The train was shown again driving down the railroad. And then it eventually arrived at the station. The scene showed Liberio, and the door opened with Gabi jumping out, with a bag on her back cheering. "We're back! We made it back alive! It's our beloved hometown, Liberio! We're home!"

"Gabi..." Colt said as he and Galliard were walking behind her. Galliard was supporting him to walk with Colt's arm around his shoulders. "Could you please tone it down?"

That's what you get when you're drunk. Levi thinks.

Galliard helped him to sit on the box. "Ow, ow..."

"You should've known you can't hold your booze." Galliard said, crossing his arms.

Falco walked to them, frowning. "Who's the one who gave him the drinks?"

Pieck walked up to them. "He looked like he wanted some."

Zeke passed them with Magath. "Unbelievable. How dare you spew Pieck's kindness all over the train."

"We should've shut 'em up last night." Magath said.

Galliard turned to Gabi, smiling. "I heard they kept you hoisting you up."

"Because of Colt!"

"I think it's fine." Pieck placed a hand on her arm. "You deserved a bit of fun. What you did was impressive."

"Pieck!" Gabi smiled at her and blushed.

"And dangerous..." Historia says with a frown.

Falco looked at Reiner. Vice Chief Braun. He thought. What if he's thinking the same thing as me... and he wants us Eldians to be free from war? Can I... trust him?

The gates of the interment zone opened. The Families of the Eldian soldiers were waiting together for their loved ones.

Galliard turned to Falco. "Later. Take it easy and enjoy the break." He said and walked away.

"Not me!" Falco called after him. "It's back to training tomorrow!"

Gabi walked up next to him. "Trying to boost your grades? Gimme a break."

"I am not!"

"Hey, you two." Pieck passed them. "Don't push yourselves too hard."

Parents were greeting happily their children. Udo was hugging his mum. Zofia greeted her Dad. Galliard was walking to his parents. And Pieck was greeting her Dad. "Dad!"

Magath was watching the families and walked away.

"Zeke.." "Grandpa! Grandma!" Zeke greeted them smiling.

So they're still alive... Eren thinks with mixed feelings. He isn't sure how to feel about them. Should he be glad that a part of his family is still alive? Or should he be angry at how they don't care about his aunt's death?

"I'm home!" He hugged his grandmother.

"You achieved great things, Zeke." His grandfather told him.

"No, not yet." Zeke said.

Falco and Colt greeted their parents. "Colt! Falco!" Falco hugged his mum.

Gabi ran to her parents. "Dad! Mom!"

"Gabi!" They hugged each other.

"Reiner." Reiner turned around. His family was standing in front of him. "You must be tired." his mother said. "Come home and rest."

"Mom... I think I will." He smiled.

"My mother..." Reiner frowns a little with tears in his eyes, he really misses his family.

"So this is your mother..." Jean mutters.

Colt's dad was helping Colt to walk, while Falco carried his bag. He stopped and looked to the side. "Go ahead!" he said to his parents and walked to Eldian soldiers, who were standing in a line.

"For crying out loud! Do you not know how to stand?" Two Marleyans were helping an Eldian to stand.

"Are they injured, Mr. Koslow?" Falco asked one of them.

"Huh? Stay outta way, brat." Mr. Koslow replied. The other Marleyan walked to the side. "They're Eldians with emotional trauma."

Ray flinched after seeing Eren on the screen, and Levi thinks, There it is again...

"These poor people... I hope they're fine." Historia says with a sad voice.

"Even our guys?"

Mr. Koslow looked at them. "It's from digging trenches on the front lines too long. All those bullets and bombs do it to you." He began to whistle in a high tone. Images of the war were shown quickly. Suddenly Mr. Koslow shouted "Boom!"

The Eldians feel scared to the ground, the older Eren was dragged down by the person in front of him. Mr. Koslow and the other Marleyan were laughing at them. "Look! They fell over again!"

"What did you do that for?!" "It's not funny!" "Bastard!"

Levi glares at the man. He is disgusted.

Falco approached one of the scared Eldians. "You okay? It's all right!" Falco looked at the older Eren, he had long hair and only one leg. He walked to him. "Your armband's on the wrong arm. It's okay. I'm sure you'll get better. You don't have to fight anymore."

Armin also noticed Ray's face and asked, "Ray, are you alright? You seemed to be tensed up..."

"All I can tell you is this. The person who got the armband on the wrong arm... he is one of you." Ray says.

"Wait, he's one of us?" Connie asks, but Ray decides to skip the scene before they can find out who it is.

Was that Eren? Annie thinks. But why was he there?

The scene changed to the Braun family. They were sitting at the table together. "Boom!" Gabi called out.

"Whoah!" "Just like I planned, I blew the armored train right off the tracks!" she told them excitedly. "It actually worked! But as I ran away, they fired a machine gun at me! And just before I ate lead...Galliard protected me with the Jaw Titan!"

"Amazing, Gabi!" her mother said proudly.

"You and your bravery saved a bunch of our soldiers!" her father said smiling. "You're the savior of Eldia!"

"I'm so proud of you!"

"Reiner." Reiner's mother said. "Do you think Gabi will become a Warrior?"

"Yes. It's almost a given she'll inherit the Armored Titan." Reiner flinched and replied.

"That's good to hear." Reiner's mother said. Gabi who was sitting next to her was blushing. "To think our family would have two Warriors. I'm so proud." She looked down. "If only those Island devils disappeared, we Eldians could finally be happy."

"But Reiner..." Gabi's father said. "Even you barely escaped from the island devils, right?"

"Yeah... a shame we didn't manage to kill you." Eren mutters, which causes Reiner to flinch.

"Don't Dad!" Gabi said. "He survived on that island of rotten devils for five years! Even if it wasn't classified, it's stuff he wouldn't wanna talk about."

"You're right. Forgive me nephew." He apologized.

"No, I can talk about it." Reiner said. "I infiltrated their military. Every last one of them was a savage, heartless devil. During the entrance ceremony, one of them started eating a potato."

"Seriously?!" Sasha asks in disbelief, while a few of them were laughing at her. "Don't laugh! I thought we were finally over that!"

"In your dreams, potato girl." Jean says smirking.

Sasha pouts. "Not fair."

Ray frowns as she stares at Sasha. Sasha... I'm really sorry...

"The instructor yelled at them, but they hardly seemed to care. Said they stole it 'cuz it looked tasty. Realizing they crossed the line, they said they'd share half with him. But the piece of potato they offered wasn't even close to half. Being considerate doesn't even cross their minds."

"What the hell?" Sasha asks. "How did you even know that much?"

"Maybe we were standing close to each other?" Reiner asks.

"They're truly beyond all help. There was an idiot who forgot why he went to the bathroom..."

"Come on! I did that one time!" Connie complains.

"Good thing I'm not the only one who suffered." Sasha mocks.

"An insincere jerk who only thought about himself. An uptight oaf who only cared what others thought... A single-minded fool who charged ahead and the chumps who followed him..."

Jean, Armin, Eren, and Mikasa stare at Reiner, So that's what he thought about us...

And when he mentioned Marco, Reiner tenses a little.

"They were all sorts of people there. And we were there, too. My days there was true hell."

His mother stared at him, horrified. Reiner looked to the side. "I've said too much. Forget it."

Gabi looked at him with wide eyes. "What do you mean, 'all sorts of people?' They're bad people, right?"

"No, we're not!" Connie says.

"God, they brainwashed them good." Jean says.

"We didn't do anything to them. The Eldians 100 years ago are dead now. We're completely different people." Armin says frowning.

"They don't care about that. They just want someone to blame." Levi mutters.

"I'm sorry... I..." Reiner says.

"Enough with the apologies, it is annoying." Eren says. "Do you really think we are bad people right now?"

Annie says, "I won't say you're a good person, but I won't say I'm a good person as well."

"That's right, Gabi." Reiner's mother said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Those island devils turned our world into hell. There's no knowing when they'll attack with giant Titans and flatten the world. It's up to good Eldians like us to make sure they never do."

Gabi nodded. "Mmm."

"Those who left us and fled to the island deserved to be punished. They're the ones who abandoned us."

Eren and the others decide not to say anything because they're already tired of that.

It was a rainy night and someone jumped off a roof.

The teens had looks of horror on their faces. They didn't expect that.

"Oh my god..." Historia says horrified.

The veterans aren't affected as the teens, it was common among the scouts too, when they couldn't bear what they saw outside the walls.

It was the next day. Gabi and Reiner were walking down the street. Reiner asked, "What's wrong, Gabi? You seem down."

"Aunt Karina's worried about you. She says you changed after coming back from the island alone."

"Her 12-year-old son came back as a grown man. You can't really blame her."

"It feels like you're lying."

"Lying? About what?"

"I don't know, but I think Aunt Karina does." They passed a crowd, who were talking to each other. Something had happened. "I heard it was a soldier."

A door opened and Galliard walked in. Colt and Reiner were sitting at a table. Pieck was lying on the couch on her stomach.

Sasha chuckles, "Is she seriously laying like that?"

"Probably, because she was in her Titan form for so long. It must be comfortable for her." Bertolt answers.

Zeke stood at the window and poured cups. "Good morning." Colt greeted him.

"Everyone's here?" Zeke asked.

Galliard sat down. "It's not every day we meet in the war chief's room."

Zeke put the cups in front of Pieck and Galliard.

"Where's the brass?" Galliard asked.

"Not in the room." Zeke answered. "Can't we just meet for some tea?"

"Right..." Zeke took a sip of his tea. "Now then, the last battle made it clear that normal weapons will overtake Titans in the near future. The weaker Marley becomes, the more the Eldian race is threatened. Our existence is in danger. To rectify this, Marley must obtain the Founding Titan and Paradis' resources. The world must be strongly reminded of the threat that the island poses. To tell that story, we need a narrator." He threw a photograph of a family on the table. "The Tybur family will fulfill the role."

"The family holding the War Hammer Titan?" Colt asked.

"War Hammer Titan?" Hange asks brightly. "Ohhh! Are we gonna see it?! I wanna see it!"

"Calm down, Hange." Erwin says amused.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"It's said the Tyburs have never sent the War Hammer Titan to enemy soil." Pieck said. "They're influential abroad for driving away King Fritz during the Great Titan War. The world will listen to them."

"That's Pieck for you! Precisely!" Zeke said.

"But the Tyburs have been living the life in their huge mansions." Galliard said. "Why come out of the woodwork now and pretend to be heroes?"

"I know how you feel, but the Tyburs are concerned about Marley, too." Zeke answered.

"But we..."

Reiner cut Galliard off. "If it saves our motherland Marley, I'll be grateful. Our Warrior unit can cooperate with the Tyburs and serve as the backbone for restoring Marley."

"Indeed." Zeke agreed. "Here in Liberio, there will be a festival soon. VIPs from abroad will be invited to hear an announcement from the Tyburs: 'Within a year, we'll control Paradis island.' The fate of Marley and all Eldians rests in this plan. It cannot fail." It zoomed to the gramophone in the room and that someone was listening to them in another room, what they are saying and writing everything down.

"I'm tired of this shit." Jean says.

"They should mind their own business." Eren says.

"They make sure that they are still loyal to them." Erwin says.

"Yeah, that's what Marley does." Annie sighs.

"For the future of our motherland Marley, we must join our hearts as one."

It revealed that it was four Marleyans, who listened to them. "Galliard seems to have some complaints, but he always gets the job done." One of them said.

"If that's all they're saying, I'm not concerned." Another one said.

"Except that one line of Zeke's."

"Huh?"

Reiner stood up and glanced shortly at the gramophone before walking out. 'Not in this room', huh? he thought.

So they knew they were being heard. Armin thinks.

Reiner leaned against a wall and watched the warrior candidates training. Gabi and Falco were training together, they had wooden rifles in their hands. She pushed him hard with her rifle, causing him to fall to the ground. He sat up and was met with her rifle in front of his face. Gabi was also panting.

Reiner walked away. Am I going back...to that island?

"Yeah... No, thanks." Sasha says. "You should stay with your parents instead."

"And for the usual 10-minute break." Ray says. "I'll go prepare lunch right now."

"Wait, Ray. I want to ask a question." Armin says.

"What is it, Armin?" Ray asks.

"Why are we focusing on Reiner and the others in Marley? Why not show us like we used to?"

Ray says, "That is also why I bring those three here. All of you think they and Zeke are evil and what they did is wrong. But have you ever thought about their perspectives?"

This causes everyone to be surprised, and Reiner, Bertolt, and Annie are also surprised at the same thing.

"It will be nice to know why they do that, so we can try to prevent this from happening..." Eren says.

I'm sorry... I can't tell you the full truth. Ray says as she leaves. Things are going to be the opposite in the future chapters.


And here is a new chapter, this is the second episode and I hope you like it.