Pieck had become painfully familiar with the exact specifics of her father's disease. She knew it was bad. Really bad. Her work as a Warrior gave him the treatment he needed, but all that did was make things more of a slow decline.

A decline that would turn into a drop once Pieck was out of the picture. Oh, she didn't think Marley would be bold enough to just cut off his pills and dump him in the street, but her father's treatment cost good money that Marley wouldn't want to pay any longer than necessary. They'd make it look like a tragic deterioration of his condition due to grief, so none of the Warrior candidates got funny ideas about how long Marley's care actually lasted.

She didn't want sugar pills, saline injections, and lacking care for her father when she was gone. It would be a vicious twist of fate if Ymir's curse ended up killing both her and her father, if indirectly.

So what other options were there? She certainly wouldn't have the medical expertise to do something about it (if anyone could) anytime within the next few years, and he was too old to be a candidate. There was only one option she could think of, and it was… mindbogglingly stupid.

She needed to find the Founder. She needed to convince them to use their power to cure a random Eldian they'd never met. She probably needed to ensure that the Founding wouldn't end up in the hands of someone who would turn her dad into fodder for a kinetic bombardment.

Laying those requirements out, the solution that came to mind sounded a little something like treason. Which would then require spiriting her father to Paradis before Marley figured out that she had done the aforementioned treason. Ideally, said solution wouldn't also end in the world getting trampled underfoot or the Liberio ghetto becoming victim to a lynch mob.

It sounded hard, because it was hard. Perhaps impossible. But Warriors already did what was impossible for the average man, and she would make it work.

When the time came for the selection of Warrior candidates for the Paradis mission, Pieck volunteered. Zealously so, arguing that she was the only way to get them overland and to the walls without getting caught by Titans.

It ended up being a choice between her and Marcel. They were both high-maneuverability Titans, with Pieck trading in some offensive power for broader utility. Considering that the other members of her party included the Colossal, they didn't necessarily need more attacking power, especially when that meant fewer strong Titans on the front.

In the end, it was some mix of her wits and wanting to reduce time spent traveling across Titan country, where any one of them could be picked off. (Imagine if the Titan in question was one of those Eldian revanchists. It'd be a catastrophe.)

So that was the plan. Pieck would serve as their leader, guide them towards the Walls, and then get them inside so they could find the Founding. As long as she didn't provoke the Rumbling, she was allowed any means she could think of.

Casualties were acceptable.

And that… was that. She had carte blanche to go on a killing spree if she could acquire the Founding Titan by the end of it. She said goodbye to her dad, and they were off for Paradis.

The place didn't feel real, even when she was standing on the edge of the concrete dock, looking out on a vast stretch of sand only broken up by some rough crags. It was no verdant paradise, there wasn't even a Titan in sight… but her father's salvation waited here, a ways north.

She transformed into the Cart Titan, their things were packed, and off they went.

Fortunately for Pieck and unfortunately for her unsuspecting passengers, they didn't have much time before night fell. They managed to leave the sand behind, finding themselves in a sort of rugged, dry plain still marked by great mountains. Pieck made the executive decision to settle down for the night in a cave.

Well, perhaps cave was a generous word for it. A long seam in the side of a cliff face that you could squirm and wiggle into, with enough room inside that you couldn't be snatched by reaching arms. Hopefully, it was long enough that one of the crew could exit and transform, should a Titan find the place.

Yeah, she was ditching them, but she wasn't a monster. She knew she was taking a risk with that, considering that they could run home and inform Marley of what she was doing… but she did have a plan regarding that.

"I'll take first watch, alright?" None of them complained, probably wanting some sleep.

So she took first watch and waited until they were deeply asleep. Heh. Annie still scowled in her sleep, just like back in training-

No! She shook her head and walked down a bit, to the lower end of the seam in the mountainside. This was the more approachable end, considering the other had a massive overhang and was covered in sharp rocks all the way down. It would have been a good defensive position for small-unit tactics…

But now Pieck would be operating in a unit of one. She pulled out her knife and made a cut, a bit deeper than what she usually did for shifting. She smeared and splattered it all over the place, throwing her arm around like a fool so droplets would spread far and wide. When there was a sufficient mess, she ran away.

The second reason for her campsite choice was a nearby crevasse, completely out of sight from their camp. Hopefully, it would do something to dampen the noise and the sound.

(Getting there was annoying. Her legs were shaking like crazy, half because of the blood loss and half because of her shifting. She had done a lot of practice for this mission, spending whole days shifted.)

It took a couple day's more traveling to reach the Walls, and she never changed back into her human form unless she absolutely had to. She didn't have considerable supplies on hand, considering that Annie or Bertholdt might notice something up if she took too much. Titans didn't steal human food like wild animals would, after all.

Of course, she wasn't stupid enough to try to cross over at a populated portion. There would be swarms near the big cities and somebody would have to see her coming over the wall. So she peeled away, towards a spot a little to the west. That was a wise move, considering that climbing was a lot harder than she thought.

It made sense, she supposed. The Walls were hardened into being, meaning they had precisely zero give, and it also meant there was no need for conventional bricks or mortar, leaving no seams. That had required a bit of a sit-down (in Titan form) to figure out her plan of attack.

She didn't have hardening or sufficient size to simply climb over, but she had endurance in spades, opposable thumbs, and literally all the land outside the Walls. What she didn't have much of was time, so she got to work.

Running off to the nearest forest, she saw that she could climb trees. Logs could hold her weight. Wooden structures that big weren't completely impossible. Her predecessor Cart Titan once showed her a photograph of some city Marley had conquered, complete with a tremendous wooden temple. Of course, she didn't have time for something like that, but a watchtower…?

She wouldn't be in this situation if she wasn't the Cart Titan, but there were some perks. Now she just had to make sure she covered up her trail…

Landing on the other side was a welcome relief. She could finally go back to her human form so that she looked the part of a perfect little young lady when she walked into that town.

And then her knees gave out under her. Damn it. She tried again, her legs shaking under her as she stumbled to the wall. Despite their cataclysmic contents, they gave her something to lean on as she slowly, gradually worked her way toward the gate.

At the very least, it gave her time to come up with a cover story and even strengthened it a little… her clothes were pretty roughed up by the time she reached the gate, where she could spy a healthy flow of commerce going in and out. Unfortunately, she had a feeling she wouldn't be able to sneak in even if her legs were cooperating with her…

So she played it up for everything it was worth. Once she was close enough to be seen, she staggered and stumbled even as she leaned against the wall like a drunk. When people approached her, she made a big show of falling back and shrinking away, like she was afraid they'd attack her.

One of the guards stepped forward. "We ain't gonna hurt you, kid. Promise."

"Really?" She squeaked, putting on her most pathetic, childish voice.

"Yes, really." He smiled. It might have been more reassuring if he didn't reek of booze. "Do you have a name, little miss?"

"Pieck." She said. "I… can't remember the rest."

"You can't?"

"No. It's all… fuzzy. I thought if I followed the wall, I could find some help…" She genuinely tried to stand up, but only collapsed against the ground pathetically.

"Let's get her to Doctor Yeager."

And there was her in. Perfect. Play the poor amnesiac waif to gather information and figure out where she could find the Founding.

It seemed like a good plan. She was escorted into town and plopped in the doctor's house. Unfortunately, the man was out on business, but that gave her a bit of time to get a grip on who he was. The guards and neighbors thought very well of him, lauding his kindness, and he had kids who looked a bit younger than her (who had been shooed away, considering Pieck's situation), he'd probably be quite sympathetic… Hell, the man's wife had even given her some food, which she devoured. She didn't have to fake her hunger.

"Thank you, Mrs. Yeager," she murmured, after a hefty slurp of soup. Homecooked food… how long had it been since she had some?

"My pleasure, dear. I hope it makes you feel a little better."

"It does."

"Would you like me to help you to another seat when you're finished?"

"I can stay here." She smiled. "Maybe you can tell me about Mister. Yeager?"

"You don't have to worry, dear. He's… incredible. Kind and skilled. He saved my family's life, you know."

Pieck leaned forward a bit in her seat. "He did?"

"Yes. There was this dreadful disease…" She proceeded to explain how Grisha had revolutionized medicine in Shiganshina, how his unique skills attracted attention and patrons in the inner walls. Despite that, he stayed humble, not leaving his household in Shiganshina. Perhaps they didn't live as well as they could, but Grisha did pro-bono work and refused to spend too much time away from his family.

The doctor really seemed like a stand-up guy. If she was actually looking for treatment, she'd probably be glad for it, but now she was a little worried. Would he be able to tell if something was off with her? Perhaps he was good enough of a man to not hand her over to the guards if he realized something was wrong, but she couldn't help but feel worried.

She'd have to tamp down on her healing factor from now on, but she couldn't be sure if there wasn't something distinctly Marleyan about her he'd be able to pick up. Sure, he wouldn't know what Marley was, but would he…?

(In Pieck's defense, her father's condition had kind of soured her to most doctors.)

Eventually, after a bowl of soup and several cuts of bread, the man of the house arrived. Doctor Grisha Yeager was tall and thin with dark hair. Not exactly a shocking set of characteristics for an Eldian, but Pieck tried to stay observant, especially when it came to people who could blow her story right open.

"Hello. You must be Pieck?"

"Yes, sir."

"And I've been told you have a weakness in your legs and amnesia."

"Yes, sir."

What followed was a series of careful checks, to make sure that the problem wasn't physical. Of course, he was restrained by her modesty, but he did most of the tests he could think of, and he was frowning significantly by the time he was finished.

"I'd almost think it psychological…" he muttered. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help, Miss Pieck. I'll double-check my books, and you can stay here until we find you someplace to live." He reached down to grab her boots, which she had shed while he checked for any damage to her ankle. (There was none.)

Mister Yeager grabbed one of them before he froze up. Pieck froze as well. What was the problem? Those were just her boots. Her boots-

Her boots that were made cheap on an assembly line somewhere, instead of being purchased from a cobbler. The boots with a brand logo burnt into the leather of the backstay. Shit.

Mrs. Yeager had left the room, maybe she could– no. If she hurt him in any way, she'd be the prime suspect, and it was too public for her to try shifting. She'd be penned in by the Walls.

"Would I be correct in assuming you're a Marleyan Warrior?"

…

She was cooked.

Good news: she wasn't killed immediately. Great. Bad news: she was at the mercy of a man who revealed himself to be the Attack Titan, and he held all the cards. Socially, he was a respected doctor, while she was some crippled waif from the middle of nowhere. Maybe, if she was bold, she could slit his throat in the night, but that would still leave her in the unenviable position of trying to escape Shiganshina after killing their beloved doctor.

So she played along. When he asked about Marley's plans, she answered as accurately as she could. She was stuck with Shiganshina now. If Reiner and company came and say, breached the Wall, she'd be up a creek. In human form, she was as vulnerable as anyone else. Try to shift? Well, the people of Paradis would either try to kill her or cut her open, and the Warriors would realize she had betrayed them.

Still, her explanation led to the obvious question: "Why did you abandon your comrades?"

"I wanted to save my father. He's sick. Really sick. Only the Founder would cure him, and I'm not letting Marley have it."

Mr. Yeager smiled at her. "You're a good daughter, Miss Pieck. Your father is lucky to have you."

"What good is that luck if he never sees me again? If he dies the moment I'm out of the picture?"

"I know where the Founding Titan is," Grisha said, and the relief hit Pieck like a deluge. "And I'd like your help in acquiring it."

"I can do that," Pieck said.

Grisha looked at her and sighed. "I apologize, for whatever it's worth."

"Cure my dad, and you're forgiven."

Pieck had some pretty bad nights in her life. The day of her dad's diagnosis. The day of her mother's death. The first night she spent with the Warriors away from home. However, her misadventure with Mr. Yeager was definitely up there.

The night began with sneaking into Eren's room and giving him a whiff of sleeping drug. That led to the first of several debates they had that night:

"Why Eren?"

"What do you mean, why Eren?"

"Why Eren? Why not inject… your wife?" She was older, enough to make rational decisions, and he wouldn't be pruning his young son's life tragically short. Was he a sexist?

"The family will need a protector."

"And Carla can't do it?" Maybe he really was…

(Grisha thought of a powerless young boy who couldn't even protect his sister. He promised himself his son would never be like that, waiting for someone else to rescue him.)

Meanwhile, Pieck was having her own mental struggle. She didn't want an innocent kid to be inflicted with the curse of Ymir. Of course, she didn't. But it needed to be passed onto someone, preferably someone she could influence. Eren was what… three, four years from becoming a hormone-addled teenage boy?

Oh, Carla was nice, but she had her own motives. A housewife's motives, sure, but Pieck wasn't sure she'd even listen. What if she didn't believe Pieck about the outside world, or ignored her advice about handling them?

As Grisha carried Eren to an honest-to-goodness horse-drawn cart, Pieck could only mentally apologize. Sorry, kid. She'd try to give him a good life, at least.

Okay, great. But why bring Eren along? Well, the answer to that was in the complex problem of getting the Founding to actually work. Considering that Grisha's tenure was reaching its end, he wasn't sure if he had time to get a handle on the Founding, and then there was the complication of needing someone of royal blood.

At the simplest, they had two requirements: a royal who was either a mindless Titan or a Shifter, and a non-royal with the Founding power. Perhaps Pieck's father could have been cured with help from a benevolent royal Founding, but they had isolation burned into them. Plus, there was the fact that a royal with unchecked Founding power could say, instantly incapacitate them if they decided to, for whatever reason they felt like.

There were several ways this could be done, though. Pieck could get the Founding, they could inject a member of the royal family with the serum and deny them a Shifter… and voila! A cure for her old man, no member of the royal family throwing a wrench in her plans. Very nice in theory.

Back to it being one of the worst nights of her life. She got to wait outside with a sleeping Eren; meanwhile, Grisha was off in the underground chapel… doing things.

He brought out a little 'package' for them. A blood-stained tarp whose contents steamed. Pieck got a look inside and saw a horrifying mixture of white bone, red innards, and black hair. It was barely recognizable as human, but there was a spine buried in there somewhere.

Grisha glowered at her until she injected Eren. She transformed immediately after and picked up the tarp– careful not to eat it, thank you Grisha– so it could be thrown into the mouth of a recently spawned Eren titan. Urgh, the kid was butt-ugly in Titan form, she hoped he wouldn't inherit those looks as a Shifter…

After the transformation was finished, Grisha descended back into the caverns, and Pieck followed behind with an unconscious Eren. For a moment, Pieck was simply dazzled by the splendid crystal cavern and its gentle glow… until she got distracted by a second mindless Titan, its puny little crushed legs steaming.

Grisha emerged from the neck of his own and walked toward the beast, navigating around pools of blood and messy clumps that had to have been…

No. Even the kids?

Well, it would turn out Grisha had spared one. The little boy she pulled from the neck of that Titan was probably the youngest. She hoped.

From here I figure the story could go one of two ways: Attack on Shiganshina or No Fall. The former would see RBA executing their canon plan and potentially coming to blows with this little group of unprepared shifters. The other option is that they decide to bail– perhaps because Reiner doesn't have the trauma of actually seeing Pieck eaten idk– and this new trio of shifters are left to fix the mess they've inherited.

Or maybe both in two separate chapters? Idk. On an unrelated note, would a fic where Carla inherited the Attack Titan be interesting?