Chapter Three
Thomas. Mina. Milius. Nac. Hanna. Franz. Grise. Ruth.
Marco.
"Is that who I think it is?" Grisha stared at an older man slipping through the gate amongst a sea of faces.
"Yes!" Carla wormed her way through the crowd.
"Carla!" Armin's grandfather embraced her as she pulled him away from the ceaseless swarm of victims. "Grisha."
"Is this – h – heaven exists?!"
"It does, and it's beautiful." Carla held his hand. "You kept Eren and Mikasa fed. We're so grateful."
"I wish I could have kept them safe for longer."
"You did what you could, while you could," Grisha said sympathetically. "More than I ever did."
"What do you mean?"
"It's a long story." Carla balled her hands into fists. "Although, given how the government cast you aside, Grisha, I'm halfway sympathetic to Marley again."
She glanced back at the sobbing sack of a man by the gate, in the shade and away from everyone. "Except for him."
"Yeah, he still can't look at anyone." Kruger stood nearby, shrugging at his former partner, Sergeant Major Gross.
"Who is he?"
"A bad man. I tried to hug him. Frieda's even tried. We haven't gotten anywhere in years. If he speaks, he screams about his sons. They're in the army, which is about as corrupt as your army, sir." Faye shook her head. "Hello. Your grandson is very sweet. I wish I could have been like him."
"You would have," Grisha said, ruffling her hair.
"Who's Frieda?!"
Faye pointed to a dark-haired girl hugging every last person at the gate.
"It's time to sit down," said Carla.
"Keith Shadis, don't you dare!"
Grisha looked up from his conversation with his mother. "What?"
"He's messing with Eren's gear to keep him out of the military!" Carla marched back and forth. "I'd like to give him a good old-fashioned whipping!"
"Carla, I thought you didn't want him in the military?"
"There's not much chance if he doesn't go, right? He'll never know who you are. And he deserves to know." Carla stared at him
Grisha hung his head. "Yes, he does."
His mother placed a hand on her shoulder. "He'll still love you, as I do."
But Zeke thought Grisha didn't love him, and she'd done naught to correct him. Because as her grandson wept over his parents, she hadn't known the answer.
"If only I could have … I should have been Keith Shadis to Zeke." Grisha turned to watch.
"Are those – are those the titan children? They won't teach him." Carla frowned as Armin and Eren begged Reiner and Bertolt.
But then she saw the colossal's eyes when Eren mentioned how he'd killed her.
And then she understood. "These children don't understand."
The pain in his eyes – she wanted nothing more than to be there, to wipe his fears away, to hold both he and Eren together.
A hush fell over heaven then, the night the armored and colossal titans befriended the son of an Eldian restorationalist and his friend. They wanted to prove their humanity, and Eren wanted to gain his dream.
His dream…it's been perverted. He's filled with hate, like me. Grisha swallowed hard.
His dad settled next to him. "I love you, son."
"I know."
"Do you?"
Grisha glanced at him. "I don't know."
"I do." Faye and Frieda Reiss, who had become fast friends, dashed up.
"Go, Eren!" Faye jumped up and down as he tried out the 3D-MG again.
"His gear's still broken," mumbled Grisha's mother.
"He can do it," Carla replied hotly.
"He's standing!" Frieda squealed.
Belief dawned below in Keith Shadis' eyes. He stepped forward. "Springer, switch belts with Jaeger."
Carla gasped, and Grisha's mother smiled.
As Eren stood proud, Keith whispered, "Grisha, today your son has become a soldier."
And Grisha wept from pride and fear alike.
"No, Grisha – why?" Carla shook his shoulder. "Look – it's Bertolt – the child! He's a titan again!"
"We knew that would happen," Grisha said, tears in his eyes.
"But he's Eren's friend." Carla pressed a hand over her mouth. "He taught him to use 3D-MG."
I contributed to this. Grisha squeezed his eyes shut. I wanted Zeke to endure this.
"No," moaned Frieda as the gate was kicked to rubble. "Bertolt, why? You're better than this!"
Carla spun around to the Person, as tears slid down their face like waterfalls. "Stop this."
"I would if I could."
Carla sobbed against Grisha's shoulder. No one deserved to die as she had, helpless in the arms of another titan.
Then Eren was leading a squad, but Mikasa couldn't come.
"Of all the foolish decisions!" fumed Carla.
"There's still hope," Frieda said. "They've lived three years among friends. They might yet stop this. Please."
No, brainwashing is not so easily undone. But Grisha kept his fears to himself.
"Grise?" Grisha watched in horror as his former friend – no, still his friend, titan or not – dove for Eren's squad.
A boy sunk into its mouth and Carla screamed, screamed because that was all she could do. And the Person screamed along with her.
"Eren, stop!" Grisha watched his son rage forward, in full metaphor of all he'd done in his youth.
"Stop!" The titan who'd killed Gross, who'd been his close ally, devoured a concussed child, and Grisha found himself rolling on the grass in agony.
"He's dying; our son is dying!" cried Carla.
"He'll heal," muttered Grisha, lifting himself back to his knees.
"But –"
"Armin!" shrieked his grandfather, but by this point Carla was numb.
And then –
Eren dove forward –
Removed Armin –
And mentioned the sea –
Grisha's heart exploded with hope, even when his son's arm flew out of his former friend's mouth, even as his son sunk into his belly.
"Thomas!" Frieda and Faye raced towards the gate.
The blonde blinked. "Where –?"
Carla cleared her throat, glancing briefly at the boy, God forgive her. "Heaven. Where else?"
"H-heaven?"
"Yes. I'm Eren's aunt." Faye clasped his hand. "His dad is there, and so is his mom. I'm so sorry."
"I – I just should have lasted longer! I've accomplished nothing. And I wanted to join the Survey Corps, when I succumbed before anyone." Thomas shook.
"We didn't last much beyond you." Mina Carolina appeared, pulling Mylius and Nac behind her.
"I'm so ashamed."
"You'll last forever now," Faye promised.
"Hanna…" Franz groaned.
"Wake up. You'll be okay." Carla shook another of Eren's friends. Her son had saved Mikasa, Armin had recovered his wits, and she was now able to summon all her energy for Eren's friends.
"Hanna!" Franz sat straight up, staring below.
"I'm sorry." Carla coughed as the delirious girl desperately tried to revive her love. She'd have done the same for Grisha.
"Let me go. Run!" wailed Franz as Armin left, as a titan approached.
"It lifted her by her hair – by her hair – and she didn't even fight.
"Hanna," Franz moaned.
But then the girl appeared, and as sad as he was, the boy only cared to see her again.
"Franz!" She blinked.
"I love you!" As he kissed her, he knew he ought to have told her long ago, but at least he had now and forever.
"And love will go on," Carla said, smiling at Grisha.
He couldn't help but smile back.
"So let me get this straight. You never became a titan, your son killed me, and he has the Coordinate?" A restorationalist, the abnormal who'd devoured Thomas, glared at Grisha.
"Precisely." Carla knelt beside her husband.
She seemed a good and honest woman, to Grise's grudging approval.
"I still want to know what you did to Zeke," muttered the restorationalist.
"I used him," Grisha said simply. "And I wish my apologies could upend that. They can't."
"Hey, you're the one that ate me!" Thomas stomped forward.
His eyes widened.
"And you ate me!" Mina burst into tears as another restorationalist appeared.
He stared in shock. "Grisha, I –" His eyes refocused on Mina. "I'm sorry; I'm so sorry!"
"Well, we'll leave you to it," Grisha said softly.
"Sucks, doesn't it."
Grisha froze. "Grise."
"Yeah. I've avoided you for so long. But now – with so many comrades showing up – I can't." His recruiter, his friend turned indicter, shuffled his feet against the grass. "Hi."
"I don't know how to apologize."
"You don't have to. And neither do I, really," admitted Grise. "But here – oh, we shouldn't fight anymore."
"I agree." Grisha gripped his friend's hand.
"That's all well and good, but someone is dying below." Carla pointed with a shaking hand.
"No," Grisha croaked as Marco Bodt, friend of Eren and everyone, confronted the Eldian spies.
When Reiner jumped him, Grisha already knew what would happen, despite Faye's wailing and Carla's pleas.
"Let's go." He interrupted them to march forward, to plant himself at the gateway to heaven.
A glance behind showed Mina, Thomas, Nac, Mylius, Ruth D. Kline, Hanna and Franz and Carla and Faye and Frieda behind him.
As they wept along with the titan trio, Marco Bodt appeared, gasping at the world before him.
"Marco!" Carla threw her arms around him. "Bless your kind, kind soul!"
"You deserved better," agreed Thomas.
"I'm still mad at them," declared Mina. "I haven't forgiven them yet, don't you worry."
"But why – why would they do this?" sobbed Marco.
"Brainwashing," Grisha replied simply. "I'm Eren's father, Marco."
"Oh. The doctor." Marco's eyes widened.
"Yes. And the quite possibly the reason we're in this mess."
"Don't flatter yourself. The world's more complex than you," Frieda shot back. She smiled at the bewildered, befreckled boy before her. "Marco, I'm Frieda Reiss. I'll explain it all, but Jean is watching you now –"
"He's what?" Marco noticed the Person beyond. "I –"
"It's okay," The Person assured. "Watch over Jean."
"I'll never stop," mumbled Marco as his friend sobbed.
"Ooooh." Frieda grinned.
Marco blushed. "Is this – are my feelings –"
"Valid? Beautiful? Yes," said the Person.
Marco fell to his knees and sobbed. He'd never imagined the acceptance he felt then, even as he cried for Jean's suffering. I love you, and I'll never stop.
"We all love Jean," Faye assured him. "But you're special to him."
And only now he knew for certain. Marco wiped his eyes.
At least he'd told him.
At least Jean knew that weakness was his strength.
"You know that's right," Ruth growled at Annie apologized to her body. "Do something."
"I feel bad for them," Marco said suddenly. If the Person could love all, so could he. If weakness was strength, then all that was foolish could be good.
"What?" Nac turned to him.
"I – they can't have wanted this. What turns children into killers?" Marco turned to Frieda. "Explain, please."
The princess glanced at Grisha.
"I can," said Grisha. "Though I may not deserve to."
"Then I'll try." Carla smiled at Grisha, and her eyes held more love than had ever existed on the earth. "But first – Marco Bodt, you are the reason I hope."