Apologies for the delay of this chapter, people. In real life stuff and huge writers block was all keeping me from finishing this chapter. This was the first time I wasn't really sure of how the chapter turned out either, so I requested the help of my good friend ARCEUS-master to beta-read it for me. Thanks a lot for that, dude! :D If you like Pokémon, I suggest to check out his stories! He recently started a new one where I'm the beta-reader of! With that said, onward to the chapter! Enjoy! :3
Also, as a side-note, as of chapter 121 of the manga, this story is officially Alternate Universe.
''Titans!'' Speech
''Titans!'' Thoughts
As Eren chased Levi and Petra through the interior, he couldn't help but get a deep sense of déjà vu. He had been contemplating if Levi had figured out his war of attrition plan or not, because if he had, Eren knew he had to be extremely cautious from now on. ''Still, this reminds me a lot of that time I was chasing Annie around in Stohess District,'' he thought, recalling the bittersweet memories as he charged ahead, with his large feet making the ground rumble ominously underneath him. He knew it had ended in a victory for him, but in the process, it costed the lives of a few thousand innocent civilians and almost irreversibly tainted the image of the Survey Corps because of his actions. ''I won't let that happen again!'' he growled to himself, giving no real effort to catch up to Levi or Petra. ''I am older now.''
Eren had to chuckle to himself as that thought sank in. It was true that his mind was twenty-five years old, but his body was still only that of a twelve-year-old boy. It really took some time to get used to that, but once Eren got the hang of it, he really didn't think about it anymore. The fact all subjects of Ymir were connected to each other through invisible paths that transcended even time and space itself made it very easy for Eren to accept his new role. ''Even more so because the founding titan is the root that keeps the Tree of Yggdrasil together.'' His eyes sharpened as Levi and Petra suddenly made a tight turn to the right.
''I am sure there's a damn good reason I was sent back,'' he reassured himself, turning right as well and easily keeping up the pace with the fleeing Levi and Petra. ''Eren Krueger said it himself to my father. If we don't want history to repeat itself over and over again, then we have to change something. I'll be that change!'' Getting out of his thoughts, memories flooded through Eren's mind as he eyed his surroundings carefully.
''Something's off. I've been here before,'' Eren realized as he thought of the pair of fleeing soldiers and their suspicious rightwards turn earlier, ''Or have I?'' It looked very familiar to him for some reason, but he couldn't quite place it yet. That was, until his eyes widened in sudden horror and realization just as he rounded a corner following another strange turn by Levi and Petra. It immediately became clear to him that Levi and Petra's fleeing direction wasn't as random as he previously thought it was. There was a clear directional intent because right in front of Eren's titan form, on a building's rooftop, was one of the few Survey Corps soldiers Eren was deeply wary of. It was none other than Commander Erwin Smith himself.
Time seemed to freeze as the two locked eyes with each other for an agonizing moment, as if nothing else around them mattered. Erwin was looking at him calmly, his trap set, and it seemed Eren had walked right into it. All around Eren, on the roofs and lining the street, were multiple spear cannons that were ready to shoot and hook him into the ground, much like how they'd caught Annie two times in the past. ''I can't believe I forgot about Erwin of all people and something this obvious!'' Eren berated himself loudly.
There was no time to harden himself either, the only thing he could do was try to avoid as much of the spears as possible in a sudden jerk-reflex. So, when Erwin's expression hardened into the cunning veteran he had always been, shouting ''Fire!'' at the top of his lungs and bringing his arm down to give the signal to let lose all the power they had available, Eren did exactly that.
A mighty thunder boomed across the district as dozens upon dozens of spear cannons fired all at once, igniting the area in a dazzling and violent display of rapid yellow flashes while letting loose a thick cloud of grey smoke in the process. As hell itself was let loose around him, Eren relaxed his upper-torso muscles, leaning back as far as he could. Then, he abruptly stopped running and dropped to the ground, effectively sliding across it due to his ongoing forward momentum and in turn avoiding most of the spears that had been aimed at his upper body, which were shot downwards from above.
Still, he was unable to avoid all of the onslaught. Most of the spears aimed at his lower body still hit their target. The blasts of the cannons continuously going off were deafening. Eren grunted as the momentum of his slide was violently stopped in its tracks, he had been carrying so much force behind it that he ripped off some of the cannons on the various roofs in the process. A hiss escaped Eren's throat when he gauged the damage on his titan. His legs were completely pinned to the ground and some of the spears penetrated his belly and arms as well, but he knew those weren't strong enough to stop him for very long.
Luckily, his head and neck were completely free, so it meant he had some leverage to defend himself, although it was limited severely because of his non-existent mobility. ''This is very bad,'' Eren thought worriedly, sweat dripping from his face, ''If I had to deal with literally anybody else but Levi and Erwin, I would've been fine, but…'' He eyed Humanity's Strongest, who had joined Erwin on one of the roofs. He noticed that Petra was nowhere to be found. 'I almost feel overwhelmed. I had forgotten just how powerful those two are together.''
Levi eyed Eren's titan form from his vantage point seemingly emotionlessly, but Erwin knew him well enough to know that he was both impressed and caught slightly off guard by Eren's incredibly fast reflexes. ''He knew the trap,'' Levi stated to Erwin rather matter-of-factly, his face turning into a scowl. ''Erwin, we've never used this method of catching a titan alive before, right?'' he questioned sharply.
The specific way of how Levi formulated his sentence suggested it was a question for confirmation, but the way he spoke it—strong and calculated—implied that he noticed there was something off about how Eren reacted so perfectly to counter most of the damage of the spears. Erwin stayed silent, the gears in his head turning as he tried to think of a logical explanation. The only reason Eren could've predicted this trap was if somebody had told him in advance. ''Although that would mean there's a traitor in our midst,'' Erwin thought, looking at his fellow soldiers who had detonated the traps. He had handpicked them all for this dangerous mission and trusted each of them with his life. He couldn't fathom either of them siding with this revolutionist.
''Then again,'' Erwin continued to think deeply, ''this Eren Yeager is a special case. He's just a kid, yet he possesses an ability that allows him to turn into a titan; enemies we understand nothing about.'' He idly watched how Eren tried to rip out some of the spears that were lodged deeply in his body, without much result. ''He reacted to our offensive the way you would expect from an opponent with years of experience and first-hand knowledge of our tactics, he uses his titan as an extension of his body like a seasoned sword master uses his blade, and he claims to know the secret of the titans. He even managed to convince Dot Pixis.'' Erwin hummed, thinking of what his father told him about the possibility of life outside of the walls and what happened to him afterwards as a consequence. ''Could it be that this Eren Yeager is from outside the walls?'' he wondered in silent disbelief.
The silence Levi got in return was answer enough that Erwin knew what he was thinking. ''Either way,'' he continued, pointing one of his blades at Eren's restrained titan, ''we will have our answers soon enough once I rip Eren Yeager out of his titan.'' He gave Erwin a sideways glance. ''I sent Petra away for now to report on the status of Oluo, Gunter and Eld. They should probably have wrapped up things by now and be on their way back.''
Erwin nodded his head. ''Levi, I trust you can handle the rest of this?'' He wasn't so sure Eren was completely out and down for the count. He looked way too calm not to have an ace up his sleeve. Still, Levi was a phenomenal soldier with a skill that surpassed every other soldier tenfold, if not even more. So, he did not doubt his second in command whatsoever when he gave a slight nod in return.
''I should be if those spears keep him in place long enough.'' Without another word, Levi shot two of his hooks into the building opposite of him before swinging down to throw himself at Eren with every intention to slice him up. His face hardened into a murderous expression as he brought back his blades to firstly cut off both of Eren's arms while he was descending unto him like a missile.
Eren hissed at Levi's sudden offense. He kept underestimating this Ackerman's speed. ''He's going for my arms to leave me completely defenseless.'' Eren knew he couldn't do much about it; he was too immobilized to counter Levi in this situation. With a well-executed slash, Levi's blade pierced through Eren's left upper arm, slicing through his humerus bone and dislocating his shoulder joint, which now hung limply at Eren's side while boiling hot blood rushed out of the large gash he had inflicted.
With his momentum going downwards, Levi aimed one of his hooks towards the back of Eren's head to come back around and bring his blades back into Eren's other shoulder. In the span of a second, he stabbed both of his blades through Eren's rotator cuff and trapezius muscles, ripping the tissues apart like a hot knife through butter. Immediately, Eren's right shoulder seized to cooperate and be nothing but a useless hump of flesh. Levi's blades were now completely blunt, but shooting up to the sky to gain more momentum gave him plenty of time to change them. Like a fallen angel who had burned off his wings by flying too closely to the sun, Levi started to drop down again as gravity took a hold of him. He had both of his blades drawn into an X pattern, ready to bring them down on Eren's neck diagonally to cut off his head in one clean blow and get him out of his titan.
However, Levi let out a big hiss in surprise when a completely hardened Eren looked back at him. ''He used the time I was busy butchering his arms to harden his whole body like a big statue.'' Levi cursed under his breath, stopped his attack and shot down two hooks to halt his momentum completely so he landed gracefully on Eren's neck. He tapped his foot against the crystal-like structure experimentally and snorted a little bit, beckoning over some of Erwin's soldiers. ''However you look at it, he trapped himself. It's only a matter of time before we get him out of there.''
''Levi, sir! You needed our help?'' One of the soldiers asked him loyally when they had landed next to Humanity's Strongest. Levi's serious face would've intimidated anybody, but there was no time to be afraid right now. They had already defeated the biggest threat in Eren Yeager's titan. It should be a victorious moment and the soldiers treated it as such.
''That's right,'' Levi stated with an affirmative nod. ''I want you to aim to remaining spear cannons at Eren Yeager's neck. Let's see if we can actually get him out if this husk.'' Levi sat down idly, knowing that Eren didn't pose a threat anymore.
''Sir, yes sir!'' the soldiers saluted before firing their vertical maneuvering equipment so they could fly off to get the cannons into position. Levi rubbed his chin, deep in thought. ''Something doesn't feel right here. After such a flawless reaction to our trap, why would Eren resort to such a desperate tactic? Is this part of his plan to stall us?'' Levi watched the titan's lifeless eyes with a harrumph. ''Unless…''
Levi stood up to examine the titan once more. This time, he gave a hard kick against Eren's hardened neck instead of the experimental tap he had done before. Of course, it didn't do any damage, but the hollow thud that resonated all around Levi made him grit his teeth. ''Don't tell me…'' He jumped down to the ground below, only to see a small hole at the base of the titan's lower neck; big enough for Eren to have crawled out of. 'So, it was all a distraction,'' Levi realized with a jeer as he looked at the now empty shell of Eren's titan. ''He used the time I wasted commanding Erwin's soldiers to quietly exit his titan and escape.'' Levi's expression darkened while he turned his head low. He knew he had too little gas to go looking for Eren without having a lead. All he could do was wait for Petra to return with the rest of the squad. Hopefully, they had managed to subdue Ymir.
Petra Ral found herself in a precarious situation. She felt unsure why Levi had sent her away to report on the status of her other squad members. She would've been lying if she didn't rather prefer to stay close to Levi. Even if Eren Yeager seemed to be trapped, she knew he was far from defeated. She wanted to support Levi as best as she could in this situation; not play as his scout. She had grunted in annoyance when she went to look out for Oluo, Gunther and Eld, not feeling comfortable in leaving Levi to deal with Eren on his own. Now though, her sour look had turned into complete horror and anxiety. Sweat dripped from her brow as she came to look at Ymir's titan and her fallen teammates.
''Gunther… Eld…'' Her mind couldn't comprehend it. From where she was standing, they looked as dead as a corpse, so she assumed the worst. Seething anger started to build inside her body, an uncontrollable rage she wanted to unleash on the monster in front of her. Her fury had no boundaries as she started to scream in anger, blades drawn which shone brightly under the sunlight. Petra started to run at Ymir head on, her eyes screaming bloody murder.
''Is she going to attack me?'' Ymir thought incredulously. She had knocked out her teammates without too much trouble. Her claw had already regenerated enough for her to use it again. ''There's no way she will stand a chance against me. You're making it way too easy, Petra.'' Ymir prepared herself like Eren had taught her to do. She changed her stance, flexing her claws menacingly and waiting for Petra to make the first move.
Just like she expected, Petra attacked in a blind rage. She used her vertical maneuvering equipment to propel herself forwards, heightening her speed considerably. Petra didn't really have a plan in mind. She was just going to cut open Ymir's nape and defeat her like she had done plenty of times with other titans in the past. Her experiences under Levi's command ensured she could dodge Ymir's sweeping claw easily. She swooped under it by shooting a hook into the ground below, and using the ensuing motion to aim her swords at Ymir's neck with a triumphant smirk on her face. ''That was way off,'' Petra thought victoriously, ''How did—'' Her thought died down rather abruptly in her mind when the wind was suddenly knocked out of her. Ymir, smartly enough, never had the intention to hit Petra in the first place, but rather, the cables of her vertical maneuvering equipment.
''Just like Eren told us to do,'' Ymir thought with a slight smile, her claw's sweeping motion ensuring the cable snapped. Petra's momentum was stopped instantly, the other cable throwing her off of her intended trajectory and cutting deeply in her side as she lost all control and crashed violently to the ground below. She hissed and grunted as she rolled to a halt, her whole body feeling bruised, but especially her side exploded in searing pain.
She looked at it in panic and saw how her clothes began to stain red with her blood. ''I'm bleeding! Quick, put pressure on it!'' Her mind screamed to her, her trembling hands doing exactly that while she cried out in pain. Petra tried to hold back her tears among her ragged breaths, with her clothes sticking to the relatively deep wound like one layer while she hissed and cursed. ''I need to stop the bleeding or else I'll—'' her expression turned mortified as Ymir came back into her point of view threateningly. She knew she had no way to defend herself, lest she risk bleeding out much faster. Petra gasped and hiccuped, her body refusing to believe she was going to die like this as Ymir approached her slowly. ''Please, let this be over soon…''
However, just as Petra thought Ymir was going to deal the finishing blow, a young, feminine voice spoke up. ''Ymir…''
Ymir turned her attention to the owner of the voice, since she recognized it all too well. ''Mikasa?'' she thought in stupor. She could sense the panic and desperation in Mikasa's voice. Her eyes were filled with tears and she was trembling on her feet. ''Please stop, Ymir,'' she begged, almost pathetically so. ''Bertolt, he's…''
At that moment, Ymir realized something went completely wrong on Mikasa's end. ''No way… don't tell me it's that guy you shot out of the sky.'' She froze as she feared the worst. Mikasa just nodded her head slowly, as if she understood what Ymir was thinking. ''Oluo… He's holding me at gunpoint right now,'' she elaborated, almost in a whisper. ''You need to back off, please…''
Ymir had never seen Mikasa so fragile before; the mighty Ackerman almost looked as if she was going to fall apart any second now. Ymir knew she was beaten. If she did anything stupid, both Mikasa and Bertolt would instantly bite the dust. She hung her head low and slammed her fist into the ground, creating a small crater as she did so. ''We failed…'' she thought disbelievingly, her breath turning erratic while she sombrely closed her eyes. ''After so much preparation. Was it all for nothing?'' Just as Ymir was about to give up hope, the impossible seemed to happen.
''Ymir, there's no need to back off.''
She gasped audibly, as did Mikasa, as none other than Eren Yeager himself—their guardian angel—came into view, calmly walking into the plaza. He had the recognizable red markings on his face that showed he had just exited his titan not too long ago. He let his eyes wander over the plaza, seemingly unimpressed with the ongoing situation. One could say he looked almost bored.
''Eren!'' Mikasa hiccuped, uncharacteristically struggling to find her voice. ''Please, you need to get out of here!''
It was exactly what Eren had expected she would say. He gave her a kind smile in return; one he knew that would send butterflies through her stomach as he took another step forward. ''Mikasa. There's no need to worry. Oluo isn't going to shoot you, okay? At least, not anymore now that I'm here.'' His kind smile brightened just a tad. ''Everything is going to be fine, all right?''
If it was anybody else telling her those words, she wouldn't have believed them. However, the calmness and confidence Eren radiated from every word that escaped from his lips gripped her very core. ''Eren…'' she thought to herself, her panic melting away into pure warmth for the boy who she had crushed on so hopelessly ever since he wrapped that scarf around her neck—that same scarf she wore right now and tickled her face. ''I know… how can I ever doubt you, Eren?'' The joyful tears that appeared in the corner of her eyes said enough. She didn't need to say anything to convey her message.
''Mikasa, thank you for believing in me,'' Eren thought appreciatively, his smile never wavering. He gave her a nod, before focusing his attention on where he knew Oluo was holding Mikasa at gunpoint. From this distance, it was pretty hard to spot Oluo in the tower Bertolt and Mikasa had taken refuge in. Eren knew the streets like the back of his hand, though, and thus had the advantage of noticing him very quickly. He focused on Oluo, his voice loud and clear enough that it echoed over the plaza so he could hear him.
''Oluo, it looks like we are at an impasse here. I have Gunther and Eld, while you have Bertolt and Mikasa. It may look like Ymir killed them, but they're both fine, I assure you. However, Petra is in serious need of medical attention. If you don't do something quickly, she might bleed to death. I propose a fair trade: your soldiers for my family.''
When Oluo refused to respond, Eren tried again. ''Oluo, listen. Dot Pixis is taking the Garrison to the palace of the puppet king as we speak. The Military Police Brigade fled, Levi is out of gas and can´t get here in time to provide backup and Erwin's trap failed. I don't want any more unnecessary bloodshed. Let's put an end to this peacefully,'' he suggested.
A heavy silence followed, one so thick it was almost suffocating, but at last, Oluo responded. ''Eren Yeager!'' he yelled back, making Eren narrow his eyes challengingly. Another pause, before Oluo continued, his voice pained, but also filled with respect. ''Well played.''
Silence is often considered blissful, however, when you want to scream out for help and no sound comes out of your mouth, it quickly turns maddening. There was nothing but darkness, like an unending void that stretched out forever. ''Where am I!? What happened!? Somebody please help me!''
The moment you think you're going insane—your cries for help unanswered—people often experience a moment of serenity. It seemed that was exactly the case. Suddenly, the darkness disappeared. A young girl was standing there, all alone. Her black hair obscured her face, but it was obvious her expression was a kind-hearted one.
''Where am I?''
The girl shrugged her shoulders, not unkindly. ''Who knows?'' she responded. ''The beginning? The end? The Tree of Yggdrasil is a vast place, connecting everything together. As the Root, there's no saying where we are, the possibilities are endless.''
''What am I doing here?''
''You died,'' the girl replied bluntly. "Every Eldian who dies comes to this place. You are part of the Tree, so it was inevitable.''
''I don't understand.''
''You don't have to,'' the girl reassured kindly. ''Comprehending anything here is beyond reason.'' She beckoned her hand gently, indicating to follow. ''Come.''
She walked away, her expression suddenly solemn, even though her hair still blocked her face. ''Tell me,'' she whispered, ''Eldians… why do they exist, you think?''
''…''
''You don't know either, huh?'' the girl responded, her sigh filled with exhaustion. ''Are we here just to suffer? To be punished? To be beaten? To be humiliated? To repeat our mistakes over and over again in an endless loop? It seems that way,'' the girl admitted, ''as if we've been cursed from the very beginning.''
''…''
The silence seemed to sadden the girl. ''Why don't you speak up? Why don't you rage? Don't you think it's unfair?''
''…''
The girl turned her head low, like she was about to give up. She looked broken, beaten and defeated. She stared at the ground lifelessly, the spark of hope she had hold on for so long slowly fading like the flame in a dying candle.
''No.''
A gasp escaped the girl's throat, her eyes turning to saucers as she looked back. ''No?'' she questioned in a whisper, not believing her ears. ''Are you saying we deserved all of this?''
''No.''
''Then what is it?'' she demanded somewhat angrily, her fists balling.
''We certainly didn't deserve it. However, the reality is that it happened. We can cry and weep about it and change nothing… or we can stand up and fight. Over and over again. No matter how many times we get knocked down, we'll get back up again as many times as is needed. Life doesn't exist for Eldians to suffer. It exists to prosper, to learn and to love. Eldians deserve this as much as anybody else does. So… stand up and fight. With every fiber of your being! Never give up hope!''
The girl's breathing got erratic at the answer, making thick tears of joy roll past her cheeks as she giggled in relief. ''I—I thought I lost you,'' she admitted, ''I'm so glad you're far stronger than I am. Thank you!'' she wiped away her tears, her body language eager and appreciative. ''You have to go back,'' she said. ''Your time is not up yet. Let the Tree of Yggdrasil guide you to your destination and take my blessing with you. The path of—''
Dina awoke with a jolt, her scream loud while her whole body was covered in a cold sweat. Her hands shivered uncontrollably while she looked around warily. ''What…'' she thought, her breath uneven. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and she had the huge urge to cry. ''Where…''
''Dina!'' a familiar voice shouted. The door was abruptly swung open as Grisha stormed inside, his worry palpable on his face as he looked her up and down. ''Dina,'' he repeated slowly, his voice almost choking.
''Gr—Gris…'' Dina coughed, a splitting headache wracking her mind and making her nauseous. She felt like she was about to pass out then and there.
''Easy there, Dina, I'm here,'' Grisha said reassuringly. ''Everything is going to be fine.'' He sat down at the edge of the bed and grabbed her hand, holding it gently.
Dina cracked a small smile at him, her body calming down somewhat. He always had that effect on her. ''What happened?'' she whispered.
Grisha looked unsure, as if he was contemplating if he should tell her the truth or not. When Dina gave him a gentle nod, silently telling him it was okay, Grisha cleared his throat. ''You were shot in the head by a soldier of the Military Police Brigade. The bullet destroyed your brain, but somehow, you were able to transfer your consciousness through your body. Ever since then, you have been in a coma.''
Dina widened her eyes. ''How long?'' she demanded impatiently.
''Two weeks, give or take,'' Grisha answered. ''We succeeded in overthrowing the faulty government. We're now officially a diarchy with Frieda and Historia Reiss leading us, although the latter is still very weak. I had to perform surgery on her in the open field, and by some unbelievable miracle, she survived.'' Grisha still couldn't believe he succeeded, but it was as if an unseen force was guiding his hands. He had patched her up relatively quickly and gave her the precious hours she needed to get her admitted to the hospital where she received proper care.
''Anyway,'' he continued, ''both Annie and Reiner are in very bad shape, but healing quickly. Bertolt suffered minor injuries while both Ymir and Mikasa are doing fine,'' Grisha informed her.
''What about Eren?'' Dina asked immediately.
Grisha stayed silent as Eren calmly walked in the room. He removed the hood he was wearing and gave his stepmother a warm smile. ''Welcome back,'' he said. He kneeled at her bed and wrapped his arms around her lovingly, giving her a warm hug. ''I'm so glad you are okay,'' he whispered to her, to which Dina reciprocated the hug, cooing like how Carla would often do.
''Eren, we did it, didn't we?'' Dina said, her voice hinting how proud she was. She couldn't believe her stepson's plan had worked out. After so much turmoil and setbacks for both teams, they were finally one step closer to saving the Eldians and giving them true freedom.
Eren broke the hug, his grin wide and contagious. ''Yes, we did. We can now work on the next step of getting Paradis Island titan-free and prepare for the arrival of the Beast and Cart Titans. However, first, we will take a well-deserved rest. The people behind the walls need time to adjust as well.''
Dina nodded her head in agreement. After all, a lot of things were going to change. Grisha smiled at the scene of his first wife and son chatting so amiably. He couldn't be prouder at the moment. ''I'll give you guys some time alone.'' He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.
Eren stayed at Dina's side for a little while longer, making idle conversations and keeping her company until he saw she was getting tired again. ''You need to rest. I can't believe you pulled a Reiner on us, but I'm glad it worked out and that you're recovering well.''
An owlish look crossed on Dina's face, but she didn't comment on it. ''Probably something that happened with Reiner while I was out,'' she mused. Instead, she closed her eyes and rested her head back on her pillow.
Seeing this as his cue to leave, Eren stood up from the bed and walked to the door. Just when he grabbed the handle, however, he heard Dina's voice once more.
''The path of Truth lies beyond the Intertwined Rope. Make the Jump and reach The Gate.''
Eren's expression sharpened into one of determination. Without looking back, he opened the door.
''I know, and I will.''
So that wraps up this arc of the story, finally! This turned out the be a bit bigger than originally expected, but that is fine. :) Anyway, did you guys like it, love it, hate it? Please review! Reviews make my day! :D Until next time!
~Syrup