Eren left the room and was surprised to see his friends waiting for him. They all studied him briefly before looking to Mikasa as she emerged from behind him.
"Well, Mikasa isn't crying," Jean said with a sigh. "Better than I was hoping for."
Eren refused to react to that jab.
"I'm just disappointed that Mikasa didn't hit him at least once," Connie admitted honestly, arms crossed over his chest.
Eren raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything against it.
An awkward silence came over the group, Armin still scowling, but all parties unwilling to break the quiet they had fallen into.
The moment was broken by a yell calling out from down the hall. "Yeager!" a soldier exclaimed while racing towards them, ignoring the other four who had instinctively tensed to fight if needed. "Sir, you're needed outside!"
Eren didn't look the least bit surprised. "I was wondering when he'd show up," he muttered as he walked past his friends.
"Eren, we still need to talk," Armin said with a frown.
"And we can when I have the time. Now come on, it's not a good idea to keep him waiting," Eren answered simply as he walked out the door, following after the Yeagerist.
"Sir, Floch wanted me to let you know that the Titan Shifters have been secured, but the Cart is still at large with the enemy general," the Yeagerist explained hurriedly.
"We'll have to deal with those two soon, or they'll just find a way off the island," Eren remarked calmly. "So, has he tried to kill anyone?"
The Yeagerist swallowed. "Not yet, Sir, but he looks tempted," he answered before frowning, "How did you know who it was?"
"Because I called him here," Eren answered bluntly.
Minutes later, he found himself at the floor level again, heading to the door. All the soldiers were tense and at the ready, watching the doors and windows, preparing for the worst outcome possible of this meeting. Eren exited the building and stared across the street. At least ten Yeagerists were here, all pointing their weapons at one man.
Levi Ackerman; A fully healed Levi at that, though he was weaponless and with no ODM Gear.
That put none of the soldiers at ease.
"You finally showed back up, Captain," Eren called out from the door.
"Sorry, brat, but your bastard of a brother left me a bit worse for wear," Levi answered back, completely ignoring all the weapons aimed at him.
"Sir, orders!?" a Yeagerist called as Eren approached closer.
"Stand down. All of you," Eren called out sternly as he continued walking, utterly unafraid of the Wall's greatest warrior.
"Yeager?" the one nearest him asked in surprise.
"I'll deal with him if he becomes a problem," Eren assured, waving them off. "Now all of you return to what you were doing. Make sure none of the Marleyean forces are hiding somewhere."
"Sir," the soldier answered tensely, lowering his rifle. Slowly but surely, most of the Yeagerists began to leave the area via their ODM gear, save two who remained near the door, eyeing Levi while keeping their rifles on their backs.
"Deal with me, brat?" Levi called as they both walked towards one another, coming to a halt less than ten feet apart.
"They'd hardly leave us alone if I said otherwise," Eren pointed out with a shrug. "You look good for a man that took a thunder spear at point-blank range, Captain."
"Are we going to keep pretending that you didn't somehow heal me, Eren?" Levi asked, tilting his head with a frown.
"No, I did. I was worried it might not work though," Eren noted idly. "It seems it's just the mind stuff that doesn't work on an Ackerman."
"So, you got the Founder's power," Levi summarized bluntly, glaring dead ahead without looking at Eren's eyes. "And where is that hairy bastard, exactly?"
"In a cell underground," Eren answered and was treated to the look of surprise on Levi's face. "I was never on Zeke's side, Captain."
"...I had to kill off my entire squad because of that bastard and the wine," Levi pointed out, deadly calm.
"Yeah," Eren acknowledged, getting a strange and distant look in his eyes. "Yeah. They're all dead."
Levi just stared for a long, cold moment.
His foot swung into Eren's face, knocking him to the side and into a nearby wagon with a thunderous crash.
"Yeager!" the Yeagerists yelled, about to pull out their rifles.
"Stand down!" Eren yelled out with a frown, cracking his neck as he righted himself to give Levi a hard stare. "Three."
Levi didn't even raise an eyebrow.
"That's three times you kicked me in the face, Captain," Eren stated bluntly. "There won't be a fourth time."
"Is that so?" Levi asked rhetorically. "Let me guess, if I do, you turn into a Titan?"
"You can find out if you want to keep wasting our time," Eren offered coolly.
Levi's face gave away little, but he seemed tempted…sorely so.
But the sparking power in Eren's hand dissuaded him, for now.
"So, what now?" Levi asked.
Eren glanced to the side, prompting Levi to follow his gaze to an alley.
There, being lead out of it by two more Yeagerists, was Hange. Her rifle was confiscated, but otherwise, she was unharmed and unrestrained.
The Scout Commander sighed dramatically as she approached the duo. "You certainly know how to make a ruckus, Eren," she said, feigning exasperation.
"Watch it," one of the Yeagerists snapped, glowering at her warningly. He stopped and straightened his spine when Eren looked at him.
Hange frowned, glancing back at the young Yeagerist. Was he from the Survey Corp? Garrison? Military Police? Just days ago, she was a leader to people like him, trusted to guide them in this terrifying new world. Now, these eyes were hostile and untrusting.
Her one eye turned back to Eren.
The hostility wasn't there. The lack of trust was though.
"Did it really have to come to all this, Eren?" Hange asked softly.
Eren scowled. "I asked you, back in my cell."
Hange inhaled sharply.
"Did you know anything I didn't? Did you have something up your sleeve?" Eren asked evenly.
Hange stared at him with one wide eye before looking away in defeat. "No. No, I didn't."
"I know," Eren stated, eyes softening ever so slightly. "I hoped I was wrong. But I knew I wasn't."
"And what's your plan?" Levi asked pointedly. "Besides taking control of Paradis for yourself, what is the difference between your plan and ours?"
"Besides using the Rumbling on a chunk of Marley?" Eren asked rhetorically, making Hange gape in shock. "You can kill Zeke later, Levi."
"...?" Levi gave him a very intense, suspicious look.
"I've gained the full power of the Founder. I don't need him," Eren answered bluntly.
"What?" Hange asked in alarm. "But how? The Royal Blood requirement...? The Vow Against War...?"
"I've undone them all," Eren answered, and they almost imagined he smiled. "I might tell you about it sometime, Hange. The true origin of the Titans."
Levi didn't need to look to know that Hange was resisting the urge to scream something.
"I still need Zeke for a bit longer. I need to test something about the Nine. But when I'm done with him, you can kill him, Captain," Eren offered honestly.
Levi stared for several seconds of silence before nodding. "Thank you. Now explain why I had to kill my teammates?"
"That's complicated. I had to let Zeke think I was on his side," Eren explained with a shrug.
"Dare I ask what that monkey's plan was?" Levi asked idly.
"Sterilization of all People of Ymir."
Hange paled notably, and even Levi looked stunned, fists balled. "That's what he was muttering about, it being better to not be born at all."
Eren nodded. "I'm not going to ask you both to fight for me. Or help me. Just stay out of the way. I've already had to hurt my own enough," Eren offered solemnly.
"Fine," Levi answered without much hesitation.
"Levi?" Hange asked in surprise.
Levi didn't meet her gaze. "I've hurt enough of my own too. If this is where we are, I'll let it play out for now and see what this brat thinks he can do."
Hange hesitated for an instant before letting her shoulders slump, less from defeat and more in relief. "I suppose I'm not exactly the Scout Commander anymore, so I can just say this as an old friend," Hange said, slowly reaching up to her head and taking off the eye patch.
The tension of the Yeagerists turned to stunned disbelief, while Levi's eyes widened and marveled at the sight of Hange's two eyes, the skin around the regrown eye paler than the rest of Hange's face from being covered for so long.
"Thanks for giving my eye back, Eren," Hange said with a grin, rubbing the side of her face in appreciation. "Tell me, does it always hurt that much when you regenerated?"
"Eyes are some of the worst, for some reason," Eren answered casually. "If we're done with this standoff? I have an invasion to clean up."
Neither of them said a word against that.
Eren turned to one of the Yeagerists. "Get me Floch," he ordered simply.
"Yes, Sir!" he saluted before running, launching his gear to take off over the buildings.
Eren nodded to the second Yeagerist, who took that as his cue to return to his post. This one gave Hange and Levi wary looks but departed all the same. Alone with them, Eren looked back to the headquarters and saw Armin and the others standing there near the entrance, having watched the entire thing with rapid attention.
Eren sighed, approaching them and ignoring the tension in the air.
"Were all of you brats in on this too?" Levi asked without judgment or accusation.
"I told you they weren't," Hange said in exasperation.
"I want to hear it from them," Levi countered, looking over the four.
"No, we weren't,'" Jean answered grimly, glancing at Eren. "Trust me, Captain, we're about as frustrated with him as you are."
Levi decided not to challenge that possibility.
"What's the plan now, Eren?" Armin asked with a frown to Eren.
"Assuming there is nothing else I have to deal with? I start figuring out how to turn Pure Titans back into people," Eren answered honestly.
"You can do that?" Hange asked with obvious curiosity, looking to the others. "He can do that?"
"He says he can," Connie said meaningfully.
"I can. I just need to practice at it," Eren explained without a doubt before glancing off to the south.
"Something wrong?" Levi asked pointedly.
"Just keeping the Wall Titans on the right path," Eren answered vaguely.
That grim reminder hung in the air for a moment before Eren headed back into the building.
"What about Historia?" Hange asked suddenly, making him pause. "She's still the Queen. What happens to her now?"
"I don't know," Eren answered simply. "That depends on what she wants to happen now."
"Eren," Mikasa spoke up, glancing subtly at the Yeagerists nearby. "Are you sure they won't make that decision for you?"
"Historia was never on the list of enemies for the Yeagerists. She'll be fine," Eren assured with a firm look in his eyes. "I've already made it clear I won't tolerate anyone harming her."
"You positive of that?" Jean asked skeptically.
"Sir, if I may?" the Yeagerist on the left asked, looking to Eren. He received a nod, prompting him to turn his attention to the non-Yeagerists. "The Queen was never an issue for us, just the leadership in the military."
Hange looked down in shame at that, while Armin looked troubled. "Because they tried to make peace with the outside world?"
Eren took a breath, making a notable effort not to sigh at his friend's words.
"Because they didn't want to acknowledge we were at war already," the Yeagerist clarified with a glare. "Arlert, many of us respected you. We've heard many tales about your sacrifice at Shiganshina, your many plans and ideas to outsmart the enemy, and more. But all we hear now is how you sympathize with our enemies, how you want to make peace with them when everyone here is just trying to think how we can get our people to survive."
"Peace negates that problem," Hange said with a frown, watching as the Yeagerist glared. "But peace never was an option, was it?"
"They attacked the Walls while thinking we had the power to destroy the world," Eren reminded chillingly. "It wouldn't have mattered what I did. They wanted a Devil to blame everything for. Now, here I am."
With that, he walked on.
Meanwhile
"You know, I'd be tempted to kill you," Floch commented as he looked at the group, a family plus one outsider. "But I'm forced to admit, I believe you're not against this island."
Niccolo scowled, sweet on his brow. "Does that mean...?"
"You're free to go, all of you," Floch said, lazily waving his gun to the side.
"...Why did you take us to begin with?" Artus Blouse asked with a furrowed brow.
"For hiding prisoners of war, obviously," Floch said with an eye roll.
"Those two children?" Lisa Blouse asked with disapproval.
"Those two "children" beat in a soldier's skull with a brick before escaping. None of you may want to kill that girl to avenge Sasha, but she's far from harmless," Floch said dispassionately. "Now go, before I change my mind."
The family left with their children, Niccolo trailing along while giving Floch a cautious look.
"...What's going to happen to her?" Kaya called out with an angry look. "To the girl that killed Sasha?"
"Kaya..." her mother said softly.
"Don't know. If she tries to kill anyone else? Execution, I imagine," Floch said evenly, looking to the south.
Kaya nodded, more to herself than him, as she left.
"Sir, are you sure we should let them go?" one of his subordinates asked.
"Sasha's family aren't traitors. Just soft-hearted. Can't blame them, taking so many kids, but I'm NOT letting that brat get away with killing more of us just because of her age," Floch mused in irritation. "Now, I think you said something from Yeager?"
"Just that he wants you. He's at the HQ, with Captain Levi and Co-...Hange Zoe," the soldier answered, looking uncertain about how to address Hange.
"Levi? And Hange?" Floch repeated. "I'm surprised they're alive, at least Levi."
"Sir? Captain Levi was fine. And the...former Commander? Her other eye is back."
Floch blinked at that. "Levi was on the edge of death. Eren must have healed him. Are they on our side now?"
"More like Yeager convinced them to stay out of our way," the Yeagerist answered.
"I suppose that's progress of a kind," Floch accepted, the soldier and him sharing a salute before Floch took off towards HQ.
When he arrived, there was an instinctive panic as he saw three Pure Titans outside the building, two standing nearby while one was directly in front of the large open balcony. They weren't attacking or even moving, thankfully, and Floch could see someone standing on the balcony next to the closest Titan.
Floch landed and was unsurprised to see Eren was there. He was only briefly surprised by Hange's presence, but quickly concluded he shouldn't be.
He had no idea what to think of Connie being with them though.
"Floch," Eren acknowledged as they all glanced at him.
"Eren," Floch returned, only now noticing that the Titan had a hand on the walls, large fingers poking over the battlements. And Eren was touching one of the fingertips. "What is...?" he waved in the Titan's general direction. He was mainly trying not to look up at the disturbing face with blank eyes gazing back at him.
"Eren is trying to figure out how to reverse Titanization," Connie answered bluntly, if skeptically.
"Too bad it's not as easy as just cutting someone out of the nape," Floch murmured.
"I'm more curious as to WHY it's not that easy," Hange said, in pure scientist mode as she stroked her chin. "What happens to a Pure Titan that doesn't happen to a Shifter?"
Floch found it very strange to be civil with Hange after the coup but decided not to dwell on it unless she made any suspicious moves. "I'd assume that the body just dissolved and fused with the Titan itself."
"But..." Connie furrowed his brow, using every ounce of brainpower he had. "What happens when they eat a Shifter and get a human body back?"
Even Eren glanced at him with a mildly impressed look.
"What? I'm dumb, but I have some good ideas sometimes!" Connie defended himself.
"Give me a moment," Eren said with a sigh, closing his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Hange asked curiously.
"Going through about two thousand years of memories to figure out what happens when someone gets the Power of the Nine," Eren explained dryly.
Everyone shut up at that, allowing him to think.
"Okay. Okay, I think I see it," Eren said, looking up at the mindless Titan with an intense look.
At first, nothing happened. Then something changed in the eyes. A light, some awareness grew.
"Eren...?" Connie asked warily.
The Titan began to use its free hand to grab at its face, neck, and nape in an almost frantic manner.
It slowly opened its mouth...
"Shit," Eren muttered, pulling his hand away.
The Titan's mouth closed and its gaze became vacant again as the Ttan went still.
"What was that?" Floch asked uneasily.
Eren sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead. "I get it now. Floch wasn't too far off. There is a shifter ability to transfer their consciousness to a different part of the body, allowing them to survive brain damage even to their human body."
"And what does that have to do with anything?" Connie asked impatiently.
"Oh," Hange said, eyes darting back and forth in thought. "When an Eldian is Titanized, their consciousness is spread out over the whole body, isn't it?"
"More or less, yes. The core is still in the nape, but there isn't enough of them to control anything," Eren explained, looking up at his test subject. "The Power of the Nine allows their consciousness to refocus in the neck. In truth, a brand new body is regrown rather than being their old one."
"Interesting, I'll admit," Floch mused. "So, what went wrong?"
"I gathered the consciousness too soon. They were aware, both as a Titan and of their half-formed body within the Titan, and panicked before they were ready. Struggling would have just made it harder and more dangerous for everyone, so I let it go," Eren answered.
"But you...can do it, for sure?" Hange asked in fascination.
"No doubt. Just need to get the timing right," Eren said without hesitation or doubt, before turning to Floch. "Has anything happened?"
"A few things. The invasion force has been dealt with. Those in the blimps fled. The rest are either dead or hiding, mostly dead. But their leader and the Cart are still at large," Floch explained. "Beyond that, well..."
"What is it?" Eren asked sternly.
"Some of the people you saved, from the walls crumbling away? They're still trapped in Titan crystal," Floch elaborated carefully.
Eren's eyes went out of focus for a moment. "They should be free now."
"Should be?" Connie asked with a frown.
"There's three of them still trapped under rubble, so I can't just unharden them all at once," Eren explained evenly. "Anything else?"
"What should we do about the Azumabito?" Floch asked with a frown.
"They don't care who is in charge of Paradis, so long as their deal with us is intact," Eren answered.
"...Is it intact?" Floch asked curiously.
Connie looked confused while Hange frowned.
"For now," Eren answered. "They want to use us for their own gain. And that benefits us too."
Floch smirked. "For now," he repeated knowingly. "So, I assume we'll still be doing their whole plan of observing the rumbling from their sky-boat?"
Eren hummed. "I don't really need to."
Floch looked confused before he realized what Eren meant. He had a front-row view of the Rumbling at any given time. "Right. Any orders?"
"No. We're about wrapped up here. Though, everyone within the Walls is starting to get worried," Eren mused, looking to the north.
"Getting word out of what's going on might take a while," Hange muttered in thought.
"I'll deal with it, after I'm sure what I want them to hear," Eren answered
None of them were quite sure they knew what to make of that statement.
Meanwhile
Theo Magath frowned as he sat in the forest across from his final remaining subordinate, the Cart Titan, Pieck Finger.
"We've failed, haven't we?" Pieck asked knowingly.
Magath nodded. "The Founder has been unleashed. Now these Devils have the full power of The Rumbling to toss around. Maybe, just maybe those airships will get to Marley in time to warn them, but...I doubt it'll be any time to mount a proper defense against that kind of power," he mused gravely.
Pieck nodded. "I know technology is closing the gap on Titans. That it would overtake the Power of the Titans in a few decades. But against these Wall Titans...?" she asked, looking southward, where she could see the sky filled with the smoke of many Titans through the canopy of the trees.
"Much longer. And we were never sure the true extent of the Founder's power," Magath mused. "Even if it can't widen the gap, Yeager can send the world back to the stone age if he really tried. Not to mention..."
Pieck sighed. "Eldians around the world might rise up to join the return of their old empire. If countries don't start executing their entire Eldian populations."
Magath furrowed his brow. "If they do...what would Eren Yeager dare do in retaliation?"
"Maybe nothing, if he doesn't care about much beyond this island," Pieck said with a troubled look. "But if he does..."
That grim thought hung in the air.
"One hundred years," Magath said with a sigh. "I suppose one hundred years of respite from two thousand years of horror was the best we could obtain."
Pieck frowned but said nothing for or against that notion.
End of Chapter
And so it continues, Eren cleaning up the mess Paradis is in after everything. His friends are mainly along for the ride right now, becuase Eren is the only one who can rein in the Yeagerists. Also, yeah, Levi is back and fully healed, and so is Hange. Levi have momentarially decided to oblige Eren's request to just stay out of his way while they see what happens. It's not a full rumbling, so they have much less motivation to act.
And yeah, Eren is abusing the Founder powers as best he can. It's kind of like being ominpotant while omniscience being urposefully excluded- you can theoretically do anything, but figuring out how is a bit trial and error.
Early viewing of chapters 4-5 avaliable on my pat-reon:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64