This story takes place within the wider context of Akatsuki no requiem theory/AOT no requiem fanwork, so the last three chapters of the original manga are changed, the rest remains canon.
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"From this day forward, you, Pieck Finger, are to become the inheritor of the Cart Titan. I assume you know how this procedure is going to go."
"I do, sir."
"I thought so. Once you become a shifter, you will have thirteen years to live, and each one you will spend serving as an honored Warrior of Marley. Prove yourself a worthy weapon, and you and your family will be able to enjoy the privileges our leaders will bestow. Disgrace yourself, and you disgrace your family."
"I…Don't have much of family. But I'll never disgrace myself or my father, I swear."
"You'd better keep on that promise, or there will be consequences. Are you ready?"
"Yes, sir."
She was doing this all for him. All of this sacrifice, this burden she had to bear, all so her father could live on. She remembered the fluid flowing through her veins, her body morph as all of her senses left her. The last sight she witnessed as a mere human was her predecessor, a man who looked down to the floor and accepted his fate.
…
She woke up to the sight of the earth about to be scorched; the first sound that echoed in her ears was that of an echoing stop. Thousands of steps, one after the other, and a myriad of colossal titans emerging from the veil. All of them enclosing a small military encampment, seemingly still intact, Marleyan architecture. There were even some moving dots deep below her. All those were about to meet their demise. But she was far away, feeling the breeze on her pale skin as the soft fur soothed her.
"Pieck!" She heard a familiar girl's voice, immediately making her open her eyes and finally make an effort to truly wake up. Gabi's eyes were full of relief, yet even so, Pieck spotted a trace of fear. The two of them were on Falco's back, but there were no others with them.
"G-Gabi…"
"Thank god you're alive, it worked!" Gabi crawled closer to the woman.
"What worked?"
"Falco carried you away from the battle for a while so you could heal and get back to it," Gabi explained. "And not only that, we happened to find a Marleyan camp right here."
"How…How did any of them survive?" Pieck wondered.
"I don't know, but maybe…" Gabi's hope eroded. "If these people are from Marley, that means someone for Liberio could've escaped." Those words made Pieck freeze for a moment as the thought emerged in her mind. Marleyans were unlikely to care enough to help even a single Eldian escape, but there was still a small chance that some survived. Maybe even her father…It was foolish to hope after so much death and destruction that flashed before Pieck's eyes.
She remembered their team landing on the Founder's spine and remembered how Eren absorbed Armin right into paths while everyone else had no choice but to fight his defense mechanisms that came in the form of previous Titan shifters. First, it was Jean who fell to his death despite his valiant resistance. Pieck didn't know him for long, yet his death was a grim reminder that none of them were invincible.
They all fought twice as hard after Jean died, even crushing some of those phantom shifters. The biggest problem was Bertholdt in his colossal Titan form, but he did not fight to his full extent at any point during the fight, especially when Annie was nearby…Other shifters rebelled, too. Porco, Tom Ksaver, the woman that Reiner and Bertholdt brought from Paradis, at one point, it felt as if Eren was growing weaker. But not all shifters were eager to stop Eren, not even if they could regain free will. One of the previous Attack titans was one of them.
He clashed with Annie, and not even Bertholdt could stop his fury. He ripped her body apart and tore Annie away from her Titan. Reiner tried to save her, but only to have the Attack Titan give her away to one of the past Cart Titans. It ran across the spine, right towards Eren's head. Pieck was quick to figure out what he was about to do and charged after him. This moment of fear and folly exposed her to the last Warhammer titan, who summoned an array of crystal material piercing Pieck's heart and limbs, forcing her to freeze in immense pain.
Connie rushed to help her and took on the Warhammer, but Pieck saw a yellow flash from beyond the clouds. This glow spread around Eren as he let out a powerful Founder's cry, making all of his titans stop for a split second. He ate Annie and absorbed yet another titan…What hope did they have against this monster? After this, all remaining titans obeyed Eren's command unquestionably and did not hesitate for a single moment. Warhammer Titan squashing Connie and ending his life was but the first example. There was no contact to establish after that, only them against endless hordes.
Mikasa and Reiner still fought valiantly and were able to break Pieck's chains, but the pain was too much to bear. She didn't remember what happened next, only certain flashes. Reiner tore her away from the Titan and carried her over to give to Falco while Mikasa covered his rear. Pieck was about to succumb to the pain. She saw Levi bravely leaping into the fray, moving so swiftly that one could forget he was even injured. He incapacitated Lara Tybur with a few strikes and then clashed with the Attack, who Pieck remembered falling as well. Levi was about to strike Bertholdt, too, but another silhouette formed behind his back just as he was about to pierce his target.
Annie joined the horde.
This was when Pieck collapsed.
"Do you remember what happened?" Gabi asked.
"Yes, I do…Up until the moment Levi was about to bring down the Colossal. Annie was there, too, and…Did Levi survive?"
Gabi shook her head in silence, making Pieck's heart skip a beat. He was Paradis's strongest soldier; even wounded, he could take on an army.
"And others? Is Reiner still alive?" Pieck spoke up as she tried to hold back her heavy breaths.
"He and Mikasa are the last ones there…We still don't know where Armin is."
"We need to help Reiner. Come on, Falco, get me back to the spine!"
"Are you sure? You've just healed your wounds…"
"If we don't hurry, they'll kill Reiner. Come on!"
Falco began to rise as Pieck prepared for battle.
"Do you have a plan?" Gabi pleaded.
"I'll try and find Reiner, help him stay alive, and then…" Pieck paused. She wasn't sure. She knew what Reiner would want, to fight until the very end and never fall back. But was this what she wanted?
"Pieck…" Falco's fearful voice echoed in her ears. "We can't defeat him…What are you going to do?"
She hated herself at that moment, hated that she couldn't answer that question.
When they finally ascended back to the spine, it wasn't hard to find Reiner. The Armored Titan fought valiantly against multiple fiends, crushing them one after another. The one that got closest to breaking his hardened armor was the crocodile Beast Titan; its teeth pierced Reiner's elbow and tore his hand off. The warrior retaliated by crushing the Titan's skull and retreating to the nearest safe spot behind a tall bone.
"REINER!" Gabi screamed as they approached, making the Armored turn around and look at the flying trio.
"Pieck!" Reiner said with a faint tone of relief. The revelation of one of his friends still living must have overshadowed the pain. When Falco got close, Pieck jumped off and landed right at the spine. She bit her hand and quickly transformed into the Cart Titan. "Mikasa is fighting alone, Armin is still nowhere in sight…Come on, we got to help her."
"Reiner, wait!" Pieck called out to him, echoing Falco's words.
"What?"
"We…We can't win this. We get rid of one Titan, and ten more appear; half of us are already dead, and he only got stronger. If we go there, we die." Pieck explained, making Reiner halt for a second, but he was quick to come back to his usual senses.
"Then…Then we go down fighting." The Armored spoke with confidence. "And take as many of them with us as we can."
"We don't have to do this. We saw a Marleyan camp. There may be some survivors there! Maybe even some of ours…They are about to get killed, but if we hurry, we'll get them out!"
"And what then?"
"We take them away to safety, doesn't matter where, as far away from Eren as possible?"
"There is nowhere to go! Our choices are a wasteland, places that are about to become one, and Paradis…Each of those just delays our death by a few days."
"It gives us time that we won't have if we die today!"
"If you want to go, then go, I won't blame you."
"Reiner, please…"
"No, Pieck, I'm sorry…I've gone too far to turn back." Reiner said in a somber tone before turning towards the upper spine. Mikasa and Armin were still there, somewhere, fighting for their lives, and Pieck knew Reiner wouldn't abandon them. This would be the honorable death he always wanted, and she was powerless to stop him…Powerless once again.
Reiner grabbed one of the smaller bones and tore it away from the Founder's spine, holding it in his only remaining hand as a temporary weapon. He charged forward towards the only path; it was full of titans, and Reiner was willing to challenge them all. Pieck jumped forward to aid him, but the crocodile Beast interrupted her and pinned her to the nearest wall. Pieck let out a pained cry as its teeth sunk into her Titan flesh, cutting the connection between her and this carcass. Reiner, meanwhile, engaged the Attack Titan that defeated Annie, but the odds were against the Armored. There were two more Titans aiding him, one of the previous Armored and a Jaw Titan that Pieck didn't recognize. Reiner fought valiantly, forcing the other Armored aside and even landing a few strikes at the Attack Titan, but Pieck knew he needed help. She adapted quickly, separating from her Titan and jumping forward before transforming again. But just before she could reach him, the Jaw Titan plunged its teeth into Reiner's neck, crushing his hardened armor.
"NO!" Pieck shouted in horror, she continued to run, but both Jaw and Armored Titans blocked way. The Attack, meanwhile, tore Reiner away from his shell as it fell off the spine. Pieck desperately tried to breach their defense, but it only took one gaze at Reiner's accepting eyes to realize that there was no way out for him.
"REINER!" Pieck heard Gabi's cry echoing from above.
"RUN, PIECK!" Reiner shouted as he bit his hand, forming a yellow glow around him right while he was still in the hand of the Attack Titan. The fiend reacted quickly, crushing Reiner in a matter of seconds, but an explosion still occurred. Pieck felt a powerful shockwave pushing her away from the spine, and in a few minutes, she was already falling into oblivion. To get crushed and have her flesh sprinkled around the wasteland, drowning in a sea of blood. Perhaps it was time to follow Reiner's example and simply accept that this was the end.
All those people she gave her life for.
Her father
Her friends
Her people
"I'm sorry…"
"Pieck!" She heard Falco's scream as the flying Jaw Titan's claws pierced her wounded carcass and tore her away. Pieck completely submitted, but she is still unable to properly process her own survival. Falco carried both her and Gabi away from the spine. All she could do was watch as Reiner's ashes spread over the wind, and the Titans quickly restored themselves.
"What do we do now?!" Falco said in a panic, prompting a quick response from Gabi.
"We need to help Reiner!"
"We…We can't, they killed him!"
"No way! He's not…He's not going to die to some stupid recreations, not like this! He has a plan, he must still be there, fighting…Probably regenerated his arm already!"
"Gabi…" Pieck spoke up in a grim tone.
"W-what? Don't tell me you believe him!"
"We all saw it…I saw it." Pieck spoke through pain. "He…No one could survive that, even him."
"But…"
"Please, Gabi, we have to focus!" Pieck pleaded. "We can't go back. Mikasa and Armin stand no chance…They will die, too."
"But what, then?" Falco said. "What will happen to us? We can't…We can't just surrender."
"We can't, I know, but…" There was no one to protect those children but her; it was time to take the initiative. "There's only one thing we can do, run!"
"To where?"
"Paradis. It's not a safe bet, but it's the only place that is safe from the Rumbling! The best we can hope for is to wait until it's over, but first…First, we need to check the Marleyan camp; there could be survivors!"
"A-are you sure?"
"I am," Pieck reassured him. "Falco, I need you to get down. Be close enough so we can see the people there."
"But won't they open fire?"
"I doubt it, they have a bigger concern…The three of us need to look for anyone in our families, if we find them, drop me, I'll transform and get them to safety, then we escape!"
"From our families?" Falco responded. "You mean your dad and our parents? Do you think they'd be there?"
"I don't expect them to, but I won't leave before we make sure!"
"Alright…But let's be quick, okay? They're getting closer!"
Falco descended towards the camp, and in a couple of minutes, Pieck could already spy many people. Those must have been the few survivors who managed to escape Marley before Eren annihilated the entire country. The few soldiers manned the weapons and attempted to shoot the approaching Titans, but all was for nothing. As Pieck expected, barely anyone reacted to Falco flying over them, at least while he kept his distance. Instead, those people would desperately resist like grains amidst a storm, going up against an insurmountable wave of chaos and destruction. Most of them would die in less than an hour. Falco could only carry a few people, and Pieck wouldn't give this opportunity to anyone but those closest to them. One after another, Pieck scoured countless people until finally…
"Look!" She pointed downwards, still unable to believe her incredible luck. Pieck saw a middle-aged man with black hair and stubble hiding among the civilians; there could be no mistake, this was her father, Oliver Finger. Pieck's heartbeat increased as it took a few seconds for her to realize that she was not dreaming. After everything she endured ever since being sent to Paradis to end Eren's plan, a mission that ended in complete and utter failure, even as the world around her was ending, Pieck felt an arising sense of happiness within her. "That's my father!"
"And is it…" Gabi looked closely, focusing on a woman with blonde hair standing not far away from Mr. Finger. "That's Aunt Karina! It has to be!"
Perhaps this was just wishful thinking on their part, but it was enough for Pieck to descend.
"Now, Falco!"
The Jaw Titan released her into a free fall, during which Pieck bit her hand and began the transformation. By the time she landed, she was already in her Cart Titan form, pushing nearby people aside as they screamed in pain. Some might have broken their limbs, but there was no reason to be careful with people who were already dead. At least a pain in their leg could distract from the sheer horror of the approaching Rumbling; at least, that's what Pieck told herself.
"Is that…" One of the Marleyan soldiers said in disbelief.
"The Cart Titan!" Another one shouted as everyone who stood near her looked at Pieck with awe. For once, she wasn't carrying anything or covered in heavy armor. Those soldiers were no longer her allies, her debt was repaid in full. The Cart Titan rushed towards Oliver, some soldiers opened fire, but it wasn't enough to pierce her skin.
"P-Pieck?" Oliver's voice trembled as the Titan approached close
"Dad!" The Titan shouted as she leaped forward. A part of her wanted to rush into her dad's embrace and let out all the tears that she held back, but this wasn't the time or the place. For now, she had to focus, for her sake and his. She stood between the soldiers and Oliver, separating the man from the rest at the camp. Confused soldiers continued firing, perhaps thinking that the Titan had gone mad or was under Eren's control.
"Pieck, is that really you? I…I thought you were…" He shook as he looked at his daughter's twisted face.
"We have to go now!"
"But where?"
"I'll explain later. Just hold on, okay? You have to trust me!"
Oliver didn't ask any more questions, instead clinging on to his daughter's back while she turned to Karina, Reiner's mother. The woman stepped back in fear, trying to retreat towards others, all while more soldiers began to aim at Pieck. There was no time for talking. Instead, Pieck charged forward and grabbed Karina with her mouth, like she did with her comrades before.
"Stop it, let…LET ME GO!"
The Cart Titan charged to the outside wilds with Falco following directly above her.
"Don't panic, Mrs. Braun…" Pieck spoke while trying to keep her jaws shut. "I won't harm you, I promise! Do you know where Gabi's parents are?"
"I…The group did not wait for them, I didn't see them since before those monsters came! They aren't in the camp!"
"And Falco's?"
"They didn't join us either..."
Damn it. That meant that they were most likely long dead by this point, but there was also no reason to return to the camp.
"Falco, I'm done here!" Pieck shouted before slowing down and weakening her Titan form. Soon, she, Oliver, and Karina were all free from the Cart Titan carcass, and the Jaw Titan came to pick them up. Falco grabbed the three of them; Karina was still screaming from shock, not understanding what was going on around her, while Oliver succumbed to silence and trusted his daughter, something she was very grateful for. Soon, all of them were on Falco's back as the Titan ascended into the sky.
"Dad, are you alright?" Pieck grabbed Oliver's hand and spoke with arising hope.
"I…I'm alright, yes." He took a deep breath. Pieck could feel tears streaming down her eyes, and she saw Oliver's eyes growing wet too. "Thank god you're alive…Thank god!" Pieck fell on her knees and began to sob, if it wasn't for the danger that surrounded them, she knew she wouldn't hesitate to weep.
"Aunt Karina!" Gabi said with joy in her voice.
"G-Gabi…You're alive!" The woman would've rushed towards the girl if it wasn't for the shaky ground they found themselves on. "I thought that when those Eldian devils took you, they would torture you, hurt you, and…"
"It's alright, I'm fine," Gabi reassured her before turning to Pieck, who desperately tried to avoid eye contact. "And my parents? Did you see them there? We can search more."
"I…" Pieck stuttered, Karina looked down in shame before speaking.
"I'm sorry, Gabi, they…They never joined us." She admitted, making Gabi go silent.
A loud explosion echoed in the distance, a titanic transformation right at the middle of the Founder's spine, a cloud that covered Eren and everything around him in ash. The battle still raged on…But it was not their concern anymore. All they needed was to survive.
"Pieck..." Falco hesitated, but she knew exactly what question he wanted to ask.
"I'm sorry, Falco, your parents are not here...Karina confirmed it."
"Does that mean they are..."
"W-we don't know yet. But they aren't here." Both knew the truth, yet neither was brave enough to say it out loud. "Falco, please, you need to focus for no…Fly towards Paradis Island. It's time we get as far from here as possible."