He had tried it before. Each and every time it ended the same way. He was still alive, and everyone and everything around him was dead. He had tried to end it so many times. And yet...he was still alive. He was still here.

Homecoming Arc

~ Chapter 9: Homecoming ~

March 3rd, 845

The Potter home - a once-tiny household only large enough for three people - had been renovated and expanded to a home large enough to hold a dozen people. The house now took up the entire block, towering over the small homes around it. It looked like a palace. Harry was amazed by it at first glance, but as he moved through the home, he became more disgusted by what he saw. The home was filled with useless pieces of art collected around town. The floors were covered in gold-colored carpets that felt smooth to the touch. The ceilings all held golden chandeliers that lit up the entire room. And the walls were painted gold with red highlights to go along with the gold color scheme.

His room was on the second floor alongside the other rooms and had been fitted with several amenities. These included a spacious and comfortable bed, a shelf that held all of his old belongings, as well as a large desk for him to work. It was too large. He remembered entering it the first time, examining it to find that it was five times the size of his old room. Harry remembered the living conditions of the Warriors, being crammed into a room smaller than his own with seven other people. Having this one all to himself made Harry uncomfortable.

The other rooms were spacious as well. His parents - James and Lily Potter - had the largest bedroom with a bathroom attached. His sister - Willow - had the third-largest bedroom. It was filled with a miniature bed, a large play area in the corner where Willow could play with toys, and a tiny desk where she could draw. Everything was covered in gold and red, making Harry believe his parents had an odd fixation on their newly acquired wealth. He wondered if the other Warriors' parents were the same, but he decided they weren't. Zeke's parents were dead, and as an adult, he had full access to his own money. As a child and a general, the Potters were being paid handsomely for Harry's role in the war. But the other Warriors were lower in rank, and thus earned much lower incomes than Harry. So while all of the Warriors were certainly well off, Harry and Zeke were the only two that could compare themselves to the higher-class citizens of Marley.

It wasn't until dinner that Harry was able to meet the rest of his family. He was escorted into the kitchen by one of his family's 'servants' - something that Harry wasn't particularly a fan of - and was seated at the head of the table, opposite of his father. To his right were his mother, sister, and a woman Harry had never met before. To his left was a maid he had seen briefly upstairs, the servant that had led him to the kitchen, and a man Harry assumed worked with his father. Harry didn't have to worry about it too much, because James began the introductions. "Harry, you of course know your mother and me, and your sister Willow. That there is Willow's nurse, Martha,"

Martha gave Harry a polite nod, appearing somewhat flustered at his gaze. Harry frowned before his eyes narrowed. The fame. His expression fixed into a frown, he turned to his left when his father motioned to the maid. "Aliyah, our home maid. She makes sure the entire house is clean while we're working. She'll be taking care of your room now that you're back,"

"I'd rather you not," Harry spoke. Aliyah's eyes widened, appearing hurt by his words. He was quick to continue. "It's not that I don't want you to clean my room, but I have a system of doing things. I don't want that system to be...disrupted,"

Everyone in the kitchen examined him for a single moment, and then Harry's father continued. "You've met our 'helper', Mr. Golth. He assists me in my work, he fetches the mail, and he collects the groceries whenever we need them," His father then motioned to the man to his right, who smiled politely at Harry. "This is my work partner, Mr. Nathaniel Solys. He and I work together to create medicines for those in town. We opened up our medicine shop a few blocks from here. Business is doing well. Very well, actually,"

"All thanks to you, son," said Mr. Solys. Harry frowned. His fame as a Warrior, a General, and the only Magical in the world had boasted a lot of business for his father's medical shop. Harry was happy to have helped, but he didn't like how greedy his father's business partner looked. His gaze fell on Harry with a sense of purpose, and Harry knew that from this moment forward Mr. Solys would do everything in his power to gain as much influence and money as he could from Harry's notability. It was inevitable. But Harry wouldn't allow it to happen. He had his own plans for the next few months.

"I'm glad I could help," Harry replied as honestly as he could, a smile plastered on his face. Harry turned to his sister, who was watching him with a bright, innocent smile. She appeared to be in a childlike daze, no doubt lost in thoughts about toys and fairy tails. Harry smiled. He didn't necessarily remember being two years old, but he smiled at the memories of his childhood. Staying up all night drawing pictures of the skyline. Reading books on the stars. The fields. The ocean. The distant countries of the world. He remembered it all. He turned to his mother. "Does she read books as I did?"

"She's not at quite the level you were. She's been reading picture books a lot, and she draws. But her drawings tend to range from stick figures to drawings of a simple house or farm," Replied Harry's mother. Harry frowned, slightly disappointed. But his sister only let out a light giggle, jamming her fork into her plate of food. Harry's smile returned. His mother continued. "But she's the most active of the kids in the neighborhood. She was walking by six months and running by a year old. She's faster than all of the two-year-olds I know,"

"Except you, son," said his father.

Harry's smile broadened. He had been quite fast as a child. But with the shift of his right leg, he remembered the injury he had sustained in the war. The leg he had lost through his arrogance. Harry would never run again. His smile disappeared, replaced with an empty look on his face that mirrored that of someone who just witnessed death. The others noticed this too and gained expressions of concern. Harry didn't pay them any attention. His mind was too wrapped up in the loss. The pain. The life ahead of him.

"Harry?" His eyes remained in place, not daring to waver from his gaze. It was his mother speaking. She leaned forward, clearly worried. "Are...you ok? Do you want to talk about it?"

"I..."

"Is it the war, son?" asked James.

"It was...terrible," Harry whispered. "The battles. The death. The destruction. I ruined everything. Everything gone for two hundred miles. So many men...women...children. All dead...because of me and my...my powers," He leaned forward, his fist tightening around his fork as he continued to stare at nothing. His gaze fell on James. "I injured my friends. My colleagues. They trusted me and I put them in danger. Reiner and Marcel were hurt, and it was all my fault. All my fault,"

"You..." His father didn't have the chance to continue. A loud pounding echoed through the house, drawing their attention to the hallway. Mr. Golth, the 'helper', excused himself and moved to the front door. After a minute of silence in the kitchen, he returned, followed by several military officials. Zeke Jaeger and General Magath were among them. Mr. Golth bowed to them and then to Harry's father. "Mr. Potter, they're here to speak with your son,"

Turning to Harry, his father took in a sharp breath. The sound made Harry wince. It meant his father was very tired. Harry had heard the same sound from several injured men in the military. With a wordless nod, Harry - after some trouble - got to his feet. He followed the Generals and Admirals out of the kitchen, moving into his father's office. There, a man was already waiting for them. Harry frowned. The office had been empty when they started dinner, and yet here this man was. No one had entered from the front door, and no one had entered through the back.

His unasked questions were answered when a soft breeze brushed over him. The window was open. Harry's eyes narrowed and his fist clenched as he eyed the man. In his defense, the man seemed flustered and apologetic. "I apologize for the literal intrusion, General Potter. But no one answered the door, and this meeting was to be held in this office,"

"What do you want?" asked Harry, who positioned himself close to the door. He was very uncomfortable now.

Zeke Jaeger was present, and Harry was sure that the man didn't trust him. The seeds of doubt had been planted in Magath after the battle at the fortress. And the other Generals, Admirals, and Advisors were men Harry had never met before. So he kept himself near the wall, his nervousness present to all in the room. But ironically, it was Zeke that calmed him. The man rested his hand on Harry's shoulder, motioning to the others. "They want to speak with you about your ideas. The man there is Dr. Barclo. He's currently working on medicines that he believes might cure common influenza, but his work is still years away from reaching a promising conclusion. He is curious about how your research can help him,"

"Oh?" Harry's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Go ahead,"

Dr. Barclo smiled, stepping forward from his place near the wall. He set down the briefcase that had been hidden behind his back, opening it to reveal several papers and small vials. He began. "My cure is based on traces of the influenza virus itself, mixed with several pathogens and antibodies that when combined could build a new protective system within anyone's immune system. Take a look and see what you think," Harry obliged, stepping forward to examine the work. What he saw was scientifically advanced and a possible solution to the influenza problem, but there was one glaring flaw.

"This will never work,"

"Excuse me?" asked the doctor. Everyone else in the room exchanged curious glances, unsure of what Harry would say.

"There are thousands, if not millions of different variations of influenza spread all over Marley. This vaccine holds traces of only three different variations. They're the most common, yes, but all this will do is make the other variations stronger and more deadly," Harry explained, tossing the papers back into the briefcase with a sigh. The doctor seemed distraught by this very obvious news, so distraught that sweat was building on his brow and his hands were shaking.

Taking pity on the man, Harry continued. "But this could be saved with the introduction of an antibody of my own. Neslov," He reached into his back pocket, retreiving a small notebook that he had been using as a journel. After opening the pocketbook to a seemingly random page, Harry laid it down on the table and motioned to the diagrams and equations laid out on the page. "The antibody - when connected to the disease it's injected into, will adapt itself completely to fight off the virus and microbodies within it. It's possible that combining our two works will be enough to create a viable cure for all influenza variations,"

The doctor was brimming with excitement now. "So it's possible after all? Will you help me?"

"Of course," Grabbing hold of one of the many test vials in the briefcase, Harry held it up to the window, letting the sunlight hit the purple liquid inside. "I'll take this, and work on mixing it with the Neslov antibody. If it works, you will be the first to know,"

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, General!" The doctor exclaimed, grabbing Harry's shoulder with enthusiasm. Harry gave the man a very annoyed look at the contact, which resulted in the man retracting his hand. Still excited, one of the advisors led the doctor out, leading him to the front door where he would leave. With the office clear of home invaders, the advisors and generals all leaned against the wall or took a seat. Harry moved around his father's desk, slowly taking a seat in his father's chair. His eyes swiveled around the room, his mind racing with what the meeting could be about now.

"General Potter. We're aware of the impact the mission to Paradis is having on you, and we wanted to apologize. We understand your interest in going alongside your friends, but in your current condition, we can't risk losing you to a stray Titan or one of the devils inside the walls. Those of us on the council decided that it would be much safer for you to stay behind. But don't worry, you'll see plenty of action in the time it takes for the other Warriors to return from Paradis," explained one of the Generals. "Of course, there's still the conflict with the Middle-Eastern Alliance. You and Ms. Finger will have much to do on the eastern border, ensuring that our forces reach the heart of the empire,"

"And in the time between now and your deployment to the border, you will be working alongside the government in developing new technologies that can be used against the Alliance," interjected Zeke. The generals and advisors all nodded in agreement. "Those books of yours contain mountains of knowledge that could be useful to the Armed Forces and its mission to take control of the Alliance. So you will be working with a tight-knit group of engineers and scientists to develop as many advances in technology as you can, whether it be weapons, vehicles, or medicines. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Harry replied, his voice firm and sure as his gaze met Zeke's. The meeting was over.

March 7th, 845

"They want you to make weapons for them?" Harry and Annie were lying in the middle of a clearing within one of the many forests inside the borders of Liberio. They were less than a mile from Annie's childhood home, where she had spent the past four days reconnecting with her father. The two were lying against a large tree, their eyes on the sky as Harry discussed all that had been discussed in the meeting days before. Annie listened in silence, a look of annoyance and disgust passing over her face with each passing word. Harry was glad. She hadn't separated herself from him after the discovery of his books as the others had. Out of the other six Warriors, Harry had only received word from two. Pieck and Marcel. The others were avoiding him, either due to suspicion of his loyalties or because they didn't trust him.

"Weapons...vehicles...medicines...anything I can think of that can be useful to them. They seized all of my journals, and they're making copies of the new entries I write. My thoughts are no longer my own, Annie. I can't think without one of them suspecting what it is I'm thinking. I feel like I'm being watched from the depths of my soul. I'm scared they'll find out,"

"They won't. You never wrote it down. And I never told anyone,"

"Not even Pieck?" Harry asked, somewhat annoyed. Annie didn't reply. She merely clenched her jaw shut, her gaze avoiding his in what seemed to be guilt. Harry sighed. "Pieck is smart. She won't tell anyone. Not unless she has enough reason to, and I don't think she has that. But we're at a huge risk if anyone finds out. We'll be murdered for treason. Our families will be sent away to prison, or worse...they'll be executed,"

"It's just an idea! They can't kill us for an idea!" Annie exclaimed.

"Do you think they care if it's just an idea? You're the Female Titan! I'm a wizard, a scientist, an engineer, a general, and the future inheritor of the Founding Titan. If they so much as think we're planning treason, they'll capture us. They'll feed you to the next inheritor and kill me on the spot to make sure I don't cause another maelstrom of destruction," Harry explained. "If anyone finds out, no matter if we think they can be trusted, we're as good as dead,"

"It's because of the propaganda," muttered Annie. "They have everyone thinking they're being watched all of the time. They think that the Armed Forces are there to protect them, but they're wrong. The government is only trying to control the Eldians and act as a cover-up for the Tyburs,"

"The Tyburs are strange," Harry commented, getting lost in a string of thoughts. "They worked alongside King Fritz in protecting the Eldian people from a massive revolution, but when the Marleyans rose into power, they were the first to claim loyalty to Marley. But that isn't the weird part. They did that to survive. To become an influential part of Marley's infrastructure. The weird part is the Tybur's intentions. I've been studying them for some time, and they seem to have some remnants of Eldian-loyalty that's gone unnoticed by those inside the government. For example, Willy Tybur keeps a miniature Eldian flag in his bedroom. That's illegal and a clear sign of Eldian support. Why does he have it? And how has no one but me noticed?"

"Someone else noticed. But no one cares enough to bring it up. As long as the Tybur's seem loyal to Marley, everyone will continue to live out the status quo until something drastically changes,"

"It will change," said Harry. "Very soon. With the work I've started with that team of scientists and engineers, we'll be making major leaps in technology within the next few years,"

"But you won't be here to help it progress," remarked Annie.

"I won't,"

"You'll be in Paradis with us, right?"

"That's the plan,"

"How do you plan on stowing away with us?"

"I'm magical, remember? I can make myself unnoticeable. I'll just cast a Notice-Me-Not charm on myself and just walk onboard. Once I do that, I just have to remain out of sight until I can sneak onto Paradis. I'll then reunite with you and the others,"

"Reiner and Bertholdt won't like you sneaking onto the mission,"

"They won't have a choice,"

"And Marcel?"

"What about him?"

"He's a wild card. He seems suspicious of you and yet he's still your friend. We can't be sure if we can trust him,"

"We can't trust anyone. Not Zeke. Reiner. Bertholdt. Marcel. Not even Pieck. We can't be sure if any of them can be on our side,"

"Your side?" Annie and Harry's heads shot to the west, where their gazes fell on the form of Pieck Finger. She was leaning against a tree, her eyes on theirs. She was watching them with a blank expression, as if she wasn't surprised by what she had just heard. Harry's first reaction was to frown. How had she gotten here and how could she spot them in the first place? He had placed nearly a dozen charms on both himself, Annie, and the area around them. No one should have been able to find or see them. But then his eyes widened in shock. She had heard it all.

"Pieck..." Annie was on her feet, her fists clenched in anger. Harry - who was still definitely without the use of his left leg - took much longer to get to his foot, but soon he too was facing the girl.

"I heard everything," said Pieck.

Harry stepped forward. "You can't tell anyone,"

"Why would I want to?" Harry and Annie both stopped. They exchanged an uncertain glance but turned their attention back to Pieck. She was smiling now, something that unnerved them. The situation didn't call for bright smiles. "I've been listening to you two for a long time. I followed you to your spot in the forest outside Fort Tatakai a few months ago. I was recording your conversations, and gathering evidence to use against you. But then we fought in the battle in the fortress. You nearly killed yourself taking that fortress for Marley. And you nearly killed yourself to save us. After that night I burned my evidence and began to study you for another reason,"

"To join us," Harry whispered, shock taking effect as his eyes widened.

"As I listened to the two of you talk about the government, the propaganda, the Tyburs...things starting to become clear," explained Pieck. She stepped forward. "The Armed Forces want to take my brother. They want to train him as a Warrior starting two years from now. I'll be on the eastern border by then. I won't be able to stop them,"

It all made sense now. Pieck had been pushed over the edge. Without their knowledge, Pieck had been listening in on all of their in-depth discussions regarding the state of the government, military, and world, and had come to the same conclusion as them. Change needed to happen soon. But she had remained silent all this time, until recently...when she learned her brother would be taken into the Warrior program. That single choice had been the last straw, drawing Pieck to reveal her true beliefs to them. Harry smiled. He was proud of her decision, and even more proud of her ability to remain hidden for so long. It revealed one thing. She could keep a secret.

"And why should we trust you?" Annie asked.

"She's telling the truth," replied Harry, his eyes studying Pieck's with intensity. He was using the minor form of mind-reading he had learned to study her mind, and it was an open book. He found her true feelings for the government. For the military. On her own family. Her thoughts mirrored his own the day during the battle for the fortress. She was scared for her younger sibling, and that fear had bled into anger towards the Marleyan military. At the reminder of his anger, a small tear fell from his right eye. "She's with us,"

"How do you know?"

"I can see her thoughts," he answered honestly. Pieck's eyes widened as she self-consciously took a step back. Harry looked away, unsure if he should continue to rummage through her open mind. So he broke the connection and turned to Annie, who appeared slightly more approving of Pieck's presence. "She's thinking the same things I thought the day of the battle. She wants to save her brother the same way I want to save my sister. Our goals are the same. We can trust her," Annie frowned, but nodded in agreement nonetheless. His smile broadening, Harry turned to Pieck. "Any questions,"

"A few. What did you mean by 'your side' before?"

"Annie and I's 'Grand Plan'. Something we've been building for months. It's too soon to tell you exactly what it is or any of the details, but...we will tell you. When the time is right,"

"Before you leave for Paradis?" asked Pieck.

"Before we leave, yes,"

"Am I going with you to Paradis?"

"No," Annie and Harry replied at the same time. Harry explained. "If you and I both disappeared onto the boat, it would be obvious that we're conspiring against Marley. If it's just me, they'll assume I was just too eager to get to the Founder and its power that I chose to disobey orders. But the two of us would just scream a planned operation. No. You're going to remain here where the government and military can see you. You'll be the perfect weapon. The 'Cart Titan'. An invaluable resource to the war against the Alliance. You'll be so loyal to Marley that no one would ever suspect you of treason,"

Pieck smiled. "An undercover operation,"

"Yes. While you retain your covertness here in Marley or on the border, Annie and I will be searching for the Founder. When we find it and return, I'm hoping you'll be in a position to help us launch the second part of our plan,"

"And the others?"

"You'll say nothing about this to them. If they come to you with anti-Marley ideas, reject them and inform them of your pro-Marley stance. Even if they are anti-Marley, we can't be sure enough to trust them. If they suspect either of you two to be conspiring with me, they could come to you with the intent of exposing your true feelings. You can't allow them to succeed,"

"So just do what you've been doing," Annie added.

"That should be easy," Pieck said with a shrug.

"Right,"

"And in the meantime?"

"We continue what we're currently doing. Annie will stay here with her family. You return to your home and prepare for going to the border. And I'll continue my work with the team. The rest of the plan will have to wait until Annie and I get back from Paradis,"

"Which could take...years," said Pieck, suddenly dejected.

"Don't worry. I can track things from miles away. Once we're inside the walls, I should be able to track the Founder down fairly easily. Once that's done, we can return sooner. If everything works as planned, we could be back in less than a month,"

"And if things don't work as planned?"

"Maybe a year," answered Annie.

Pieck sighed. She stepped up to their tree, taking a seat on the dirt before leaning back against the bark of the tree. Harry and Annie exchanged an amused look, before retaking their seats. Harry - in between Annie and Pieck - let his gaze fall on the sky once more. He watched the dim stars behind the mask of blue, and he examined the moon, which was visible in the daylight. Harry wanted to reach out and touch it. To taste the freedom of the cosmos. To plant his foot into the soil of Luna. To stake his claim on the wider universe.

But those dreams would have to wait for his more pressing dreams. He needed the Founder's power first, and he needed to unite the entirety of the planet under one united nation. Only when that was done could humanity spread beyond the single planet they resided on, reaching for the stars. The wait would take a long time, but Harry hoped the day would come when he could pioneer the Great Expansion. It was his final dream. His final mission.

A long time ago, his mission had been different. No less ambitious, but different. His gaze fell upon his Father's creatures. His newest 'creations'. Carnivorous and herbivorous creatures that spoke in different dialects of roars and squeels. He had walked among them. Lived among them. He had even learned their language. He spoke to them. Became them. Then his Father intervened, and in an act of pure evil, hell rained down on the Earth. An explosion unseen, followed by days of torture and death that he was forced to witness. Ash. Flames. Shifts in the Earth itself. All while his friends died the last of their kind. All the while, he stood by uneffected. For he could not die. He would not die.