END GAME

Chapter 26: Monster One Last Time

Yaaaay bloodshed.

Green eyes tracked Annie's hand as she deposited the blade into her pocket and withdrew a ring of keys. The soft click of metal filled the air for just a second as Annie stuck the key in and turned the thin metal slowly. Annie stepped inside and shut the door with a slam. She turned her back to Eren and Levi. The pins of a lock turned with a loud, harsh sound. Another click of metal followed. How many locks are there?

Eren tensed up and started to rise, his muscle rigid and his gaze hard. Fury burned in his stomach, a fire that threatened to consume him. It was almost overwhelming in its intensity. He wanted to wrap his hands around Annie's throat, to tear it out. He wanted to slaughter the Titans. He wanted to kill his father. He wanted to burn it all to the ground, to erase them, erase their mark, their existence, and even himself.

Only Levi would be spared. Only Levi was different. The rest of them were monsters. Freaks. Blemishes on the otherwise pure sheet of humanity. And I'm one of them too. I'm a corruption. Unnatural. An experiment. A lab rat. Eren's entire body shook with his barely controlled rage. I'll kill them! Starting with Annie.

"Eren... Eren!" Fingers tugged on his arm and slid down to tightened around his hand. Wide, slightly crazed, emerald eyes slid back down to the owner of the pale digits; to Levi. The shorter man's face was like chalk; a thin sheen of sweat visible across his brow and upper lip. The dark circles beneath his eyes looked even deeper than usual, while his silver eyes held thinly veiled emotions.

Levi tugged on his hand again. "Eren, calm down. Breathe." Eren opened his mouth to protest, but Levi shook his head. "Please." Levi stressed as his stark eyes silently pleaded.

Eren," Annie called as she turned another lock, her voice dead, "Sit down unless you want me to start breaking Levi's bones again." Eren froze in a half-crouch, Levi's hand still on his wrist. The pale fingers tightened on his arm. Whether it was because the thought made Levi uncomfortable or because he wanted Eren to sit down was unclear.

Slowly, the chestnut-haired man sat back on his heels and huddled against Levi. He couldn't kill Annie, but he could certainly attempt to glare hard enough to put holes in her head. It's too bad that wasn't one of the things included with this shit. The thought was bitter. He was bitter. It was all too much. It felt like he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and that weight was about to crush him into nothingness. Eren drew in a shuddering breath and pressed his other hand into Levi's.

"We'll be fine…" he whispered, "We'll be fine. We'll get out of here somehow." Levi nodded. Neither of them believed Eren's words.

Annie whirled around and tucked the keys into her pocket. She marched over to them, her face expressionless and her lantern held high. It softened her features with its yellow-orange glow. It almost made her look like she was just a sweet little girl. The blonde woman stopped a few feet away from them. "Eren. Stand. Levi, do not move. Consequences will come if you do so."

Eren hesitantly let go of Levi's hand and rose once more. He stepped towards Annie, within arm's reach. A pale blur shot out and caught his wrist in a painfully tight grip. Annie wrenched his hand around to spin Eren around so he faced Levi. The shorter man glared to the side of Eren's shoulder and ground his teeth together, but he didn't try to rise. By his sides, his hands slowly clenched and unclenched like he was debating his chances of success if he was to try and punch the murderer holding the man who held his heart.

"Good," Annie muttered into Eren's ear, barely audible. She shoved him to the left and a little deeper into the dark recesses of the cell. The lantern cast light on what lay on the side of the cell. It illuminated the gray wall, spotted with patches of mold and riddled with cracks in other places. It illuminated the cobwebs and strands of dust that had latched onto any possible surface. It illuminated the steel table with its four straps, one where each wrist and ankle would go.

Annie shoved him towards it. "Lie down." Why? So you all can fucking experiment on me some more? Eren ground his teeth together, but eased himself onto the table that felt like ice beneath his thin clothing all the same; his thoughts never straying far from Levi. He watched as Annie set the lantern down and strapped down his feet first, then his left hand. His right hand, the one by the wall, was still free.

Eren's mind lurched into overdrive as Annie tightened the one on his left and let the slip drop. She reached across Eren's body to strap down his other hand. Eren heaved upwards and brought his fist straight towards Annie's face. Yellow swamped the blue of Annie's eyes, slightly luminous in quality. Her hand shot up and caught his fist an inch from her cheek. Eren pressed harder against her hand, his lips bared in a snarl. His blood boiled with anger that ached to be released.

Emerald eyes burned. For a moment, his vision wavered and then it sharpened. He could see everything: the dust motes that swirled through the air; the specks of dirt on the ground; the faint scars on Annie's skin; the grime on Levi's pants. Every sense, not just sight, suddenly skyrocketed with sensitivity. The stench of mold, the taste of dead, dusty air, the sound of hundreds of tiny heartbeats from the rats within the walls, the itch from the clothes on his body.

Energy roared through his body. His heart thrummed with predatory excitement. Eren could almost taste the kill, the victory. For a split second, Annie's hand wavered and it slowly inched closer to her face until her knuckles were pressed against her cheeks. It only took a second. Eren's eyes ceased to burn.

The energy that surged through his body dissipated within a seconds. Lethargy slammed into him and Eren slumped back against the steel, boneless with the sudden, inexplicable exhaustion. Only Annie's grip on his hand held him upright. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, Annie's fingers tightened around Eren's hand.

Gradually, the pressure increased until the bones in his hand were almost screaming under the stress, ready to break at any moment. Gold eyes glared down at him, cold and vacant. Annie almost looked like a lioness about to make her kill. Her slim fingers tightened even more. Something inside Eren's hand broke with an audible snap. The chestnut-haired man slammed his head back against the steel table as several more snaps filled the air. He could feel the bones break in his fingers, his knuckles, and the palm of his hand.

Pain exploded there and raced up his arm. Eren hissed and clamped down on his tongue, hard enough to draw blood. It was a pathetic distraction from the agony in his hand. The urge to scream was strong, but Eren kept his jaws clamped together. He knew that if he screamed he wouldn't be able to stop until he passed out or his throat was raw. Vaguely, he registered Annie move as she leaned over and strapped his hand down. "Next time," she murmured, "I will start on Levi."

The young male nodded mutely and twisted his head to look at Levi. The raven-haired man crouched on one leg, the other stretched out to the side. He looked ready to pounce, ready to tear Annie limb from limb. "Levi, sit down," Annie barked without turning to look. "Now," she snapped when Levi failed to move. Levi sank back down with a grimace on his face and his eyes trained on Eren. Annie reached down and slammed the lantern onto the table next to Eren.

Then she pulled the knife out from her pocket. Eren couldn't name it, but it was long: the blade itself was about a foot in length, and sharpened to a wicked point. Annie touched the tip of the knife to her finger. A small bead of blood welled up and trickle down her palm. When she drew the knife away, it was gone. The blade moved to hover over Eren's skin, just over his abdomen. Annie refused to look at him. Her eyes, once more blue, were trained on the knife. "Annie." She didn't look at him. "Annie." No response. "Annie, can you tell me one thing?" Annie lowered the blade closer to his stomach, her lips pursed. "Is Armin alright?"

Annie froze. Her hand trembled slightly as it hung there, a hair's breadth from his abdomen. Blue orbs finally slid over to meet green ones. For a moment, her face opened up. She looked so vulnerable, so sad, that had circumstances been different, Eren might have felt bad. "Yes," Annie whispered.

Eren smiled slightly as a tinge of relief eased the turmoil in his mind. It was almost as good as the feeling in his hand as the bones knit back together. "Good," he murmured.

Annie's face closed again and she pressed the knife into his chest. Eren couldn't stop the cry of pain that was ripped from his lips.

Irvin paced around the crime scene. Nearly ninety minutes had passed since he had called Levi. The raven-haired detective still had yet to appear. It's only a thirty minute drive, especially considering the traffic for this time of day. He should have been here by now. The EMS people wouldn't let him leave the scene intact for much longer. The bodies had to be taken to the morgue.

Irvin pulled out his phone and speed dialed Levi's number. Dial tone echoed in his ear, bringing dread and a strong since of foreboding to the long time detective. The blond man griped the phone so tight the screen almost cracked and glanced back at the doorway. An officer from another unit raised his eyebrow. "You done?"

"One more moment," Irvin said. He dialed Thomas Wagner, who he had left in charge of the police station in his absence.

"Yes Chief? What do you need?"

"Are Levi and Eren still there?"

"… No. They left about an hour and a half ago. Why?"

"That's all I need to know." Irvin dropped the call and slid the phone back into his pocket. Possibilities and courses of action raced through his head.

They've been gone the whole time. They should be here by now. Was my guess right? That Eren is a part of them? Perhaps Eren killed Levi. Or even kidnapped him. Unless that guess is wrong, in which case the Titans have either kidnapped or killed both of them. Either way, something's happened to them. But when? Where?

Irvin paced over to Erd's body and crouched down next to him. They hold no clues for me. Dead men can't tell their secrets. Blue eyes swept over Erd's body and up to the blonde's face. The area around his mouth looked strange. Curiosity sparked inside of Irvin and he leaned close. The flesh beneath the dried blood was dimpled and rough looking. Gloved fingers gently worked Erd's jaw open.

Inside, it was a mess. His teeth were little more than jagged nubs in his gums. His tongue had been burned away until only an angry red lump in the back of his throat remained. The sides of his mouth were covered with large sores and rough patches of raw and bloody skin. It looked like something had burned away at the inside of his mouth. Acid… Levi said something about acid.

rvin knew he had been putting off the inevitable. There was no other choice of action. Levi and Eren were missing, possibly dead. A search would need to be organized. Whether they would find the two living or dead was the only thing he was unsure about. Irvin rose to his feet and turned back to the officer. "Bring the EMA in. I need you to round up your officers. We have a search to start."

Levi winced and dug his fingers into his skull as Eren let out another cry of agony. He heard Eren's elbow smash into the metal table. He heard the knife come out of Eren's chest. He heard the soft whimpers that Eren couldn't hold back any more. Make it stop. The short man wasn't sure how long it had been going on. How long Eren had been on that table.

Time passed agonizingly slowly when all he could do was sit there and listen. Because he was useless. Because every time he had tried to rise, tried to help, Annie had told him to back down and had drawn screams from Eren. Three times, he had risen. Three times, a tortured shriek had filled the air, louder than the rest. All of it made Levi feel useless. Completely and utterly useless.

He couldn't stand. He couldn't save Eren. He couldn't even shoulder some of Eren's pain. All he could do was sit there and listen to Eren. Sit there and be useless. He couldn't even silently tell Eren to hold in, to stay strong. Those thoughts had disappeared some time ago, which left space for more poisonous ones to take their place.

How long is this going to go on? How long can she draw this out? Until he breaks? Until he dies? Eren won't give in, will he? Could I tell them we'll join? Would Annie stop then? I can't. I'd never forgive myself. Eren wouldn't either. Go with the choice you'll regret the least.

Levi remained silent. He kept his head on his knee, his mouth shut, and his fingers against his skull. They were near his ears, but he didn't cover them. Listening to Eren was all that Levi could do. That was what he did, no matter how much it pained him. Eren let out a quiet sob. Levi curled his leg even closer and bit his lip. Damn it all. Damn it all to hell. They'll pay. They'll pay for this.

Quiet gasps reached him instead of the usual sounds, a lull in the seemingly endless pained whimpers and groans. Metal clattered on metal. Levi slowly raised his head, his eyes narrowed. Dull, slate gray orbs absorbed the scene before him, clear in the light of the lantern. Eren's shirt had been cut open to reveal his chest. The fabric was dark and heavy with blood. His chest heaved with frantic breaths. It was a patchwork of cuts in varying states of healing. Some were thin, red lines that could have been days or weeks old. Others still bled slowly, with dark beads that rolled down Eren's side.

In front of Eren, Annie stood with her head bowed and her hands flat on the table. "Eren…" Her voice was quiet. It cracked somewhere in the middle. "I can't do this anymore."

Two pairs of dumbfounded eyes found her, wide and confused. "W…hat?" Eren croaked after a moment of silence. Annie shook her head violently and shuddered. Her hands, soiled with blood, came up near her face, but they didn't touch her skin. "I can't. I can't, I can't, I can't. I can't do this anymore!"

She snatched the knife up and threw it across the room in a blur of silver. The knife buried itself into the wall with a shower of dust and chipped rock. Annie slumped forwards over the table. Her shoulders shook and her eyes were clenched shut. In that moment, she looked unbearably weak, like she could barely stand. It was almost pitiable.

I can't… Armin… Hah. I've gone soft. I spent too much time with you people… with Armin." Annie let out a mirthless laugh. "I fucked up. I should have just stayed away. I shouldn't have gotten attached. I shouldn't have fallen back into friendship. I don't deserve it. I'm a monster."

Levi pushed himself up. Jolts of pain raced up his leg, but he gritted his teeth and continued to rise. With one hand braced against the wall, he could stand without falling. Annie didn't even turn to look at him, even though she had doubtlessly heard him rise. Steely eyes watched Annie and Eren closely as Levi slowly hobbled closer on a stiff leg. Eren's hand fluttered against Annie's fingertips. "No…" he whispered with a rough voice. "You… You can still make it right. Help us Annie… Please." Levi hesitated on his next hop as he waited to hear Annie's response.

Time seemed to stand still as they waited. He even stopped breathing, as if the quiet breaths would shatter Annie's weakness and bring back the cold, heartless bitch from before. The blonde girl glanced up after a moment, tears visible in her eyes. "… I can't. They'll kill Armin if I do." Annie shuddered again and her face crumpled with misery. She didn't look like a cold-blooded killer. …She looks innocent. She looks… human.

"No…" Levi broke the silence. Two heads turned to him. Watery blue and pained green orbs fixated on him. "They won't kill Armin," Levi added. "Because we'll kill them first. Those people won't die in vain." The world started to spin a little, but Levi clenched his teeth together and curled his hand into a fist. Stand straight. Relax. It doesn't hurt. It doesn't hurt. There's no pain. Just ignore it.

Annie took another breath and looked at him. "… Okay."

Eren watched wearily as Levi tugged the straps from his wrist, his movements visible in the dim lantern light. Occasionally, the black-haired man would pause in his frantic tugging to glance over his shoulder to see if Annie was back. It was understandable. Neither of them really trusted her, not yet. It doesn't help that she was fucking torturing me a few minutes ago. Eren shuddered. The pain and cuts had faded, but the memory of the agony would linger.

The first strap came free and Levi went to work on Eren's ankles. Slowly, the chestnut-haired man hauled himself upright and tackled the other strap. Within a few minutes, his hands and feet were free. Annie still hadn't returned by then. Levi glanced at Eren. "Is this a joke? Give us hope and then break us some more?"

Eren shrugged and wiped at his abdomen with his shirt. The blood didn't want to part with his skin, but it came away with hard scrubbing. It was a relief to get the blood off. It had dried into something like an extremely uncomfortable second skin. "I don't know anymore…" Eren whispered. "I don't know them anymore. I… They're not the people I knew." There had been so many lies for so long. He still found it hard to believe, even if the bitter truth was right in front of him. But are they salvageable? Is Annie different? We'll have to see.

A small, firm hand settled onto his knee. "It's not your fault. You couldn't have known any more than anyone else could have."

Eren nodded and slithered off the table onto unsteady legs. "Should we try to leave?"

No. We have no weapons. I can barely walk. That'd be a pathetic escape attempt."

"… What do you think Annie's doing?"

"Like hell if I know. Probably fetching her creeps. Maybe getting someone to replace her so this can continue."

Eren blanched and swallowed hard. "Shit… sorry, that was stupid to say. I should have thought first."

The taller man shook his head and grabbed Levi's hand. "Don't worry. It was a realistic view." Green eyes flickered down to peer at Levi. His face was smooth and pale. All of his pain and exhaustion was confined to his stony eyes. Eren swallowed hard. It must be so hard to hold it back… Levi… "Hey Levi…"

"Yeah?"

"If… If anything happens in here… I love you too."

A small smile crept onto the pale man's face as he squeezed Eren's hand. "That's comforting to know. But let's try to live through this. Tell me when we get out."

"We will. Levi. If Annie is trying to get us out… should we leave?"

"… Maybe, but what about your father?"

Eren's face twisted into a scowl. "He'll die." Footsteps broke into their conversation before Eren could say any more. Both men looked up to the front of the cell, frozen. Neither breathed. There was only one set of footsteps. Is Annie coming back? The glow of another lantern appeared, bouncing slightly as the person holding it came closer. Annie came into sight and marched straight over to the cell door. She hadn't bothered to lock it, so it swung open easily.

Eren tensed and straightened up. Unconsciously, he let go of Levi's hand and pressed the smaller man behind him until Levi was almost hidden behind Eren's larger frame. Icy blue eyes swept over them both as Annie approached.

She stopped a few feet away from them, palms up and empty aside from the lantern. "Don't worry," Annie muttered, "I'm not going to kill you. I… I'm making things right.. I'm trying" Eren stared at her incredulously as he listed to her weak voice.

"Why?"

They held each other's gazes evenly. "Because…" she said after a moment, "I'm not proud of what I've done. I've been thinking about it for a while now. Since Armin started talking to me again. He… He showed me people are good. He made me feel like a good person. Like I wasn't a monster… I'm used to it. I don't want to return to this. I don't want to be a bad person. Not to him... Do you believe me?"

Annie looked painfully sincere. Her face was completely open, every emotion visible on her face. It was strange to see that since Annie rarely showed any emotions. It was something Annie couldn't fake, not with her disposition. Levi's hand came up and clutched Eren's shirt. His fingers twitched up and down slightly, as if he was giving a 'yes' without speaking. "… I believe you."

Relief washed across her face and Annie dug into her pockets. Metal glinted in the light as Annie pulled out a gun. Eren recoiled until he realized that the barrel wasn't pointed towards him. The blonde woman shoved the pistol a little closer. "Take it. You'll need it to get out."

The pistol moved from her hand to his. Annie continued to talk, her voice short and clipped. "I can give you directions to the nearest exit. Remember or you'll get lost and probably never escape. Facing the other cell, you go to the left for about one hundred steps. There'll be a break in the tunnels. Take the left."

"Annie."

"Then a right at the next one. You'll have to feel along the walls-"

"Annie."

"-until you find a ridge. It's near a large patch of fungus on the floor that grows on the right side."

"Annie!" he blonde woman glared at him, obviously peeved about being interrupted. "What?"

"We're not leaving."

Blue eyes snapped onto Eren. At first, they retained their irritated glint. Slowly, that faded away and was replaced by an incredulous look. "… What? Why? You can leave! You can get out of here! You can live! The sooner you two leave, the better!"

"Because," Levi said softly, "We can't let the Titans live. Because we don't know what will happen if we don't. We have to make the choice we think we'll regret the least." His hand tightened against Eren's back. The detective pressed his short frame against Eren. Instantly, pangs of worry shot through Eren. Is he alright? God, I hope nothing happened when his ankle broke. What if blood vessels broke? What if clots are forming in his bloodstream?

Annie shook her head. "I'm going to call the force. They'll bring in everyone. The Titans will die."

Eren shook his head. The thought of what he was going to do was sickening, but it was necessary. "Annie," he begged, "Please. Tell us where my father is."

Annie stared at him for a moment. She glanced over her shoulder and then looked back at them. "… He should be in his chambers," she said with a sigh. "Go left when you leave the cell. Keep going until that break in the tunnel. Then go right for two more breaks. The third should be a four-way tunnel. Take a left. You'll go down. Keep going until the floor evens out. There'll be a door with a lock. There's a number combination. 1-9-9-4-6-5-7. Go quickly."

"How do you know the combination?"

Annie's hands clenched. "I'll tell you if we all make it out. Now go."

Eren nodded tersely. He looked back at Levi and handed the gun to the other man. "Put your arm around my shoulders." The raven-haired man rolled his eyes, but complied without protest. He's in more pain than he's letting on. Than I can see. Eren glanced at Annie as they shuffled out. "Thank you," he whispered. Annie… you really are a good person at heart.

Annie smiled softly and nodded. She pulled a cell phone from her pocket as Eren turned and helped Levi hobble out of the cell. "Hello, is this Irvin? My name isn't important. My information is. I know where the Titans are. I know where Eren and Levi are."

Annie hung up the phone. Irvin, while dubious, had taken the lead. By her estimate, the force would arrive in fifteen minutes. Is that enough time for Eren and Levi to get to Mast-no G? How many can I take out in that time?

She pulled a pistol from her waistband and held it delicately between long, slim fingers. An instrument of death. She was sick of looking at them. She was sick of death. Of deceit. Of murdering innocents. Of pretending. Let this be the last day I use it. Let this be the last day for everything. Death didn't scare her, not anymore. It was simply a way to redeem herself for the atrocities she had committed.

Annie took a deep breath and pulled the safety off as she steeled her nerves. With that taken care of, she waited inside of the cell. Someone would show up soon. They would be the first to die. Annie watched the lantern flicker dully as she waited. She steeled herself as she did. In theory, it would be easy to shoot them. But these were people she had spent her entire life with. She had betrayed her family. It was her family she was about to kill. No matter how corrupt they were, they were still family. Sometimes, even family must be sacrificed for the greater good. For the good of humanity…for Armin.

Eventually, quiet footsteps slowly made their way to her. "Annie," the owner of the feet called. It was Reiner. "How is it going? It's awfully quiet." Reiner appeared in front of the cell. His blue eyes flickered over the cell for a moment. "An-"

A dry sound, mixed between a pop and a crack, filled the cells as Annie squeezed the trigger. Reiner had no time to react as the bullet buried itself into his forehead. Reiner crumpled onto the ground with a loud thump. Annie darted out of the cell and leapt over Reiner's body. Every shot must count. Who next? Bertholdt? J? Whoever I see next.

Levi leaned heavily on Eren as they walked, which slowed their pace a bit, but it wasn't too bad. Luckily for Eren, Levi was relatively light. The raven-haired man didn't even seem to mind the blood that soaked patches of Eren's shirt. At that point, Eren was sure that the pain outweighed Levi's drive for cleanliness.

Together, they shuffled down the halls. Silence ruled the space between them, but they were too focused to break it. It was hard to keep the turns and numbers that Annie had given him straight, but Eren managed. Thinking about that was a better alternative than what the future had in store for them. Especially his father.

They reached the last break in the tunnels and stared down at the steps cut into the stone. "Jesus… They're like fucking worms. I wouldn't be surprised if the entirety of the city sits on top of tunnels like this." Eren hummed quietly in agreement. "Eren… We can still leave. We don't have to go down there. Someone else can handle your father."

The tan man's throat bobbed as he tried and failed to swallow. "No… There's still something I need to do." Levi nodded and held the gun out. Silently, Eren took it. He pulled the safety into place and tucked it into his waistband. "Need any help?" Levi glanced up at him and nodded with a blank face.

Eren pulled Levi close and picked him up as gently as possible, one arm beneath Levi's knees and the other around his shoulders. Even with his careful movements, Levi still tensed against him. Pale arms wound their way around his neck and Levi's chin settled on his shoulder. Levi was light enough and Eren was strong enough that it wouldn't be too difficult to carry him down.

The walk down was long, but within what must have been ten minutes, the bottom of the stairs was visible in the light of the sconces on the walls. Eren set Levi down and instantly, Levi's arm returned to its place around Eren's neck. The raven-haired man slumped up against Eren heavily. We need to get out of here soon.

About twenty feet away, the door Annie had spoken of stood. It was made of smooth metal and lacked handles of any kind. "Levi, do you remember the code?" Eren whispered as they closed the gap. The only thing that stood out on the door was the keypad just to the right of the center. The closer Eren peered, the more there seemed to be a seam next to it, but he wasn't sure. The light from the sconces were too dim. On top of that, Eren didn't know how to alter his vision like it had before. Even if he did, if it made him as exhausted as it had before, it would be more trouble than it was worth.

Levi stirred against Eren, grabbed his shirt collar, and pulled him down. Rough and dry lips covered Eren's in a swift but gentle kiss. Levi held Eren there for a moment before he let Eren go. "Saying goodbye?" Eren whispered. "No. Just luck." His silver eyes betrayed him, full of apprehension and more. It was easy to understand why.

Eren pulled the gun out of his waistband as Levi leaned forward and punched the numbers in. Soft beeps punctured the air. Each made Eren flinch. What if his father heard? Tan fingers tightened around the gun as Levi pressed 'Enter'. There was a soft whir and the door parted with a hiss. Eren and Levi stepped in, clutching each other desperately.

The chamber was simple. It looked like an average room, perhaps as big as an average classroom. Lights were strung across the ceiling to make it bright. A small bed with neatly made gray covers had been shoved into the corner. A desk littered with papers nearby. A relatively large table dominated the center of the room with a microscope, several beakers, and dozens of test tubes. Aside from that, only a few books littered the room.

Grisha sat as his desk. The sound of a pen scratching across paper filled the air. Grisha muttered to himself a few times, his words inaudible. He didn't seem to have noticed Eren and Levi's entrance. Eren stepped further in and clenched his hand around the pistol. Slowly, he brought it up. Even though he wanted to hold the gun steady, it still shook in his hand.

"Dad." Grisha's hand froze for a moment, but it instantly picked back up. "Dad."

After a moment, the elder man set his pen down and turned around. For a moment, his face brightened with expectation. Then he saw the gun. Clouds of anger crossed his face. "How ungrateful, my dear son," Grisha spat. "Betraying your father, even after he gave you so much."

"Shut up," Eren growled. The gun shook a little more in his hand. He didn't know how much longer he could hold it steady for. He didn't even know if he could hit his father at this rate. I don't know what to do. I don't know. What do I do?

Grisha smiled, his eyes wide and glassy. "You can still join us, son. I can forgive this little incident. Just pledge your loyalty."

A pale hand came up and cupped Eren's hand, the one that steadied the gun. "Steady," Levi whispered into his ear. "Make the choice you won't regret." Eren nodded hesitantly and met his father's deranged brown eyes.

No." Grisha's lips pulled back in a snarl and he jolted up from his chair. The old man lunged across the room, surprisingly fast. Eren reacted instantly. The dry pop of the gun was loud in the confined space. It almost felt like Eren's eardrums had been torn apart. The gun jerked slightly in his hand.

The bullet slammed into Grisha's chest, just above his heart. Blood started to spill across his robes a second later in a scarlet tide. Grisha glanced down in mild surprise. "Oh..." Grisha's knees buckled beneath him and Grisha hit the floor as blood continued to pulse its way out of him.

Chapter 26: End

The remaining questions will be explained next chap. Not all will be due to various reasons.

Hooooly shit guys it's been a while. Haha, sorry. Things have been crazy between softball, school, and life. Yaaay. But hey, another chapter done, even though it took me like, two weeks. Almost three. Whoops. Oh well. Ladies and Gents, there's not much for this left for me to write. The next chapter may very well be the last. Possibly. I don't think I'm prepared for these ending feels.
I have to thank my beta because she went over this even though she was feeling ill. Many thanks Cal~ ^^

Anon: Dang, good guess.
MercySummer: Hahaha yup :D At least he's dead! Hahahaha sorry (not sorry!) bout that~ Sorry bout the wait!
Ldrmas: No, no you most certainly didn't. Haha I doubt he would.
TheOtaku2: I know, and I think that's why I had him do that. Because it tends to be Eren who confesses and I thought it'd be good. Haha yup ^^ Glad you agree~ There's actually going to be an explanation for why too.
calleyrose: I will, I will! Mm I suppose. Haha thanks ^^ And I'm gad you didn't!
KarukaKoi90: Ah, thank you ^^ Sorry for the wait
EternalWinterSleep: Glad you find it so~
animelover8m: Haha pretty easily!Good, good, I'm glad it did! (Does that make me evil?) Mmm, no. Still wanna kill Annie? I will, don't fret ^^
ichiruzuka: Yup. Damn right I am.
tarouchoo: Thanks! I'm glad it makes you so~ Haha I might explain who they are.
delusionalmoon: Thank you :3 I'm glad you're enjoying both! Ahh thanks lots ^^ Haha sorry you're having to wait so long.
fangirl-booklover46: Oh gosh, I can't believe you did that. Sorry for the wait. Thanks :3
potatogirl12: Hahahahaha don't drown too much! THank you. I'm glad you were! Surprise is great~