Chapter 13
Prepare
"Please be careful out there, Zeke. Nobody knows what those Island Devils can do when pushed." the elderly doctor said in a tired voice as the young man grabbed what they had prepared for him.
The old man and woman appeared to be frail and tired; the look in their eyes clear evidence of survival of a harsh period of adjustment in a world that hated.
Yet they had, indeed, survived; prospered, even.
Zeke Yeager smiled reassuringly, saying "It's more of a reconnaissance operation, grandfather. We aren't set on being seen."
The old man nodded, giving him a heartfelt hug before closing the door.
The reassuring smile disappeared as Zeke Yeager turned away from the somewhat larger than normal home in the Eldian zone of Liberio.
To say that it was the best place to be an Eldian in this world would be an overstatement, but not by a lot.
For the time being, at least…
The homes were small and tightly packed, with many of the luxuries the regular citizens enjoyed not available for the descendants of Ymir, but they were allowed to exist.
He passed a tired but seemingly content son and his mother as they helped a small vegetable shop.
He recognized them as the Eldians that had escaped from the Mid-East Alliance the previous week, the woman awkwardly waving at him, the son not really seeing him and Zeke not really about to bother with chatting with people he almost killed.
It was a bad case of mistaken identity, the Mid-East Alliance insisting they were terrorists that needed to be destroyed, Marley not bothering to look more into it and itching to test his abilities.
At least we didn't just shoot them on sight, we wouldn't have known about their treachery otherwise.
That was difference between Marley and the rest of the world.
Marley, in spite of suffering as much, if not more so, than other ethnicities and countries under the ancient Eldian Empire, allowed its Eldians citizens some degree of freedom, and as long as the individual Eldian didn't stray from the guidelines, they would be fine and enjoy a somewhat peaceful existence.
Assuming an angry Marlean didn't decide to abuse their power, of course.
That said, should an Eldian stray from the laws in place…
Zeke stopped as the port came into.
The recent addition to the Marlean Navy had some of the largest guns he had seen in his life. He continued his journey to the docks until he was able to view the ship up close.
"Fresh off the port! This will be her maiden voyage… trip here notwithstanding." a man called, approaching Zeke Yeager.
General Calvi…
The general was accompanied by a young girl with flowing dark hair.
"Pieck."
The girl simply returned a lazy nod.
General Calvi on the other hand appeared… concerned?
"Yeager, the radio team we kept at the main port failed to check in this morning."
Zeke winced, the statement feeling like a slap across the face.
"It could be a simple broken radio… or it could be far more sinister. I urge you to exert extreme caution upon arriving at Paradis."
"I take it that means the experimental gas-?"
"Take it along, it may prove helpful in the end. However, I will reiterate you exert extreme caution."
The man turned to the sea with a look of worry.
"We have no way of knowing what the devils of that place are up to."
Zeke followed the older man's sight, wondering what horrors awaited them across the sea.
…
Historia Reiss began skimming over the progress report she had gotten at the end of the week as the Humvee sped along the sandy desert that was only a few miles beyond the edges of the grassy planes she was so used to seeing.
"So… our progress-" she began but was cut off by Daniel Caine.
"Not great and not terrible. I'm sure people will want to know about it at the UN meeting and Congress is already getting printed copies sent to its people. You'll have plenty of time to discuss the progress reports later. Right now, we have more important matters to attend to."
Like filming a politically motivated message… yay…
She glanced out the window, the large wall was perhaps the one man made structure in the natural blockade that were the incredibly strange jagged hills and rocky outcrops that littered the coast of the island.
As if even the island is trying to keep us in and everyone else out…
The Humvee etched along a somewhat workable hill before stopping at the top.
A blue landscape met the girl as she was faced with the endless expanse that was the ocean.
Her eyes lit up slightly at the sight, but the American appeared to care very little for it.
Caine got out of the car with a huff, saying "This way, your majesty."
She hopped out of the vehicle, glad to be wearing her military uniform instead of the somewhat comfortable but too much of a hassle to really go anywhere with royal dress.
Following Daniel Caine and the two Marines escorting them, they approached the large dock not too far from the little beach. It was massive, with many ports for large ships to dock in, long stairs leading up the manmade wall where Eldians were forcefully transformed into titans.
But there were no ships docked or visible anywhere.
Historia shuddered ever so slightly, something about the place making her feel uneasy.
There were five American Delta operatives walking around, rifles at the ready, along with a large team of Survey Corps scouts, all now armed with the anti-titan variant of the M1 Garand.
She glanced at the two men in a gray uniform, their hands zip-tied together.
"Didn't really put up a fight. Doubt they even heard us coming." one of the men said.
The men were keeping their eyes shut, their heads down, and some might confuse them for corpses if they weren't clearly breathing.
"Right, ask them what you want I'll go fetch mad scientist…" Caine said, walking off.
Hisotria stared at the men, then at the Americans keeping watch.
"Have they treated you well?" she asked, trying to sound polite.
One of the men opened his eyes and glanced up at her.
He looked away and nerviously said "Yes."
"I'm glad… Hopefully we can establish contact with your superiors sooner rather than later, unfortunately I may not be here to begin negotiations…"
"You're… the queen?" the man asked, seemingly dumbfounded.
Historia nodded politely.
"W-? Why are you here?"
"Mostly to record a message for someone." she said, stretching her arms slightly as she saw the American news crew set up the camera.
"I did want to see the ocean before heading to the other side, though." she added with a sigh.
"Other side? What-?"
Historia turned without saying a word, internally smiling as she found some degree of satisfaction in playing the enigmatic leader. She could only imagine how dumbfounded the men were, seeing a modern force where one shouldn't exist and whatnot.
They would know the truth soon enough, but right now…
"All set here, your Majesty." the reporter called.
Well… showtime…
"My fellow Eldians… today is a day where we look towards the future. Not only have we captured the port on the western edge of our island, but today is the day we officially begin negotiations with the other nations across the Gate. Our progess this past week is proof enough that we are ready to begin… begin- ahh!"
"Cut!"
"Sorry…" she mumbled sheepishly.
The reporter simply said "It's fine, you're still getting used to being queen. We'll start again, ready?"
"Yes."
"Right, remember, not everyone will see you, but plenty are going to hear you, so try to speak clearly."
Historia nodded, took a deep breath, and started again.
…
"But do we really know? I mean, come on, think about it. Even if it's true that the world isn't overrun with titans, how do we know for sure everyone out there wants us dead?"
"Why would the corps lie, Mac? I just don't see-"
"Do the Corps officers even know for sure what the Americans are telling them? I'll tell you now that if I see the evidence with my own eyes, I will believe it, but a little bit of caution doesn't hurt anybody."
Eren felt the urge to butt in and try to explain to the individuals arguing that no, the Americans were not lying, that yes, the world… humanity… beyond the walls was indeed alive and well and indeed wanted all of them dead, but managed to suppress it.
He decided to focus on the visible advancements local shops had made in less than a couple of weeks.
This particular shop had been a hardware store that hadn't gotten much regular business and merged with brewery in order to become a small bar in the district of Trost, one of the few businesses not under the direct control of the Reeves Company.
Now they were building radios.
"Here you go, mister Yeager. Anything else I can do for you?" the old man manning the desk asked.
"No, that should be all. Thank you." He said, grabbing the paper bag with the relatively bulky device inside.
He walked outside, the scene both giving him hope and worry.
People were moving to and thro, carrying things, mostly construction equipment, to its needed destination. Much more than usual.
He saw a pair of Garrisson troops, now armed with the American made M1903 Springfield, standing guard around a large cart with steel beams that were being used to construct rail lines, engineers from beyond the Gate discussing with engineers from the district, likely going over construction plans.
Not too far to his right, a large group of pale young men who appeared somewhat sick were chatting loudly with a man in a suit.
He paused briefly to eavesdrop on the conversation.
"Telling you, it's insane! They have these huge flying machines that brought the supplies over, and all we had to do was tie the lines to the poles we set up."
"They're saying those will serve to communicate with people far away, but I don't see how."
"Don't care, either. Mom is getting better now that we can send actually well-handled food."
"Hey, my cooking wasn't so bad!"
"Yeah, sure… doesn't compare to actually clean and healthy vegetables we can buy up here, though."
"I see… and the folks from above ground, they haven't given you any trouble?"
Eren glanced at the other person, the older man in a suit, noting the accent.
"Not really. A few sideways glances but other than that…"
Oh, a reporter… probably getting an interview for a network in the other world…
His thoughts lingered on the other side of the gate for a moment.
He picked up his pace and walked away from the bustling street.
He had a delivery to make.
…
Dina Yeager, formerly Dina Fritz, sat on the table in the room the Americans had provided her, reading a book written in her vocabulary.
She found it easy to distract herself by reading about the discoveries made in the lands beyond the strange gate that lay in the walls she had only heard her family speak about. Weapons that surpassed even the power of the Rumbling, engineering feats that rivaled even the ones made by Marley and Eldia, scientific achievements that she simply couldn't wrap her mind around.
How on earth did they get enough propulsion to get to the moon, anyway?
It was all so surreal she didn't hear the knock on the door the first time.
"Come in." she said.
The familiar face of Eren Yeager met her.
"Here, I got you a radio so that you can monitor progress of things. Keep yourself informed…"
"Thank you." She said simply.
There was a moment of awkward silence between the older woman and the teenager.
Eren forced himself to break it by saying "If you want to head outside and see things, I'm sure we can figure something out."
Dina shook her head.
"I'm a ticking timebomb, Eren… whatever my distant cousin did to the Jaw Titan… I don't want to risk causing any form of damage or risk hurting anyone else… I can help with information… maybe even negotiations but as it stands… I pose far less of a risk by staying isolated."
Eren nodded, although he did not agree with the idea.
"I do want to ask… have you remembered anything from Rod's… memories?" he asked.
The woman simply said "Pieces only… hints of other things… nothing that could help you, though. I'm sorry."
Eren nodded again.
"You and the others are headed across the… gate?"
Eren nodded again.
"Be careful out there. The unknown and all that lies within it is attractive and interesting… albeit not always safe."
"I'll keep that in mind."
He seemed to be about to turn away, but quickly turned around and mentioned "I think you can also listen to military radio traffic on it if you tune in to it properly."
She smiled slightly, saying "I doubt it, but thank you for letting me know."
"Well, worth a shot. That way you can keep up with news and stuff."
She nodded slowly, seemingly tired.
"You think Marley would start a war with us now?" Eren asked.
The woman simply looked out her widow, a look of longing on her face.
"I hope not." she said after a moment.
…
I thought I would be more excited about this…
Armin sighed as he zipped up the backpack, he would take on this next mission.
Technically, it was almost a vacation for the members of the 104th, but of course, it was much more than that.
A visit to the other side of the gate, a visit to the other world meant that they would be interacting with other people with the express purpose of building ties, building an alliance, with as many nations as possible.
Including the one currently helping us now…
Once he stepped outside, a small crowd of teenagers was already there, chatting calmly amongst themselves.
Instead of the usual uniform or the remaining half of the 104th cadets now wore civilian clothes from home.
A very pitiful groan caught the young man's attention and he turned to look at a tired looking Sasha Braus.
"What's the matter, Sasha?"
The girl turned lazily to look at Armin, eyeing him up.
"Why did the Americans bring us these other clothes- much more comfortable clothes I should say- and then tell us to dress with our regular old stay at home clothes?"
Armin began with the logical reason "It's to show how different our cultures are. Most of the clothes we use here resemble what they used to wear centuries ago, so it would be to introduce-"
"I feel like I can't properly move with this skirt!" Sasha protested.
Armin raised an eyebrow.
The girl simply said "Mama sent me the fancy skirt I hate… at least the regular skirt and blouse give me more freedom, but this is…"
"It looks no different than what any of the other girls are wearing." Armin replied.
"You wouldn't get it…" the other girl sighed before standing up and walking in the opposite direction.
"No, but I heard we'll be using the Formal uniform when we actually head out later today, so you won't have to worry about this for very long."
"What?! Then why in the world are we wearing-?"
"Alright one-oh-fourth! Gather up for the camera team, let's go!" the dark-skinned American soldier they knew as Jake began to call out, as several journalists from the other side of the gate lined up with cameras.
"Ohh… photo-op…" Sasha groaned.
"Come on, weren't you paying attention to the meeting?"
"I did!" she argued back, face reddening.
Armin only shrugged at that line and followed the remnant of the 104th.
First the photo shoot, then the visit to another world.
No pressure!
…
"Do you think you can handle that thing?"
Levi eyed the CIA woman without much care as he assembled the M1911A1.
It was the sidearm the United States armed forces had used for a long, long time before the sleeker M9 Berretta took its place, and yet the weapon still held its place among some units both in the military and law enforcement.
It was also very simple in design, and the original versions had originally been crafted by gunsmiths instead of later factory-built versions.
Which is why this model had been selected as the standardized sidearm for the quickly modernizing military forces in Paradis.
Not that some older revolvers weren't being considered for a less militaristic police force in the future.
"Feels fine." The stoic captain replied, holstering the firearm.
"Yeah, shouldn't be a problem carrying it for emergencies." The young subordinate replied.
Petra Ral had placed hers in a shoulder holster which was greatly concealed by the official Survey Corps formal uniform, which was just a trench coat with the Wings of Freedom sown on the back.
It made for concealing the weapon while keeping it within easy access much easier.
"Well, that's good. A good patriot gun, finding its home in yet another land and its freedom fighters!" the CIA woman replied in an unreadable tone.
No one replied, Eld finishing the assembly of his own 1911 and holstering the handgun.
"Anyway, I'm sure you all know the schedule, but just to be clear…" she paused, waiting for the 3 elite Survey Corps soldiers that would be acting as the main Eldian security for Historia Reiss to answer.
"Historia stays in New York along with the 104th contingency, talks at the UN will formally begin the day after we arrive." Levi began.
Petra continued, saying "In the meantime, the 104th will be split to give interviews with local, national, and international journalists that will hopefully give us a sympathetic view."
Eld concluded with "Meanwhile the other officers will be heading to your capital in order to answer questions from your leaders in a public hearing that will be broadcasted all over the world."
"Three for three… alright… we all know what's at stake here… don't screw it up." The CIA woman said, nodding.
Levi only grimaced.
He wasn't really sure what more they could do.
After all, how long would it be before Marley or some other nation from this side of the gate decided to make contact, get frightened or concerned by what they saw, and decide to warn other nations?
Would negotiations even be considered?
Holstering the handgun, Levi decided that it really didn't matter, no matter how much thought he put into it, all would be decided sooner or later.
…
"All aboard!" Ilse Langnar yelled, to the chagrin of the bus driver, a somewhat older government agent who had been tasked with driving the bus across the incredibly dark yet incredibly smooth layout of the space between New York and Paradis that was the interior of the Gate.
To top it off, the passengers he would be transporting were technically aliens, human or otherwise. It was almost an insult given that all the scientists, all the story writers, and just about every theorist imaginable had assumed "first contact" would likely involve an entirely different species, not a bunch of humans with some slight genetic differences.
Though it was certainly an odd bunch that stepped in.
First was that odd girl with freckles who excitedly led the younger passengers in.
A group of teenagers, really children, all wearing dirt brown trench coats with a strange little pin on the breast pocket and the pin's symbol either sown or painted on the back.
Then came several older, but certainly still young, group dressed the same, the oldest among them probably middle aged, and even he was accompanied by a young girl with almost white hair and glasses.
He was startled when a seemingly curious girl wearing goggles got uncomfortably close in order to study the controls of the bus.
"Hmm… these are certainly different form the ones I saw inside your tanks… but also not entirely similar to the ones I saw in the other cars…"
A short man grabbed her, saying "Our seats are over here, Commander."
Finally, was the pair of American agents following the United States representative; the man and woman looking indifferent as they passed the driver.
Representative Caine simply said, "don't crash" before stepping out of the bus and waving the group goodbye.
The driver allowed an unimpressed sigh. He had been hoping to see the Queen, but figured she was more than likely hidden among the young soldiers that were now curiously prodding at the seats on the bus.
Not exactly the rowdy children most bus drivers had to contend with, but not entirely different either.
He shut the doors, turned the bus slightly and entered the darkness of the Gate.
Nobody seemed to speak as they drove through the unnaturally dark tunnel.
Eren kept staring out the window, eyeing the darkness with curiosity.
"So… does this part of the gate just stretch out forever?" he asked.
Ilse turned around in her seat and said "Turns out there are walls on either side if you walk far enough. This is basically a mile-long tunnel that exists between our worlds. Cool, isn't it?"
Eren didn't reply, continuing to stare into the darkness.
It was Mikasa who suddenly said, "Did anyone hear that?"
Silence.
Levi replied "Yeah, I heard it, too… sounded like someone shouting."
The bus driver didn't say anything, Historia shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and then Ilse said "That's probably the ghost."
"GHOST?!" Mina Carolina, now extremely unsettled by her environment, yelled.
"I mean, I call her the ghost, but-"
"Her?"
"Yeah, when this Gate opened up some woman told me to run through it. I've haven't seen her since, but the day after we got here and met the scouts, several guys said they heard something coming from the Gate, same goes for officers standing guard by it before anyone went through."
Samuel glanced at Marco as the freckled teen said "So… any idea who she is? This sounds pretty important."
Ilse shrugged, saying "No one really knows if she's even real. I think I might've imagined her given… everything. Plus, even if she was real, it's not like she's tried to communicate with us or anything."
Somebody sneezed, not that anyone noticed.
Eren didn't say anything, continuing to stare into the darkness of the Gate.
Suddenly, the bus slowed down, and light engulfed them.
…
New York is… scary.
Historia had decided as much once the giant crowd with flashing cameras and questions appeared as she exited the bus along her friends and their officers.
It seemed that the American(?) press was mostly focused on trying to get answers from the guards keeping them at bay.
The CIA woman quickly walked past her, Levi and Petra each placing a hand on her shoulders and subtly pushing her forward.
"Move fast, we don't know if anyone here is dangerous." The captain sighed.
Historia understood perfectly well.
The crowd, the massive buildings, the tight space… perfect for an assassin.
Historia ran to the waiting limousine and quickly got inside along the CIA woman. Levi and Petra staying outside and waiting for the 104th to hurry up and get on the other waiting buses.
Petra sighed, saying "I think Eld is enjoying this."
The man was awkwardly waving as some reporters took very clear pictures of him.
It really didn't help that the 104th was waving and yelling at the reporters as well.
Levi said nothing as Hanji shouted, "Good morning, New York!"
But he did feel a degree of embarrassment.
An older man approached them, shaking hands with each of the cadets then.
When he got to Levi, he simply introduced himself as "Welcome to New York, captain."
"I take it you're the president?"
"Recognize me, huh? Some of the kids over there did, too. I hope you enjoy your visit to our great nation, captain."
With that, the man walked off, Levi shoving his hands in his pockets and continued ushering the small group of cadets into another bus waiting for them.
Inside the luxurious limousine, however, Historia found herself face to face with, arguably, the most powerful man in the world.
"Mister President, Historia Reiss." The CIA woman said as the president sat forward in order to shake the girl's hand.
She nervously took his hand and the man shook it vigorously before saying "It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Reiss. I don't have much time to speak, unfortunately, but I am very aware of your desire for a mutual defense pact."
Historia nodded, quickly saying "Y-yes, we desperately need it if we want to survive an invasion from outside."
"I understand and I want to give you my full support- in fact, consider having my support already. The problem is going to be getting congress and maybe some other countries to side with us."
"I'm… I'm ready to try, sir."
The older man nodded.
The limousine went quiet as the only sound was the wheels on the pavement as it advanced to Historia's first big stop.
"I'll try to give you a helping hand." The president said after a moment.
Historia perked up slightly.
"You're going to stay here for a week or two negotiating, and I have some negotiations to work with as well, so… hopefully we can both accomplish our tasks."
"But what exactly-?"
The CIA woman stopped her by raising her hand.
"Don't bother asking, he has his plans, you have yours…"
"Historia frowned and turned to the president."
The man chuckled slightly, saying "Well, I really shouldn't be discussing what I intend to do, so… can I trust you to do your part and try your best in convincing the rest of the world that you need our help?"
Historia furrowed her eyebrow but nodded before speaking.
"Yes, sir, I will try my all to save my people… will you try your all to help us?"
The man smiled and said, "My all and so much more."
The limousine stopped and Ilse turned to look at the intimidating building outside, surrounded by flags flying in the wind.
The United Nations HQ.
"I hope to see you soon, Miss Reiss. Godspeed and good luck." The president said as the CIA woman exited the vehicle and opened the door for Historia to step out.
She gave the president a look of uncertainty but walked outside.
She watched the limo drive away.
"Yeah, he's a bit of an enigma sometimes."
Historia turned to look at the other woman.
"Hi, I'm-"
"Oh, you're Miss Haley! Mister Caine told me about you!"
The woman made a face of mild confusion at being cut off so suddenly.
Historia blushed, saying "Sorry, I'm… a bit nervous."
"It's fine, today won't be so bad. All you'll be doing is chatting one on one with different ambassadors and representatives. You'll give your big speech later, so… come on, let me show you around."
…
"I just realized that we have no idea how these phones work." Marco sighed as he stared at the odd contraption the CIA man had given him.
Mina spoke up, saying "Well, the instructions are pretty clear. If anything happens, we just push these three numbers and tell the person that picks up what's wrong.
"Yeah, I know, but what about all these other buttons? Letters, numbers… I get that but why would you need it on a phone?"
It was Armin who reminded everyone, "Guys, phones here are way more advanced than this. People write entire books on their phones. Even these older models could do amazing things I'm sure."
The CIA man simply said "Kids, it's a surplus Blackberry, impressive for its time, not so much now. Just use it for emergencies, okay. We have people watching you, but it's a big city, we don't want to have our first real inter-world interaction get sidelined by a missing person, now do we?"
The 104th shook their collective heads.
"Great, get settled in, don't mess with the phones, try to relax for today, maybe visit the hotel cafeteria if you want something to eat, but today just… just relax. Check out the TV, learn a bit, and tomorrow you get to experience the wonders of the Big Apple first hand!" he said, forcing a chipper image, though with a tired sigh he muttered "God, I suck at this…"
Captain Levi approached the small group of cadets and calmly said "If I hear one complaint from the staff working here, you will be walking back home."
Sasha shuddered at the words.
With that, the captain and his subordinates left the 104th and Ilse Langnar with keys to their respective rooms and followed the CIA agent to their separate room elsewhere in the hotel.
Ilse clasped her hands together and said "Okay, boys and girls! Let's… let's do what the Survey Corps does best and look into the unknown!"
A very restrained cheer was her reply as the Scout led the teenagers up to the stairway only for Jean to say "Wait, what about the elevator?"
Ilse stopped, glanced at the metallic doors, and said "Not as fun as climbing up and down the stairs. Also, those things are ultra-dangerous when more than five people step inside, so come along!"
Plus, I really don't need 8 teens messing with so many buttons on the damned things…
They reached their rooms soon enough, each one only one door apart.
"Okay, so Eren, Mikasa, and Armin, you guys have room three-zero-four… Jean, Marco, and Samuel, you guys have room three-zero five… Sasha and Mina, you girls bunk with me in room three-zero-two, if you have any questions about-"
The three groups quickly entered the rooms, leaving the scout alone in the hall.
The now 17-year-old girl felt her eyebrow twitch as she muttered "I'm only two years older than you brats, why the hell are you so damn difficult to corral?"
…
Hanji stared at the forested landscape as much as the highway under her as the SUV sped along the road.
"Trees are smaller, but the cities and roads are so… impressive." She said aloud.
It really was. The forests surrounding the highway were not the thick forests that could be found within the walls, nor were they the small patches of woods that sparsely populated the large farm fields. No, these were large, diverse, and yet had well-made roads going through them, the occasional deer peering from the sights of green.
It really was different to the mix of tamed and untamed lands that were seen within the walls.
General Connor said, "No titans, no real limitation on our advancements. Although this isn't really the best we've done."
Hanji replied, "It's still an impressive accomplishment… that said, I'm curious, general… how honest should we be with congress?"
Connor only grimaced, saying "Just tell the truth. Lying to them doesn't really work out in the end and what we need right is transparency."
Hanji nodded, but then said "Yes, yes, I agree, but we know they intend on forcing US forces out at worst, heavily reduced numbers at best."
Connor said "Look, you can give your opinion if they ask you, just be respectful about it."
Hanji only grinned slightly.
Kitz and Rico spoke in unison then.
"What are you up to?"
Hanji raised her hands in surrender.
"Just thinking, just thinking!"
Rico said "I know you're the commander of the Survey Corps, ma'am, but with all due respect, I've heard your stories. I really don't know how much thinking you should be doing."
Hanji quickly replied "Oh, perhaps, but this week I intend to prove a point, not surprise anyone with my titan theories."
She gave a sad smile as she turned to look back at the road, Washington D.C slowly becoming visible in the distance.
Mister Duvalier on the other hand, simply said "Whatever the point, I'll leave the question answering to you two unless directly spoken to."
"Odds are you might get some of the toughest questions, Premiere."
"Which is exactly why I'll leave the other questions to the officers… and Rico."
The platinum blonde didn't show any response to… whatever interpretation one could make from that remark.
"Still, I wonder if we should have brought Ackerman along."
"Too much of a liability, and we already know he wasn't directly behind the main attacks on US forces. Congress should know better than to ask about it, too."
With that statement, Hanji found herself wondering about her new allies once again.
They certainly weren't the evil masterminds the old king had made them out to be, but they were very clearly capable of shady and downright evil deeds.
The memory of the Massive Ordinance Air Blast going off and the pictures of the atomic bombings of Japanese cities certainly made her somewhat worried.
But she rationalized that it was better than the alternative.
Whatever that alternative might have been…
…
The ocean between the continent controlled by Marley and the island known as Paradis was beautiful in its own right, glowing in the late morning sun, seagulls and other kinds of birds flying, almost floating, in the skies above. Small cotton-like clouds peppered the immediate skies above whilst much larger clouds seemed to almost touch the sea on the horizon.
If Colonel Magath considered himself remotely sentimental he would argue that the scenery would make for some valuable paintings.
Instead he turned to Zeke Yeager and Pieck Finger.
He sometimes wondered how Eldians chose the names for their kids.
"It's likely that one of the guards snapped and killed the other. It happens." Magath sighed.
Zeke shrugged.
"It just feels strange, everything has felt strange recently. As if the world is bracing itself for another great tragedy. Honestly, I would rather the two men at the port kill themselves out of some illness than whatever terrible alternative may be waiting for us."
Magath then said "My God, Yeager, it could just be a busted radio!"
With a snap of his fingers and a slightly confident smile, the titan shifter said "Right you are, colonel. I was just musing aloud. You can never be too careful with the Eldian king."
Magath turned his attention upward.
Yep, seagulls still floating in the air.
"My mother always worried about something happening in Paradis destroying the world. Titans aside, the power of the Founding Titan is such a scientific unknown..." Magath mumbled.
Zeke smiled slightly.
"My mentor had many theories."
"Tom was always on about that... He ever tell you anything useful?"
"Well, he did tend to ramble, but... his theories on the Founding titan being able to somehow alter the body composition of all Eldians... the potential for such a power is almost endless. Surely, titans are the result of such alterations to our bodies, but could the process be reversed? Or directly added upon? How far does the reach go?"
Zeke shook his head.
"All in all, his theories are all still in here." he concluded, tapping his head with a sigh.
Magath glanced at the Warrior, there was a tired look in his eyes.
He then paused and noticed Pieck staring upwards.
The girl's head slowly turned, seemingly following something.
Magath followed her gaze, noting a few birds, but nothing else.
"I thought I saw something strange." she finally said.
Zeke turned to the young girl, asking "What did you see?"
"It looked like an aircraft, but it was too far away."
Magath said "I didn't hear anything."
"Yes... it was probably just a large bird or something."
Before the subject could go any further a sailor ran to the men.
"Colonel Magath! We have a situation!"
...
The warm glow of the television screen contrasted heavily with the intense debate between two political pundits on a certain news channel.
"It was under him that ISIS was defeated." one man said.
"Oh, sure, but the caliphate was already collapsing by the time he took office, so to credit him for the destruction of ISIS is madness, Ben." the other man said.
"Not at all, that is because of his foreign policy, it- look… at the end of the day, we both have to agree, his foreign policy has benefited the US."
"A trade war with China has benefited America, are you joking?"
"It's hurting China more than the US, and it's also led to many companies bringing jobs back to the US from China, and I'm not even a fan of tariffs but I believe he has used them strategically to fairly positive results as we saw with the recent trade deals with the European Union and the new trade deal with Canada and Mexico, which-"
"Yeah, well laugh while you can, this is going to backfire. Already hit him hard in the midterms, his approval rating has been tanking, the investigations into Russian interference…"
"Do you actually believe he won because of Russian interference?"
"Do you not?"
Mikasa asked "Do either of you understand anything of what these men are saying?
Both Eren and Armin shrugged.
"Honestly I just want to learn more about this president of theirs. He seemed kind of creepy, but was pretty nice when we saw him… I thought this debate would be more telling." Armin sighed.
The young man had learned how to read the letters the Americans used and had looked through the very easy to use television to find a news channel that, as it turns out, was hosting a debate on the subject of the American president… and it wasn't exactly pretty.
Eren sighed, saying "Maybe we should watch something else. Do they have any good movies?"
Armin only replied with "Yeah, but they cost money, and I don't really know how to buy them from here."
"Great… what about shows on the planet? They have books, don't they have anything on about this world?"
Armin pushed a few buttons, the screen changed, and a channel titled "National Geographic" popped up on it.
"But they were talking about one of the World Wars."
Eren laid back on the bed and said "Man, this is another world! It's so… boring."
Mikasa simply said "I admit, I'm quite disappointed. This is a gigantic city, I figured we would be seeing more by now."
"It's only been four hours since we got here, and we won't go outside until tomorrow!"
Eren got up and walked to the nearby window, staring outside.
They were on the third floor, so it wasn't exactly a bird's eye view, and all the taller buildings actually blocked out the sunlight.
He said "It is impressive seeing all these people, though. I don't think the capital had this many people walking around."
"They say this world has more than seven billion people living in it." Armin added.
Mikasa said nothing.
She eyed the television screen for a moment, then picked up the remote Armin had set down and pushed a random button.
She saw the end of a commercial with a smiling man and some kind of medicinal product, she wasn't sure what it was, but then she saw a voiceover came.
"Up next on AMC, The Exorcist. This film contains material not suitable for all audiences. Viewer Discretion is advised."
Eren turned and said "What does he mean not suitable for all audiences?"
"I think it's pretty self-explanatory, not everyone can handle whatever this movie is about so they should think before watching it."
"I'm curious about it." Mikasa said, deadpanned.
"Yeah, me too. What's an exorcist anyway?" Eren added, sitting down on the bed alongside the other two.
Armin said "Well, I've never heard of an exorcism, so I wonder what it's about."
Three hours later Captain Levi entered the room.
"Lunch is ready at the cafeteria… what the hell is wrong with you kids?"
The Shiganshina trio had their eyes glued to the now dark TV screen, they slowly turned to the captain and almost in unison said "Nothing…" shutting off the television and walking out of the room.
They walked slowly out of the room in single file, Levi narrowing his eyes.
At the cafeteria below, they were a bit more talkative.
"…and… this… demon?" Marco asked.
"Yeah!" Armin repeated.
"It just… possesses people? Like… controls them?"
"No! It's… it's not just control! It… it's some of the most awful stuff I've ever seen… Miss Langnar, are demonic possessions real?"
Ilse glanced up from her warm plate of New York pizza.
"Huh?"
"Are possessions real?"
"I… I don't know. Um…" she turned to the CIA man who swallowed his pasta.
He smiled politely and spoke, "Been a couple of cases, no clue if any were true or not, so… sleep well tonight."
The CIA woman groaned, saying "Come on, they have a big day tomorrow… don't make me be the nurturing kind!"
"But if titans are real- and the legend of the Devil of the Earth is anything to go by…" Armin began nervously.
It was Jean who spoke then.
"Come on, Armin, it was just a dumb movie-"
"It was an unsettling experience." Mikasa said.
Jean paused, and with some reluctance admitted "Right, so now I'm a little scared…"
"Bunch of babies, all of you. It's fiction. Stuff like that doesn't happen in real life!" Sasha called, finishing her plate.
"Or do they?" the CIA man began before his partner jabbed him in the shoulder.
"No, they do not. At least not that science can prove. Most alleged possessions are just some form of mental illness or another. I think schizophrenia is the most common." the woman groaned.
"But… science can't disprove all, right?"
She huffed, grabbed the cup of soda and said "Kid, I just know what I know."
Eren said "Yeah… don't we all."
…
The American capital was gorgeous, Hanji decided.
Where New York was a work of art in its own way, the American capital had a unique charm that reminded her of the Interior of the walls, only far more free, with no giant block of hardened titans stopping you from seeing the horizon.
She eyed the Washington Monument as they drove past it.
She hid her excitement at the clean city as the car stopped in front of a building she had only seen in pictures. Several reporters awaited them, and despite her desire to answer questions, all she could do was wave as the almost desperate mob was kept by back by American police officers. Once inside, they were led to a room and given seats, all stuff that had been discussed prior.
She genuinely thought this would be different than her meetings with the advisory, and in a way she was right.
Just not in the way she expected…
Hanji observed as the impressively overweight representative began to introduce the subjects to be discussed in the hearing.
The behavior of American forces in the lands beyond the gate.
Whether the president was acting within his authority in doing all he had done.
The necessity of US troops in the island of Paradis.
The opinions of the major military leaders of Paradis.
And of course, the attacks that had happened in the previous weeks.
"…which resulted in over one hundred civilian deaths as well as the death of a US representative. We hope to answer these questions today in order to make better decisions moving forward and who, if anyone, needs to answer for this tragedy. With that said, this oversight hearing will come to order!"
There was a loud banging of a gavel that managed to startle Rico, but the girl kept her composure as the man spoke.
"The gentleman from Michigan is recognized five minutes."
All eyes turned to the young man who began by saying "I would like the record to show that this administration's handling of the lands beyond the gate that connects our two worlds has been nothing but reprehensible and I would personally like to apologize on behalf of all Americans as well as people of earth…"
Hanji glanced at her colleagues confused.
Wasn't this about answering questions?
"…now, aside from the mismanagement, have there been any incidents where American soldiers have stepped over the line?"
The Commanders and their assistants looked at each other before Hanji simply said "Not that we know of. Most American soldiers since they arrived were centered on destroying the threat of the titans, and only a few actually interacted with our populace as they were escorting doctors or scientists."
"So, no incidents between American forces abusing Eldian civilians?"
"Not to our knowledge."
"Is the training of the cadets not a form of abuse?"
Kitz Woerman answered quickly by saying "No, if anything it was easier for them. ODM training is incredibly difficult to master which is why training takes years to-"
"Apologies, I meant the training of children to go to war. I understand the situation as you understood it would require all able-bodied people, regardless of gender, to either enlist in the military or join the work force as early as age twelve, but since it is no longer the case that you are under the threat of extinction is it still necessary to enforce such a draft and are US forces not complicit in continuing it?"
Hanji furrowed her eyebrow.
There was never a "draft" per se, but it was heavily encouraged that children join the military in order to actually have a steady job.
Factory work could result in worse accidents than military training, and farming, while certainly safer and easier, didn't really pay as much.
Still, to say there was a mandatory "draft" would be stretching it, but she decided not to get hung up on the details.
"I believe the situation of what lies beyond our walls and island became obvious that the threat is far more dangerous than we imagined. We unfortunately need every able-bodied boy and girl if we want a chance to survive a potential invasion by enemy forces, even with US support. At least… at least until we can ensure some level of safety."
"Thank you." The man said simply, noting that the clock on the stand was only a few seconds from running out.
Oh, well that went well.
"The gentleman from South Carolina is recognized."
"Thank you, now I have to say that I am greatly appreciative of you officers being present here today and…"
Another speech? Was this tradition or something?
"…after all. Now, Miss Hanji, you as well as the officers behind the reports we received have made it crystal clear that the presence of the United States is important should the nations of the world invade. How credible is that threat?"
"According to both Reiner Braun and the journals of Grisha Yeager, it is extremely likely that the nations of the world may decide to invade, either to take the power of the Founder, or to utilize the resources the island of Paradis has. Resources many scientists from this side of the Gate have confirmed exist."
"Could the American presence exacerbate the problems? Perhaps it could spook the nations of the world into action? Is that a possibility?"
"We think it's possible, but not to the point that it would be better to handle an invasion without them."
"Why is that?"
"Because our modernization is going along on schedule mostly thanks to American support." she answered.
"Would you be unable to continue modernizing without United States support?"
Hanji paused to consider it.
It could be done, they had done a lot in the timespan of a week, but…
"It would take much longer and in the case of an invasion, we would not have the weapons, ammunition, or equipment to hold out. We know the enemy has less titan shifters to throw at us, but that would still be hundreds of thousands of well-armed soldiers attacking our walls, which we would have to retreat to if the enemy has air power, something we won't be able to achieve at our current level of technology. And if an artillery shell hits Wall Maria and unleashes the colossal titans within it we would have no way of stopping them."
"So, would you all agree that you need American support to continue moving forward?"
"Yes." Hanji said.
"Yes." Kitz Woerman said.
"Yes. And if I may?" Premiere Duvalier said, speaking for the first time.
The representative nodded.
"I read the casualty reports from before and after the Americans arrived. The previous expeditions suffered about… fifteen percent casualty rate, most of those fatal. Keep in mind, this is even with the strategy developed by Commander Erwin to reduce losses. With American support casualties in titan engagement dropped to zero, and all injuries reported since were due to accidents. No fatalities until the engagement in the capital."
"Thank you." The representative said, the clock running out.
Hanji nodded, smiling. The man had been nicer than the other representative, smiling more.
"The gentleman from Illinois is recognized."
"Thank you, now… back in my day we had to work harder than anyone to achieve even the bare basic level of living standards our white neighbors practically had handed to them…"
Oh boy…
"My colleagues on the other side are very much opposed to giving people… handouts, yes? We can all agree on that. However, once it benefits them, it seems they are more than happy to give handouts to people. That said I have not forgotten all their cases for refusing handouts, and I don't intend on making them forget them. Now, officers of the Paradis Military force… why should we hand you the weapons needed to win?"
Huh?
"You shouldn't. We plan a mutually beneficial-" Woermann spoke.
"Ah, so you intend to buy them? With resources like oil, yes? Maybe land to build army bases, yes?"
"Y-yes?" he said, glancing at an equally confused Rico and Hanji.
Premiere Duvalier narrowed his eyes.
The Senator huffed.
"This is ultimate proof of this whole thing being the wet dream of the military industrial complex. They are the true antagonists here. We should be helping the oppressed people of Paradis regardless of what they can or can't give us! What we see before us is…"
"Point of order." Another representative interrupted.
The obese man sighed, saying "The gentleman from Texas is recognized."
"Thank you, is this period for questioning or grandstanding?"
"I can use this time how I please, could you reclaim my time?"
"You asked them a question and didn't let them-"
"I-it's my time, and I will use it as I please, can you rewind the clock, please?"
Rico removed her glasses and began to clean them on a handkerchief.
Hanji forced herself to maintain an indifferent expression, but she was internally grasping at straws.
She didn't understand the process or the reasoning of these government officials.
How was any of this supposed to benefit anybody?
I hope the 104th is having a better time, at least…
…
Eren felt like slamming his head into the nearest pole and ending it all here and now.
"You look fine." Armin sighed, Jean Kirstein only barely suppressing a laugh, though it was mostly for the sake of not offending a certain dark-haired girl.
"I look like a doll." Eren groaned, the added makeup (specifically the blush) wasn't particularly making him feel very professional despite this apparently being a "professional" interview.
Apparently "extra blush" was necessary and now his cheeks looked unnaturally red.
"Good job, miss Carolina!" Ilse cheered as the younger girl walked back from the interview room, legs shaking slightly as she made a somewhat unsteady strut.
"Eh, should be easy, just don't creep them out with your… specialty."
Eren ignored Jean, although he could appreciate the soldier always finding a reason to hit him with some kind of jab regardless of situation.
Simply put, he would now record an interview with an American man that miss Langnar apparently knew, and he would air the interviews to other news sources.
The man was sitting down, scratching somewhat at his dark colored beard.
"Break a leg, Eren!" Ilse cheered slightly as she patted him on the back.
Hearts and minds, hearts and minds… is this really going to change public opinion in any meaningful way?
"Mister Yeager!" the man, putting on a genuinely friendly smile got up and greeted the young man.
"Uh- hi…"
"Well, I know that… you're one of the VIPs."
Eren nodded.
"Look, I got the questions right here, just answer them and if you think you answered incorrectly you can let me know and we'll just cut it so-"
"No, that's fine… I… I think I have to be honest."
The man nodded, "I can respect that."
"Right, so… Eren Yeager, the first to be discovered as a… what do they call you? Like, I got the classification here, but-"
"Uh… well, I'm human, but I can turn into a fifteen-meter-tall giant, so titan shifter is the… official term if the others aren't lying."
"Okay, just want to be sure… can't be easy, huh?"
Eren sighed, saying "Yeah… I'm… worried."
"About?"
He said immediately "We've been fighting so long to be free, to get out of the walls and retake the world… but the world is already ruled by… by more people that hate us, that want us dead, that want to kill us… I… the more I think about it, the less of a way out I see."
"This has been on your mind a lot?"
Eren nodded, saying "The… I have to be honest; I was secretly hoping the Americans would help us conquer everything and just stop all the hate against us, but that's not really… solving anything, is it?"
The man chuckled slightly, saying "No, not really. Hate isn't exactly something you can just… eliminate. Trust me, we've been trying for decades to stop hate among people, and… yeah, I can't deny we've been successful in some places, but it's not like it doesn't exist."
"Yeah, so… the next best option, and that's what these whole meetings are about, is to… essentially get support from as many nations here as possible, maybe get a mutual defense pact with the US, protect our little island with help from other nations… maybe with enough support we can get back some rights and ease tensions once first contact is made, but… I don't know, I'm not optimistic."
"Why is that?"
"A feeling."
The man paused, asking "Any idea why you feel that way?"
Eren stared at him for a second, and considered, for a second, to just come out and say that when Rod Reiss showed him his father's memories, he got a glimpse of something.
Something Eren Yeager wasn't quite sure he should have seen.
Something that worried the teenager.
Something he felt only he should know about.
Instead he simply shrugged and said "Just… just a feeling…"
"Well, between you and me, I remember Miss Langnar was worried about the same thing, not getting American aid, and hey, look at how she's doing! Maybe you can be a little optimistic, you know? She helped bring the Queen of your country here, that's gotta count for something, right?"
"Yeah… wonder how she's doing right now… meeting with so many world leaders and all…"
…
Historia felt her eye twitch involuntarily as the middle-aged man with dark skin continued ranting about "evil colonizers" and "the white devil".
"Which is why, Miss Historia, we would like to offer you a deal. Only a one percent tax on our exports, and we will forgive all possible crimes of the past."
The American Ambassador simply said "Mister Abarry… the Eldian population of the island of Paradis hasn't ever set foot on Niger…"
There was an awkward pause.
Then the man laughed wholeheartedly.
"I am fully aware! We like to just joke around! Now, your majesty, we are willing to offer you our support and our leaders will happily vote to assist you should there be any votes held this month on the motion to assist the island of Paradis… for what it's worth."
Historia pushed a weary smile, and said "Thank you… Ambassador, that… that was very informative… I will let you know of my decision at the end of the day."
The man smiled and walked out.
Historia tiredly turned to the American Ambassador who calmly began reading over a notebook.
"Who's next?"
"Depends. We could ACTUALLY talk to the Chinese and Russian ambassadors next, OR we could KEEP putting them aside and start talking to the ambassador of Madagascar who is actually kind of curious about any possibility of Paradis being some alternate version of Madagascar given the geography."
"I'm not a scientist… but I don't want to talk to the Russians and Chinese yet."
"We won't hate you if you do, Miss Reiss."
"…why don't I believe you?"
"Because we've only known each other for a day, not even a full twenty-four hours… but look, our world is… like it or not… incredibly interconnected. We're technically in the middle of a trade war with the Chinese, and there's a whole stink going on in congress about Russia meddling in our elections… things are tense and all but look, that's just a factor to consider, not a reason to avoid them or refuse their help should they offer it."
The girl nodded slowly.
With a sigh, she said "Alright… let's talk to them."
A moment later, the Chinese ambassador walked through the door, into the office and sat down with a very polite smile.
"Um… Nihao… mister… um… Za…sao? Did I pronounce it right?" Historia said nervously.
The man fixed his glasses slightly and said "Actually close enough, Miss Reiss. So! Let us get down to business, shall we?"
Historia glanced at the American ambassador who was now reading something on her phone. Her eyebrow furrowed before noticing the girl eyeing her.
The woman simply said, "Go ahead, I have to take this."
"Ah-" before she could object, the American Ambassador stood up and headed out the door.
Historia eyed the Chinese ambassador and nervously said "Um… well… I… I guess I'll cut straight to the point… the island of Paradis is seemingly the only safe haven for the Eldian population on our world and with invasion by other nations likely we are seeking to garner as much support as possible."
The Chinese ambassador said, "We are aware… the situation, Miss Reiss, is that we cannot offer you much help so long as the Gate is situated within United States' borders."
"I know, which is why we would appreciate support through other means. See-"
The man raised his hand, saying "I understand the plan of getting many countries to speak for you, demonstrate that an invasion of Paradis will be considered an attack of all these nations… but with only one doorway open, the most any nation can do is give you vocal support, not military or really economic as the US is the one holding control of the doorway."
Historia shrunk down slightly.
"See, Miss Reiss, what we should be working on is opening more of these doorways, and I think many of your supporters agree. The biggest problem facing China right now, trade war with the United States aside, is the fact that while America and its allies have been able to study this doorway, we have not had any access to it."
Historia raised an eyebrow.
"Essentially, the only country that may know how to open another doorway doesn't want us knowing how to open another doorway. You're probably wondering what this has to do with you?"
She nodded.
The man leaned forward and spoke in whisper.
"See, we know you have some sway with the Americans, even just a little… we believe you could convince the United States to relax these limitations in order to-"
The door almost slammed open and the American Ambassador stormed in, saying "Apologies, but we have a situation developing, Historia."
"What's happening?"
"A Marlean ship has been sighted off the coast of Paradis. It's headed to our port. Caine wants to speak to you."
Historia winced, quickly stood up, turned to the Chinese ambassador, stammering.
"Um... I'm sorry, mister ambassador, but... could we...?"
The older man simply raised his hand and said "Of course, I completely understand."
Historia nodded, smiling politely before grabbing the woman's cell phone and running out to the hallway.
The American ambassador turned to the Chinese ambassador and narrowed her eyes slightly.
The man simply said "She is different than what we were expecting."
"What exactly were you expecting?"
The man didn't reply, smiling slightly as he decided to change the subject.
"We are aware of project Arrowhead."
"Figures. Washington leaks more than a sieve." the American ambassador huffed.
"But how accurate is it?"
"Well, everyone should have the maps and testimony available by now, you can verify it for yourself."
Another pause.
The Chinese ambassador said "Then it is not impossible that there is a Chinese population in this mirror-world?"
"I don't know."
"If there was, that could mean that there are Chinese citizens likely suffering under an empire?"
"I don't know."
"Can your president relax the trade restrictions?"
"No. You know damn well why we're in the middle of this little scuffle, you know damn well we have every right to keep you out of this region, and you know damn well there's nothing you can do about it short of declaring war."
"But..."
Crossing her arms, she concluded "But we need all the help we can get. You don't even have to support us, just... give your vote to recognize-"
The ambassador stood up and calmly said "I will speak with the leadership... I will try to work something out, ambassador."
The woman nodded.
"Before I go, one more question... what the hell is going on over there?"
With a sigh, the American ambassador said "The ship that approached the island was a warship... that's all I can say right now."
The man nodded.
"Understandable. Have a nice day."
…
"Are we still getting those transmissions?" Magath asked the radio operator.
"Yes, sir. On loop, every hour, on the hour…"
The officer rubbed his chin, now more than a little uncertain of what the hell he was facing even though the message was clear.
Anyone receiving this signal: please respond. This is an open broadcast requesting immediate response if available. The Island of Paradis is now under our control and we are requesting peaceful communications with Marley or any other nation receiving this message. This message will repeat every hour, on the hour.
Magath glanced at the sky outside, now the sun was at its highest in the sky.
"Could the Eldian king have sent men to capture the port? Perhaps he got tired of our meddling?" he pondered out loud.
Zeke took the opportunity to say "I believe it is more likely that something else is going on. They do not identify themselves in the recording. You would think some Eldian restoration movement would have been more willing to announce their intention once they discovered how a radio works."
"That's the problem, as far as we know, radio is a completely foreign concept for those on the island. Unless…"
Magath continued.
"Which leaves the idea that another force has taken control, and yet no foreign ships even travel near Paradis, we patrol those waters with half our navy… maybe Reiner and the others turned native, chose to betray us and liberate Paradis?"
Zeke shook his head.
He knew Reiner, he knew Bertholdt, he knew Marcel, and he knew Annie.
They weren't traitors.
And if one of them tried to turn traitor, the others had such ties to their families in Liberio that the idea of siding with the traitor would become unthinkable no matter how bad the circumstances got. Plus...
"No, if that was the case we would have been crushed under the millions of colossal titans long ago. The king would never have allowed-"
"Commander Magath! We… we have another transmission coming through…" the radio operator shouted loudly.
"What is it?"
The man simply motioned to the headphones, Magath and Zeke each grabbing a pair each and listening in.
It was faint, a bit garbled, but…
"…ship, do you copy?"
Pause.
"Unidentified ship please respond, this is private Hilt, of the Paradis guard… we… we've been captured… they can see you… please respond."
The radio operator glanced at Magath, the man turned pale.
They were on the edges of radio communication, not yet within visible distance of the island, but if this new player could see them.
The officer took the radio from the operator and worked it himself.
"Private Hilt, this is Colonel Magath, speaking from The Sword, BB-023, what is the situation?" he asked.
Pause.
"We… we were ambushed, Colonel. These aren't Eldians, sir, these- they call themselves Marines and Army of some… United States, they are demanding to communicate with our high command… you're the first to respond."
"Are you hurt?"
"No, sir, they haven't hurt us. Tied us up tight, but they've been… polite. They are requesting you come ashore immediately in order to establish official peaceful communications."
"Then I assume they are listening in. Who is in charge there?"
A different voice replied.
"That would be me. I'm Lieutenant Troy, United States Army. Colonel… Magath?"
"What nation are you from, lieutenant? I've never heard of-"
"Yeah, trust me; it won't make much sense unless you see it for yourself. Just… just know that there's a new player in town."
...
"How do you feel about the American forces, not what they do, but about their presence?" the young congresswoman asked, smiling sympathetically.
Hanji said, "They're nice enough, so it doesn't feel like an occupation."
Kitz turned to Rico who whispered something.
Kitz then turned to the microphone and said, "My subordinate says she finds their combat uniform ugly and not very attractive, but other than that, she doesn't mind them."
There was some chuckling, but not much.
"Hmm, I see… so just to move along, I'm curious… the queen wishes to modernize and allow American corporations to start using land in exchange for technology, developments, all that stuff, yes?"
"Yes, there are a few we are looking into letting through. Mostly concerned with infrastructure, we would like to establish some electricity and communications through-"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, but I would like to move along. Do you think there would be a risk to letting so many corporations through at once?"
"Well, we're only letting a few in at the moment, I think it's what? Two?"
"Two, and all they've done is send five people to help plan things. We are very much in the opening stages of modernizing, and we don't expect to have the level of technology we see here even in ten years. We just want to at least make things more sustainable."
"Alright, thank you."
Hanji took a quick sip of water as "the gentleman from Texas is recognized".
The obese man was clearly getting tired.
"So, the attack on US forces resulted in many casualties... too many. Representative Kelly was lost along a pair of US servicemen, and countless civilians were killed. But this was a surprise attack! Now, we know the Drone failed to notice the enemies as they had hidden many weapons and canons within the homes, however it must not be understated how little collateral damage occurred after the battle."
Hanji had noted a very strange but predictable pattern as the representatives continued "interviewing" the officers.
If they belonged to the party of the current president, they were polite, positive, asking more open questions and certainly jumping on any hint of good news they heard.
If the representative belonged to the party opposing the current president, the questions were, at best, harsh, at worst, openly hostile, jumping on whatever negative information they could.
Every now and then the representatives would interrupt each other and argue about procedure for a few minutes and about how unfair some questions were and eventually the obese man seemingly in charge would bang his gavel and make some decision that continued the hearing.
Politics, eh?
"Would you say our forces acted properly despite the surprise attack, Miss Hanji?"
Hanji said "They prioritized protecting civilians and acted properly in my opinion."
Kitz Woerman said "From the information I have seen, they did."
Duvalier simply said "I don't know if there is much more that could have been done that wouldn't have resulted in more destruction."
The representative nodded, saying "And I think that sums it up. Our forces did the best they could with what they had. Yes, there was some warning of an attack but nobody expected it to go down this way, and once it did our fine men and women did their duty. To continue to suggest there was some kind of-"
"Time's up."
"...of incompetence is madness." the man finished anyway.
"The gentlelady from Arizona is recognized."
"Thank you, mister chairman... Miss Hanji, Mister Duvalier... how many civilians died in the attacks?"
"Over a hundred."
"Let me give you a clearer number."
"I-"
"One hundred a seventy-two civilians, men, women, and children... dead."
The woman paused, not asking any questions as she eyed everybody in the room with a mildly disturbing glare.
She then turned to the Texan representative and angrily said "This is incompetence, sir. They should have neutralized the hostile threat immediately, not wait around-"
"May I?"
Eyes turned to Duvalier.
"No, you may not."
"Alright..."
Hanji sighed as the woman continued her rant.
"...around. They should have taken control. But we can't take control, can we? Not without technically invading their small nation. Right now, we have cooperated as allies, but let's be honest, their situation was never sustainable. They need us now more than ever and to even consider abandoning them should be condemned. I say we give them everything they need."
The pause wasn't long as the clock ran out and the chairman announced a recess for lunch.
A moment later, Hanji almost collapsed onto the bench outside the room.
Kitz Woerman handed her something.
"Americans call it the hot dog. Strangest little invention, but it tastes quite good."
Hanji mumbled "thanks" as she took the delectable item.
"I'm tired too, and politics isn't for me either, but I think we're doing some good, right Rico?"
The girl took off her glasses and said "Who knows? The way they ask questions could only work to annoy people, not help their cause."
"That last lady seemed to want to help us out. Maybe-"
She was startled by the little contraption the Americans had given her to communicate with others suddenly going off.
She pushed the little green button and put the cell phone to her ear.
"Yes?"
"Miss Zoe, we have a situation developing in Paradis as we speak."
...
Eren observed the massive collections of books with some degree of awe.
"Yup! New York Library, a million books and… um… what exactly are you looking for?" Ilse asked, Mikasa and Armin a bit distracted by a news broadcast about the Congressional Hearing.
"I just… I want to check something, and you can help me find it."
"Well, yes, but… it would help if you would tell me what you're looking for," Ilse mumbled.
Eren simply said "I want to know if there are any groups of people like us in this world."
"Um… in what sense exactly?" Ilse asked, eyeing an encyclopedia.
"Persecuted people."
The girl winced.
"What?" Eren asked.
"Well… where do you want to start, cause it's a long, long list…"
"At the beginning, I suppose."
Ilse sighed.
"Well, if by persecuted you mean persecuted as a minority like the Eldians in Marley, then I think the Jewish people might be one of the older examples, but there were plenty of tribes in different parts of the world back then that can be compared to… well, history isn't exactly my strongest point, but I remember a fair bit. Uh… here, this should be at least unbiased." She mumbled handing him a book titled "Persecution through History: a study".
Not that Eren would know what the title said.
Eren frowned.
"Oh, right… um… give me a second."
A moment later she had spoken to someone and had returned with a little device Eren recognized as a recorder.
"Here, it's the audiobook version you can buy. You can listen to it while we keep walking around New York, and if there's a subject you want to learn about in particular, it tells you what chapter you can select with… this button right here. Pretty easy to use, actually, even if you don't know the letters."
Eren nodded, and simply said "Right, thank you."
She asked "So… you're gonna tell me what's brought this up?"
"Consider it a worry I have."
"It would be better if you told me what's going through your head."
"I think it's better if I keep my opinions to myself."
Ilse shrugged.
Armin walked over to Eren then, saying "You found something good?"
"Oh, just an audio…book… Ilse bought it for me."
"No, no I didn't, I used money from your funds, not mine. I'm your babysitter, not your rich aunt."
"Uh… anyway… the hearing is on a break, but it looks… kind of pretentious." Armin sighed.
"How exactly?"
"One guy went on a long rant about us violating human rights, then there was a big argument about how a congressman can use his time to ask questions, then there was something about lying media?"
Ilse quickly said "Don't… don't bring it up… trust me."
"Why?" Eren asked.
"Oh, you are just peachy today, huh?" Ilse half muttered.
Eren didn't respond, visibly unsure of what he had done to frustrate the older girl.
Ilse sighed, and said "There are two things you don't bring up when talking with Americans: Religion, and politics."
"So… the media lying is a political debate?"
"It's complicated and I am not touching that in one of the biggest libraries in the world." She said in an angry whisper.
She followed it up by calmly saying "Politics here are way more divisive than back home… it won't get you killed or anything, but you don't want to offend the people paying for all this."
Eren shrugged.
"Makes some sense, I guess."
He placed the earbuds in place and began walking away, listening to the book.
Ilse raised an eyebrow.
Armin said, "He's been acting weird recently."
"Seems detached… see if you can bring it up later, he's still fifteen so if he needs anything he should speak up."
Armin only nodded.
"Did you find what you were looking for?"
Armin nodded.
"Okay, let's see if we can get you... some..."
Ilse wasn't surprised at the history books or the nature books.
She was very much surprised at the book about "History's Greatest Monsters".
"Um... I'm curious about the-" Armin began to stammer.
"I don't want to know."
…
Matt passed the Survey Corps members as they began inspecting their modified M1 Garands.
The American glanced at the ship on the horizon and cringed.
"You look worried." a girl with short hair mumbled as she loaded a clip of the heavy bullets into the rifle.
Matt huffed.
"See those?"
The girl glanced at the ship but said nothing.
"Fourteen-inch guns at least. You can't imagine the damage those things can do."
"Oh, surely you have something bigger."
"More like they're obsolete. Hell, the only battleships similar to that one that we have left have 16-inch guns and they're currently mothballed. Why bother with the naval artillery when you can pack ballistic missiles that can travel for miles and hit with more precision than you could get by guessing where your shells will land? Still... it's dangerous."
The girl huffed, lying on the ground along with the other scouts and placing their hoods over their heads.
The American group on top of the wall began to walk towards the stairs.
Nanaba said "Do me a favor, American, try not to show that fear, for all we know these people are out to kill us regardless of your assistance or presence."
Matt frowned but said nothing, following the rest of the men.
As he walked down the steps, Jake said "How's your arm?"
"Fine. No idea how the cut was so deep and not hurt at all."
"Still, if they start shooting..."
"Yeah, I got it, I got it." he groaned, motioning towards the new addition to his M4, an Advanced Combat Optical Sight.
An upgrade from the regular iron sights the Humvee gunner had been used to.
Lieutenant Troy stopped as did the men.
In the distance, they could see a small lifeboat making its way towards them.
The men on it were clearly rowing.
"At ease, boys. It looks like they kind of followed our advice." Troy mumbled as the men kept their carbines level, the small rowboat filled with armed men slowly approaching them.
However, there were only two armed men, and compared to the American and Survey Corps presence, it wasn't much.
"That warship is definitely a pre-dreadnought. The masts, the-"
"Thank you, Dave, that is very important, but please keep your mouth shut. We have exactly the information we have to give them and that information only."
The boat touched down and the Marlean soldiers hopped out first, bolt action rifles slung on their backs as they tied to boat to the dock, but their eyes ever focused on the soldiers on the opposite end of the dock.
A blonde man with a short beard stepped onto the dock, followed by a young girl and an older man.
"Colonel Magath?"
"Yes. Lieutenant Troy?"
"Yes, sir… welcome to Paradis."
Magath looked around.
"Where are the Eldians?"
Troy pointed to the wall behind him.
"Up there. Got some pretty good sharpshooters keeping an eye on us in case one of you gets any ideas." he replied coolly.
"Ah, understandable."
"I would hope so. Those cannons on your ship aren't exactly pointing at the open ocean."
"As you say, just in case… so, lieutenant, who are you people and what the hell is going on here?" the colonel spoke in a cool but threatening tone that made it very clear he wasn't in the mood for jokes.
Might as well practice my comedy routine!
"Would you like the short version or the long version?"
Before the man could reply, Troy quickly said "Well, the short version is that a large structure materialized within the outermost wall the old Eldian King built and said structure connected this island to our own island… somewhere else entirely, a nation known as the United States of America."
It was Zeke who spoke then.
"United States… you are not of this world."
"That would be a correct assertion."
"And yet you're human."
"One hundred percent. Been working to fix things up after your… warriors made a mess of things. Couple of months and well what'd you know? Turns out the king doesn't like the idea of outsiders and tried to get rid of us."
"What? H-how did you-?"
Troy continued, less reading off a government sanctioned document, more sharing as much of his experience as he was allowed to tell out loud.
"Thankfully the power of the Founder was already taken by someone not of royal blood before we arrived, so he was never able to activate the Rumbling you people fear so much. Instead he tried having his illegitimate daughter eat the individual who currently has the Founder within him, failed to do that after she objected, turned himself into a titan, managed to devour one of your warriors, horrifically altering the shifter form, by the way, and was promptly blown to bits by our weapons, and his remains were eaten by a pure titan that survived the blast before we could get to him… any questions?"
The Marleans stared for a second.
The girl known as Pieck asked "What warrior was devoured?"
"According to Annie, Bertholdt, and Reiner, it was a young boy by the name of Marcel who was first devoured by a titan on the way to the walls and the girl who devoured him was the one later devoured by King Reiss."
There was another pause, a silent shock coming and going.
"I see…" she said flatly after a moment.
Magath half breathed out and half growled "And who exactly are you?"
"Like I said, we're part of the United States Armed Forces, me and my guys here are Army, earlier on we had the Marines occupying this little outpost, and-"
"Allow me to rephrase my question… who are you to actually defeat the titans in such a manner? Defeat the king, what exactly do you have that lets you… fight on even terms with titans?"
"Even?" Troy chortled, and Magath cringed as several of the strange men also began to chuckle.
You're asking about our tech? Okay...
"Apologies, sir… allow us to demonstrate… uh, please don't freak out, this won't hurt anyone."
The man waved to the Eldians on the wall, which was already disturbing enough.
It was a great location for riflemen and if the Eldians of Paradis had some weapons remotely on par with the rifle his men carried, then that would be the end of things for them.
Well, not the two Warriors, but he worried even they wouldn't be enough at the moment.
However, he was somewhat surprised to see a green flare shoot up into the sky.
"Give it a second." Troy said in a way that Magath understood was the man grinning.
It was subtle and imperceptible at first.
A low, low whine that made Magath think his ears were acting up, but it soon became very clear that it was a noise.
As it intensified, Magath studied the men.
Their uniforms were a strange pattern, more than likely designed to camouflage them in the green foliage of the battlefield, but the complex patterns on them were certainly a surprise. Their helmets were… odd.
Their gear too was odd, but their helmets… they looked needlessly heavy, and their rifles… so small and black… what exactly-?
He turned to look at the sky as a pair of cross like aircraft flew just above the wall, the whine turning into a shriek and then a low sounding scream as they flew past them, towards their ship, and then split back up into the air in a matter of seconds.
"You know, some call them the Devil's Cross cause of the… well… anyway, I'm not sure if that answers your question."
"You have aircraft… is that how you took care of the titans?"
"Partly, but what you should really be getting from this is-"
"Yes, you're more advanced, congratulations, but that doesn't really matter to me right now, not as much as your intentions.
Troy nodded, and simply said "All we want is for the island of Paradis to be recognized as an independent state, free to decide its fate for itself… oh, and some trade deals would be nice, but honestly that's more for the diplomats and politicians. We're currently gathering our own and would appreciate it if you did the same."
Magath winced and asked "You… don't want a resurgence of the old Eldian Empire?"
"No, not really."
"You don't want to enslave or conquer-"
"I mean, we could, let's be honest, but then things get messy, and we really don't want an open war with a group of people that haven't done anything to us. But we totally could, I mean... you guys are like a century behind us in terms of technology."
"A century?"
"Give or take. That ship of yours is very similar to what we had back home a hundred years ago… maybe a bit more."
Magath stared ahead, somewhat shocked.
A hundred years would result in mankind advancing this far?
It was Zeke who spoke next.
"The shifter in control of the Jaw Titan… is the ability functioning?"
Troy simply said "I don't know, after the monster the previous king turned himself into, we don't want to know, nor have we tested it. We have pictures of it if you'd like."
"We should take those, yes… we need to speak with the higher ups, let them know the details, get negotiations underway. Is the Eldian royalty still alive?"
Troy said "The illegitimate daughter is queen for the moment, but she wishes to become more of a figurehead once things die down… the current holder of the Founding titan is unable to use it without direct access to royal blood, and while we have a royal family member we can use, we have no intention of allowing the Rumbling to occur."
There was silence for a few moments.
Troy continued.
"We're on the same side here… at the moment, at least. Our representative will gladly give you some information on our culture and values once we can set up an actual meeting."
The men nodded.
Magath asked "Will you hand over the shifters?"
"Not happening. They tried attacking our base and nearly killed several citizens both of our side and other countries. Plus, the whole… couple hundred thousand indirect deaths thanks to them breaching the wall five years ago. We can negotiate their release, though."
"Hmm… political prisoners… understandable. We hope to return no later than this week." Magath spoke calmly, feeling surprised at how relaxed he felt.
Zeke spoke again.
"May we at least see them and confirm they're alive?"
"In person, no. You can talk to them if you want."
Zeke considered it, but Magath said "As an act of good faith, we'll take your word for it. We would also prefer it if you kept this… situation under wraps."
"Unfortunately, I have orders to make our presence known to everyone willing to listen. I get you guys probably have enemies, so I will confirm that we have no intentions of siding with anyone military or otherwise until we can all sit down and discuss the situation."
Magath nodded.
"Right then… the sooner we bring the higher ups this information the better. Let's go."
The captured soldiers were handed back with the basic information that they could share neatly organized and printed on several papers, the men hopped back on the raft and the Americans observed them slowly begin heading back to the ship.
Dave said "They seemed nice."
"Yeah…" Troy muttered.
"Something up, El-tee?"
"…probably nothing."
Troy couldn't help but notice Zeke Yeager was right there in front of them and the second he mentioned the situation the man had gotten a petrified look on his face.
What is going through your head, Beast Titan?
…
Zeke had to contain the whirlwind of emotions his mind had become in the last few hours and maintain a calm expression.
The Founding Titan was in the hands of someone else.
The King was dead and now a young queen was in charge making the threat of the Rumbling obsolete.
The new players were not making unreasonable demands despite being much more advanced than they were, which meant that peace was likely.
Which meant his plan for euthanizing the Eldian population was likely to fail.
He rubbed his eyes and sat down on his bunk.
He didn't have the information to go on or plan anything new, he simply had to make things up as he went along.
The door opened and in stepped Magath.
"Any news, sir?"
Magath simply walked over with a tired expression.
"It… seems that the higher ups wish to initiate an emergency meeting with world leaders…"
"What?"
"They say we should solve the Paradis question before acquiring the other shifters."
"Oh."
Magath shook his head, saying "In a way, I guess there was some success in this mission. It seems the Founder is out of the hands of the old king and the Rumbling isn't a threat."
Zeke nodded.
"Get your story straight, you'll be a witness in front of the world's leaders."
He only nodded in return.
…
"This meeting will come to order! ORDER, I SAID!"
Zeke felt as if the room would have collapsed from the amount of bickering he was seeing but when the chairman slammed his gavel on the desk, he was certain the damage done would doom every human there.
The arguing heads of states stopped their arguing and turned to face the speaker instead.
The old man calmly placed a monocle upon his right eye, grabbed a piece of paper and began reading.
"It has come to our attention that a situation is currently occurring at the island of Paradis. A force of an unknown nation has apparently taken control-"
A dark-skinned man stood up and in a booming voice demanded "Mister Speaker, we have all read the document! We do not need an-"
"ORDER!" the man shouted over the incredibly loud voice.
The dark man angrily went silent before sitting down.
"The unknown party has identified itself as several United States of a continent named America. They are self-identified as a republic and are allegedly willing to begin talks in order to maintain the independence of Paradis as a remnant of the previous Eldian Empire and peace with all nations of this world. They are technologically advanced, although the exact extent is currently unknown."
Another man, his skin pale but his look determined, stood up, angrily saying "For all we know this is yet another attempt by Marley to invade the island and gain the Founder. Why should any of us back-?"
"Mister Hamilton, the evidence presented before you is true and unless proven otherwise will be treated as true."
All eyes turned to the man with long hair sitting calmly next to several Marley officers.
The pale man sat back down.
The long-haired man stood up, and cleared his throat.
"Right then, it seems very clear to me that we shouldn't bother with politics today. Thank you, Mister Speaker, but I will take it from here."
The speaker only nodded and removed his monocle.
The man known as Willy Tybur looked at everyone in the room before speaking with passion.
"What we are faced with is an unknown that is perhaps more dangerous than the titans even under the control of the Ancient Eldian Empire. These… alleged humans… we only know what they claim to want, we have no idea what they actually want, nor what they may do in order to achieve as much. As Colonel Magath and Zeke Yeager can attest, they are certainly advanced, their aircraft appearing to have no propeller, correct?"
Magath stood up, saying "Correct, although the aircraft was certainly powered by some form of engine, it had no propellers that we could see, what's worse, the man I spoke with claimed our battleship, the Sword, was eerily similar to warships from one hundred years ago back in their world."
An uneasy mutter began to make itself heard among the crowd.
An older woman with a tired face spoke then.
"These men did not attack you, however. And they appear to be very open to peace?"
"That is the impression I got from the men I met, madam, yes. However, we have not spoken to their leaders, and all we know is what they told us."
The mumble continued.
"A group of people with weapons from the future?"
"Another world?"
"Why is it on Paradis?"
"Is this more devil work?"
It was Willy Tybur who silenced the room by raising a hand.
"As you all know or… should know… legend has it that the first Titan, Ymir, made a pact with the devil… despite our scientist's best efforts, we have yet to find substantial evidence to explain how exactly titans came to be, and with records from the Ancient empire of Marley and the old Eldian tribes being mostly lost, it is impossible to say what is true and what is not true… but this…"
He took a deep breath before speaking.
"This... is... it is very clear that this… whatever caused this… was not natural in any way. If these… Americans and their allies are indeed human… they don't have any explanation for this doorway that connects both worlds. The reasoning for why it opened on Paradis is also suspicious and certainly cause for concern… what's more damning seems to be the timing, if anything."
Tybur eyed the ambassadors for the Mid-East alliance.
"Anti-titan weapons have come a long way in the last ten years. Air-ships and air craft are capable of making formidable anti titan weapons, but the Middle East Alliance has developed wonderful artillery that makes the use of pure titans in combat all but obsolete, and while we haven't tested them on the Colossal or Armored titans… let's be honest, a single warship with enough ammunition will likely stop even the Armored titan in its tracks."
A nod of agreement was followed by a few suspicious glances at the now somewhat nervous looking representatives of the Mid-East Alliance.
Tybur smiled.
"No need for looks of anger, we have all been developing our weapons and technology in this present age. The nation of Hizuru has developed wonderfully in the last thirty years and has several new aircraft that are faster than anything we know of. The Germanic States as well as the Franks have created some of the best artillery guns we have seen since Eldia fell. Not to mention the Germanic soldiers who serve as our bodyguards are among the best in the world. We are living in an age more luxurious and advanced than has ever been seen in history!"
A pause to let the tension relax.
Then he said, "Which is exactly why we must be suspicious of these so called… United States and its people. Just look at this list."
Eyes turned to the document as Tybur read as loudly as he could.
"The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the French Republic, the Federal Republic of Germany, the Italian Republic, the Kingdom of Belgium, the Kingdom of Spain, the Kingdom of Norway, the Republic of Korea, the nation of Japan, the United Mexican States, Canada, the commonwealth of Australia… ladies and gentlemen, there is no doubt that these names are eerily familiar for a reason."
Tybur waited for the implication to set in.
"If what these Americans say is true, if there is indeed another world, and if these nations are actually there then they are little more than inverted copies of our own. So many Republics, so many… peculiar coincidences… now, are they hostile? We don't know. Do they intend to talk? Clearly… but we must be cautious, because whatever force placed the titans in this world, it is not unlikely that it will try and assert its power once it is challenged. Perhaps this is just the needlessly paranoid worries of the descendants of the Hero… but if these nations begin attempting to reinstate the old Eldian Empire, that demonic power that ruled the world for a thousand years… then we must be ready to fight it. And fight it we shall!"
There wasn't an eruption of cheer, more of some nodding of heads and a few vocal agreements.
"If we wish for peace, we must prepare for war, and the threat of the devils on that island must not be taken lightly. We have a date to gather up as much information as possible to introduce to these outsiders, and we have enough time to begin mustering our forces for a possible war with the island of Paradis… and its strange new allies. That is the message of today: prepare."
…
Willy Tybur observed the city of Liberio extending to the coast from the third floor of the government building.
General Calvi and Colonel Magath stood behind him, questioning looks on both their faces.
"Go ahead, call me a madman." Tybur sighed.
"Oh, quite the contrary, we think your approach is most understandable." Calvi said.
Both Magath and Tybur turned to look at the stone-faced man.
He sighed and said "It was a joke. What exactly is your plan? If they are a century ahead of us in terms of technology, we should look to negotiate first and foremost."
"I agree, which is why I made a point when saying we should prepare for war not initiate it… Still, I don't like that this is happening now all of a sudden." Tybur replied.
"You think there is a likely chance they will try to reinstate the old Eldian Empire." Magath spoke.
"That, but it's mostly the timing. Humanity was essentially free of Eldian rule, and while Marley has done plenty of terrible things being the sole superpower, it frankly doesn't compare to ancient Eldia. Suddenly, more than a hundred years after peace is achieved a new enemy emerges that can overwhelm titans? Coincidentally just as our weapons were surpassing the power of the titans?"
Calvi glanced at Magath.
The Colonel said "It is true that titans have been becoming obsolete. With Zeke we are now able to control titans more effectively, certainly, but with aerial technology evolving the way it is…"
Calvi nodded.
"We use our airships as often as we use our titans in military operations… so in your mind this isn't a coincidence?"
"It's another shift, another false god for mankind to bow to. I can't allow that. Not after a thousand years of abuse on the rest of humanity."
"It seems most leaders agree with you, yet the negotiations are still going to happen next week."
Tybur was quiet for a moment, contemplating things.
"I will speak with them myself then. Maybe I'm wrong and they're not a threat, but… I must admit, I worry about it."
The officres nodded.
"General, Colonel… if we had to… can we defeat them?"
There was a pause.
Magath sighed and spoke up.
"Alright, let's say we had to face the Marlean armies of one hundred years ago. Guns could only shoot one bullet, hot air balloons were the only means of flight, horses were the prime means of transportation, canons took a long time to fire, warships weren't ironclad, and medicine wasn't as good… however…"
Tybur stared at the man.
"If push came to shove, they would still harm us pretty badly. Old canons are still canons, and the effect on humans hasn't changed just because time passed. Same for those old flintlock muskets, you get hit with one bullet, you'll likely die before you realized what hit you. A weapon is still a weapon, and it must not be underestimated."
"So… you think we may have a chance?"
"I think that if these are men like we are, then they will die like we do."
"But can we beat them?"
"That..."
"It matters not. Like I said, I may just be paranoid, but I want to be certain. Colonel, General, prepare. The fate of humanity lies in the balance. When the negotiations come, we must speak clearly and purposefully. They do not get to dictate us, they will not keep the Founder, and they will not install anything remotely similar to the Eldian Empire. Attempting to do so even in a small sense should be seen as harmful intent unless proven otherwise."
The men nodded.
Magath sighed, "Hangs in the balance..."
He glanced at the city stretching out to the sea as the sun began to set and city lights began to flip on.
"Have a good night, gentlemen... remember to prepare for any outcome we may face."
The men only nodded.
Magath turned to Calvi and said "The Eldian population is going to suffer regardless of outcome."
"An unfortunate inevitability, but hopefully it can be reduced in impact."
"What worries me more is the attitude of other nations, general."
"Oh, I understand. Those bastards in the Mid-East Alliance are a perfect example... but perhaps our diplomats will achieve what was impossible even a month ago."
"Perhaps?"
"Perhaps."
Both men stared at the setting sun with a mixture of dread and hope for the future.
…
The Russian president was a very tired man.
The collapse of the Soviet Union had been a long time coming, and when the bastards at the Politburo tried to prevent Russia from becoming free of communist rule, his predecessor had rallied the support of the people and taken the nation back.
The Union had dissolved, the Cold War had come to an end... and yet Russia's toughest years were still ahead.
It had been quite some time since then, but now, with him at the helm and with the Americans preoccupied in the Middle East, things had seemingly begun to shape up for the powerful nation.
Their annexation of Crimea and invaluable actions during the Syrian War had made it clear: "The Bear was not hibernating".
And of course, the western powers had reacted as such.
He smirked slightly as an MSNBC reporter actually chose to focus more on American intelligence reports on potential Russian interference in the previous elections than the fact that first contact with a nation on the other side of the Gate had been established. Astonishing!
Did his security agencies put up as much of a fuss when the Americans interfered in his elections? Of course not! And he knew all too well how much the Americans tried to push the boundaries of what they could get away with.
Still, the fact that the situation with the Gate was increasingly becoming more and more international by the minute was something that irritated him.
On his desk sat a report that read "Information on Operation Arrowhead".
He had read it and was disturbed by it.
It is suspected the world on the other side of the Gate is an exact, inverted copy of our own. Maps, eyewitness accounts, and studies of the constellations appear to substantiate this claim.
The implication was more than clear.
The other side of the Gate had Russians, British, Chinese, French, German people! People no different from the ones he had sworn to serve!
And yet he was powerless to actually do more than just demand the Americans do something about it.
That was the most infuriating part of it all.
The Gate was situated in New York.
The Gate was only big enough for a pair of tanks to drive through.
The Gate was not over international waters.
Sending Russian forces through the Gate alone would be hard enough, but to send the fleet necessary to actually enforce Russian law and order over the inverted lands was all but impossible... until he read the report his spies had sent him ahead of the presidential visit.
With an almost silent *beep*, his secretary alerted him to the arrival of the world leader.
The Russian president stood up and walked downstairs to meet the American.
The American president saw him and smiled.
The Russian president returned the smile.
Hands were shaken, pictures were taken, questions were thrown.
The second they were behind closed doors both men let the masks slip off and sat down across from one another, stern looks on both their faces.
Despite the prevailing media narrative... they hated each other.
It had been bad enough when the president ordered a strike that resulted in the deaths of an entire Russian Army force, but the recent trade war with China was making things annoyingly unstable.
The American spoke first.
"I take it you got my report?"
Before you sent it...
"Yes, it was... very interesting."
"You keeping up with the news back home?"
"Ah yes, your cute queen is set to talk at the UN and her officers and their congressional hearings got... put on hold?"
"We're waiting on word from our ambassadors who are going to meet with ambassadors from these other countries in the other world... um... it is... a very delicate situation."
"Yes, but only if the other nations choose to fight you."
The president's eye briefly twitched at the mention of a fight.
The Russian smirked slightly.
"You do not want a war and yet here you are... preparing for one."
"I feel like my hand is getting pushed more and more as news comes out so let's just get this over with."
"Ah?"
"You know about Project Arrowhead, odds are your generals know about it, too... do you want in?"
Now the Russian president visibly flinched at the bluntness of the statement.
"I can give you a few days to consider, but I need an answer as soon as-"
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"Why all of a sudden are you asking for our help?"
The American president smirked slightly.
"We don't need every country to back them, but if we back them and if you back them..."
"Oh, I see. How do you say... a bipartisan coalition that condemns the great evils of these empires from another world, yes?"
"I do like bipartisanship."
"So... in exchange for Russian support of the Island of Paradis... you will allow Russian participation in Project Arrowhead... and if the project is a success?"
The American stood up and looked around the room, fixating on the map of the globe., approaching it before moving it slightly and pointing to an area.
"If the project is a success, then the second Gate will be installed here."
The Russian eyed the location on the globe.
He nodded.
"Ambitious."
"America is leading it, what'd you expect?"
"How many nations are on board already?"
"The UK and France are already on board, and with the Japanese easing their restrictions on their military they'll be joining us soon enough."
"So... this would be our... quid pro quo, yes?"
"Don't even joke about that."
"Of course, mister president, of course... that leaves the question of China."
"They're free to join if they relax certain aspects of their current political regime."
The Russian nodded.
"Well... how long until we get all the information of Project Arrowhead?"
"The UN will be holding a vote pretty soon. Back us up on it, and you'll get the information for Arrowhead the very next day."
The Russian president stared at the globe.
"Is it really just an inverted earth?"
"It sure looks like it. We're setting up some old-fashioned satellites to try and have a better idea of it, but... if the maps we got were accurate..." the American sighed.
"Then there could very well be an... oppressed Russian minority?"
"I don't know, but you can research it yourself once the representatives from the other world communicate with our own. Maybe none of this will be necessary, maybe we won't even have to fire-"
"You know as well as I do that is impossible."
The American president frowned.
"But as you Americans say... hope for the best?"
"Plan for the worst... have a good day."
The Russian president nodded as the American left the room.
Once that was over with it was back to the masks and cameras and questions from nosy reporters.
The moment the Russian president got a chance to speak privately he called the Ministry of Defense.
"Shoygu..."
"Mister President, how was the meeting?"
"We're in. Right now, we are gathering information, hoping for the best but you know how good hope is in a crisis. Now, in a worst-case scenario, how soon can our Navy and Army be ready to ship out?"
"Well, we would have to reorganize our forces along our borders, perhaps bring in some of the units from Syria... if we begin readying now then... well, as soon as you give the order."
"Good. Prepare."
He ended the call and glanced at the location the president had pointed at.
It wouldn't be his choice, but it made some sense.
It was close to the American continent.
It was actually not too far from the Panama Canal.
It was located right by an American territory.
It was in the open sea, so a naval force could go through.
For American allies, there were several territories they could use to dock ships ahead of schedule.
It was almost in the middle of everything.
However, the Russian president frowned as he considered the order he had just given.
On the one hand, perhaps the nations on the other end of the gate would be smart enough to just negotiate.
Perhaps there really would be no need for war and security for the Russian people on both ends could be achieved via diplomacy and talks.
He almost laughed.
No, despite his best wishes of those who wanted peace, sometimes war really was the only answer.
And it was more likely than not, that this would be the first Inter-Planetary war humanity ever fought.
He sighed, and wondered if he had a counterpart in that inverted earth that was thinking the same thing.
…
Eren Yeager could not sleep.
Lying on the incredibly comfortable bed wasn't helping him relax, nor was the soft breathing of the others in the room with him.
He glanced at the watch on the nightstand.
Four in the morning... damn it all...
But he really couldn't relax.
The fate of his people, his world, hung in the balance, and it could tip one way at any moment.
His mind moved slowly to his memories.
He thought about the audiobook he was listening to.
You can't really stop all hate...
With a sigh, Eren Yeager closed his eyes once more, somewhat desperate to silence the annoying voice on the back of his mind screaming at him.
Telling him.
Pleading with him.
Ordering him.
You can't really stop all hate... but that's just an excuse, isn't it?
His eyes shot open and he forced himself to stand up.
Don't you want to be free? Truly free?
He clasped his hands as memories shot through his mind.
His home smashed by a boulder.
His mother trapped underneath the rubble, alive but unable to escape.
Hannes taking him and Mikasa to safety.
Him seeing his mother be devoured so mercilessly.
Kill them all.
"No..." he said weakly.
It's the only way!
He didn't reply.
They were his own thoughts after all.
Instead he laid back on the bed and shut his eyes.
Time would tell.
At least for now... he would rest and let things play out.
For now...
A/N: Hey, sorry, that took way too long again, to the point that I think I'm going to have to toss out my original goal of "one chapter a month". Seriously.
Anyway, this is technically the second half of the series, and… I gotta be honest with you guys, I'm a bit unsure about the road forward. Chapters 131 and 132 of the Attack on Titan Manga not only left me in shock, but they made me realize that we don't know a LOT about the power of both the Founding Titan and the Attack Titan.
Don't get me wrong, nothing has happened in the manga that has altered my planned course of the fic… as of September 2020 at least… but chapter 131 certainly opened… let's just say a possibility that might screw with the planned upcoming chapters.
This is just a roundabout way of saying "I think I need to wait a while before continuing" but that's not quite it.
See, I already planned this whole thing out, the final arc starting after chapter 14, but with so many questions left unanswered... well...
I'm thinking of waiting a while before getting into the next arc of this fic. I don't want to call this a "hiatus" because it's not like I'll stop working on this, it's more of me continuing to write while monitoring the manga for any curb-balls that may require me altering something before publishing, which will definitely take longer to get done, and it may not change anything at all, but I want to be sure as this is not only the most popular fic I have written up to date, but it is the most positively reviewed fic I've had, and I don't plan on leaving you guys hanging without an ending, not after following it for so long.
So, the plan now is to take my time. I'm officially dropping the "one chapter a month" plan and just uploading chapters when I'm sure they're ready and don't screw up the main canon.
Maybe I'll work on something else while I wait, but keep in mind: I am not abandoning this fic.
Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter. On to the Reviewer response:
Afdhalul Akbar- Islam and other Abrahamic Religions in the world of AOT?
Yeah, I'm with you, it would be nice if Isayama gave us some more details, as we HAVE heard some characters pray to a single "God" here and there. I hinted at an alternate "Golden Age of Islam" in chapter 12 because if history was relatively the same until sometime in the early Roman Empire, then there is no reason to assume some kind of Arab rediscovery of Greek knowledge wouldn't have happened, and we have seen signs of SOME kind of culture based off Islamic teachings with the "Mid-East Alliance" but it's hard to know if they worship in the same way or even the same God with only context clues.
Ryuukagi- same 2020 timeline?
I mean… I don't think the Gate would change much as it showed up in late 2018 and the fic is currently sometime in early to mid-2019. Other than some scientific and maybe political changes here and there, I doubt it would change too much from current history. That said, I will not bring up any topical diseases in this fic.
I think we're all tired of hearing about it everywhere we go.
Guest- Mikasa and Eren pairing?
Good question. No idea. Currently in the manga Eren KNOWS Mikasa has very deep feelings for him, but he never commented on them. I'm working off the info in the manga which is why I never specified Ymir and Historia's relationship as anything more than "close friends" as Historia never seemed to reciprocate. I've had characters like Matt occasionally joke about Mikasa being obviously in love with Eren, and we all know most AOT character see it clear as day, but if Eren has ever felt anything remotely like that for Mikasa is yet to be confirmed in the manga.
Guest- Nukes?
Um… no. The only case a nuke would be used in this scenario is if Eren activates the Rumbling (which I THINK can be taken care of by the Air Force if given enough time and ammo) and we should also remember that this Eren still has little idea about all his powers at this point (not that that matters right now). At the moment, we are just exiting the Female Titan arc, timeline wise, so while Eren has had more time to get used to his titan, he hasn't gotten the chance to figure out he can do… certain things... yet.
Though he has shown hints of it, which leads to the next question...
Guest- Eren's future vision ability and Ackerman clan being Eldian Super Soldier experiments.
I plan on addressing Eren's Attack Titan ability on the next chapter, actually. As for the Ackerman situation, I'm wondering if there will be time to bring it up since it's such a small detail overall.
Guest- Will Pieck, Porco, Yelena or other characters make an appearance?
Yes. I think every named AOT character will make an appearance at least once. Pieck showed up in this chapter, albeit briefly, and Yelena is planned on playing a… well… let's just say I have plans for her in this timeline.
DidHeJustNut- Reaction to Eren and the Paths and everything else going on?
My reaction is… well, as I said earlier… shock. I think the worst part is that Eren KNOWS all of this was going to happen, and he still went through with it… which is my biggest concern right now and it's exactly what I want to find out before uploading the next chapter: can the future be changed?
Mizukagi- Am I okay?
Doing fine, thanks for asking. Although I will admit that I got a bit of writer's block for a bit after publishing chapter 12, which was quickly fixed by me writing… well… several other fics that should be up by the time this chapter comes out. Not sure if I'll write more for those other fics or not while I wait for AOT to get another chapter, but we'll see.
With all that said, THANK YOU all so much for reading and reviewing! Remember that reviews are greatly appreciated, if anything seemed off, do let me know as I always publish on here to help improve my writing!
Thank you for reading!
