"People of Azari, we bring joyous tidings! Earlier today, we received confirmation that Eren Yeager succeeded in his mission! I understand if you don't trust our words after what my brethren did, but I swear that we can put the worst behind us! The Rumbling is over, and Paradis is safe! No one will threaten your lives anymore, I swear on my life. Now is the time to put our differences aside. It doesn't matter who or what you supported yesterday because today, all of us are one; we are the people of Paradis! The road to our restoration won't be a simple one, I admit, but in time, our wounds will heal, and a joyous life awaits us all!"

The Yeagerist convoy arrived at the village of Azari in the early morning, eager to spread the message of Eren's victory. The village stood between Shiganshina and Trost, and while it avoided devastation, its people were still terrified. Some of them saw Titans marching in the distance. The announcer did his best to rile people up and divert attention away from that stress. All this talk of unity, healing wounds, and their shared mission. Not a single mention of carnage that occurred outside of the world that Eren annihilated. No clear mentions of where Eren was now, either. A shame, she hoped to find something out.

Some people gave in and cheered. After all horrors they witnessed, they needed something to cheer , no one could blame them for this. Most, however, remained silent and thought on what those news truly meant. They weren't fools , they knew what the announcer's rosy words masked. Paradis became what it once was to people within the ruined walls.

Humanity.

A young woman stood in the crowd, carefully watching and listening to everything that happened around her. The woman never visited this town before , but she did her best to adapt. To the few people she spoke to, she introduced herself as Liza Carson, a refugee from the village of Netero, one that was too close to Wall Maria to avoid the falling rubble. She was the 'leader' of a small group of desperate refugees who had to run closer to the inner Paradis, a family that included her father, aunt, and two younger siblings. The story of Netero and its tragic downfall was real, but the same thing could not be said for those identities. They were a cover for Pieck and her friends to blend in with Paradisians in pursuit of their main goal.

Survival.

Her father and Karina were at an inn on the outskirts of the town, somewhere where they wouldn't attract any attention. The two of them never visited Paradis before, and there was no chance that anyone could recognize them. Gabi remained nearby while Pieck and Falco ventured outside. First things first , they needed some food, and luckily, the convoy brought some supplies to the village. The Yeagerist soldiers needed to restore their status and reputation, and it could only be achieved by establishing a connection with the people they swore to protect.

"Hey, get back in line!" Pieck heard an angry boy's voice coming from the cart.

"What do you mean?" The voice that responded belonged to Falco, making Pieck immediately turn her head. "I've been standing here for twenty minutes already, right from the back of that line!"

"Yeah, but you aren't even from here and some of us still didn't get our food!"

It seemed like rumors in small towns spread very quickly, or perhaps the boy simply knew people around here well enough to immediately recognize an outsider. The last thing they needed was a conflict with the people or any kind of attention.

"Excuse me ." Pieck spoke up as she approached the two boys. " There's no need to fight whatsoever."

"P…Liza!" Falco said with relief as he saw his friend.

"You're from Netero, too, right?" The village boy said with distrust.

"Yes, I'm Victor's sister ." She said, referring to Falco by his fake name. "Just wanted to say that he's always been very modest in his eating , I can promise he, or any of us for that matter, won't take away from you. There's enough food for everybody here."

"No, there's not!" The boy snapped. "They won't bring us another convoy like this for weeks, I know it, and we don't have a lot !"

Before the boy could continue ranting, a stern male voice interrupted him.

"What's going on here?"

Pieck and two boys turned around to see a tall man with bright skin and dark black hair coming towards them. He wore a military uniform. Pieck remembered seeing him among the Yeagerist commanders that led the convoy.

"Should I repeat my question? What are you fighting over?" He said in a stern yet genuinely concerned tone.

"He…" The village boy stuttered. "He wants to take some of the food and…"

"And?"

"He's not actually from here; he escaped from Netero when the walls crashed."

"And why is that a problem?" The man remained calm. "He got in the line like everyone else, correct?"

"Yeah…"

"So let him have it."

"I…It's not fair, sir!" The boy spoke up. "My family doesn't have enough food , we barely supplies or merchants when the war began , I'm trying to get enough for all of them! Please , I have two brothers and a sister, my parents too, they really need this food , it's not fair that someone else gets to…"

"I see. Go to my friends over there and explain the situation. Then, if you show them your house and family, we'll arrange a supply flow that will be enough for you all."

"R-really?"

"Of course. We're here to help, remember?"

"Alright…"

"And you." The Yeagerist turned towards Falco. "Take your share, I'll see that no one disturbs you."

"Thank you, sir."

The boys ran off in different directions, leaving Pieck and the Yeagerist man alone.

"Tried to make them stop?" He looked at Pieck.

"Yes, didn't want it to spiral out of control."

" Not bad , most people would've just stayed out …Unless solving problems like this is their job ." He said with a faint chuckle.

"I wouldn't step up for just anyone. Victor is my brother, and he needs some food just like anyone else in the village."

"I see, so you're from Netero…Let me guess, moving inwards?"

"Yes, hopefully, to reach Rose…Whatever we should call it now without the walls."

"Call it a sector for now , we'll figure something out later. And I'll have to inform others about refugees in need. What's your name?" He asked, making Pieck's heart skip a beat. She didn't feel any immediate threat coming from him , he didn't know her face, but the same couldn't be said about many other Yeagerists. What if she encounters someone who was there when she infiltrated them to rescue Gabi?

"Liza."

"And surname?"

"Liza Carson."

"Alright…I'll jot that down, thank you. For now, just don't let the villagers get to you; you deserve our protection as much as they do. If you or your family need something, just call for me."

"And you are?"

"Jonathan Rand, or Jon for short." The man introduced himself before turning around. "I'd say try to go and celebrate with your peers, but considering what I've heard about your hometown, I won't blame you for not being in the mood."

"Thank you, those have been hard days for me…I'm still not sure whether all of this is just one big dream or not. Everything happens so quickly and…" A flashing image emerged before Pieck's eyes; she saw the marching titans once again, saw their heavy steps crush cities before them, annihilating countless families…Those thoughts made her shiver in fear, which, luckily for her, was the exact reaction of someone who had to escape their own village as it got crushed.

"We'll help you find a new place to live in, the Queen wouldn't leave her subjects behin d." Jonathan reassured her before another man called him.

"What the hell are you doing there? Come on, Will needs the painkiller!"

" Got to be on my way , remember what I told you and don't hesitate to ask for help." He reassured her and was about to leave, but Pieck saw an opportunity. This man seemed like one of the leaders of this convoy, clearly respected among Yeagerists, but he didn't know her true identity and was sympathetic to her plight. Perhaps if she got on his good side, he would help others find a proper place to stay at .

"Jon, wait a moment," Pieck spoke to him.

"What is it?"

"You sound like you have someone wounded there, right?"

"What's it to you?"

"If you don't have an experienced nurse with you, I can help. I used to help around back in Netero. You've been kinder to Victor and me than most others so far, and I appreciate that, so I'd be glad to assist."

"Hm…Sure, it's worth a shot. Come here." Jonathan beckoned for Pieck to come after him. The woman learned to maintain a facade of confidence a long time ago, even if she was anything but. Exposing her to more Yeagerists here and now has been a risk, but it could pay off well, and even if someone was to recognize her, better for it to happen in a small village than a large city.

Soon, Pieck saw a small group of soldiers gathered around the cart; a man with a wounded leg lay inside, clenching his teeth to hold back an uncontrollable surge of pain.

"Took you long enough." One of the soldiers said in a cold tone.

"What's going on with him?" Jonathan looked at the wounded man, presumably the one they called Will. "We barely have any more bandages left."

"Oh, for fuck sake!" Will shouted. "You're not the one whose leg got shot. Just give me the…Aaargh!"

"Here." Jonathan administered the painkiller.

"And who's that?" One of the Yeagerists looked at Pieck, but thankfully, he didn't seem to recognize her.

"Someone who volunteered to help." He said before allowing Pieck to speak.

"I'm Liza. Can I take a look at his wounds?"

"Have any experience?"

"Of course, I wouldn't try otherwise."

"Fine…Go on." The guards stood aside and allowed Pieck to check on the wounded man. She was never a specialized nurse , but she learned some important basics back in Marley. Her Titan form was not very useful in combat, so Pieck sought to develop as many skills as possible to help her friends and allies in other ways. "Alright, let's take a look." Pieck carefully examined his wound and began working with the medical kit the Yeagerists gave her. It was nothing she couldn't deal with, but the wound was worse than she first expected. "This is a deep one. I'll treat it, but be warned, it will hurt at some point ."

"God…" One of the Yeagerists said with disgust. "Should've taken a nurse with us back in the city."

"Not like we knew that there's still some Marleyan scum running in the wild."

Upon hearing those words, Pieck's hands almost shook . A bit more and she would've hurt her patient, but thankfully, she managed to hold herself back. How was this even possible?"

"Marleyans?" She wondered. "I thought they all got killed."

"So did w e." Jonathan responded. " But there are some roque squadrons still on Paradis , got unfortunate enough to encounter one of them. Probably those who survived the battle but had no means of evacuation."

"Yeah, I guess so…"

Pieck continued her work with Will. The soldier occasionally groaned in pain, but eventually, she bandaged his wounds.

"Alright, that's it."

"I can't feel my leg…"

"You're not supposed to for now , give it some time to heal and all will be well , you'll walk in no time." Pieck reassured him before stepping aside, allowing other Yeagerists to look after Will.

"Not bad at al l." Jon said with a smile as the two of them stepped aside , whatever distrust he might have had for her abilities , now it was completely gone. "Did you have to nurse often before? Sure seems like it."

"More or less. Netero isn't the safest place to be around compared to district cities, but we managed." She explains, still maintaining the narrative of her being unable to speak of her village without pain, which Jonathan noticed. Pieck saw his eyes getting somber. There was clearly something on his mind.

"Listen, I know it's hard to talk about this, but I still have to ask about Netero." He admitted.

"Do we have to?" Pieck's lips quivered as another round of phantom screams echoed in her ears. So many lives lost, so many people slaughtered like animals…Pieck feared that those images would never leave her mind.

"All I want to know is how likely there are to be any other survivors. Did you see anyone making it out apart from your group?"

"No," Pieck said quietly as a tear fell down her eyes. No one made it out except them. All those other people that stood before the marching army without any power or desire to run. Most of them accepted that this was the end, and Pieck selfishly saved her own father and Gabi's aunt. Many people there were mothers, fathers, uncles, and aunts, but they weren't theirs, and so their lives were forfeit. "I didn't see anyone escape. We lived on the outskirts; there was more of a window for us to run. Most didn't even realize what was going on…"

"I see. You don't have to talk about it." Jonathan reassured her and looked down to the ground. "Your village wasn't the only one…Something tells me when the dust settles, many will demand Eren's head."

"Did he even come back? We haven't heard of him ever since he left." Pieck decided to use this opportunity to ask the poignant question.

"Hm…" Jonathan paused. "We don't talk about him much to anyone who's not a Yeagerist, but it's that big of a secret. Just ask anyone in Shiganshina." Jon sighed and looked towards the town's outskirts.

"So he returned to the capital?"

"Most likely, though I didn't get any confirmation yet. My area is Trost, Shiganshina, and the villages between the two. Speaking of…" He looked back at Pieck. "Do you have a place to stay here, Liza?"

"I'm afraid not. The town certainly didn't expect any refugees." Pieck knew that there was a chance that someone would show sympathy and take their group in, but that just increased the risk of exposure. She was comfortable playing a role, but she wasn't sure if the other four could play one for long.

"Our convoy will be going off to Trost tomorrow; if you want a secure ride, you might take a chance with us."

"You would do this for us?"

"You don't think we lied when we said we're here to help, do you? This town is small, but if you get to Trost, you'll definitely find a place to stay."

"Hm…" This was a fortunate, if sudden, opportunity. This will bring them closer to the capital, and it might be easier to find a new place to live there. It would also bring them closer to Eren himself…Pieck thought of seeing her friends die at the murderous Titan's hands, how they screamed in fear and despair. All of this was because of him. A part of her wanted to bring him to justice, and her conscience tried to hold Pieck back by reminding her of how dangerous the undertaking was. "Thank you for the offer, I'll talk to my family, and we will decide by tomorrow."

"Fine by me, just don't take too long."

…

When Pieck returned to the inn, she was relieved to see that it wasn't crowded. There were barely any people besides her group, and those didn't exhibit any suspicion or abnormal interest.

"Here she is!" Gabi called to Pieck and spoke loudly, but went quieter after seeing her stern gaze. "Oh, sorry, I forgot." They had to remain quiet for others not to overhear them. "Did you learn anything?"

"More than I expected," Pieck said before recounting the full story.

"So he can get us to Trost?" Falco wondered. "That's too good to be true…"

"I thought about i t." Pieck sighed. " But I looked at Jon carefully, and he seems sincere enough. I doubt anyone is expecting to encounter Marleyans here …Unless they're renegade soldiers."

"We should find those soldiers; they'll help us," Karina said in a quiet, cold tone.

"Help us to do what?" Falco raised an eyebrow. "We'll just be easy targets for Yeagerists then."

"To kill Eren," Karina said, making everyone else freeze on the spot. Pieck expected this to happen; they just didn't think Karina would show her resolve so soon. It was on her for not being prepared enough.

"What are you talking about?" Oliver said in disbelief. "He's probably in the palace right now with hundreds of soldiers guarding him!"

"Those soldiers are just island devils , we can trick them! Especially if we find Marleyan soldiers that they mentioned, they can help us get inside and …And bring him to justice."

"I agree," Gabi said confidently. "He killed mum and dad, he killed Reiner, he…We have to make him pay!"

"Do you even hear yourself?" Oliver protested. "They have thousands, and there's just five of us!" They were about to explode in a heated argument, and it was hard for Pieck to take a side when she could perfectly understand both. Her father just reunited with her after thinking she was gone. Trying to assassinate Eren would be tantamount to suicide. But she knew what Gabi and Karina were feeling after losing their family. Reiner and Annie were her friends, too, as were some killed Eldians and Marleyans; Eren didn't spare a single soul.

"Listen…" Oliver took a deep breath. "If we try to kill him, they'll find out who we are and then just execute us."

"So what? At least we would die trying."

"You can't be serious! We escaped the bloody Rumbling; we have a chance to live in peace without anyone ever discovering the truth."

"No, you got your chance," Karina said with spite before giving Pieck a judging glance and turning back to Oliver. "Because your daughter returned to you." Those words echoed like a spiteful hiss in Pieck's mind as the image of Reiner's last moments emerged before her. She could've saved him…Even if he didn't agree to escape, she could've snatched him and taken him to Falco. He could've carried one more person with ease. But she was too late, and now a grieving mother would have to go on knowing that she outlived her child.

Before she could respond, a few Yeagerist soldiers entered the inn to have a drink, and they would be far more observant than civilians.

It was time for them to get out.