Chapter Five

Mike

"Don't watch," Faye pled, tugging on Carla's arm.

Carla pulled free. "How can I not? That's my son fighting his friend." Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes as sorry souls stumbled through the gate.

Grisha had wandered off not long ago, saying something about watching Zeke. But when Carla followed Faye's pointed finger, she saw her husband curled into a hyperventilating ball on the grass.

"Grisha?" Carla frowned and took a step towards him, only to hesitate.

Eren.

"Eren will be okay," Faye whispered. "I'll fetch you if otherwise."

"Okay…" Carla said uncertainly.

"You're not a bad mom for this. Or for dying. You never have been," Faye told her.

Carla swallowed back tears. "Thank you, Faye."

What would life be like if this precious child had lived? Would she even know Grisha? Carla hurried towards her husband.

Zeke was easy to spot. Bare-chested and bespectacled, he resembled a golden-haired Grisha.

And he was disembarking. Diving from a stone wall, spraying sand in all directions.

"He's come to Paradi," Grisha croaked.

"For what?" Carla asked, though she knew the answer. Zeke, her stepson – had become Eren's enemy.

"Are you Squad Levi? The Special Operations Squad?" A pretty black-haired woman smiled at Petra.

"Yes, we are." Petra was leaning against Oluo, who nestled against a tree. Eld and Gunther sat across from them on grass ground softer than her bed at home.

The Survey Corps had survived another day. Captain had survived another day. Now they had discovered that, even in heaven, their hearts needed a rest.

"I'm so pleased to meet you. What is working for Levi like?" The woman sat close to Petra, unable to keep eye contact with the men.

"An honor," said Petra. She blushed. "And he's quite handsome."

"Hey!"

"Hey yourself, Oluo. I can't change a fact." Petra stuck out her tongue.

"Captain's harsh, but kind," Eld said.

"He's a great role model. Perfectly dedicated," Gunther mused.

"Who are you?" Oluo asked.

The woman smiled at the ground. "I'm Kuchel Ackerman. Your captain's mother."

Oluo's mouth dropped.

"I passed on when he was very little. He was the best part of my life."

"Wait – I mean – are we really talking to Levi's mom?" Oluo sputtered.

"Yes, yes we are." Gunther nodded.

"You raised a wonderful son," Petra said, taking the other woman's hand.

"I barely knew him," she admitted. "He was so young."

"Well, you must have set him on the right path before you went. He hates death and suffering more than dirtiness." Petra pursed her lips. "And he hates dirtiness quite a bit."

Kuchel blushed. "I'd love to think so, but you might as well know, I was a prostitute. I shielded and taught him as best I could, but I often don't believe it was enough. Still…when I see him fighting for freedom, I have to think something went right."

"It did," Eld assured her.

"Kuchel!" A girl with auburn-haired pigtails raced over, waving wildly. She was followed closely by a nervous brown-haired young man. "Oh, is this them? Squad Levi?"

"We are," Gunther said warily.

"We were his original squad," the man informed them with an embarrassed smile. "Sort of."

"I'm Isabel Magnolia, and this is Farlan Church," the girl babbled. "Erwin recruited us 'cause we were thieves with Levi in the underground. But we didn't make it past our first mission."

"Though we did kill one titan before we died," Farlan added proudly.

"On your first mission?" Oluo raised his eyebrows. "I'm impressed. Guess we in the squad must have reminded him of them – ow, Petra!"

Isabel leaned forward, her eyes sparkling. "But we did plan on killing Erwin for secret documents. But he outsmarted us."

Oluo choked. "Wait, what?"

"I can't picture that," Petra said, rubbing her eyes.

"But hey, now he, Erwin, and Mike are friends." Farlan shook his head in amazement.

Isabel stomped her foot. "We'll always be his first friends."

Eld chuckled. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet the original Squad Levi."

"I'm sure we have so many stories to share," Isabel said, flopping next to Kuchel. "Kuchel likes my stories, don't you, Kuchel?"

"Always," she answered with a smile.

"So the walls are made of titans." Faye's eyes were wide. "I mean, we've always known that, but, brother, aren't they beautiful? If only they were kind…"

"Beautiful?" Grisha frowned.

"We're able to transform into giant creatures of immense power. Imagine if they could be used for good. It's special. Eren's special, and Zeke too. It's amazing and beautiful."

"Hmm." Grisha swallowed as the roofs and walls of Ragako Village blew apart. "Are we not monsters? Like … like he said to me." He looked towards the tree under which Gross still quivered.

"Victims, not monsters." A tear trickled down Frieda's face.

"Perhaps." Grisha took in a shuddery breath. "And my son behind this."

"Your other son can save them." Carla knelt besides him.

"My friends are too close." Marco approached now, his very eyes trembling.

"And yet, they're the only hope Wall Rose has," said Frieda, watching Nanaba fall to her knees.

By the time the Survey Corps had rode forth, even Squad Levi had stopped swapping stories and fallen silent. All watched as Mike Zacharius took off from the group.

"They're right, you know," Petra said uncertainly. "He is the second strongest."

Gunther bowed his head, but Eld rose.

"Where are you going?" asked Farlan.

"Thought I should be by the gate – to greet the titans Mike defeats," he lied lamely.

"You're a terrible liar," said Isabel, but she stood, too.

Grisha clutched his face in horror. "Zeke…"

Don't turn around. Don't see him. Don't hurt your countryman.

And even as Zeke turned and his eyes glistened in the sunlight, black against black hair, Grisha dared to hope. Maybe his son – no, Zeke, he was his own person – would beg for help. Maybe all the lessons he and Dina had taught hadn't been lost on him. Maybe he didn't hate everything his parents were.

Carla shrieked as Zeke threw the horse.

"Not the horse," whimpered Faye. Frieda's hand clamped over her mouth, while Marco watched with his fists clenched.

Mike dove and for a moment Petra dared herself to hope that he knew what he was doing; he was Mike of course –

"He's moving too fast," Oluo said, confirming her fears.

A squat titan opened its jaws and the watchers collectively wailed as it caught Mike.

"Gaaaaaaaah!"

"No," sobbed Isabel. She knew him as the powerful man who'd shoved Levi's face in the mud, and she wanted him to stay that way.

"Hold on," growled the Ape Titan.

Zeke.

Grisha gaped Carla. "M-maybe he's changed his mind –"

She didn't reply. Her eyes overflowed with pity.

"I said hold on!" Rage bubbled up from Zeke.

The rage of someone who'd never been listened to their entire life. The same rage Grisha'd let loose when he declared himself a believer in Ymir.

Grisha collapsed to his hands and knees as his heart shattered again. Eldians dominated by Marley, walled people dominated by Titans, a child by his parents. He'd taught Zeke to dominate right back. He'd made Zeke into himself.

Zeke squished the titan's head so that its shiny eyes and bloody brains and crusty skull splurted every which way.

Eld gulped tried to steady his quaking hands. Fear for your friend and comrade was much worse than fear for yourself, especially when he sat up here a helpless ghost.

Oh, but you are so much more than a ghost, whispered the Person.

I might as well be to Mike, Eld retorted.

Mike tumbled to the earth, and Zeke crouched before him. "What is that weapon? The one on your hips that you use to fly around?"

Mike – Mike Zacharius – trembled, too shocked and spent to speak.

Petra knew she would have done no different, but oh was this shocking all the same.

"Speak," muttered Grisha. "Speak!"

But Mike just lay there, even as titans crept closer, hungry for his flesh.

"I thought we spoke the same language. Are you just to frightened to speak?" mused Zeke. "Well, you use swords and know we're in the neck. I guess I'll just…take this with me."

He reached for Mike, but as the Ape Titan began to move away, Petra noticed a familiar spark in Mike's eyes.

His legs are too injured…but he's going to try. A muffled sob escaped from her mouth – pride and indignation and sorrow all at once.

Zeke paused, a smirk on his face. "Oh, that's right. I almost forgot. You're free to do with him as you wish."

"Wait!" screamed Mike as titan hands knocked his blade askew, as they fought for him.

Zeke threw back his head. "Oh, so we do speak the same language after all!"

Mike screamed, not with pain, but with the fury of someone who knew he deserved better.

And Grisha's mouth opened in a silent scream, but he was too heartsick to form sound.

This was the worst moment of his life.

Mike opened his eyes as the dizziness faded. Had someone found him...?

No, this place was too serene. And he felt no pain anymore. He ought to.

A bolt of excitement jolted him. Was this – did heaven exist after all?

"Mike!"

He looked beyond the wrought-iron gate to see Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther waiting with Isabel and Farlan – if they thought he'd forgotten their names they were wrong –

When an older, bespectacled man rushed forward and threw his arms around him. "Mike! Mike! Mike."

"Um…hi?"

The man pulled back, his grin brighter than the sun. "You were my boy's best friend. Erwin."

Mike dropped back to his knees. "I've heard so much about you."

"And I've loved watching every moment of you with my son," said Mr. Smith. "Don't you know, that's the best and the worst part of being here: watching your loved ones back on Earth. But you've been key in many of my better moments.