"I can't do this."

Grisha Jaeger's knees buckled, but he was pushed on towards the chapel. When he reached the trapdoor at the basement he pried it open and staggered through

Fear will make me unstable.

He thought to himself absently, despite his heart's pounding as it had since the first news of the breach was passed. He walked past the Crystal Pillars in a daze until he heard their murmured whispers, their futile pleas to a long dead king. He drew the knife and pricked himself shaking so badly the prick became a jagged rip on his hand; he fell to his knees as he lifted off the ground to rest in the nape of the Attack Titan.

The Reiss' family dressed in pure white, as clean as it was whimsical, twisted around in shock, noticing the intruder. A flash, an explosion and the eldest girl (what was her name?) quickly wrapped herself with flesh, that belonged to- the Founding Titan taking a step towards him.

He clumsily raised a fist to protect himself from her first swing, but her hand slipped past his guard and squarely landed cracking the bones on his left shoulder. She stumbled over the lack of resistance and swung at him again. This time Grisha stepped backwards and caught her hand with a loud meaty smack. He jerked her in and threw his other- the titan's other hand at her face. The impact would rattled the titan's bones but even as Frieda wavered from the force he couldn't muster the inner swillpower to throw her down and seize the Founding titan.

Without pressing the advantage, he'd forgotten that Frieda( how did he know her name) had felt no lasting ill-effect and the reminder came in the rushing fist that clipped his jaw spattering out teeth and flesh unto the crystal pillars. His willpower fading away the body around him took control and swatted Frieda's next punch off. The titan's hand closed around her head and he bashed her it into the nearest pillar.

Twice.

Laying his considerable bulk on her, he forced her to the ground to take a bite of sweet human flesh while his human slept-

I am human.

He- The titan froze by his command as the Reiss family seeing their sister lose began to flee for the door, taking the long way around him.

Just finish it old man.

His titan bit into the nape and all at once consumed the power of the founding titan just as Eren had ordered him too; so many years on from then. The blood flowing into his mouth seemed to settle the last of the debate in his mind. He stretched his hand to the family that had almost reached the stairs to safety and slapped his hand down.

He alone emerged from the Chapel that night after taking good care to swallow all the royal family members and noiselessly vanished their bodies in the steam in the crystal cavern. The black bag that they had hidden in a false wall was tightly under his arm as he stumbled to his carriage memories conflicting and warring in his mind. He entered the carriage and a small part of him that wasn't his own was glad to be at rest.

Trost

Shadis sat beside him brooding heavily as they rode down to the storehouse were his family was. Where his family had to be. He had put off giving any information to the Survey Corps Commander.

"Well? Did you drag me along as some enforcer?" Shadis bit out as they neared the crowded warehouse.

"N-no. I mean, I need your help. Please." His mind was cracking with the knowledge that this was where it all ended. He kept wondering how much to tell him and Eren.

"I don't know you to be a stuttering fool; if they're there then fine. If not, we'll check somewhere else. Stop your whimpering. It's irritating."

Grisha wisely kept quiet till they arrived at the warehouse. Shadis paid off a Garrison officer to watch the carriage, who sneered at the scout but took the money and took position like a guard dog. Grisha felt his face steadily grow blanker as they went through the people. They found Eren sleeping beside Mikasa and Armin on the floor. Grisha already knew the answer before he woke up his son.

"Wake up Eren, is your mother not with you?"

"Dad... Mom... A titan... Ate her."

Shadis sunk to his knees behind him. Grisha stood up and quietly led Eren away.

"Wait... Where?"

"I just need a moment with him, please don't follow us. Yet."

He led an unresisting Eren deep into the forest carefully maintaining a blank face.

I'm strong, I'm ready.

"Dad? Why... Are you crying?" Eren sounded almost bored beneath his sleepy drawl. Grisha felt on his face that tears had starting coming out. So, he wasn't as strong as he liked to think.

"Ere-"His voice broke again.

Calm down! Think!

He cleared his voice and tried to speak. His voice came out like another's, but that was foolish talk. He was the only one in his body, right? Kruger had been dead thirteen years, right? Uri died recently too though, Frieda even more. His eyes snapped down at Eren who was backing away uncertainly from his mumbling.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Eren watched his father draw out the liquid and shake the syringe.

"This will make you strong, stronger than ever before! But I'm sure our memories will teach you how to use it. I-I've written a lis- guides. In the carriage. You can... You must do this!"

He wrapped the key round Eren's hand and slammed the injection into his arm. The child howled in pain then fell to the ground bending in pain before his body blew up into a Titan's.

Grisha stood still as its instincts set in and it remorselessly rushed to consume him. He stood strong until its hands were a few feet away and then he broke and tried to run. It easily caught and pulled him backwards while his feeble legs kicked, he bent his head backwards to see the blunt teeth towering over him.

It'll eat my head!

As the teeth closed on him he kicked and felt the same rush of strength as back in the cavern.

Mustn't trans-sform, endure! My spine! Think with that, right?

The teeth snapped the dead weight of his head off before he could register the foreign thoughts.

When he woke up he was facing Eren's back, he knelt to grasp the boy and use this borrowed time as best he could when another hand lay on Eren's shoulder instead. Eren Kruger was behind him, the last of a line. Grisha twisted to look over his own shoulder and he realised he was at the end of 2 lines. On the other line Frieda, her uncle and hundreds of Reiss and Fritz kings stood glaring at him. Frieda's uncle wanted to make Paradise, right? Kruger let off a mild smile at their unhappy faces and trailed after Eren taking the Attack Titan with him. The Founding Titans were all bound from Karl Fritz down to Frieda. Cattle. Eren's thought resounded without a word being spoken he glanced over at the Attack Titan line as they followed after Eren towards the vast darkness, far away from him. That brought up a good question. When did he enter this carriage?

A/N: It's already a forgone conclusion that Grisha survives this little setback. As for the why, well I just took the liberty of having Eren consume part of the spinal fluid without taking enough to prevent Grisha's regeneration. A little iffy but eh.

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