God of Hate
"You truly don't remember me at all?" Frieda asked, disappointed and sad.
"I'm...sorry, but no? " Krista...or rather, Historia answered honestly, if not fairly confused.
"Well, that's annoying," Kenny said with a grumble.
"I'm sorry, but...when exactly did we meet? I don't remember an older sister or anyone else on the farm?" Historia asked, bewildered but wanting to have some answers.
Frieda's face twisted at that. "I...erased your memories, with the Founder."
Historia stared, unblinking. "I...you...what?"
"Yeah, one of the weirder things it could do back in the day," Kenny said idly. "Anyone that can get turned into a Titan, the founder can control. Even make them forget things, or remembers things that didn't happen."
"Just like how the first King of the Walls erased our memories of the outside world," Historia recalled in a mumble. It was one thing to hear about such a power, it was another to know it was used on herself. "But why though? Did you tell me something important?"
"No. I just...didn't want to put you in danger, but I was selfish and wanted to see you too. I hated leaving you with that woman, but with the Vow and everything else...my mind was a mess at the best of times," Frieda explained with a sigh. "I'm not trying to excuse it. I had a good intention behind a very jumbled reasoning."
"And Kenny sending me off to the military?" Historia asked dubiously. "What was the point of that?"
"Frieda was in a coma by then," Kenny interjected. "I just did damage control in the meantime."
Historia frowned, unsure if they were telling the truth but no way to be sure what, if anything, was a lie.
"I know it's asking a lot, but may I try to...?" Frieda requested, taking a hobbled step towards her half-sister.
While reluctant in the extreme to allow someone to literally mess with her mind, Historia still did have the strangest gut feeling she could trust this woman. Not to mention, she wanted to know as well. She nodded stiffly while allowing her to approach.
Frieda placed her good hand on Historia's head, gentle and soft-
{{{{Maggot Queen.}}}}
-and redrew her hand, clutching at her scarred arm with a look of pain on her face, her eyes glowing softly for a brief second.
"Frieda?" Kenny called in concern as he took a step closer.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Historia asked, feeling an electric chill down her spine.
Frieda grunted, closing her eyes in agony before taking a deep breath as the sensation subsided. "I just thought it was the royal blood, I thought that was why you could hear him," Frieda whispered, more to herself than to Historia. "Eren. Did he try to...eat you?"
Historia blinked at that. "No, but he did...catch me in his mouth."
Kenny raised an eyebrow at that. "Well, I suppose without any arms..."
"I don't understand. What does that have to do with anything?" Historia asked curiously.
Frieda grunted, leaning on her cane. "I'm guessing that the same power that tried to take the Founder from me is also...affecting you, shall we say."
"What do you mean?" Historia asked with a furrowed brow.
Frieda had a strange look in her eye as if she was looking past Historia, not seeing her at all before her eyes refocused. "I mean that, in effect, you're cut off from the Founder. What that entails, I don't know entirely, beyond the fact that I can't give you back your memories."
Historia could only stare awkwardly before she found her resolve. "You're not telling everything you know about this, are you?"
Kenny had a neutral poker face while Frieda smiled. "You're very perspective, Historia. Or, perhaps, Eren was the one who noticed?"
"Does it really matter?" Historia asked with annoyance. "I think everyone is assuming you're holding something back. Something important."
"Something that I can't reveal yet. Because there are already enough revelations and problems to deal with," Frieda admitted and explained in the same breath. "You are right though. There are matters at hand that predate Eldia and Ymir's titans."
"And the people of the Walls don't even know what Eldia was, let alone imagine something before it," Historia said in bitter understanding.
"There is...something I feel the need to tell you about. After a talk with Hange, I realized that Ymir didn't reveal an important part about the Nine," Frieda said with a solemn, apologetic look.
"Why would she still be keeping secrets?" Historia asked, confused and almost angry now.
"I imagine she is trying to figure out how to tell you. Don't be too upset with her, it is rather hard to accept for herself, I imagine," Frieda cautioned sympathetically.
Historia suddenly felt a pit in her stomach, as if she knew this would not be a pleasant secret to know.
"There is a Curse on all Titan Shifters..."
End Flashback
Despite everything, Eren did not have many bitter feelings towards Ymir.
That said, he wasn't exactly her friend. Besides a few barbs and greetings, they had rarely ever spoken much at all during their years of training.
But it was still a little hard to ignore her sitting on the side of a roof as he walked passed.
[[[That is not sitting, that is moping.]]]
[That's depression.]
[[Yes, she is sad, obviously!]]
Ymir glanced up with a frown, watching the three heads argue with one another. "How the hell can you squabble with yourself that much? What, not have enough brain cells to share between each head?"
[Bitch.]
[[[She's lashing out to feel better.]]]
[[Rather poorly at that.]]
[Still a bitch.]
Seeing Eren's unimpressed stare, Ymir grunted. "Guess I might as well tell you. I'm sure Kr-Historia will if I don't, "she muttered bitterly, perhaps even enviously.
Eren stepped closer to the shifter, leaning down his heads to her level on the roof. He found that made it less awkward, sometimes, if someone didn't become terrified of his maws.
Ymir ran a head through her hair, looking slightly unkempt with ends sticking out.
"I'm going to die."
All three heads jerked slightly, sharing a glance before looking at her with interest, alarm, and concern.
"It's something I left out about Shifters. I...didn't want her to know yet. I didn't want to have to drop that on her in the middle of everything else," Ymir rambled in regret. "All of us, the Nine? Being a Shifter comes with a cost. The Curse of Ymir, ironically. Once you obtain the power, it will kill you in thirteen years."
Eren stood silently, taking in that information.
[[...She became a shifter when the Wall was breached.]]
[...]
[[[...!?]]]
[[[[She only has eight years left. Reiner and the others must have even less.]]]]
Ymir snorted. "I'm just going to assume you did the math and figured out how long I got left. I...After the hell of being a Pure Titan, I didn't mind having an expiration date. Just as long as I could spend it how I want. That this life would be mine. And I would be..."
[[[[Free.]]]]
Eren's six eyes glimmered with understanding and sympathy for her. They were similar, the both of them, with the desire to live as they pleased. Suddenly, Ymir and her actions made more sense to Eren.
"I'm not asking for a pity party," Ymir said firmly, holding her forehead. "I just...need to get that off my chest. Historia is pissed since...let's be honest, this isn't the biggest secret, but it is probably...the most important one, from me to her. And I kept it from her. I want to make things right with her. I can't bare the idea of dying and leaving her wearing such a bitter face because I fucked things up again."
On some level, Eren didn't like how much he could relate to that sentiment. The idea of leaving Mikasa, tears staining her face and scarf...
Still, he nodded and gave a chortle of encouragement to her.
"...Thanks," Ymir said idly. "If there's one thing I like about this shitshow is that I know she's safe after I bite the dust. Being able to translate for you and being the Queen's sister makes her too valuable to risk stupidly. Not to mention, well, you're you."
Eins eyed her pointedly, very sure that she was referring to his personality and not his form.
"So... I can't believe I'm asking this, but…" Ymir paused with a smirk. "Did she taste good?"
Eren refused to react to that question at all, merely staring at her while trying not to think about it.
"Asking him implies you don't know yourself."
Both glanced up, seeing Levi standing on a chimney of the house.
"Eavesdropping like a creep, Shrimp?" Ymir asked with a small smirk.
"You know, since you can regenerate, I'm more inclined to dismember you," Levi commented idly. "Come on, we have a situation. Head to the east side, you'll find Erwin and the others there."
With that, he took off, leaving a confused and grim pair.
"Mind if I hitch a ride?" Ymir requested. "I promise not to bite this time."
Eins growled, Zwei glared, and Drei rolled his eyes, jerking his head for her to get on.
"You really are the softy of the three," Ymir teased as she jumped on Drei's head, holding onto the horns for safety
It was a short walk for Eren, following the streets nearest the walls. Eventually, they came to a large group of soldiers, mainly scouts, forming a semi-circle parameter next to the wall.
"Eren, Ymir, it's good you both arrived," Erwin called out from the rooftop nearby, Historia standing near him with Hange.
Ymir jumped off to join them, the air awkward between her and the blonde girl. "Historia..."
"Later, something big is going on," Historia said firmly.
"Right," Ymir accepted resignedly.
Ignoring the drama before him, Erwin addressed the shifter and the dragon. "Grice reported that he's found many of his comrades dead and dying. He's brought back a corpse to the wall and is dragging it up from the other side."
"That's morbid as fuck," Ymir mused, glancing at Hange. "I'm guessing this is so she can study them, but if it's a corpse-?"
"We're all here in case it happens to be alive, or can regenerate like Eren did," Erwin explained. "As much as it would be beneficial to have another RUTO among us, Grice was not optimistic about them retaining their minds."
Eren nodded. Basically, he was here to put down a potential threat if it arouse. It made a painful amount of sense, not expecting or relying on Grice to be able to do the deed if needed.
There was a hissing roar from high up, drawing everyone's attention to the sight of Grice on top of the wall with the ragged body of another creature that looked just like himself. Grice seemed to hesitate for a moment, placing the body on the wall rather than dropping it.
"What's he doing?" Historia wondered aloud, squinting up at the sight.
"Checking to make sure he's really dead," Levi answered idly, a knowing look on his face.
With a frustrated screech of anger and sorrow, Grice pushed the body over the side, letting it fall. The soldiers all moved and scattered to make sure they weren't close to the impact sight, the corpse's tail partially crushing a house while the main part of the body fell into the street.
Everyone watched for a tense moment as the body remained unmoving, not so much as a twitch. The silence was broken in by the sound of claws against stone as Grice slid down walls, more harshly than normal. "Here, four-eyes. I'm sure you're dying to get your hands on this," Grice snapped towards Hange as he stalked angrily about.
"I prefer my specimens alive, Grice," Hange said in sympathy as the Crawler moved towards them.
Grice grunted, taking a loud and raspy breath to calm his nerves. "It looks like my old comrades still hate Marley as much as they ever did."
"They're attacking the Shifters?" Erwin specified.
"And whoever else they brought with them," Grice said, nodding to the body. "I've been finding a few bodies like this. They were definitely shot at by guns, among other things."
Eren frowned as his heads studied the corpse. It was like Grice, but with many tiny marks where the bullets had embedded into the skin. Most didn't draw much blood. But the chest was caved-in, as if crushed. Zwei narrowed his gaze, seeing some stones embedded in the wound.
"Have you found any alive?" Ymir asked with a frown.
Grice tensed and growled. "Just one. She tried to eat me before I had to put her down."
Everyone wisely didn't touch that topic again.
[[[[Shouldn't we consider heading out there if they're attacking Reiner, Annie, and their allies?]]]]
Everyone waited as Krista relayed the message.
"Brat, I know you were fresh out of training, but you know getting everything ready for an expedition isn't easy," Levi pointed out dryly.
Erwin said nothing, and that was telling.
"Eren has a damn good point though," Grice said with a hissing growl. "If the Dogs and their handlers survive my comrades, they'll be able to hunker down and plan for when we come."
"You say that as if you know where they are," Hange remarked with a raised eyebrow.
"Shinganshina."
No one missed the rumbling in Eren's three throats as Erwin said the name of his hometown.
"If there are humans and supplies with them, the only way to get them safely inside the walls would be through the breach," Erwin deduced. "Annie and Reiner also know it's where our goal ultimately lies. If they set a trap, it will be there."
Eren turned to Grice with a thoughtful look. Could they do it on their own? Grice didn't have the same endurance as him, but he could still take on the Shifters easily. According to everything they knew, Marley had seven of the Nine. They had captured Bertholdt and Ymir was on their side, but Reiner and Annie would definitely be there. The Warhammer probably wouldn't leave Marley with how secretive it was. That left the Beast and the Cart. And whatever other reinforcements they had.
Eren knew he was powerful, but Bertholdt proved he wasn't invincible. He'd gladly kill every enemy before him, but Zwei was smart enough to keep the three heads from collectively running into such an unknown situation.
Not to mention...
[[[The basement.]]]
No one took much notice of this grunt, for not all of Eren's noises were words. Grice pretended he heard nothing while Krista quietly relayed it to Erwin.
The blond commander cupped his chin. Yes, that was another thing Erwin had to consider. Grisha had left... something in his basement; something for Eren to find.
What it was, not even Eren could guess anymore. But if it related to this power and form Grisha had passed onto Eren, it wasn't an appealing idea to let Marley potentially stumble across it.
"Commander Erwin," Grice spoke up, looking up at the sky with a thoughtful look. "I do know where some of my more-sane comrades are."
"Is there a reason you haven't contacted them already?" Erwin asked skeptically.
"Because of the less-sane comrades," Grice answered with a hissing sigh. "I didn't want to lead the ones mad with hunger to them. But with this all going on..."
"You want to gather them for an attack on our enemies," Erwin deduced.
"Or to at least bring them here. Some of them were hibernating, like I was, and would be sitting ducks for the dogs," Grice explained.
[[It's a good idea.]]
[[[The more on our side, the better.]]]
[And we'll get to take the fight to Marley.]
All three heads turned to Erwin with a final question. Historia looked over her shoulder at Erwin as she summarized. "He wants to know what the plan is, Commander?"
"You're both getting ahead of yourselves," Levi said, raising an eyebrow at Erwin. "Aren't they, Commander?"
"Grice, how is the Titan situation outside the breach?" Erwin asked stoically.
"Between me and my comrades eating them, and the Marlayeans drawing some towards them? It's very light," Grice explained, liking where this was going.
"Then perhaps an expedition is in order," Erwin reasoned, glancing back to Levi. "We have a chance to either rout our enemies from the wall or get information on their numbers and assets. We need one of these outcomes. But Levi is right; we don't have the resources to issue an expedition or the time to gather the supplies."
"What about just sending us?" Ymir suggested with her arms crossed.
"Eren and Grice, yes. But you will be staying here, Ymir," Erwin explained.
"What? Okay, why me? Cause I think we're past the potential-spy shit," Ymir questioned curiously.
"Because if the enemy captures you, they can retake your power by feeding you to another Titan," Hange reminded with a frown.
With that, Erwin addressed both of the giants. "I need you to listen carefully. This is not a battle or an ambush mission. Your goals are simple. Rally any of Grice's other comrades you can. Survey the situation at Shinganshina. Do not attempt to engage them. We need to take risks, however, you are both our only true advantage against Marley."
If something happened to both of them, the people of the Walls would be at the mercy of Marley's Titans and technology. It went without saying.
"Well, time to practice moving that boulder," Grice remarked, pausing to take one last look at the body of his fallen comrade.
"...What was their name?" Historia asked softly.
"I don't know," Grice answered honestly. "I know their voices by heart, and I could...smell the difference, I guess, when they were alive. But Crawlers all look mostly the same."
With that solemn statement, Grice trotted off to the wall, Eren heading after him.
"Eren."
He paused, looking back at Hange, who looked concerned.
"Don't do anything stupid out there, okay?" she asked with a small smile.
Eren snorted three times over before stalking off.
"No promises," Historia translated softly.
"Well, at least the brat is honest and self-aware," Levi said with a head shake. "Erwin, are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure we need to know what is going on beyond Wall Rose," Erwin answered evenly. "Our actions beyond that are uncertain. And as much as I'd prefer sending some backup..."
"Hmm?" Levi quirked an eyebrow at the pause.
"We don't know how to fight something like Grice, or his mindless comrades," Erwin reminded, nodding to the corpse. "If Eren and Grice come in conflict with them, our soldiers would just be liabilities."
Levi hummed but didn't argue that point. "Eren's friends won't be happy about this. Especially Ackerman."
"Speaking of which, where are they?" Hange asked idly, not seeing them around.
"The shift for keeping an eye on Eren was supposed to be Ymir and I," Historia answered with a frown.
"And due to recent events, they decided to give you both space," Erwin said without pause.
Ymir glanced away. "Well, that and they had some meeting with that Rico woman. Something about formalizing schedules or something,"
With the creation of the Riesenwache, it was moving from being an informal group to a recognized subdivision of the military. And while Eren's friends had taken the role fairly seriously before, this now entailed more formality and regulations.
Rico Brzenska had been appointed as a temporary leader of the group. Not officially part of it so much as aiding in organizing it, which was needed since most of the Riesenwache were still fresh cadets.
"Perhaps we shouldn't mention it until after our giants leave," Levi suggested. "Last thing we need is Ackerman trying to tag along with them without permission."
Erwin deeply considered that. "In the meantime, Levi, head to the breach. Send up a black flare if Titans get inside again."
"Right."
Meanwhile, Eren and Grice approached the boulder, eyeing it with some uncertainty. Both for separate reasons.
[[Are you positive there aren't any Titans just outside?]]
"None I can see. Or smell," Grice answered, looking the large stone up and down. "Look, I know you're crazy strong, but I'm not sure I can push this into the right spot again."
[[[Never know until we try!]]]
With that, Eren began to push the boulder, pressing his heads against the side, trying to dislodge it from the gap.
"You got it in there real good, eh?" Grice observed with a cocked head.
[Shut the fuck up, or help dammit!]
Just as Eins snapped, the boulder began to nudge and wiggle out of place, chunks of stone falling off the broken hole in the wall. While it took a great deal of strain to move, Eren found it much easier than when he plugged the breach. Once it was dislodged, he carefully rolled it to the side.
"Well, it looks like you should fit," Grice noted as he looked through the opening. "Now let's see if I can move this thing."
Eren watched as the Crawler moved next to the stone and began to push and groan with all his might.
[[Try pushing with your tail.]]
Muttering something dark to himself, Grice nonetheless followed the advice, pushing against the floor with his other appendage. While it wasn't as easy as it was for Eren, he did manage to get it moving.
Eren wisely choose to go through the opening, lest they have to do this a second time. It was just barely big enough for him to fit through. If he got much bigger, this could become a problem.
But as he left the walls of Trost, he paused as he took in the landscape. The lands they had abandoned years ago when Maria fell, the rotting ghost town just beyond Trost. Yes, it was tiny compared to the rest of the world, and yes he had seen it from atop the walls already, but still...
{{{{...?}}}}
It was the first time he had set foot outside Wall Rose since they lost Maria. There was something strangely... satisfying about it.
{{{{...}}}}
Eren was pulled out of his musing as the boulder fell back into place, blocking the way back into Trost. He wasn't too worried about that, he could push it open anytime he wanted. Within a few minutes, Grice came climbing over the top.
"Okay,"Grice grunted as he landed next to Eren. "One of the places we need to visit is on the way to this town of yours. It's one of those Giant Forests this island has."
Eren cocked his head at that.
[[[[Those rare outside the walls?]]]]
Grice cocked his head. "I don't know of any that aren't on this island. But that's not important. Once we get there, we should have some backup. Then we head close to the walls and figure out what is going on."
Eren nodded in agreement. It wasn't much of a plan, but it would work. After all, they were just scouting right now.
But if a clear chance to finish off some of their enemies arose, well...
The Commander did say they needed to take risks sometimes.
Meanwhile
Reiner groaned as he kneeled in Titan form, the tongue of a Crawler still on his fist from when he had ripped it out. The Armor Titan was cracked and crippled.
"They just don't stop," Reiner panted in exhaustion. "How many even are there?"
He had fought off three of them protecting a hideout for the Marleyean soldiers. The other two ran away after he killed this one. They were smart, smarter than the Titans. They rarely tried the same thing twice, they moved alone and in groups, and they mimicked voices.
The Warriors could fend the monsters off, but each time they lost a bit more to them; Supplies, men, hideouts. Sometimes just sleepless nights.
And worst of all...
KsiKsiKsi
Reiner froze at the haunting, hissing chuckle filled the air. He looked over and saw it.
A Crawler, staring directly at him, head poking out from beside a street.
In its mouth was the leg of a soldier. It stood there, slowly and deliberately savoring its meal as Reiner numbly watched.
It wanted him to watch.
Worst of all was how cruel these things could be. It wanted him to know he had failed.
KsiKsiKsi
With a final, sadistic chuckle the Crawler ran off, slipping away.
Reiner felt his body moving in its own accord as he rose in his Titan form, limping forth to look down the street the Crawler had come from.
There was a hole in a wall of a building. It was large, where the snout had basically stabbed into it.
Blood splatter was all over the place. If they hadn't been eaten, they had been crushed by the claws. They had probably called out for him, someone to defend them, but with the three others to battle, he couldn't have heard them.
Reiner wanted to scream, but all he could was numbly stare. "Dammit all..."
End of Chapters
More and mor things are buzzing along. Grice is going to be gathering his saner friends, Eren is ready to fight something, and Ghidorah himself is a constant shadow over everything.
And yeah, Skull Crawlers can be really sadistic creatures when they have to be clever about hunting. And yes, some part of the humans is stil in there, directly that cruel cunning towards the Warriors and Marleyeans.
Anyway, as a reminder, I'm going to be switching to "Eren the Usurper" until the next Monsterverse movie "New Empire" comes out. Got one more chpater to this though before that.
Early viewing of chapters 28 avaliable on my pat-reon, and Chapter 2 of Eren the Usurper:
p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64