This is just a little note to let you all know that I'll be changing updates to once around every middle of the month unless I have too many chapters in advance, which means I'll update sooner, if I'm out of chapters, if I'm busy or forget, lose inspiration, or die. (Hopefully not, but anything can happen)


"Zeke, you're going too fast!" Alex yelped as Zeke gripped his wrist and dragged the both of them in his room. Alex's satchel smacked against his hips making him struggle to move and keep up.

"No running in the house please!" Zeke's grandmother called out to the boys as the sped past. They entered the blond boy's room, which he closed behind them.

Alex reached into his satchel. "I brought that book on the difference between apes and monkeys that you wanted to see. I know how much you like primates."

Zeke lightly grimaced. "Actually, I wanted your advice. You're really smart, like Mr. Ksaver, so I wanted to see your opinion on… something."

Alex blinked. Ah. It was about Zeke's parents and the rest of the Eldian Restorationists, wasn't it?

"Sure." The two boys moved to lay their backs on the older boy's bed. "What is it?"

"First you have to promise me not to tell anyone."

"Okay…"

"Pinky promise me!" Zeke held out his pinky to the smaller boy beside him.

Alex snorted. That was adorable. He interlocked their fingers. "Pinky promise." They returned their hands.

Zeke took a deep breath before telling Alexander about the Restorationists.

"What do you think I should do?" Zeke asked.

Alex already knew what he would say. Zeke was important alive. And even if Zeke didn't turn them in, they would still be caught, and Grisha would still make it to Paradise. So telling him not to wouldn't stop Eren's birth. "I know this would be really hard to do but you have to turn them in. And they're putting you and your grandparents in danger. Treason is a serious crime. You'll all be turned into titans and sent to the island of devils without trial."

Zeke looked sad. "Mr. Ksaver said the same thing. But it's scary and I don't know what to do."

"You already know what you need to do. They chose to do something that would put you in danger. Their 'meetings' are obvious. They and a few others are going to one house almost every weekend. You get left with your grandparents for most. The military could say they are a part of it as accomplices." Alex moved his head to look at Zeke. He put hand on Zeke's. Zeke turned his head to look at the younger boy. "Your parents don't care about you. They only care about your blood."

"But...they're my parents. They have to." Zeke looked at him with tears in his eyes.

"Good parents don't endanger their children for their own selfish desires."

Zeke turned to look back at the ceiling and wiped his eyes with one of his hands.

"Zeke, you have to stay around. If not for yourself, do it for me. You're my only friend. If you were sent to Paradis, I would be all by myself."

"Okay." He said weakly.

"It's the right thing to do."


Alex was partially spaced out as he walked past people. He hasn't heard from Zeke for a while. Well, more like they haven't had the chance to talk. Probably because he and maybe his grandparents were busy dealing with the Marleyan Police now. Alex and his parents were in the crowd of Eldians that were watching the Yeager couple be dragged into police cars. He saw the way he looked. Completely and utterly devastated.

He had to think. He was in a tough position. What should he do about Zeke?

Zeke could be very useful to his goals, or he could be his worst nightmare. He didn't know what side Zeke would pick even if he tried to influence him. Alex and Marley or Ksaver and the euthanasia plan.

If Alex needed to, would he tell the government about Zeke's royal blood?

He shook his head. He didn't want to think about it.

Alex continued walking before he arrived at his destination. Zeke's grandparents' house. He knocked on the door. It didn't take long for the door to be opened.

The door cracked open enough to see Zeke's grandmother's face. She clutched the side of the door like she was guarding herself. "...Is there… something that you need?"

"I was wondering if Zeke was home? I haven't seen him in a while and I wanted to know if he wants to play."

"...He's not here. He's at the Titan Research Facility on the Liberio base."

"Oh." Well now he would have to wait for him.

A small smile grew on Mrs. Yeager's face. "But I'm sure you could visit him if you bring him his lunch." She opened the door wider and invited him inside. They walked inside the kitchen where a box filled with what looked like a ham sandwich cut diagonally with a banana and water on the side of the box waiting to be put in. She quickly packed it and handed the metal box to Alex.

"Here you go dear. You know where the base is right?"

"Mhmm." Alex hummed and grabbed the lunchbox.

Mrs. Yeager led him out and he made his way to the base.

He had heard Zeke mention the research facility a few times, so he knew it was in the north-eastern part of Liberio. It made sense. That's where the ports, Navy and warrior training reside. That was why Armin nuked it.

He turned around a street. There it was.

He ran up to the entrance. He had to sign in of course. You can't just run into a military base just because.

"Excuse me," Alex said. "Can you tell m-" He was interrupted as the receptionist looked away from his newspaper, irked, and handed him a map.

"Find it yourself." The man grumbled before returning to read his paper.

Alex huffed and fully entered the base. He looked at his map. It was close to him; he just needed to go left.

He entered the research facility and walked up to the front desk. Sitting there was a young Marleyan woman with curly brown hair and glasses. She was on the phone with someone. He didn't even know phones were a thing here! It was landline and hooked up to the wall. When she finished the call, he walked up to speak with her.

"Excuse me, but do you know where Mr. Ksaver is?"

She looked down at him quizzically. "Name and reason for this visit?"

"My name is Alexander Birken, and I'm here because a friend of mine, Zeke Yeager, forgot his lunch and he said he would be with him."

She hummed and picked up the phone beside her and dialed a number. The phone rang for a while before the other end picked up.

"Do you have Zeke with you?" Silence. "A friend of his has his lunch." Silence again. "Does the name Alexander Birken ring a bell?" More silence. "Mhmm, right. I'll bring him up." She hung up. And looked over at him. "Third floor, room 522. The stairs should be the first thing you see to your left."

He smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Ma'am."

He quickly walked up each flight of stairs. He was very conscious of each room he went past.

'Aha! I found it.' He thought. Before he knocked on the door.

It opened. And Tom Ksaver, in the flesh, opened the door.

"Ah! You must be Alexander. I've heard so much about you. Come in, come in!" Ksaver said as he opened the door wider for the short boy to come in.

"All good things, I hope!" Alex replied as he stepped in the door. His eyes instantly met Zeke's curious eyes as he walked towards him.

"Alex? How did you know I was here?"

"Your grandma told me. I stopped by to see if you were down to play, er, wanted to play. Since you forgot to make lunch, she made it and told me about it so I could bring it to you."

"Does that mean you'll stay?" Zeke asks hopefully.

"Of course! I came all the way down here to see you anyway." Alex smiled and nudged him with his elbow. He handed the lunchbox to Zeke. "Er, well, is that okay sir? I don't want to impose…"

"Nonsense! Come, we were just about to play catch. If you want to, that is." Ksaver asks.

"Sure! Though I'm not the best… When Zeke and I usually play, we have to chase after the ball because I threw it wrong."

"That's alright. I'm sure with more practice you'll get it down." The older man turned to look at Zeke. "Make sure to take your lunch with you. I expect you to eat it all." He moved behind his desk and reached underneath to pull out three baseball gloves and a baseball.

"Yes, sir!" Zeke replied.

Ksaver led the boys outside. They didn't walk long. They stopped near a building. It was familiar to Alex. Maybe this was the spot where Ksaver and Zeke first met.

Ksaver handed both Alex and Zeke a glove. "Who wants to throw the ball first?"

"Oh! Me! Me! Can I throw it?"

"Zeke, you didn't even ask your friend if he wanted to start us off."

Alex shook his head. "It's fine Mr. Ksaver. I'm sure that if I tried, the ball would somehow reach Paradis!"

The man heartily laughed and patted Alex's shoulder.

The three spread out into a triangle shape and Zeke threw the baseball towards Alex. He caught it and threw it to Ksaver who then threw it to Zeke. When the ball came back to Alex, he almost dropped it. And when he went to throw it, he almost hit Ksaver in the face. Luckily, the man was able to dodge it just in time.

"Sorry!" Alex yelped.

"It's quite alright." Ksaver chuckled.

"I'll go get it!" Zeke said as he raced after the ball.

The two of them were so good at it. He was kind of jealous. Throwing was a very useful skill.

"I got it." Zeke placed the ball in Ksaver's gloved hand.

Ksaver nodded before he tossed the ball to Alex. "Here, try it again."

Alex smiled as he caught the ball. His next throw was much better.

Zeke clapped enthusiastically. "Good job!"

"Thanks." He replied back.

Maybe he wouldn't expose the blond's heritage just yet. He was having fun. Maybe they could spend more time like this.