Chapter 28: Reacting to their Situation

Ruby felt a pounding headache when she opened her eyes and looked up at the ceiling of the hospital room she was in. It was an image she was very familiar of and a part of her almost felt like she was back in that stupid room from when she had a terminal illness.

It was really the smell that reminded her of that hospital room. The constant smell of cleansing alcohol and bleach from the high standards of cleanliness in a hospital, mixed with scented fragrances to try and mask the sterilized smell.

She felt a moment of sadness before remembering who she was.

Hoshino Ruby, member of the new B-Komachi and daughter of the late Hoshino Ai-

"Ruby-Chan!" The supposedly dead Ai dove out of her chair and hugged her.

"M-mama?" Ruby asked, surprised to see her mother here.

But why? Why was she surprised? Her mother was always here. Why did she feel like it was such a surprise to see her?

"Are you ok Ruby-Chan?" Ai asked.

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Zeke said from behind her. "Titan healing powers work very fast so she should be better than before."

"Titan?" Ruby asked as Ai let her go. "What do you mean?"

She looked around and saw not only her family, but the Titan Shifters and the other members of B-Komachi as well. All their expressions were a range between concerned and confused, which in itself confused her. Though she didn't see Aqua anywhere.

"They apparently have something to tell us." Aqua said from beside her, on another hospital bed.

"Wait, why are we here?" Ruby asked.

"Don't know, I just woke up too." He shrugged.

"Actually, that's something we need to figure out." Armin said.

Eren walked around the other side of the hospital bed and sat down next to Ruby. He leaned in and gave Ruby a hug, releasing a breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"Papa?" Ruby asked.

Eren finally felt at peace for the first time in twenty-four hours. Not only were his youngest safe, but Ruby and Aqua were awake and seemingly ok. He wasn't surprised though, since they now had Titan powers. There was still that fear he needed to come to terms with.

"And you." Ai walked over and hugged Aqua.

"Sorry okaasan." He said.

"Why can't you ever just stay out of the hospital." Ai pouted as she held her oldest son.

"To be fair, it's been a decade." He shrugged.

"Quiet." Ai said as she held him. "You worried me so much."

Knowing that he was probably older than her due to the rebirth really didn't even register to Ai. Regardless of if he lived a life in a past life was far from her mind. He is still her son and no matter what she was going to love and care for him.

"You both did." Kana said.

"Yea, especially after what you did." Mem-Cho commented.

"What do you mean?" Aqua asked.

"Yea... why are we here?" Ruby asked, finally realizing that she shouldn't be in the hospital.

"Ruby-Chan... what's the last thing you remember?" Ai asked carefully.

"Well, I don't know." She said. "The performance ended and then nothing."

"You really don't remember?" Akane asked.

"I remember the attack I think." Aqua said.

"Attack?" Ruby asked.

"I think so, but it's kind of a blur." Aqua said, trying to think about what happened.

"That's normal for your first transformation." Reiner said, crossing his arms.

"Transformation?" Ruby asked.

"Yea." Armin nodded. "The first transformation is typically instinctual, and the user has no memory afterwards. Even the second or third can be challenging depending on who it is."

"I remember." Eren said. "Levi Squad almost killed me when I did that partial transformation once, back then I had no control."

"What are you talking about?" Aqua asked.

"It'll be hard to say it." Ai said. "But, well..." She tried to find the words.

"Look." Mem-Cho held up her phone, showing recent social media posts.

It was an Instagram video of the attack, specifically two unfamiliar monsters that were moving around. It was hard to see since the person filming was so far away, but they cold see Eren's Titan, as well as a weird female looking one, a white one, and one that had a yellowish golden color to it.

"Who are they?" Ruby asked. "They attacked us?"

"No, they are you." Eren said finally.

There was a long pause when they broke the news to them. Ruby's eyebrow was raised, clearly in disbelief as if she was waiting for a punch line. Aqua similarly didn't look impressed by the bad attempt at a joke.

After all, granted they didn't know how the powers worked, but there was no way they could transform. They were never from the other world so there was no way they could transform.

"You're... not joking, are you?" Aqua asked.

"No, we're not." Zeke said.

Ai grabbed both of their hands from where she was, giving them a reassuring squeeze so that they knew this was serious and that they were safe.

Aqua studied the video carefully, looking at who those two unknown monsters were. He remembered what Eren told about these kinds of monsters.

"So, that's the Warhammer and that's the Female?" Aqua asked. "I thought the Female was already found."

"Yea, you said it was some blonde girl." Ruby continued.

"Annie does have the Female." Eren confirmed.

"However, this shifter also has a feminine body." Zeke said. "Only one other Titan can take female characteristics, and that is the Founder."

"But you have the Founder, right?" Aqua asked.

"I should also have had the Warhammer, or at least Lara Tyber should have been reborn here." Eren said. "But apparently you have it Aqua."

Everyone could see that Ruby and Aqua were slowly coming to terms with the situation, they knew that it would be very difficult for them to come to terms with this whole situation. It's not every day that you're told you can transform into a literal giant naked monster. Everyone knew this could have the potential to be life chang-

"But I'm So Ugly!" Ruby yelled out.

Aqua's existential crisis was momentarily halted as he had to rub his ears from his twin's loud scream.

"... That's your concern?" Zeke asked, genuinely confused.

"I mean, look at me!" Ruby yelled. "I know I diet but my ribs don't poke out like that! I look so skinny, and the skin is so veiny!"

Ruby was pointing on the screen, accidentally switching to another video that showed the fight at a different angle. She was so horrified by what she was seeing. What happened to her hair?! It was a mess!

"Ruby, there are bigger concerns here." Eren tried to get her back on topic.

"I mean, if my fans see me like that then everything is over! How can I be a cute idol if-" Ruby was cut off.

"Enough!" Aqua yelled out. "Right now, there are bigger concerns than your idol career."

"Honestly, I expected that reaction from her." Mem-Cho giggled. "I'd have reacted the same way."

"Right now, we need to stay on topic." Eren said.

"Like how you two can actually transform." Armin said.

"It doesn't make sense, we're not from your world." Aqua said.

"No." Zeke mused. "But you both were reborn as well, that has to count for something."

Ruby and Aqua looked shocked as Zeke said that out loud. They were not aware he knew that, not to mention he said it while the girls were there as well. At a glance, Aqua noticed that Akane, Mem-Cho, and Kana didn't look surprised.

"They asked too many questions." Ai said sadly. "I had to tell them."

"It was a really big shock." Kana said.

"At first I didn't believe it, but considering the supernatural powers, it was easier to accept." Mem-Cho said.

"Plus, we already accepted that rebirth was real." Akane motioned to the Shifters.

"W-well, eto..." Ruby tried to explain.

"Look, your okaasan already explained." Kana waved off. "So don't bother, we get you died young so really it's no different."

"It won't be weird?" Ruby asked hesitantly.

"No, it'll definitely be weird." Mem-Cho said honestly.

"Mem-cho." Akane chastised.

"But-" Mem-Cho continued. "If we can be friends with Armin-San, I think we can with you two as well." She shrugged with a smile.

"At least until we find out Aqua's age." Kana said.

"Eh?" Aqua asked.

"You never told me so I can't really say." Ai giggled.

"He's just trying to be all mysterious." Mem-Cho giggled.

Kana went into her own world for a minute, thinking about her own feelings with the son of the former idol. Looking back, maybe this explains why he was so mature and cool. He had this "I don't care" attitude and Kana knew she found it attractive.

Maybe he had that attitude since he was probably a bit older than them in his previous life. Which explains why he never seemed interested in her. After all, she's seventeen. It might feel weird for him if he was attracted to her since technically, she was a minor.

It also brought back memories of their performance together on that movie. How he basically cheated since the whole reason he outperformed her was because of how uncanny it was for a child to act like an adult. That no good dirty cheater!

"Nani?" Aqua noticed her glare.

"Just promise me you're not, like, thirty or something." She crossed her arms.

Well, Aqua can't exactly promise that; he was technically forty-six by now.

Ai giggled into her hand. She read Kana like an open book and could tell exactly what the teenage girl was thinking. She supposed it's not strange for a teenage girl to have a crush on an older man, even though technically Aqua was younger than her.

This whole rebirth stuff really made Ai question things like legality and morality now. She wants her son to be happy, but even she had to acknowledge the oddity of this situation.

"Back on topic." Eren said for what felt like the tenth time. "Even if they were reborn, that's still nothing."

"How so?" Reiner asked.

"We all know how Titan inheritance happens, and I know for a fact that neither of them were in a position to actually obtain it." Eren said.

"You're sure?" Zeke asked

"I've been with them since they were four, I think I'd know or at least Ai would have noticed before then." Eren said.

"Yet how do you explain us?" Armin asked. "In this life, we never had to go through the ritual."

"But at least you had it previously." Eren said.

"True." Zeke said. "At least it made sense that you would have the powers. Yet now we have two people who have never had the power suddenly get it."

"Especially since I was the one who had them." Eren said. "Now all I have is the Attack Titan."

"Which is a crappy one." Kawachi said from the background. "I mean, it moves forward?" He said.

"The Attack Titan was always an anomaly." Reiner said. "Even before Eldia fell it wasn't possessed by a royal family clan. It was always loose and was never in possession of either Eldia or Marley."

Only because Eren manipulated the past two thousand years to ensure that the Attack Titan would always oppose the king, though he kept that to himself.

However, Eren shot a subtle glare at Zeke to keep his mouth shut. Zeke knew full well the power of the Attack Titan and how Eren used it. He wanted to avoid any topics about it, otherwise it would lead into conversations about his ability to see the future and the Rumbling.

"So, what does that mean for us?" Aqua asked.

"Well, we'll need to teach you-" Zeke began.

"No!" Ruby yelled out.

"Ruby-" Ai began.

"I don't want these stupid powers!" She yelled out. "I mean, look at it! It makes me look disgusting and terrible! I don't look cute at all; I look like a monster!"

Eren was actually glad to hear Ruby's objection to learning her powers. The less she uses it, the less of a chance that she could see his memories of the past, specifically about the Rumbling. If she ever did look into his memories, Eren was terrified by how she'd react.

As of now, his family laughs off his coup and joked about how he was a king, not realizing truly what that coup looked like. The innocent people that Flock and the Yeagerists executed, the times he stood by as his friends were hurt, and the comrades and respected commanders who died as a result of Zeke's spinal fluid.

Commander Pixis came to mind. His last moments as a human were downing more of Zeke's wine. He remembered seeing into his mind when he had the power, Pixis's thought of "Well, it's too late anyway, might as well enjoy it since I can't get more poisoned".

It almost brought a smile to Eren's face as he remembered the drunk old Commander.

"It's not just about that." Reiner tried to say.

"I don't want to be part of this!" Ruby said. "I-I just want a normal life. I want to follow in mama's footsteps and be like her. And now, you're saying I can turn into... that!?"

"I understand that you feel that way, but it's important you at least learn how to control it." Armin tried to say.

"Why? It's not like I can fight or anything." Ruby tried to say. "I can barely even run a kilometer, let alone fight like that. I mean, is there anything even special about it?"

"We wouldn't teach you how to fight, but at least to control it." Zeke said. "If nothing else, so that you can prevent an accidental transformation, which could seriously hurt people around you."

When he said that, suddenly the humans in the group, minus Ai, started backing away from Ruby as if she were a bomb ready to explode.

"Plus, the Founder is special." Armin said. "It may not really be useful in direct combat, but whoever can actually control it can influence other Titans."

"Like even preventing Galliard or Pieck from being able to transform." Reiner said.

"I could do that?" Ruby asked.

"It's not easy." Zeke said. "You'd need to have royal blood or to come into contact with a Titan with royal blood, unless of course that condition changed."

"Why?" Ai asked. "Why do you need royal blood?"

"The power at the end of the day is controlled by the Founder Ymir, or at least her spirit." Zeke said. "She had no will of her own and only obeyed those with royal blood."

"Ymir?" Armin asked.

Eren got worried. While they knew stories of the Founder Ymir, they didn't fully know her role in the Titan powers.

"Before we were brought here, I remember her being there when Eren and I made contact. Next thing I knew, we were here." Zeke recovered wuickly.

Armin narrowed his eyes slightly, still having doubts about how much the brothers actually remember of that moment.

"Pretty much." Eren agreed, hoping his genius of a friend would believe it.

"Ymir..." Ruby thought about the name again. "Does she have blonde hair and wear a hair band?"

Eren's eyes widened in shock and fear. He never described what the Founder looked like, which means Ruby was probably already seeing into her memories.

"So, you saw her memories?" Eren asked.

"I don't know." Ruby said honestly. "I've been having weird dreams lately about a girl who was being kept captive by some weird barbarian looking guy, like something right out of a historical Roman drama."

"The original King Fritz, the War Chief of the Tribe of Eldia." Eren said simply.

"I thought they were weird dreams." Ruby said.

"Not exactly." Eren said. "You're peering into Ymir's memories."

There was a silence in the room once again. Ruby was concerned about this now, how she was apparently seeing the memories of some girls from another world who apparently died generations ago.

Ai was similarly worried about her daughter. She didn't know what this could mean for Ruby and how this could impact her life. While Ruby was worried about her career, Ai was more concerned about the target her daughter had on her back. While Ai knew that those Marleyan's wanted revenge on her husband, she also knew that they wanted this power as well. Would they target Ruby?

"How do you know Eren?" Armin asked.

"Know what?" Eren replied.

"About Ymir's memories?" He asked.

Eren wondered how he would navigate this. He saw Armin piecing things together subtly. He knew that Armin was only not questioning him more because Armin was too afraid to ask the big questions. Eren knew Armin suspected that Eren knew more than they did after that moment but was too afraid to directly ask.

"I had the Founder, so naturally I saw her memories as well." Eren shrugged.

"If that's the case, why did she obey him?" Ruby asked.

"What do you mean?" Ai asked her daughter.

"I saw that she had this power that could have beaten anything that threatened her, yet she obeyed that monster, Fritz." Ruby pointed out. "He cut out her tongue, abused her, and even tried to kill her. Why would she take that?"

Everyone had to agree that it was odd. Someone with the power of a god was obeying the cruel orders of a man who would torment her. It didn't make sense.

"I'm assuming you only saw bits and pieces of her memories." Eren said.

"Well... only two times." Ruby said. "Both times, Fritz would abuse her."

"You know, while working with Naicho we'd occasionally deal with wives who are being abused by their husbands." Eren said as he thought back to some of his previous investigations.

"So?" Reiner asked, not understanding how this related to Ruby's questions.

"No matter how easy it was for them to improve their situations, they wouldn't." Eren continued. "They'd make excuses instead of filing for restraining orders or even just leaving. They'd convince themselves that they were at fault, or their husbands were just having a bad episode. Despite having the power to leave, they didn't have the willpower to exercise it."

"Really?" Ruby asked.

"Especially when their husbands would manipulate them by showing the love and care when they were at their lowest." He said.

"I guess I can see similarities." Armin said.

"Unlike you Ruby, I saw Ymir's entire life." Eren said. "You have only seen Fritz as a monster, yet Fritz was more than that. He was kind and caring to Ymir. Gave her anything she wanted and the most expensive gifts. Even on the few occasions he took her to his bed he was a very kind and gentle lover."

"You think he loved Ymir?" Ruby asked.

"I have no doubt he loved her as a tool, but Fritz was an intelligent man. He knew you can only hit a dog so much before it bites back. Don't misunderstand, he did all this to ensure that Ymir was addicted to his caring side. Ymir felt herself fall in love with him, especially with how he isolated her."

"Isolated?" Ai asked.

"He told her that if she would ever turn against him, all the love of the people would turn to fear and hatred." Eren said. "He convinced her that it was because of him that she was loved by the people. She felt a strange sense of loyalty and even appreciation."

"So, even though he treated her poorly, he was kind enough to make her feel like any disobedience was her fault and anything good in her life was due to him." Ai said.

"Ymir was young when Fritz took her as a slave." Eren said. "She was ten when she gained the power. She was an impressionable little girl who wanted love and compassion. Even if it was mixed with abuse, she felt as if she loved Fritz because it was the only care she felt since becoming a slave."

"T-that's terrible." Ruby said as she looked down.

"Fritz was good at manipulating people. He knew when to show Ymir love and when to hurt her to keep her obedient." Eren said. "He made it so when Ymir was struck, even if she could kill him, she'd internalize it as her own fault. After all, Fritz gave her love, clean clothes, and a purpose." Eren mockingly said.

"That's so sad." Ruby said.

"Either way, we'll need to have you learn to control this power." Zeke said. "You as well Aqua."

"Fine." Ruby said sadly. "But only because I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Don't worry, we'll keep it at that." Eren said hopefully.

While he wanted to limit her from learning too much, he did recognize that they would need to at least learn to control the power. If for no other reason than to avoid accidently destroying the building.

"If I learn how to use this, could I fight?" Aqua asked hesitantly.

"No." Ai said quickly and firmly.

"I mean, it would be hard. You never had combat training or experience." Armin countered.

"It doesn't matter, no." Ai interjected again.

"However, he does have the Warhammer." Zeke said. "Even with his lack of experience he'd actually be able to stay on par in a fight if he can learn to control his powers."

"I'm sorry, but do I not have a say in this?" Ai stood up and marched over to Zeke and Armin.

She stood in front of the two men, having to arch her neck up to look at them. Despite Armin being short, he still was taller than her. She had a scowl on her face at even the possibility of her son being used to fight.

"It's just that, having the Warhammer would be beneficial." Zeke said.

"So, you want to send my sixteen-year-old son to fight kaiju's?" Ai asked in a snippy tone.

"Ai, you know he's not exactly sixteen." Eren countered.

"Are you taking their side?" Ai asked as she turned to her husband.

"No, but Zeke does have a point." Eren said. "Whatever Aqua lacks in combat training and experience would be made up by the raw power of the Warhammer."

"He's a child!" Ai countered.

"Even if he wasn't reborn, by our standards he is a full-grown man." Eren countered.

Eren didn't like the idea of Aqua fighting, but Eren never fully saw Aqua as a son. Eren had respect for him, especially with what he did as a four-year-old, but knowing his history all these years made it hard to see him as a son. Aqua was a grown man who, as far as Eren was concerned, could make his own decisions.

"Okaasan, I feel like I should." Aqua said. "After all, if we can stop this threat-"

"I don't care if you were sixty before you died, you're still my son!" Ai yelled out. "What kind of okaasan would I be if I let my own son fight in a war!?"

"But okaasan-" Aqua tried to say.

"No! Not happening!" Ai yelled out.

"He'll still need to learn to control his power regardless." Armin said.

"That's fine, but he is not fighting." Ai put her foot down, refusing to let her son fight.

Seems there was no arguing with her. When it came to her children, Ai's decision was law. She didn't care who Aqua really was, him and Ruby were still her children. Aqua knew that if he was going to help Eren at all in protecting the family, he would need to disobey Ai.

"There is one question I have though." Akane made her voice known.

"What is that?" Eren asked.

"How do Titan powers pass from one person to another exactly?" She asked. "I mean, apparently these Marleyan's are trying to get the power, so how would that work?"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the room. Eren crossed his arms as he took a breath, really debating on how much they should reveal. While to Reiner and Zeke, the ritual was normalized to an extent, it was still disgusting to Eren and Armin. Eren also knew for a fact that the actual earthlings would be terrified and disgusted by it.

"Yea, how does it pass on?" Ai asked. "I mean, if we could give them the power, maybe they would stop bothering us. Especially since Ruby might become a target."

Zeke stood up from his position leaning on the table. He decided if anyone was going to fully explain it, it should be him since Eren felt sick at the thought of explaining to his family.

"Titan inheritance can happen two ways." Zeke held up one finger. "First, if a Shifter dies, the power is passed onto the next Subject of Ymir who is born, though it can be at random."

"But considering how everything else is different, there might be a slight variation in it." Akane deduced. While socially awkward, she was smart and able to keep up.

"That's a working theory." Zeke said. "It is possible that Eren couldn't keep all three powers and they just happen to be given to them when they were born. Considering the rebirth is a factor and their birth lines up with everyone else's, it's a working theory."

"I guess that makes sense." Ai said, really thinking about it.

"How does it know to go to a Subject of Ymir?" Mem-Cho asked.

"There are paths." Eren began. "Invisible to the naked eye that connect all descendants of Ymir to the coordinate."

"The coordinate?" Ruby asked.

"The Founding Titan." Eren said. "They're invisible pathways that the Founder can transfer memories and Titan flesh through. That's how the transformation works. It's a branching tree that meets at the base, all connected through the blood of Ymir."

"What's the other way? I remember you said it was luck." Ai turned to Eren.

"I wasn't entirely honest." Eren said cryptically.

"You weren't?" Ruby asked.

"The second way," Zeke held up another finger. "Is to turn a Subject of Ymir into a pure Titan."

"Those fifteen meter zombies?" Kana asked.

"Yes." Zeke nodded. "Once they're a pure Titan, they must kill and consume the spinal fluid of the Shifter."

Predictably, everyone in the room not familiar with the procedure got sick and had to cover their mouths. Akane almost doubled over when she heard that, while Mem-Cho and Kana held their stomachs at the thought.

Ruby almost gagged and had to remind herself that her way had to have been through her birth since there is no way she engaged in... that... Aqua remained stoic but even he cringed at the thought.

Though Eren noticed Ai glance at him, already piecing it together.

"Cannibalism?" Ai asked.

"A practice that began with the death of Ymir, when King Fritz ordered his daughters to consume their mother to take their power." Eren explained.

"I didn't know that." Reiner said.

"Neither did I." Armin agreed.

"T-then you a-all?" Akane began.

"It was a moment of pride for an Eldian in Marley." Reiner said. "For living as a shifter for thirteen years and then allowing yourself to be eaten, you and your family could live as honorary Marleyans." There was no pride in his voice.

"I was dying from the battle in Shiganshina." Armin said. "Berthold was defeated, the only way to save my life was for me to become a Titan to eat him."

Akane felt herself get sick again.

Everyone then looked at Eren.

"My father, Grisha Yeager, was the previous holder of the Attack Titan." Eren said. "Before his time was up and during the attack that killed my mother, he stole the Founding Titan by eating Frieda Reiss, the holder of the Founder at the time."

Eren paused, feeling ashamed of having to finally tell his family about one of his many sins. He could barely see the disgust on Ai and Ruby's face. Even his other son and daughter, Kawachi and Mikasa, looked disgusted and horrified at the prospect of what he had to endure.

"I had no idea what was going on. I don't even remember it. I saw my father's memories at one point and saw him inject me with a needle, telling me that I needed to learn to control this power." Eren explained.

"We didn't even know humans could turn into Titans until five years after that point." Armin said. "As far as we knew, Eren turning into a Titan was an act of god or something."

"Still... that's horrifying." Ai said.

Eren prays she never learns more about the day his father killed the Reiss family, especially how his father saw the future of humanity beyond the walls.

"I see why you never wanted me to have it otosan." Kawachi said in a low voice.

"Yea, papa would taste funny." Mikasa joked.

Such an innocent joke, one that only a child who couldn't understand the darker aspects of the world could make. For a moment, everyone was quiet, but slowly everyone began to giggle a bit. Even Eren, as ashamed as he was, started to chuckle at his daughter's stupid joke.

"I suppose Eren would taste funny." Armin continued the joke.

"Eren, funny?" Reiner joked as well. "He never had a sense of humor."

"I know, do you know how hard it is to make him laugh?" Ai said as she giggled into her hand.

It was a forced bit of humor, but one that they all needed to get over the terrible thought of this power. Ai could see now why they all considered it a curse. To live for thirteen years, only to have to be fed to a monster to pass it on... such a cruel fate.

"So that means they might try to eat Ruby..." Ai realized in horror.

"Eh!?" Ruby blurted out, coming to the same realization.

"I don't know." Eren said, his thoughts already trying to figure out what the Marleyan's intend.

"How so?" Ruby asked. "If they wanted the founder, won't they come after me?"

"Annie probably wants to go home back to her father." Reiner said. "I'm sure the rest would want to as well, but I feel like they have more planned."

"Eh?" Ai asked.

The girls and Aqua all looked at the Shifters as they began thinking. Clearly, their years as Soldiers and Warriors made them very tactically sound, so much so that apparently, they were seeing something that the girls didn't.

"Zeke and I were beaten by that Yakuza kid, with the weird tattoos." Eren said.

"As strong as I am, against ODM and other Shifters I can't do much." Reiner added. "They would have easily overpowered me."

"And my Titan would do too much damage if I transformed." Armin said.

"So?" Kana asked.

"If they wanted to take Ruby's powers, they could have right then and there easily." Zeke said. "There's more to it."

"Even if they got the power, they probably would still assume it requires royal blood." Armin said.

"They'd also naturally assume we might try to teach Ruby how to use the power. After all, there would be no convincing Eren to help." Zeke said. "Even if they did consume Eren, Eren would probably not allow them to see his memories."

"You can do that?" Ai asked.

"I can?" Eren asked.

"Oh, guess you didn't know that." Zeke chuckled. "But it does explain why they didn't take the chance to kill you."

"They want Eren to teach Ruby, then steal her power?" Ai asked.

"Exactly." Zeke said.

"That's the only thing that makes sense." Armin said.

"This Reinkawa though." Eren said.

"Reinkawa?" Ruby asked.

"That Yakuza kid." Eren said. "He fought unlike anything I've seen."

"Yea, it felt like fighting Levi again." Zeke said with a shiver.

"It looked similar, but it wasn't his style." Eren said. "He fought differently, same level of skill but different technique."

"Maybe he's just really good." Zeke shrugged.

"It almost looked like he was the one in charge." Eren said. "Like they listened to him."

"I only really saw them bicker from where I was." Zeke said.

"Yea, I think there is a power competition right now between this Reinkawa and the Jaws." Eren said.

"Either way, we'll be safe at the US base.

"Eh?" Aqua asked.

"We're going to a US base so you can train." Ai said. "It has a large training area where no one can see."

"The Government has begun giving bits and pieces to the US." Eren said. "They're aware of some things, but very little."

"How's the media taking it?" Aqua asked.

"Oh yea!" Ruby said, suddenly getting a heart attack. "No one knows about me, right!?"

"Luckily, no." Eren gave her his phone.

"After the events of yesterday's attack, the Government is now on high alert. They have begun issuing orders to have armed JSDF personnel at most cultural and festival centers in Tokyo in order to better react to the situation. The attack nearly claimed the lives of upcoming Idol Hoshino Ruby and B-Komachi, but luckily first responders were able to get the girls to medical facilities and no one was harmed."

"Amazingly, no bystanders were hurt, and the damage has only been minimal. It almost looks like the Kaiju were trying to avoid people as they fought. There are suspicions that someone in the crowd may be a Kaiju in disguise since there was a flash of light in the crowd and the Kaiju appeared."

"The Government released a statement that they will take more steps to combat this threat and have stated that they are going to have Naicho investigate it. One strange thing is that Eren Yeager, husband to the former idol Hoshino Ai, is going to be the lead investigator in these attacks. We have conducted several interviews to see how the general public are reacting."

The video turned to a random woman on the street wearing a medical mask to hide her identity and a microphone near her face.

"The attacks are without a doubt something odd. It feels like my ojiisan's old Gojira films come to life, but real. It makes me terrified of walking the streets knowing that there are literal monsters among us."

"How do you feel about Eren Yeager being the main one to investigate?"

"I mean, he is really scary, I think. I heard he's been really helping out in Japan since his days as a criminal, but I still don't know how I feel about him. I guess as far as reputation he's a good fighter, but I don't know how anyone could actually deal with these monsters."

Eren put the phone away as the video ended.

"Great, so this could be problematic to my career." Ruby said sadly, but she didn't really complain since even she could see that there were bigger things going on.

"Right now, you and your group will continue to perform so that no one suspects any of you from being potential shifters." Eren said. "Apparently, some random comments are already making up conspiracies that I'm a "Kaiju"." Eren made quotes out of his hand.

"But you are." Aqua said.

"I'd rather people not know." Eren said.

"That's good at least." Ruby said. "So balancing idol training with my monster training... this'll get hard." She said with a sigh.

"I'll go to the doctor and tell them you're ready to be discharged." Ai said.

"Then we'll head to that base." Eren said.

After that, Ai left the room leaving everyone to get their things ready so that they can prepare to leave.

So sorry for the delay again. Work, as always lol. I'm also in the process of moving, so that's taken up some time.

Obviously, this was a fun chapter. It was a long one too, a lot of theorizing and oddities to address, as well as some more information revealed to the earthlings lol. I hope all the reactions were realistic. Ruby strikes me as the kind of girl to focus on her looks as a Titan over the existential fear of being one lol.

I also hope the little moment of levity came off as good and realistic after Mikasa joked. It's basically a bit of forced humor that people tend to do in stressful situations.

There'll also be some additional character development coming up. This was obviously a long chapter and I really hope it meets expectations. I also know I'll need to focus more on the main cast since that's really what people want lol.

As for future chapters, obviously there'll be Aqua and Ruby training. Why do they have powers? We'll have to see lol.

As for Ymir, yea, I do think Issayama was going that route. It's easy from our perspective to say what we'd do, but not for a little girl who was likely gaslit and emotionally manipulated. Fritz didn't rule her through fear, but more so made it so he was the only good in her life and made her terrified of losing it. It's a classic manipulation technique.

As always, hope you all enjoyed.