God of Hate
AN PLEASE READ: This fic might be going on Hiatus. Might.
No, no, before you ask, it's not from lack of ideas, motivation, or anything else. It's mainly because I'm considering waiting for something. As you all should know, God of Hate is primarily based on the Monsterverse and its lore.
Monsterverse has a new movie in 2024, Godzilla-Kong: The New Empire. And I am becoming increasingly curious about that movie and the new villain, and how the new lore bits could fit into my current plans in this fic, and inspire changes.
All that said and done, if I do put God of Hate on hold until than-and it is still an IF- I will be giving the temporary spot to one of my other AoT fics. Not set on which, just giving you a heads up on that.
With that, enjoy the chapter!
End of AN
"Can I ask you kids a question?" Grice asked after they walked a block or two from Yeager. Well, he walked, and they used their strange gas-things to keep up with him.
"Umm, sure? How can we help?" Armin offered uncertainly.
"What was Grisha like, in the walls?" Grice questioned idly.
Armin and Mikasa share surprised looks before mutually deciding to answer.
"He was kind," Mikasa answered softly. "He took me in after my parents died."
"Hmm? That mean Eren back there is your brother?" he asked idly.
Mikas blushed and looked away. "No. He's like family to me, but no, we never had...that kind of bond."
Grice caught the meaningful glances Armin was giving him and understood. Eren was much more than a brother to this girl. "Yeah, well, that sounds like Grisha. He was always happy to welcome new recruits. That's why we never let him do the actual recruiting. Man's heart was in the right place, but he sometimes forgot how many of our own would turn on us," Grice remembered fondly. "Actually, it occurs to me, I never got your names?"
"Armin Arlert," Armin introduced.
"Mikasa Ackerman," Mikasa gave.
Grice cocked his head. "Ackerman? Huh, I suppose the Hiruzun blood is on your mother's side," he mused, getting a confused look from Mikasa. "... You have no idea what Hiruzu is, right. It's where your ancestors are from, where you got your looks from. At least, I think it's Hiruzu, but I can't imagine many other Orient nations having people here."
A lot of what he was saying went over their heads, even if Armin filed most of it away for later, but they got the important part. "So, there is a place where everyone looks more like Mikasa?" Armin summarized.
"Yeah, but we're a bit off-topic," Grice remarked. "Grisha was kind. That all?"
"No, he was also an amazing doctor," Armin answered with a smile. "He helped cure a plague that was taking over our hometown. I think that was how he met Eren's mother?"
"No," Mikasa said, pulling her scarf up some. "But it was part of when she started to fall in love with him."
"Grisha's second wife," Grice mused, glancing back to make sure Eren was still preoccupied. "May I ask, what was she like?"
"Carla was kind, but very stern. She was never afraid to speak her mind or call out others for being stupid. Eren got a lot of her temperament," Mikasa recalled fondly.
"Grisha was the passive one with her?" Grice inquired in surprise. "Huh. Went the other way with Dina."
"...May we ask what she was like?" Armin asked tentatively.
Grice sighed heavily. "Dina was a treasure. Never a bad word to say about anyone in the group, she always tried to be the reasonable one, to be the hopeful one. I think she was all that kept Grisha sane some days, living like we were. She was always ready to do anything if it just meant there was hope for our future freedom. Even when she was turned into a Titan...she was smiling for Grisha."
"Why didn't she change as you did?" Mikasa asked curiously.
Grice sighed once more and shook his head. "I suppose it doesn't matter now. Dina was of royal blood, descended from some relative of that Frieda lady who didn't go here with the Coward King. We hoped that with her blood, we could take back the Founder. Back before we knew about the Curse. We didn't...want to risk losing that, and neither did she."
Mikasa and Armin went silent, having no idea what to say exactly.
"Is your name...just Grice?" Armin asked after a moment of silence.
Grice didn't answer for an instant before shaking his head in bemusement. "Everyone always just called me Grice, like I just called Grisha "Yeager." I think I almost forgot that was my family name," he mused to himself. "My name is Gander Grice. But just call me Grice."
"Right," Armin accepted.
"You seemed surprised that Grisha was more..."passive" as you said in the walls. Was he different out there?" Mikasa questioned.
"Very. He was a doctor, true, but he always had a pit of rage and anger reserved for Marley and all they took from him, from all of us," Grice answered fondly. "Out of everyone, it felt like he was the most desperate to win sometimes."
Mikasa frowned in thought. She always thought that Eren took more after his mother, but given everything she was learning, it didn't seem that simple anymore. Grisha had once been just like Eren was, railing against his situation in life. And both ended up with this strange power. Maybe that was why Grisha gave Eren this power, knowing he could handle it.
But why not say anything? What happened to him? From Frieda's tale, it didn't sound like he had been on the brink of death. And more importantly, how did he change back into human form? Not counting the first transformation Grice had mentioned many of the Restorationists experiencing, Grisha had transformed back twice: once to infiltrate the walls and once after...killing the royal family.
They were interrupted from their musing by the rumbling that came with Eren's feet.
[[[[Where's Ymir?]]]]
"Waiting on that girl that can, apparently, understand monster," Grice answered casually.
Eren nodded absently before turning to Mikasa and Armin.
[[[Anything interesting happen?]]]]
Grice made to translate until Armin answered. "No, not really. Just talking."
Grice looked between them in bewilderment. "Okay, can they understand you too...?"
"No, but we can guess what Eren means a lot of the time," Mikasa explained.
"That's impressive. And kind of endearing, I guess," Grice said. "So, somewhat related to your father, have you always been able to shoot lightning from your mouth?"
[[No, that is new.]]
[It feels amazing though.]
[[[Did Dad have that?]]]
"Not before he went in the walls, no," Grice answered. "Though..."
"What is it?" Mikasa spoke up with a head tilt.
"It might be my memories turning to shite after everything, but I swear there was a time when Grisha only had one tail," Grice remarked thoughtfully, looking up at Eren. "And unless I'm wrong, you're a bit taller than he was."
[[[Why though?]]]
[[Can't be time. Dad was in this form for Months.]]
[Maybe something to do with Frieda?]
"I'm lost now, what's he saying?" Armin asked curiously.
"Trying to figure out why his form is changing more than it did for Grisha," Grice translated, thoughtful as well.
Armin frowned. "There was...something I noticed, during the battle," Armin remarked, getting their full attention. "Right after your heads regrew, when you were fighting Reiner? I know you don't remember much, but you had him pinned and biting him. But your necks were glowing, almost as if you were...taking something from him."
Grice gave strange clicking sounds of contemplation while Eren became incredibly quiet and thoughtful.
They were talking about when Eren wasn't himself. When the Voice in the Storm had been in control. Just what had it been doing, Zwei wondered but didn't dare muse on it out loud.
The Storm wanted to kill the Titans, the same as him. But it didn't care for humans, so it obviously wanted to end the Titans for a different reason.
If Grice had any thoughts on Armin's observation, he didn't share them either.
Meanwhile
Bertholt was screwed.
He knew that from the moment he woke up in a cell, laid against a wall with his arms chained above his head and his legs similarly bound to the floor.
What happened, he wasn't sure. He remembered the lighting from Eren's mouth, then falling and...
Everything after that might have been a nightmare. Surrounded by Eren, the Jaw Titan, and...whoever or whatever the monster calling them "Dogs of Marley" was.
Then a woman was behind him, touching his back, and...nothing.
Either that all happened or he had passed out when he hit the ground. It didn't matter either way, he was captured and definitely did not have the strength to transform.
How did it turn out like this? He didn't enjoy being the Colossal Titan, but he still felt like its power was almost invincible. How had he been defeated? What was this power that Eren had? And how many more were there like him? Why now, after a hundred years since the Fall of Eldia to Marley?
"Hello, Mr. Hoover."
His thoughts were cut short by the disturbingly pleasant tone of a woman.
He looked up and saw that there were four people just outside his cell, two men and two women. One he recognized as Captain Levi of the Scouts, eyeing him as if he were a wounded yet dangerous beast to be put down. One of the women he didn't recall the name of, just that she was someone else high in the Survey Corps. She was grinning at him, and he wasn't sure if that was scarier than Levi. The man with a hat was unknown to him, but despite looking amused and relaxed, Bertholt could tell he was dangerous.
And last but not least, Lady Frieda, sitting on a crate for a rest, smiling at him with feigned benevolence.
"I take it you know who I am?" Freida asked idly.
"Lady Freida, a noble within the walls," he answered evenly, trying to keep himself collected and not freak out.
"Yes, that is what everyone was told," she agreed with a nod, resting her chin in her hand. "But is that all you think I am?"
The memory of her touching his back flashed in his mind, with the strange, numbing shock that he barely recalled now. "No, I suppose I don't, Queen of the Walls."
Freida chuckled. "Good, that saves us some explanations."
"What do you want? Why am I alive?" Bertholt asked with a frown.
"We can change that pretty quickly if you want," Levi warned coldly.
"Easy, Runt. Don't want to make him piss his pants, do ya?" Kenny asked with a chuckle, getting a sideway glare from Levi.
"Boys, play nice," Freida requested in jest before returning to Bertholt. "I just thought we should have a chat while you're still in one piece."
Bertholt stiffened at that.
"Oh? What do you mean, O Queenly One?" Hange asked with excited interest.
"Shifters can survive and recover from almost anything if they have the will and know-how. But this is a double edge sword. A Shifter can't change form while doing significant healing. Say, regrowing a limb. But you have to be careful; if they're already healed before the limb is cut off, they can transform. The trick is that they have to be already healing to cancel out the transformation," Frieda explained helpfully. "As the Founding Titan, however, I was able to shut down his ability to shift at all for twenty-four hours. He can still heal though."
"Ahh, I see, so we need to keep his powers...occupied before that timer expires," Hange said with a devious gleam against her goggles.
Bertholt mentally cursed these horrible devils, knowing he was going to be in hell before long. "What Do You Want?" he demanded again.
Freida lost her smile, giving him a narrow look. "Why are you here?"
"...?" Bertholt couldn't look more confused if he tried.
"Sorry, I should be specific. I know you're here for the Founder. AKA, Me. But I'm not sure why Marley is doing it now of all times. So enlighten me. What is the official reason for your mission here?" she asked curiously.
Bertholt debated not answering. But the answer wouldn't help them against Marley. It was hardly a secret either, it was actually kind of obvious. "To take the Founder and finally end the threat you and this island pose to the rest of the world," he answered without much conviction. "I'm sure there were other reasons for the higher-ups, but for us? We were just...trying to save the world.
Levi rose an eyebrow. "You bastards use Titans, and you're saying the world is that scared of us?" he asked skeptically.
"As far as the world is concerned, we still can control Titans," Kenny reminded, shaking his head. "Still, yeah, definitely just some noble shit dumped over their real reasons."
Bertholt didn't argue. Ulterior motive or not, it didn't change the fact that the whole world lived in fear of the idea of the Rumbling. Taking the Founder, ending that hundred-year-long fear? There had to be something right in doing that if there was nothing else right in this cruel world.
But even with that answer, Freida only looked curious. "That's all?" she asked in thought. When Bertholt had no further answer, she hummed. "I suppose that's good. I was almost worried for a second."
Now Bertholt felt something crawling up his spine, a sense of suspicion and dread. "What are you talking about?"
Freida hummed. "Things are going on beyond Marley's understanding. And as you have plainly seen, there are greater things in the world than Titans."
Three sets of roars echoed in his ears. "You think Eren will be enough to take on the entire world?"
"The entire world?" Freida repeated with a glare, standing abruptly. "Bertholt Hoover, you have no idea what the world even is, let alone the whole of it."
With that rather ominous statement, they left the Shifter in a deep sense of dread and uncertainty.
It wasn't until they were up the stairs that Hange commented. "So, what exactly were you planning to learn from that?" Hange asked curiously
Freida turned to her, her ire still present from Bertholt's words, for some reason. "Marley hasn't found the Lake of Death yet."
That had their attention. "How do you figure?" Levi inquired.
"Eren Yeager was about a decade old when Wall Maria fell," Kenny reminded, leaning against the wall. "Grisha didn't seduce a lass and put a bun in her right away. It's been a long while since Grice's people were put on this island. Between what that kid said and how much of a surprise old Golden boy was for them?"
"I see," Hange said in understanding. "If they had found it, they probably would have found a way to force a transformation. And with the way everyone talks about Marley, they wouldn't hesitate to use that."
"Couldn't they have found it while the brats were here?" Levi suggested.
"If they had something like Eren or Grice, I'm sure they would have sent them as backup, given how much they fear the Founder," Freida remarked.
"You say that like you're not the Founder," Levi pointed out suspiciously.
"I am, but I'm far from what I could do," Freida mused, touching her scarred arm. "I haven't been able to transform since that night I fought Grisha. But it's best if they don't know that. Otherwise, Marley might just try to attack us head-on and attempt to kill everyone on this island."
"...Everyone?" Levi repeated with a frown. "Would they go that far?"
Frieda nodded slowly. "My time before I was crippled was like a blur. But I could...learn about the outside world through the Founder's connection to all Subjects of Ymir. And what I saw was...horrible."
Levi kept his gaze on her until Kenny cleared his throat. "These Marley bastards, that turn people into Titans to wander forever or just as canon fodder? According to Freida, they're one of the nicer places."
Levi's eyes widen minutely before his mouth set into a scowl. "So, us against the world?"
"No," Frieda said with a mysterious smile. "In that situation, it'd just be us fighting the rest of humankind."
Just the rest of humanity. That felt ominous to Levi.
Meanwhile
Annie lay motionless on top of Wall Maria. She ran so hard and for so long that her cheeks were gaunt and missing flesh still from where her Titan had been connected to it. Strange, phantom agonies twitched in her arm every now and then but she was too exhausted to even react to the pain.
"Bertholt isn't coming."
Only her eyes moved as she glanced at Reiner's seated position next to her, glaring north toward Rose. Toward Trost. Toward Eren.
"No shit," she said evenly.
"They know who we are now," Reiner said with a frown.
Annie didn't respond now.
"Rescuing him is going to be hard," Reiner said under his breath.
Annie snorted or tried to, only managing to give herself a cough. "P-Please, don't fucking kid yourself."
Reiner gritted his teeth. "We can't just...go back, failures with the Jaw AND the Colossal lost to the enemies."
Annie frowned, giving him a pointed look. "How did Eren know?"
Reiner paused. "Maybe they told him beforehand?"
Annie looked entirely unimpressed with that answer. "Don't bullshit me. You were looking right at him. He was fine and then suddenly freaked out. He figured it out on his own. How?"
Reiner opened his mouth before looking reluctantly thoughtful. "It wasn't until Ymir showed up. Maybe he can...see or smell our powers?"
"Doesn't matter how he can, just that he can. Eren can tell if someone's a shifter. He might be able to sense us even if we tried to lay low and sneak back in," Annie pointed out.
"So, what? We just leave Bertholt to die!? Go home to be fed to our replacements?!" Reiner asked, unwilling to accept that just yet.
Annie hummed. "I don't think they will. Probably."
Reiner glanced at her, inquiring about her meaning.
"If they believe what we say about these monsters they have, Eren and the other thing? They'll not want to risk passing the powers off to someone inexperienced with such dangers lurking about," Annie speculated. "Of course, they might think we're full of shit and just throw us head first into some sap's Titan mouth."
They sat in silence for a long time.
"What the hell even was that? That thing Eren became?" Reiner asked quietly.
"Hell if I know," Annie muttered, mumbling lifting up her arm. "It still hurts, where he blew my Titan's arm off."
Reiner nodded. "I can feel his fangs in my back still."
"Titans don't feel pain," Annie commented. "I remember that much. The researchers told us, Titans don't have a nervous system like we do. Movement and touch, yeah, but pain and pleasure are things they can't feel."
"Even if they did..." Reiner trailed off. "Why is it still bothering us? We should have healed more by now."
"You know the only reason I'm talking about this, is because I don't have the energy to kick your groin to shut you up, right?" Annie retorted suddenly.
Reienr shook his head. "Fine, I'll change the subject. What do we do?"
"That's a good question, Warriors."
Annie found the will and energy to sit up, looking at the voice in alarm and suspicion, Reiner looking over in disbelief.
There was a man before them with glasses and shaggy blond hair, smoking a cigarette. "It's been a while, Reiner, Annie."
"Zeke...? Is that you, Warchief?" Reiner aksed, wondering if he was dreaming.
Zeke chuckled good-naturedly. "I suppose I've changed a bit. You both look the same to me though, just...bigger."
"How long have you been here?" Annie asked with a frown.
"Right here? I've been walking from down the wall for some time now," he answered, frowning now. "But I landed on the island a few weeks ago with Pieck and some soldiers."
Reiner gripped his head in frustration. "You mean... you've been here this whole time? We could have...Dammit! If we had known, we might have been able to save Bertholt, maybe even win."
"I'm afraid I wouldn't have been of much help," Zeke said with a troubled look on his face.
Annie furrowed her brow. "Zeke, where are Pieck and the others?"
"Pieck is with the survivors, "Zeke said with a frown. "We ran into some...complications."
Reiner and Annie shared a look before giving him uneasy glances. "How many heads did it have?"
Zeke rose an eyebrow. "They only had one head each...but there were a lot of them," Zeke said, taking a drag of his cigarette. "Strange creatures with only two limbs and a tail. They're as big as Titans, but they definitely...aren't."
"There are more of that bastard," Reiner growled.
"It seems we have a lot to share and catch up on. Should I assume...Marcel and Bertholt didn't make it?"
Reiner balled his fists and looked down. "Bertholt was captured, just today. But Marcel..."
"He died before we ever got to the wall," Annie answered flatly. "A buried titan surprised us."
Zeke nodded slowly in understanding. "Come on, we're not safe here."
"Why not?" Annie asked in confusion.
"These...Crawlers?" Zeke said slowly. "They sometimes come up on the walls, looking around for food. And I'm sorry to say, you both look like easy prey for them."
That gave them both a renewed sense of dread, forcing them to gingerly get to their feet and ignore any protests their bodies made.
Zeke nodded to them, and the trio began to walk in silence.
"So...tell me, do you know anything about these things, by chance?" Zeke asked idly.
"No," Reiner answered. "But there is...something worse than them."
"Oh?" Zeke asked, glancing back with a scowl.
"Warcheif," Annie said with a pursed frown. "Does the name Eren Yaeger mean anything to you?"
Zeke suddenly stopped at the mention of his surname, turning to face them suspiciously. "I don't recall a relative going by that. May I ask what that name means to you?"
Right now, Eren's name only meant one thing to Annie and Reiner.
Pain
End of Chapter
There we go. Grice has some interesting talks, Freida gets some information out of Bertholt without him realizing it, and Zeke has shown up! But yeah, the rest of the Crawlers have been terrorizing Zeke and the rest of the reinforcements.
Honestly, most Crawlers are easier to kill than titans, but they very smart pretators and humans in this world aren't use to fighting intellegent monsters, the Nine Shifters aside.
Again, yes, might be putting this fic on hold in the next few month until the next Monsterverse movie. Can I ignore it? Oh, certainly. But I like the option to incorperate it if I want to.
Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this all the same.
Early viewing of chapters 26-27 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64