"Mr. Kruger!"

A blonde boy bounded into the hospital courtyard, waving a white envelope in his hand and almost colliding with a nurse who had been pushing a patient in a wheelchair. "Mr. Kruger! I checked the post office and got this for you, so you didn't have to wait for them to deliver it to the hospital—"

"Shhh!" the tall Eldian nurse furrowed her brows, placing her finger over her lips as she shushed the child. "Falco, you have to be quieter. The doctor will ask you to leave if the patients are disturbed…"

Nodding, the boy apologized. "Oh. I'm sorry, miss. I didn't mean—"

"I know," the nurse smiled patiently before jerking her chin in Kruger's direction, dismissing him. "I believe Mr. Kruger is waiting for you."

Turning, Falco now calmly approached the bench where Kruger was usually perched, offering him the letter with a grin. "Here you go. It's from your family."

Eren stifled a reaction of surprise as accepted the letter in his hands, identifying Armin's scribbled handwriting on the parchment. "Yes…" he whispered, pointing to the name above the phony return address. "My brother's name."

Falco peered over Kruger's shoulder, attempting to sound the name out loud.

"A-Arlert? Is that right?"

"Yes." Eren nodded, his uncombed hair falling into his eyes with the motion.

Falco pursed his lips, looking back and forth at his friend and the letter. "How old is your brother?"

"He's close to my age."

"Then why wasn't he fighting with you in the war?" Falco asked furrowing his brows in surprise, "He could have been on the front lines by your side, like my brother and I."

"Arlert's too special," Eren mumbled, his answer barely audible.

"What do you mean?" The boy pulled his knees up to his chest, folding into a ball on the bench and staring intently as Kruger tried to form a suitable answer. "We need special people out there."

Kruger scoffed, turning the question over on the inquisitive child.

"What about that girl you were talking about?" He watched the boy's face fall at the mention of his classmate. "She's special right? You have a lot of special people out there fighting."

"She's special, but she's also important." Falco corrected him. "She's important to me."

"My family is important to me too." Eren allowed a hint of a smile to brighten his features. "That's why I joined this war by myself. I knew something had to be done, so I chose to fight. But I couldn't take them with me."

Nodding, Falco seemed to understand, but continued to ask questions anyway. "Was your brother angry that you left? I bet you're important to him too."

Kruger shook his head. "I don't know. I'll probably find out in this letter," he let out an ironic chuckle as he turned the message over and ran his fingers over the flap that concealing Armin's response.

"Well then, read it," Falco said, gesturing towards the envelope. "Or I can read it for you, because of your eye injury..."

"That's alright," Kruger tucked the message into an interior coat pocket. "I can read it later. I don't want the doctors to find out I'm getting my letters from you. All mail that's delivered through the hospital is checked before it's given to the patients."

"Oh," Falco nodded, his eyes widening as he scanned the surrounding courtyard for doctors and hospital staff. "I'll be more discrete next time I bring one to you."

"Thank you," Eren patted the boy's shoulder before he made an effort to stand. Grunting, he shifted his weight from his good leg to his crutch and pulled himself upwards, before Falco could offer his assistance.

"I think that's enough sunlight for today." Kruger said, nodding to the tall nurse as he took a few steps towards the hospital entrance. His young friend followed him, holding open the door to let the crippled young man inside before Eren spoke.

"Falco," Kruger stared straight in Falco's eyes, wishing he wasn't as good of a person as he really was. "Be careful which people you choose to be important in your life, no matter how special they are."

"Yes, Mr. Kruger, I will."

"Good," Eren sighed, hobbling through the doorway as he issued his farewell. "Now go home to your family. Your mother is probably wondering where you are."

"Yes, Mr. Kruger. See you tomorrow."

Later, In the Psychiatric Ward:

"Mr. Kruger, sir."

Eren felt a nurse's hand on his arm and opened his good eye to see who it was.

"I believe you have a visitor, Mr. Kruger."

The largely busted nurse who was staffed on his floor, gestured to a blonde man standing behind her.

"He said he was a comrade. Would you like to see him?" She spoke as though he were deaf, and when he nodded, she patted him on the head and whispered to the man something she thought he couldn't hear.

"He's very sensitive, so be cautious with him."

"Of course," the man said, waiting until the stout woman waddled out of the room before he took a seat next to his brother.

"Brother," Eren said, pulling himself into a sitting position. "I didn't know you were coming."

Zeke pushed his glasses firmly onto the bridge of his nose. "I got word from our boat captain that he came in to port yesterday. He said he delivered Paradis' response to the post office. Did the hospital give it to you yet?"

Eren chuckled, revealing the letter from the inside of his coat. "Falco brought it to me after training."

The older brother let out a sigh of relief, pushing his hair out of his eyes. "I was worried someone had intercepted it."

"They wouldn't know what it meant it if they had."

"You don't know that." Zeke said, extending his open palm towards his crippled brother in a silent request for the letter. "Have you read it yet?"

"No." Eren answered. "I was waiting until later."

"Why," Zeke asked, "Give it to me. I'll read it."

"Let me read it first." The younger said, breaking the seal and pulling the parchment out from the envelope. "It was written by Armin, the one who inherited Bertholdt's titan."

"How do you know?" Zeke moved his chair closer beside the hospital bed.

"He signed it," Eren scoffed, handing the empty envelope to the apprehensive warrior to inspect before he unfolded the letter and read its contents for himself.

Eren,

Have we ever chosen to lay down and die?

We all chose to give our hearts, not just to the Scouts, but to Paradis and to each other. Now the fate of Paradis rests in your hands, I know it and so do you. I ask you to trust, that our promise remains the same, and that we will work beside you if you will let us be your ally, and your friends.

We ask nothing more and require nothing less.

Sincerely, Armin

"So diplomatic," Eren said, finally relinquishing the letter to Zeke.

"What does it say?"

"Barely anything."

Armin chose those specific words, carefully crafting his heartfelt acceptance, but undermining his, or ultimately Zeke's, absolute authority.

Shrewd.

Pride swelled in his chest. His friend was the true successor of Commander Erwin. He wouldn't allow Paradis to be used as a pawn, much to his brother's dismay and Eren's own relief.

"He's well worded." Zeke said, his forehead creasing as he carefully studied each and every word. "This man is the Colossal?"

"Yes. Unfortunately, we will need his cooperation, so we have to meet his demands."

"…to be allies." Zeke added, running his fingers through his beard. "Paradis doesn't have many allies."

"No." Eren shook his head, momentary anger piquing as he remembered the Azumabito clan and their "alliance" with Paradis. "The military brass is too prideful to be manipulated into a diplomatic relationship with no reward. I imagine he was asked to pen these words, to gain my sympathy and use it to their advantage."

"Foolish of them. They need as many friends as they can get."

"So do we."

"You're right, unfortunately."

Eren paused, watching Zeke carefully ponder their next course of action. The pensive young man looked similar to their father when he was focused, from the way his jaw tensed to the blank look in his eyes.

"We will work with them." Zeke conceded, sighing as he straightened in his seat. "I'm afraid we must allow them some measure of say in our plan."

Eren nodded, taking the letter back from his brother's possession. "Should I mention your role in my next response?"

"Do not mention me quite yet," the strategic young man answered. "I have a feeling your superiors wouldn't be very happy with the part I play in Eldia's restoration."

"They'll have to know about you sometime," Eren reminded him.

"But not today." Zeke straightened, preparing to leave. "I will leave the response in your hands. You know our goals," he nodded at his younger brother, smiling knowingly. "Make sure the pieces come together.

"Of course." Kruger said, tipping his chin in farewell, as the honorary Marleyan did likewise.

"Take care, Mr. Kruger."

Eren said nothing in response, returning once again to his feigned mental condition as the nurse reentered the room.

"Have a good day, Mr. Jaeger!" The hefty Eldian nurse waved at the Warrior as he left, rosy cheeks causing her eyes to almost disappear with a smile.

Waddling over again to the crippled young mans bed, she began to straighten his sheets, smiling at the soldier as she went about her business.

"Well, Mr. Kruger, that was a nice little visit, wasn't it?"

The man nodded, not moving his eyes as he stared blankly at something she couldn't see.

Sighing, she shook her head with pity. "Would you like me to fluff your pillow for you? Then you could have a nice little nap before I bring your dinner!"

Sitting up, Kruger allowed her to take the pillow and ruffle it around, feathers flying out of a hole in the corner of the fabric.

"Oh no, I didn't know there was a hole here." The nurse clicked her tongue in dismay she as replaced the pillow behind her patient and helped him to lie down on his back. "I'll bring you another pillow tomorrow, when I come for my shift!"

"Whatisyrnm…"

"What?"

The nurse leaned closer, cupping her hand around her ear to hear the young man's mumbled speech.

"What is your name?" He whispered again, barely clear enough to be intelligible.

"Oh, heavens!" The woman chuckled. "That's the first time a patient has been able to ask me! My name is Karla Sholtz."

"Carla?" Kruger's eyes widened, a twitchy smile flickering over his face. "Mom…mom…is that you?"

"Dear me," Karla shook her head, a concerned frown causing her forehead to wrinkle. "We ruin these poor boys the moment we send out to fight. 'Minds are never the same after war."

Eren continued his theatrical performance, reaching out towards the nurse who took his hand and patted it motherly. Whispering her name over and over again, he allowed a singular tear to trickle down his cheek.

"I will be back in about an hour with your dinner, Mr. Kruger." The nurse said, laying his hand on the bed and shaking her finger at him with a final command. "Now, get some sleep. Your visit must have exhausted you!"

"Yes, ma'am." Eren whispered, cocking his head before closing his eyes.

Another Carla stood waiting in his consciousness, her voice echoing in his ears as he drifted off to sleep.