It all went by so fast…
Carla Yeager had just gotten from another argument with her son, Eren Yeager, about wanting to join the Scouts. She never knew why Eren was so determined to die in the outside world against the titans. Humanity had everything it needed in these walls, so why fight for something that would inevitably fail? Her husband, Grisha, did not necessarily help. He did oppose Eren's desire to join, but it was not firm enough. That man, Carla thought, can be too soft on Eren sometimes. Thankfully, her adopted daughter, Mikasa, shared her beliefs and would protect Eren whenever Carla wasn't around, which happens a lot, unfortunately.
Carla wondered about her son and how much of a handle he could be before and after Mikasa came along. She loved him, no doubt, but a part of her wondered why he was so stubborn to the point of willing to butt heads with many kids, including a group of bullies that terrorize the streets.
She was still in her thoughts when a massive explosion sound blasted through the air, and the ground shook. Carla was cleaning the dishes at the time, and she barely managed to grab onto the ledge, preventing herself from hitting her head against the table and possibly knocking her out.
Carla rushed out of the house to see the looming head of a 60-meter-tall titan with no skin peering over the wall. The sight terrified her. So much so that she could barely move. The titan's head shifted, and Carla feared what would happen next. She wanted to run back inside and make it to the basement until help arrived, but something inside her wasn't giving her legs an inch of movement.
Suddenly, an explosion from where the gate once stood rocked the district. Carla almost lost her footing as the wind, and some debris flew past her, with a crashing sound from the direction of her home.
When everything stopped, Carla soon stood up and looked at her home. There was a massive boulder standing over the destroyed remains of her house. The sight shook Carla to her core. She approached it, ignoring the increasing number and volume of screams in the distance, followed by large footsteps.
"No. No, no no no…" Carla whispered repeatedly. Her body shivered as tears streamed down. Then, her peripheral vision caught the sight of something moving in the distance. She turned to see the head of a titan lumbering by, mouth salivating at the sight of humans to eat. Carla's eyes widened in horror, but not for self-preservation reasons.
Eren! Mikasa!
Her children are still out there, in danger!
With the new thought in her mind, she rushed past her house and towards the nearby town square, hoping to find her children. She passed several people, a couple of them yelling at her to turn around, but she ignored them. She ignored all of them, as none of them mattered at the moment.
Eventually, as she turned the corner, she found two children running toward her. Carla's eyes widened as she recognized a boy and girl running toward them. The boy's eyes widened as he recognized her. It was her children, Eren Yeager and Mikasa Ackerman!
"Moooom!" shouted Eren as Carl rushed toward them. She collapsed onto her knees and enveloped them in a hug. Carla was in tears, briefly forgetting about the world around them as Carla kissed them on the top of their heads. She heard Eren and Mikasa whimpering, tears of relief streaming from their eyes.
All of a sudden, someone landed next to her and grabbed her shoulder. Carla gasped and looked up to see a Garrison soldier, Hannes.
"Carla, are you alright?!" he asked, a concerned frown on his face. Carla nodded as she stood up.
"Almost got crushed by a big rock that destroyed my home, but I'm fine!" Carla replied. Hannes nodded before looking down at Eren and Mikasa.
"What about you two?! And where's Armin?!" he asked.
"We're fine, but we left Armin in the plaza! He's probably heading to the gate!" Eren replied, honestly. Hannes nodded.
"Right, then so should you three! Come on, let's-" Hannes began before giant footsteps made them turn to look in the direction of the plaza.
Looming over the buildings was a fourteen-meter-tall titan with short blonde hair and a large grin on her face. Carla gasped in terror as she grabbed the kids. Hannes, meanwhile, grew a cocky grin.
"Alright, you big dumbass,"
Carla looked at him as he unsheathed a blade from his gear. He rushed forward while Carla reached out for him.
"Wait, don't go, Mr. Hannes!" she called out but was ignored. Hannes narrowed his eyes as he rushed toward the titan.
Alright. Nothing fancy, just take it down and keep them safe. Make good on a debt you owe! Hannes thought before he widened his eyes, skitting to a stop as he got close enough. The sheer size of the titan and its intimidating smile made his blood run cold. After a brief moment, he sheathed his blade and rushed back. Carla widened her eyes as a slight smile of relief formed on her face.
"Change of plans; let's go!" he said as he got close to him. Carla nodded as she looked at her kids.
"Come on, you two!" she said as she guided them forward.
They rushed past the destroyed house just before the Smiling Titan managed to reach them. Carla briefly glanced down to see Eren looking at his old home in shock. She felt terrible for the child but knew they had to get going for their sake.
Before long, they managed to make it past the gate and into Wall Maria. Hannes instructed Carla to get to the boat while he stayed behind to help with the evacuation. Carla thanked him profusely before arriving at the line for the boat. She gulped as she soon made it to the front, seeing all the traumatized people. Among them was a blonde boy perking his head up for a moment as he looked at them. She recognized them as Eren's friend, Armin Arlert.
Carla was relieved and was about to call out when she saw an older man, his grandfather, talking to Armin about something, which made him sit back down. Carla frowned as she got onto the boat, scooching past the others and eventually sitting next to the Arlert.
The boats continued to be filled up with survivors for a while before they ended up at total capacity, and they had to get moving. Carla looked at the poor souls being left behind, some of them being mothers pleading for the children to be onboard. She sympathized with them easily, briefly imagining herself in their position.
Another pair of footsteps made the Yeagers gasp, looking at the gate. It was briefly silent before the footsteps continued as if it was a titan running toward the gate. It was beginning to pick up as it got closer. The gate started to close, and Carla held her children close, praying that it would close in time. However, it was not to be.
The gate was busted open, and everyone on the boat flinched, Carla briefly shielding her children as a gust of wind brushed past them. When everything settled, the three looked to see a 15-meter-tall titan covered in what appeared to be green armored plating from head to toe. Carla and Eren's eyes widened as the Armored Titan straightened up before disappearing into the cloud of debris.
Wall Maria had been breached.
Not a lot happened for the remainder of the trip, and Carla practically zoned in and out, occasionally looking at her children. She closed her eyes as tears threatened to stream down. She wanted to tell them that they'd get to safety and everything would be alright, but she knew it was a lie; Wall Maria now had titans pouring in by the hundreds, with so many innocent people being eaten or otherwise killed by them.
That was when she felt Eren leaving her grasp. Carla and Mikasa stood up in concern while Armin reached out to him, asking if he had seen something. However, Eren brushed him off roughly and slammed his hands on the boat's edge. The declaration that he said made Carla shiver.
"I'm gonna put a stop to this! I'll kill them all! Every last one!"
Carla frowned as she and Mikasa looked at each other before the former approached Eren and placed her hands on his shoulders.
"Eren, sweetie. Please, calm down." she cooed softly. Eren remained staring into the wilderness, although he did calm down slightly from her touch.
Before long, they arrived at the city of Trost, and it was a mess to get refugee camps set up for the people of Wall Maria.
Carla was with the children, watching them rest for the next day. She looked at the three of them before looking at Eren. She slowly crawled closer and placed a hand on his cheek comfortingly.
I'm so sorry, Eren. I'm sorry this had to happen. I promise I'll do my best to keep you, Mikasa, and Armin safe. Carla thought as she leaned closer and kissed him on the forehead gently. As she pulled back, she then heard people walking toward them. She looked up, and to her relief, she saw her husband, Grisha Yeager, with an old friend of hers, Keith Shadis.
"Grisha!" Carla whispered as she rushed over to him, making sure not to step on the sleeping survivors. Grisha was also in relief as the two of them hugged one another, kissing each other.
"Oh, Carla! I thought you died!" he whimpered in relief as they remained in each other's embrace for a while. Then, they pulled back, and Grisha looked around.
"Where are the kids? Are they safe?" he asked frantically. Carla nodded and looked below, seeing the kids asleep. Grisha sighed in relief as he knelt to look at them closer. Carla knelt as well as Grisha, then gave a long look at Eren with a look on his face. Carla looked at Grisha and could tell that there was something wrong.
"Grisha?" she asked, placing a hand on his hands. Grisha looked at her and grew a deep sigh, closing his eyes.
"Carla. I'm sorry," he said. Carla raised a brow and tilted her head.
"Grisha? It's not your fault. You couldn't have done anything about this." she said. Grisha took a quivering breath and took her hand.
"It's not that. Can we talk somewhere more private?" he asked. Carla grew confused but nodded. As they walked past the children, Grisha turned to look at Keith.
"Keith. Please stay and watch the children until we come back." he pleaded. Keith blinked in surprise but nodded as they walked out of the shed. The two of them walked across the district before Grisha asked,
"Carla? Can you keep a secret?" he asked.
Carla blinked, confusion present on her face.
"W-What? What is it you wanna tell me?" she asked. Grisha gulped and, steeling himself, responded his secret.
"I'm not from these walls." he replied.
"Huh? You're not from these walls? What are you talking about?" Carla asked.
"I know it sounds insane, but it's true; I am from the outside world beyond these walls. Humanity is not on the brink of extinction."
"Uh…Grisha, are you sure you're feeling okay? I mean, the outside world's filled with titans. Anyone caught outside would've been eaten." Carla asked, placing a hand on his forehead. Grisha gently moved her hand away and continued,
"I'm telling you the truth. Do you remember that basement back at our old home? It contains all of the information about my old life. Before I came here. As for how I got into here…well, let me show you." he said as he pulled out a scalp and opened his hand. Then, he cut the skin, making him wince, and Carla gasped in horror.
"Grisha, what the hell are you doing?!" she asked as she took the scalp away. She then noticed steam emitting from the wound. Carla's eyes widened, and Grisha nodded.
"I can transform into a titan. It's how I was able to get into here without getting eaten," he said. Carla stared at her husband, eyes widened in fear. However, she was more dumbfounded than frightened.
"H-How long have you had this? Were you planning on killing people in here?" she asked. Grisha shook his head.
"I've had this for 13 years, and I've never used it inside these walls. So don't worry about me killing anyone," he assured.
"But…were you ever gonna tell me? How did you even get this?!" asked Carla, voice growing slightly louder. Grisha had to hush her to calm down, and he explained everything to her; in his previous life, him joining a group in the outside world called the Eldian Restorationist, him having a previous family, to being almost transformed into a titan before being saved by a man named Eren Kruger (Cala now understood where Grisha got the name from), to him continuing his mission and getting the power of the titans, and to how he was found by Keith Shadis.
"Oh, Grisha. I… I'm so sorry that happened to you. You shouldn't had to go through that." she assured softly. Grisha nodded.
"But it did. And I paid the price for it; abusing my first son and having my first wife becoming a titan in the process." he said, beginning to tear up. Carla frowned and hugged him, with Grisha returning the gesture. After a brief while, Carla then asked,
"I… I'm still trying to process everything I've learned; I mean, titans were once human? And by eating someone with these titan powers they become human again?" she asked, gently rubbing her head. Grisha nodded.
"Now this part; you're not gonna like. When a person has the Power of the Titans, they are inflicted with this curse; they had 13 years to live. And I've had this power for 13 years." he said. Carla gasped again in horror.
"A-Are you joking?" asked Carla. Grisha shook his head, and Carla covered her mouth, stifling a sob. Grisha sighed as he pulled a case out from his bad. He opened the case, revealing a serum. Carla looked down and asked,
"What is that?"
"A serum that contains a titan's spinal fluid. It's the way for an Eldian to become a titan. I… I'm going to pass my power down to continue my mission," he said.
"W-Who are gonna pass it down to?" she asked. Grisha didn't say anything; he just looked back at the shelter. Carla looked at him, and the shelter immediately got the message and narrowed her teary eyes at him.
"You're not passing it down to our son, Grisha," she growled.
"I have to. I have no other options." he reasoned.
"But why? Why not anyone else?! Eren's just a child; he shouldn't have to bear such a heavy burden. It could kill him! Not to mention; what if the government inside these Walls finds out? They'll probably torture him or kill him." Carla explained.
"You don't think I don't know that?! I'm aware of the consequences that might come along. But Eren's the best choice for the moment."
"Why?!"
"Because of my titan power's will! My titan, the Attack Titan, has fought for Eldia's freedom for generations, long before either of us was born. Its will to meet its goal knows no bounds. I know Eren can carry the Attack Titan's power. I've seen it earlier today before I left. When he said that, 'Someone has to do something, or this nightmare will never end'."
Carla gasped slightly at his words, remembering the argument earlier today at lunch.
Oh god. Now it all made sense as to why he didn't argue with Eren. He made his decision right then and there, she thought to herself as she started shivering. However, she shook her head.
"No. I won't accept that. Please, don't give it to him!" she pleaded. Grisha frowned and said,
"If you have a better idea on who I should give it to, Carla, I'm willing to hear it."
Carla looked down, trying desperately to think about who he should give it to instead. For a while, nothing came to her mind. Suddenly, she gasped as an idea came into her mind.
"Give it to me!" she proclaimed. Grisha blinked in surprise.
"W-What? To you?" he asked. Carla nodded, teary eyes filled with resolve.
"I'll inherit this power and continue this mission of yours," she insisted. Grisha blinked in surprise before Carla continued,
"I saw how Eren was on the way to Trost. The look on his face; it's terrifying. Him having this power will make things worse for everyone. He's not ready for it."
She then cupped her hands on his gently.
"Let me shoulder this burden. I will move forward and seek freedom. Not only for my children, but for everyone within these walls. I will do it, even if it kills me!" she declared.
Grisha looked at his wife's eyes, seeing an unfamiliar flare lighting up in her eyes. He looked at the shed, then at Carla, then at the case, where the serum was.
"Are you sure about this?" he asked.
"As certain as I've even been. When have I ever lied to you?" Carla replied. Grisha gave a slight chuckle as he shook his head. Then, he took a deep breath and looked at Carla.
"Alright. Well, we can't have other people see us. Let's head into the woods. One last walk, together?" he asked, placing the case back into his bag and taking a hand. Carla smiled and nodded, taking his hand as they soon walked away from the district, into Wall Rose, and into the forest.
As they walked, Carla's heart was beating fast and hard at what is about to happen to her. No matter her justification, everything she had learned from her husband was still all too new to her, and the fact that she'll become of the titans that took over Wall Maria did not exactly put her mind at ease. However, she knew that Eren would have to get this power otherwise, and she would not live with herself if he were to get this power. Not only would he have such a volatile power at such a young age that everyone might kill him over, but the curse would drastically shorten his lifespan. She gulped to herself.
At last, they had arrived at a small clearing deep within the woods. Grisha took a deep breath through his nose as he fished out the case holding the serum. He looked at his wife and asked,
"Last chance to pull out, Carla. You sure you wanna go through this?"
Carla nodded.
"Yes. I will carry this for the future of the people in these walls, including my children, so they can live long lives. It will be worth it," she declared. Grisha nodded with a sigh as he got the serum ready. Then, as he approached Carla, she suddenly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a deep kiss. Grisha was stunned for a moment before he melted into the embrace, relishing his wife's final kiss.
After a while, Carla pulled back and whispered,
"I just want one last wonderful moment with you, Grisha. I love you, so much."
"I love you too, Carla. Soon, we will be together again. Forever." Grisha replied before he stepped back. Taking his wife's right hand, pulling back her dress's sleeve, and injecting the needle into her arm, Carla winced as she felt the serum injected into her vein. Immediately, she felt something within her. It was very exhausting, and it was making her lose consciousness. She took one last look at her husband, who was looking at her with a resigned smile. The last thing she felt before a bright light enveloped her was flesh and bone beginning to envelop her…
It felt like no time had passed before Carla had awoken again. She groaned as she opened her eyes, sitting up to find herself surrounded by mist. She didn't remember what had happened before, so she stood up and began to look around. That was when she noticed something gleaming from below. Carla walked over to get a closer look and picked up the shining object. It was a pair of glasses.
That was when everything started to come back to her, and she grew a deep frown.
Oh, Grisha made me eat him. Oh, what did I get myself into? Carla thought to herself as she looked at herself, realizing her having the power of one of the titans now running through her veins. She then looked around, seeing the trees surrounding them. Taking a deep breath and sighing, Carla then looked ahead.
"It doesn't matter now. I can keep Eren and Mikasa safe now…and hopefully free the people within these walls," she muttered to herself as she began to walk away from the scene and down the hill, steeling her nerves as she prepared to face whatever the future has in store for her…
AN: Hey everyone! Superkoola here!
Hey, another AOT fanfic, this time with an interesting AU that I've only thought of. I've been wanting to make this earlier today because, well why not? It's an interesting idea, and I think it might be able to work out; Carla Yeager surviving and inheriting the Attack Titan!
So…I think that's it. I hope you enjoy this story, leave any criticism if necessary, and stick around for more!